Love of Christ

[12] The theology of the intercession of Christ from Heaven after he left the earth, draws upon his continued love for his followers and his ongoing desire to bring them to salvation as in 1 John 2:1-2 and Romans 8:34.

[13] In many Christological models, the love of Christ for his followers is not mediated by any other means but is direct.

[14] In other models, the love is partially delegated to the apostles who formed the early church, and through them, it is passed to their successors.

[15] This concept is then basis of Jesus' commands to Apostle Peter after his resurrection and before his Ascension to Heaven.

And as a response, Jesus commands Peter three times to "feed my lambs", "tend my sheep" and "feed my sheep", implying that love for Christ should translate to loving actions and care for his followers.

[16][17] The basic theme of the Epistle to the Ephesians is that of God the Father initiating the work of salvation through Christ, who is not merely a passive instrument in this scenario but takes an active role in the work of salvation.

"[19] This verse includes the only direct statement by Jesus in the New Testament about his love for the Father.

[19] In the Book of Revelation (19:7-9), the imagery of the wedding feast of the Lamb represents the celebration of the culmination of this cycle of love and mercy of God, which begins in the first chapter of the Book of Genesis, and ends in salvation.

Outside of Johannine literature, the earliest New Testament reference to the love for Christ is 1 Corinthians 16:22—"If any man loveth not the Lord, let him be anathema".

"[6] And he answers:[27] "Shall tribulation, or anguish, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? ...

[27] Saint Augustine referred to Ephesians 3:14 and suggested that the bowing of the knees to the Father is the best way to come to know the love of Christ.

[29] Then building on the concept that "the common love of truth unites people, the common love of Christ unites all Christians," Augustine taught that faith in Christ implies community in the Church, and that the goal of Christians should be the unity of mankind.

[30] Saint Benedict emphasized the importance of the love of Christ to his monks, and in keeping with the rest of his Christology, focused on the non-earthly aspects.

[10] Aquinas also emphasized the importance of avoiding distractions that would separate those in religious life from their love of Christ.