Everlasting Father

For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 9:6

“Everlasting Father.” How strange that this should be a title of Christ, yet the reference is indisputable. Well known and often quoted at Christmas, Isaiah 9:6 not only foretells of the birth of the “child” but also gives a list of the names of God’s “Son.”

Although the doctrine of the Trinity is not always easy to understand it becomes a lot more complicated indeed if the Son is called the Father or vice versa. Nowhere else in scripture is Jesus referred to as a father. He had no offspring of his own and believers don’t become children of Christ. Rather, He is the only begotten of the father and through Him men and women are adopted into God’s family. As a result they become joint  heirs with the Son.

         

How then is Jesus Christ the “Everlasting Father?”

         

The key to understanding the phrase is actually on the word “everlasting”. J.N. Darby in his translation of the Bible renders the title “Father of Eternity” expressing the truth that eternity originates with Him. He is its source.

         

The Lord Jesus is the One who inhabits eternity (Isaiah 57:15) and His goings forth are from everlasting (Micah 5:2). Never having been created, the state of being eternal is an attribute of Christ. He is therefore, fully capable of bestowing eternal life to those He chooses.

         

Everlasting Father is clearly a title of deity and the Lord Jesus Christ owns it. There is nothing everlasting apart from Him.

The Unknown God

For as I was passing through and considering the objects of your worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Therefore, the One whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you:

Acts 17:23

          Not all heathens wear loin cloths and have a bone in their nose. Some, in fact, wear ties and have Ph.D.’s. The common bond between all pagan groups is that Christ is not their Lord and they worship something that can neither give hope nor satisfy.

         

When the Apostle Paul was invited to speak at the Areopagus in Athens, he addressed some of the greatest intellectuals of his day. These philosophers delighted in debating any new worldview. They were ready to take on Paul. The old missionary accepted the challenge because he could see seekers of truth among them. He didn’t hesitate for a minute to tell these learned men that they hadn’t found the light, yet, but that he’d be glad to introduce them to this Unknown God if they’d listen.

         

Many people today would take offense at Paul, feeling that he was presumptuous to “push his religion off on others.” For some reason they have the idea that the lost don’t want or need the Lord Jesus because they already have something else.

         

Those people don’t realize that there are many folks throughout the world that rejoice at the message of sins forgiven and eternal life. They want more than anything to know the only true God. However, until someone takes the initiative to tell them of Christ and the salvation He offers, it all remains an unknown.

Him who is Able to Do

Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,

Ephesians 3:20

After four years on the mission field in the jungles of South America we were ready to return to the United States on a four month furlough. Plane reservations were made (though not paid for) and tentative dates set, however, the necessary funds just weren’t coming in. It looked like everything was going to fall through.

It wouldn’t have been difficult to cancel the reservation for tickets or even to send out a form letter explaining that we wouldn’t be coming back after all. The hardest part for me was telling my five year old son that he might not get to see his grandmother.

         

That night my little boy prayed, “God, give us lots and lots of money, just like Zacchaeus. But we’re not going to give it to the poor people, ‘cuz we want to go to the States.”

The very next day the Mission Aviation Fellowship plane flew into our village bringing mail and with it, more than enough money for tickets and expenses. I was elated and rushed to tell my son the good news of God’s faithfulness.

 This was the child’s prayer that night: “God, don’t send any more money, ‘cuz now we have lots.”

         

My first reaction to his words was the strong urge to cram a sock into his little mouth. A little later, I was able to chuckle at his simplicity, but now, the innocence of his wisdom just puts me to shame.

         

It was clear in the prayer that my son felt free to ask for more if a need ever arose again. He demonstrated a greater knowledge of “Him who is Able to Do exceedingly abundantly” than I did at that time.

         

Over the years my eyes have seen Christ do marvelous works time and time again, but my little boy saw Him through faith.

Hope of Glory

To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Colossians 1:27

Millions of people today hope they're going to heaven, but they want nothing to do with the Lord Jesus, so it's sad to say that they really have no hope. Biblical hope is waited for and expected but there is no guesswork to it; the contract has been signed; it's a done deal.

Heaven is actually a small part of a believer's hope. Adoption into the family of God, sins forgiven, being accepted in the Beloved, rewards for service, and eternal life are all part and parcel of what disciples look forward to in Christ; it is their hope.

Many of the promises that accompany the fellowship believers have with the Savior are fulfilled here on earth. True faith results in a transformed life, temporal blessings, answered prayer, the fruit of the Spirit, and the mind of Christ. Once these are experienced, a Christian has no doubt that God does miracles and completes His promises, so there is no need to doubt that He is also in charge of the future.

