Eternal Father
The prince of Peace • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Three weeks ago we began a series entitled “The Prince of Peace.” Week 1 - David taught us about the name “Wonderful Counselor”
Week 2- We explored the idea of Jesus - “The Mighty God” That is our valiant warrior who defeated sin and death.
Now today we will look at the third name given to Jesus in Isaiah 9:6 , The eternal or everlasting father depending on the translation you use. Of all the names given to Jesus, I admit this one is the most confusing to a modern audience but I will do my best to present this idea in a way that makes sense of the ancient context to a modern reader.
Let’s first look at the name itself in Hebrew and then we will look at some of the interpretive challenges. So why do I do this with you? Is it to prove how educated I am? No, not at all. In fact my goal is to teach you all how to think through a text. Words have meaning and the meaning matters. Sometimes we think we understand the meeting until we look up the word.
The word for “Eternal” has the idea of perpetuity.
In other word’s will continue without end. The word for Father “Abv” . This seems to be the most common word used for “Father” in the Old Testament.
This leads us to
Interpretive challenge #1
Interpretive challenge #1
Is this passage referring to Jesus as the Father of Eternity?
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
He was with God in the beginning.
All things were created through him, and apart from him not one thing was created that has been created.
or
Is this passage referencing Jesus to be Eternally acting as a father?
Both of these ideas are true but how do we know which one fits.
Interpretive challenge #2
Interpretive challenge #2
It appears as if this passage is making the claim that the Son is the same as the Father. As if the Jesus in the flesh instead of being a distinct person of the trinity is rather an image of the father.
Think of an old time movie projector. While the movie is what is seen on the big screen. Its merely an image of the film running through light and magnification and isn't a distinct picture in itself.
This is actually an old heresy called modalism.
Modalism according to one author is defined this way.
“The heresy of modalism has been around since the third century AD. Proposed by bishop Sabellius, this doctrine asserts that God exists as one Person who shifts between three faces: one for the Father, one for the Son, and one for the Holy Spirit.”
A modern day equivalent of this idea is pentecostal oneness theology.The idea that God is one personality that simply changes faces at will in order to project different aspects of himself.
So then how do we handle these interpretive challenges. As always scripture interprets scripture if we pay attention.
Answering interpretive challenge no. 1.
When looking at scripture it is important that we do no read back information into the text. In other words, we can assume the Isaiah had very little understanding of the Messiah. He was prophesying a mystery that would not be fully revealed until Jesus came. So when John says in the beginning was the Word. John is speaking from a position of knowledge. He is writing to give us a more complete picture of the Messiah, Yeshua or Jesus.
But Isaiah simply wouldn’t have that knowledge. The Messiah and the plan of God to save mankind although revealed to us through the symbols of the sacrificial system, because we have the answer key in the new testament, was not fully understood by those at the time of the prophets.
We often do this with Genesis 1, with the phrase “let us make man in our own image”. We usually read into the text a trinitarian understanding. However the trinity wasn’t fully revealed until Jesus came.
SO what Ideas would they have understood?
Yet you are our Father, even though Abraham does not know us and Israel doesn’t recognize us. You, Lord, are our Father; your name is Our Redeemer from Ancient Times.
God in his holy dwelling is a father of the fatherless and a champion of widows.
He will call to me, ‘You are my Father, my God, the rock of my salvation.’
As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him.
So then what is the most probable understanding? That there is one that is coming that will eternally have the characteristics and compassion of a father.
Or as
John MacArthur wrote
“The Messiah will be a father to His people eternally. As Davidic King, He will compassionately care for and discipline them”.
So in this answer we have our answer to interpretive challenge no. 2.
It appeared as if this passage is making the claim that the Son is the same as the Father. As if Jesus in the flesh instead of being a distinct person of the trinity is rather only a projection of the father.
When we look at this passage we must understand that Isaiah had no trinitarian perspective. The trinity had not yet been revealed. So Isaiah’s usage of the name “eternal father” reflects this. “Eternal Father” is not synonymous with a person of the trinity the heavenly father.
Just like Mighty God is not a name that Jesus was ever called in the New Testament but rather it is a description of His accomplishment so Is the name “eternal father”. Jesus is never called the Eternal father. rather It is a descriptive of his office as Messiah.
So then with the remainder of our time this morning, lets look into this description of Jesus as a eternal father.
So then what does a Good father do?
#1 A good father has compassion on his children.
#1 A good father has compassion on his children.
As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him.
When he saw the crowds, he felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dejected, like sheep without a shepherd.
