The Father's adopted love for a prodigal like me

The Wrestling Mat is intended to be, primarily, a place to document the wrestling I do with the gospel in order to get a better grip on it. Sometimes I stray from that theme, but I want, very much, to grasp with ever deepening understanding and affection the gospel as it is pictured in precious doctrines like adoption, the Cross of Christ, etc. Here's something I heard Lig Duncan say during a discussion (panel 5 about 15 minutes in) at Together for the Gospel that strengthens my hold in both those areas:

Jesus is on the cross because of the Father's love. Spurgeon says when you look at the Cross you have to ask the question, 'Does the Father love me, more than He loves His own Son?' Look at John 3:16--we often talk about the love of Jesus here and I don't want to diminish that--but see how it speaks to the prior love of the Father that he gave up the most precious thing in the universe for us. And Romans 8:32 says he spared not his only Son for us! The cross is the instrument and expression of the Father's love while at the same time addressing the Father's righteous wrath and indignation against our sin against Him. (a loose quote as I transcribed the audio)