The Holy Spirit is the "signing bonus" that God gives to believers when they receive Christ as their Lord and Savior. It is the guarantee of good things to come and the security of their Hope in Christ.

Throughout the centuries, Christians have suffered and died for their faith but no matter how bad it got, Jesus was there all the way. This is what is known as the "fellowship of His sufferings" (Philippians 3:10). When the faithful suffer for their Lord, they can sense His presence in a way unlike anything they would have known when things went well. The realization that Christ is in them and with them even at the point of death is their comfort in adversity; He is their Hope of Glory.

Lamb without Blemish

Knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.

1 Peter 1:18-19

          The Passover lamb was special, the most perfect of the flock. It had to be examined for flaws in health and appearance before being set apart for an additional four days inside the family's own home for even more careful scrutiny. Only the very best could be offered to God.

         

When the animal passed the tests of wholesomeness, it was chosen to die. Its white wool was stained red with blood and the perfect little body was roasted in the fire.

         

There was no benefit gained as long as the little creature was alive and well. However, when the spotless lamb was bruised and abused, it became a substitute for the sinner it was sacrificed to redeem. God’s design for the Passover feast wasn't to create a mindless ritual but rather serve as a clear illustration of His provision of redemption.

         

Peter declares Christ to be the Lamb without blemish and without spot. His nature and character were sinless. Even the politician who signed His death sentence declared “I have found no fault in this Man” (Luke 23:14).

         

“But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5). By being holy. He could blot out sin for the whole human race. By becoming sin for us, He was the perfect substitute that truly redeemed. 

The Lamb of God

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

John 1:29*

          Leviticus law allowed that if anyone of the common people sinned unintentionally, he would be guilty but it could be atoned for by sacrificing a spotless lamb as a sin offering. The sinner would lay his hand on the head of the animal confessing his sin before slaying it. He would then hand it over to the priest to be burnt outside the community. Since most families rarely had more than two or three dozen sheep, the economic impact of such an offering would be clearly felt.

          The legal requirements varied according to who made the offering. A priest had to provide a young bull, a ruler a male goat. The very poor could substitute a pair of pigeons as their sacrifice but two principles always applied, no matter who brought the offering: 1. A sin offering without imperfections was necessary for all, and 2. The cost would be significant for those who offered it.

          If God was to provide the sin offering for fallen man, what could He give that would fulfill the law? He is not poor. He owns the universe. He could offer a million spotless lambs and if that was not enough, He could create an additional million sheep in an instant and never suffer loss.

          No, the only thing that could serve as God’s lamb was His own spotless Son. The expense was so great that the banks of heaven would have broken if indeed His life could have been taken from them. The sacrifice was so sinless that it is superfluous to think that a sin offering would ever need to be made again.

                               When we behold Thee, Lamb of God,

                               Beneath our sin's tremendous load;

                               Expiring on the accursed tree,

                               How great our guilt, with grief we see.

                                                                                 Mary Walker (1878)

*see also John 1:36

Judge of the Living and the Dead

And He commanded us to preach to the people, and to testify that it is He who was ordained by God to be Judge of the living and the dead.

Acts 10:42*

          "All rise!" ordered the bailiff. The courtroom fell silent as the judge entered wearing a black robe and a dark expression on his face. The mood was unusually somber because the fate of the man already convicted of murder and multiple felonies was to be handed down. The judge cleared his throat, repeated the seriousness of the crimes committed, and then declared the sentence: Life plus 120 years without parole.

          That punishment, reported to be extremely stiff, only underscores the inadequacies of the human justice system. At best, man can only punish the living. A criminal with three consecutive life terms can be out in a week if he dies in his cell.

          In preaching the gospel, Peter called Christ the Judge of the living and the dead in order to convict people of sin. The idea is that either in this life or the next everyone must answer to the Lord Jesus for what they have done. The purpose is to evoke the fear of God that leads to repentance. Godly fear can be a very healthy thing.

          Sometimes it seems that people literally get away with murder. They can either bury the evidence, bribe the witnesses, or find the loophole in the law. They feel that if they can escape punishment before they die, they somehow have won the game of life. Boy, are they wrong!

          It’s the job of a faithful witness to declare that true and lasting judgment will finally come. Some may be successful at mocking human justice but no one can make light of the Judge of the Living and the Dead. The message that must be proclaimed is “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2).

*see also 2 Timothy 4:1; 1 Peter 4:5