"As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love."
— John 15:9 (NIV)
John 15:9 is the verse people mean when they search the reference for "as the Father has loved me, so have I loved you" and "remain in my love." This page is the passage and a plain reading. Later in the same discourse are John 15:12 and John 15:13. The longer John 15 study on this site is How to love like Jesus: John 15.
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The verse
John 15:9 (NIV) reads: "As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love."
The King James says, "As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love." Jesus measures his love for the disciples by the Father's love for the Son, then calls them to stay in that love.
What the verse is saying
Jesus has been speaking about the vine and the branches. Verse 9 names the source and the call: the love between Father and Son is the pattern of Jesus' love for his friends, and they are to remain in it. Remaining is not a vague mood; later verses tie it to keeping his commands and loving one another (John 15:12). The greatest love — laying down one's life — follows at John 15:13.
This page stays with the reference. The chapter walk-through is How to love like Jesus: John 15. The Upper Room "new command" parallel is John 13:34.
How people use John 15:9
People look up the reference for sermons on abiding, retreats on the Father's love, and studies that connect John 15 to discipleship. It pairs with 1 John 4:19 when the topic is love that starts with God, and with John 15:12 when the topic is the command that flows from remaining.
Questions people ask
What does John 15:9 say?
It says as the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.
What does remain in my love mean?
It means stay in the relationship Jesus has already given — not earning love, but living inside it. The chapter study is How to love like Jesus: John 15.
How does John 15:9 relate to John 15:12?
Verse 9 names the love and the call to remain. Verse 12 states the command that grows from that life: love each other as I have loved you. Read John 15:12.
Is this the same as abide in me?
Abiding in the vine (earlier in John 15) and remaining in Jesus' love are the same discourse. Love is not separate from the vine; it is the life of the vine shared with the branches.
Where should I read next?
For the command that follows, read John 15:12. For greater love has no one than this, read John 15:13. For the chapter study, read How to love like Jesus: John 15.
