EVERLASTING FATHER
His Name Shall Be Called • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 4 viewsJesus is a Savior that protects, provides for, and prizes His followers - like a perfect everlasting Father.
Notes
Transcript
Text: Isaiah 9:6-7
Reflection: Luke 2:8-14
PRAYER FOR THE WORD:
PRAYER FOR THE WORD:
Almighty God, and most merciful Father, we humbly submit ourselves, and fall down before your Majesty, asking you from the bottom of our hearts, that this seed of your Word now sown among us, may take such deep root, that neither the burning heat of persecution cause it to wither, nor the thorny cares of this life choke it. But that, as seed sown in good ground, it may bring forth thirty, sixty, or a hundredfold, as your heavenly wisdom has appointed. Amen. Middelburg Liturgy
What do we know about fathers?
not all earthly ones are perfect
their God-given roles include
protecting,
providing for,
and prizing their families
11 What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; 12 or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
Fathers are special. We celebrate fathers here at Mission Bible and want to raise our sons to be the kind of fathers that people see Jesus through.
We know of God existing in 3 persons.
GOD THE FATHER, GOD THE SON, AND GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT.
So have you ever paused on this passage to think about Jesus, the child, the son being referred to as EVERLASTING FATHER?
I have.
I’ve wondered if it had anything to do with the way it was translated.
The words here are (pr) “odd abvh”.
“ǎd” - lasting, future time
“ab” - father, ancestor, chief
Everlasting Father does not suggest that the Son is also the Father without distinction. Each Person in the Godhead is distinct.
“Father of Eternity” might be a better translation.
Remember when Jesus referred to Satan as the “father [originator] of lies”?
If you want anything eternal, you must get it from Jesus Christ; He is the “Father of eternity.”
Even though Isaiah couldn’t plainly see Jesus Christ…even as He was prophesying this very truth...he is saying it perfectly - remember he is an instrument in God’s hands.
God is writing the text.
BTW here is a note on that very thing: the doctrine of Scripture.
[SLIDE] “We believe the Scriptures of the sixty-six canonical books of the Old and New Testament as being verbally inspired by God and inerrant and infallible in the original writings, and that they are of supreme and final authority.”
So when you hear me say, Isaiah writes, or “the preacher in Hebrews tells us”, or “Paul is helpful here…”
These are the 40 some men that God used over the course of 1500 years to pen the Holy Scriptures as God breathed the Words of life in them and through their quills.
Beloved this is the Word from God.
It IS the truth.
You can trust that GOD KNOWS YOU, LOVES YOU, AND SENT HIS SON TO DIE FOR YOUR SINS ON CALVARY’S CROSS…BECAUSE HE TOLD US SO IN HIS WORD!
After thousands of years of constant surgical attacks - NOT ONE CREDIBLE accusation of error or inconsistency has stuck. They’ve all been debunked. All of them.
There’s nothing new on tik tok that rattles Heaven about the authority of this Bible.
Why is that important?
Lesson: God is not trying to hide ANYTHING IMPORTANT from you in this Bible.
He wants you to dig for some things…but nothing essential for life and godliness is hidden.
The more time you spend in God’s Word - the clearer some things will be…some things will still remain a mystery. But I guarantee you, more time in the Word will cause the believer to love THE AUTHOR more deeply - and I’m not talking about Isaiah!
Isaiah is prophesying the WORD OF GOD - THIS CHILD…THIS SON SHALL BE CALLED: EVERLASTING FATHER!
>>> We won’t be long today.
Let me bring to the surface one or two notes about this term being used here;
then I want to give you some oil for your lamps as you meditate on Jesus’ name being EVERLASTING FATHER.
Remember: Good fathers protect their families. They provide for their families. They prize their families - they treasure them!
Wonderful Counselor - we get it - he’s all knowing!
Mighty God - awesome: he’s all powerful!
EVERLASTING FATHER?
Calvin wrote this down after studying this passage:
The name father is used to mean “author” because Christ preserves the existence of his church through all ages and bestows immortality on the body and on the individual members…”
Hebrews 12:2 “looking to Jesus, the founder (author) and perfecter (finisher) of our faith, …”
2 Looking away [from all that will distract] to Jesus, Who is the Leader and the Source of our faith [giving the first incentive for our belief] and is also its Finisher [bringing it to maturity and perfection]….
(Calvin)
So one solid perspective here is this child that will be born…this son that will be given, will be the chief - the beginning of the church!
Isn’t that beautiful?
There’s a picture of this that resonates more with the life of Jesus and His disciples, though.
Like a father, Jesus will lavish on us, his fathering care.
Jesus, by his life, death and resurrection welcomes us (humanity) into his family once again.