When he went ashore, he saw a large crowd, had compassion on them, and healed their sick.
Moved with compassion, Jesus touched their eyes. Immediately they could see, and they followed him.
While the word compassion is not mentioned in these next two scriptures you get the sense that Jesus heart is full of compassion and sadness. It is like a father that weeps over a wayward child.
“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her. How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!
As he approached and saw the city, he wept for it,
saying, “If you knew this day what would bring peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes.
This leads us to the next characteristic of a messianic father.
#2 A good father sacrificially provides for his own.
#2 A good father sacrificially provides for his own.
For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ: Though he was rich, for your sake he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich.
It is one thing to have compassion. Many of us if we see a child in need of a clothing, food, or a home feel compassion for them, But a good earthly father would move heaven and earth to give his children what they need. Even at the expense of himself.
So Jesus left the perfection of the heavenly realm. He stepped down from his throne. He gave up everything so that he might provide for us.
The Son of God co-equal with the father in authority and strength became weak.
Therefore, he had to be like his brothers and sisters in every way, so that he could become a merciful and faithful high priest in matters pertaining to God, to make atonement for the sins of the people.
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in every way as we are, yet without sin.
Jesus endured hunger, he endured temptation, He endured suffering and pain and ultimately endured death all by his choice because of His great love and compassion.
So once again , I feel compelled to share this verse with you
For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.
In this way Jesus, The messiah fulfills the O.T. idea of a good father that loves, provides for and shepherds his people and because Jesus is God we can trust that he will eternally provide for all those who come to him.
“Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, because I am lowly and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Maybe your here today and if your honest, In all of your searching you have not found rest for your soul.
Let me tell you there is one who like a compassionate father has said, I will take all of your burden of sin. I will bear the eternal consequences of your sin. No matter what you have done, I will love and forgive you with an eternal compassion. Like a good father if you will run to Jesus he will make everything right. He will make you right with God.
Scripture says that he will wash you clean from all of your sins.
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Now with this in mind, I want to read to you one final passage of scripture
He also said, “A man had two sons.
The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the estate I have coming to me.’ So he distributed the assets to them.
Not many days later, the younger son gathered together all he had and traveled to a distant country, where he squandered his estate in foolish living.
After he had spent everything, a severe famine struck that country, and he had nothing.
Then he went to work for one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs.
He longed to eat his fill from the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one would give him anything.
When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired workers have more than enough food, and here I am dying of hunger!
I’ll get up, go to my father, and say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight.
I’m no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired workers.” ’
So he got up and went to his father. But while the son was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion. He ran, threw his arms around his neck, and kissed him.
The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight. I’m no longer worthy to be called your son.’
“But the father told his servants, ‘Quick! Bring out the best robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.
Then bring the fattened calf and slaughter it, and let’s celebrate with a feast,
because this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!’ So they began to celebrate.
“Now his older son was in the field; as he came near the house, he heard music and dancing.
So he summoned one of the servants, questioning what these things meant.
‘Your brother is here,’ he told him, ‘and your father has slaughtered the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’
“Then he became angry and didn’t want to go in. So his father came out and pleaded with him.
But he replied to his father, ‘Look, I have been slaving many years for you, and I have never disobeyed your orders, yet you never gave me a goat so that I could celebrate with my friends.
But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your assets with prostitutes, you slaughtered the fattened calf for him.’
“ ‘Son,’ he said to him, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours.
But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ ”
To the believer: be encouraged. Jesus didn’t just love you like a father at the moment of salvation. He loves you now. He is like an eternal father. No matter what you have done, you are forgiven in Christ. No matter how you feel in this moment, You have one that loves you with an everlasting love. He has not abandoned you. Run to his love.
To the unbeliever/skeptic/ or the searching:
Why are you afraid of a God that has chosen to reveal himself, not as a harsh king, but a eternally good father. Of all the ways, The God of all the universe could have chosen to reveal himself. He chose this imagery of a perfect father that loves his children with an everlasting love.
Children often will act as if they know more than their parents. They often will act as if their choice will be better than what the parent knows and is offering. But as a parent you shake your head and say if you only knew the truth about the world around you would understand why I have created the boundaries I have.
So ask yourself this morning, Am I like a child rebelling against the boundaries of God. Am I afraid that if I run to God in repentance and faith that I am going to miss out.
Jesus love is like the perfect eternal father. He will only ever do what is best. Will you trust him today.
We all went astray like sheep; we all have turned to our own way; and the Lord has punished him for the iniquity of us all.
won’t you come to Jesus today?
