… from God the Father …
Summary: Before Jesus was born, mankind could only look upon God as … God. Jesus, the Son of God had a different relationship with God than all of mankind. Jesus was his son. When Jesus completed his work here on earth, we were given the gift of being welcomed back into God’s family.
Having grown up in a church-going environment, the idea of “God the Father” seems normal to me. That doesn’t mean I understood it as a child, but then calling God “father” does convey a certain meaning, even without explanation.
Before meeting Jesus, his disciples had been raised in a Jewish environment. What we call the Old Testament, they would have known as the Torah or the Teachings. This was their history. These are the words recorded by Moses. This is their lineage.
In Hebrew, the God of the Torah has many names. BlueLetterBible website lists these examples:
- El Shaddai (Lord God Almighty)
- El Elyon (The Most High God)
- Adonai (Lord, Master)
- Yahweh (Lord, Jehovah)
- Jehovah Nissi (The Lord My Banner)
- Jehovah-Raah (The Lord My Shepherd)
- Jehovah Rapha (The Lord That Heals)
- Jehovah Shammah (The Lord Is There)
- Jehovah Tsidkenu (The Lord Our Righteousness)
- Jehovah Mekoddishkem (The Lord Who Sanctifies You)
- El Olam (The Everlasting God)
- Elohim (God)
- Qanna (Jealous)
- Jehovah Jireh (The Lord Will Provide)
- Jehovah Shalom (The Lord Is Peace)
- Jehovah Sabaoth (The Lord of Hosts)
These names generally describe an attribute of God, much like a blind man trying to describe an elephant. God is so big and beyond comprehension that the Old Testament writers could only grasp a part of his glory with each name.
All of this changed when Jesus was born.
We tend to think of Jesus as the child in the manger, born of Mary. Throughout his ministry on earth, we look at him as a man with unusual powers and novel insights into God. Yet Jesus’ true nature seemed just beyond the grasp of those around him.
When he was twelve years old, he spent three days on his own at the Temple of God. (See Luke 2:41-52) When his mother, Mary, and step-father, Joseph, finally found him, they were understandably upset. When asked to explain himself, Jesus says, “Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?”
People didn’t do that. They didn’t call God “father” because he wasn’t their father. He was their Creator. There is a difference. It could be argued that Adam would have considered God his father, and I would accept that argument. But only for he and Eve and only for a time. After he and Eve sinned, they were “dead” to God. (See Genesis 3 and John 3) Jesus is different. God really was his father. God still is his father.
The reason Paul and Titus can refer to God as “Father” as well is because of what Jesus did on the cross. Jesus provided the means for Paul, Titus, and you and me to become part of God’s family again. Like the prodigal son, who was “dead” to his father, we have been made alive again and restored to God’s family (Luke 15: 11-32). Because of this, and only because of this, are we able to call God Almighty, the Lord Jehovah, The Most High God … Our Father.
Application: Next time you pray, begin with ”Father…”
Food for Thought: What does it mean to you that God is your Father?
That I have the best family anyone could hope for. A deep relationship that allows me to communicate directly to my Father.
Nice, Tim! Well said! 🙂
Great devotion brother. And I agree – well said Tim.
If He is my Father then I am His child. I am not first and foremost a servant or a subject or a pastor or an impersonal worshipper – I am a child. That changes everything.
Thank you, Rich.
You helped me see the truth of this. And like. you point out, it is truly amazing and it truly does change everything.
Another tough and personal question Jeff,..
So,..for me what it means that God is my Father,..to be honest I am not sure,..yeah I am a child,..but when I was a child I was sexually molested by my father,..so I always thought if that’s the way my earthly father is like,..is that the way my Father is heaven is like,..
It wasn’t until after my eyes and ears were opened by reading His word that I found out He is not like that at all,..and there was a reason why things happened to me as they did,..sin,..
Sometimes the tempatations are to great to hold back and that’s why the sin is committed,..sad but true,..there is a reason why in the disciples prayer Jesus points out that we are to ask to keep tempatation away from us, and deliver us from the evil one,..
Not an easy thing to remember when the sin seems soo good,..
I have had to grow up with the pain from this scar my whole life,..it hasn’t been easy,..but Jesus has calmed the storm within me and has given me hope through what He has done for me at the cross,..and even that was a diffuicult pill to swallow,..His own Father sent His Son to die on a cross for the sin of the world,..so now my earthly father gets a free pass from the things he did to me,..if I understand this correctly,..because his sin has been forgiven too,..it took me a while to do that but it was something that was necessary for me to move on in this life my Father in heaven has called me to live.
Like I said in the begining,..Jeff,.. you have some tough and personal questions to answer,..just what the Doctor ordered too,..
Thanks again
Thank you John for opening up to us as brothers and sisters. Allowing me as a brother to carry your thoughts and know how things have made us the person we are today to glorify our God and to know we are all blessed to say we all have the same Father in heaven who loves us.
John,
You are a man of deep waters. Thank you for sharing. Trusting God’s judgment of those who have wounded us is difficult. Yet you have chosen the only path that is really open to us … Jesus. Well done.
What does it mean to you that God is your Father?
He has forgiven all sins, the power of all sin is made ineffective. I live in His unconditional, eternal love. I have access to His power, and wisdom 24/7. He desires a relationship with me, teaches me to do what is right, what is pure and holy so we can have time together in our restored relationship.
He knows all the hardships and evil works which have shaped me into an enemy to all He is and provides the power to overcome their influence and lasting effect. He surrounds me with comfort and sympathy in times of need, is quick to pick me up when I fall.
He surrounds me with a wall of His power and is my eternal refuge. He cares enough to discipline me, allow me to experience to the degree He determines, the consequences of my actions as I disobey what I know is His standard for holiness.
He is my Father who always gives my developing into the individual He has determined for me the highest priority.
Ron,
I love your description of our Father. You know him well! Thank you!
I’m amazed that I can call the creator of the universe father
Pretty cool, huh? 🙂