He is the door by which we have access to God.
He lavishes is fatherly love, and we are blessed with all the rights and privileges of being children of God.
No longer separated, lost, alienated, and alone, we live forever as the sons and daughters of the king of kings and the Lord of Lords. (Paul Tripp)
So when you come to this verse or when you sing “His name shall be called, Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, the Everlasting Father...” I hope you’ll linger on these truths.
Let’s take those things that we know to be true about good fathers and see how Jesus wears this name well…
BECAUSE THIS CHILD, THIS SON IS THE EVERLASTING FATHER,
1. YOU’RE SAFE WITH JESUS
1. YOU’RE SAFE WITH JESUS
He is the Everlasting Father who protects His children.
22 At that time the Feast of Dedication took place at Jerusalem. It was winter, 23 and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the colonnade of Solomon. 24 So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” 25 Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name bear witness about me, 26 but you do not believe because you are not among my sheep. 27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.”
31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? 33 Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.
2. YOU’RE SATISFIED IN JESUS
2. YOU’RE SATISFIED IN JESUS
He is the Everlasting Father who provides all we need.
Let’s go back to a picture of fathers I referenced earlier…
25 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. 34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
Seek first His Kingdom - that’s what Spirit-filled believers do.
HE’S PROVIDED ALL THE PEACE YOU NEED.
FEEDING OF THE MASSES
The disciples were hungry.
The crowd was hungry.
Someone sacrificed the little they had and put it in Jesus’s hand
(like so many of you have done in this room)
Jesus blessed it, broke it, and fed them…all of them
20 And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up twelve baskets full of the broken pieces left over.
…CAN YOU TAKE A MOMENT AND MARVEL AT THIS WITH ME.
He provided for His closest disciples, His congregation, and the CROWDS…and there was still enough left over to fill 12 baskets
Jesus did enough for them
so much for them
that there was plenty for others!
YOU WILL NEVER RUN OUT OF GOD’S PROVISION FOR YOU IN CHRIST
HE HAS GIVEN YOU SO MUCH THAT YOU COULD GIVE AWAY
Forgiveness
Love
Joy
Kindness
Peace
GIVE IT AWAY - You won’t run out
THE GOSPEL
THE GOOD NEWS
GIVE IT AWAY!!!
WE can be completely satisfied with CHRIST!
9 For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, 10 and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority.
YOU ARE COMPLETE IN HIM!
LIKE A FATHER, Jesus has PROVIDED everything WE NEED for a right relationship with GOD
8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
YOU AND I CAN BE COMPLETELY SATISFIED with all that Jesus is!
“my cup runs over”
Jesus is perfect, LIKE THE PERFECT FATHER HE
PROTECTS US, SO WE’RE SAFE!
PROVIDES FOR US, SO WE’RE SATISFIED
LOVES US, SO WE’RE TOTALLY SECURE IN HIS LOVE!
3. YOU’RE SECURE IN HIS LOVE
3. YOU’RE SECURE IN HIS LOVE
He is the Everlasting Father who prizes His children.
He loves with an everlasting, eternal love
10 Oh, continue your steadfast love to those who know you, and your righteousness to the upright of heart!
22 The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; 23 they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever. 2 Give thanks to the God of gods, for his steadfast love endures forever.
That refrain repeats over and over again…
Ashlie and I were in Sanford Maine years ago “Open The Eyes of My Heart Lord”
They repeated “To See You High and Lifted Up” until the ink wore off the pages
That was irritating
But IN CASE YOU WONDERED IF THE OLD TESTAMENT SAINTS WOULD DOUBT IF GOD’S LOVE WAS ETERNAL…
Here’s what the refrain of Psalm 136 looks like if you focused on the CHORUS…
1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.
2 Give thanks to the God of gods, for his steadfast love endures forever.
3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords, for his steadfast love endures forever;
4 to him who alone does great wonders, for his steadfast love endures forever;
5 to him who by understanding made the heavens, for his steadfast love endures forever;
6 to him who spread out the earth above the waters, for his steadfast love endures forever;
7 to him who made the great lights, for his steadfast love endures forever;
8 the sun to rule over the day, for his steadfast love endures forever;
9 the moon and stars to rule over the night, for his steadfast love endures forever;
10 to him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt, for his steadfast love endures forever;
11 and brought Israel out from among them, for his steadfast love endures forever;
12 with a strong hand and an outstretched arm, for his steadfast love endures forever;
13 to him who divided the Red Sea in two, for his steadfast love endures forever;
14 and made Israel pass through the midst of it, for his steadfast love endures forever;
15 but overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red Sea, for his steadfast love endures forever;
16 to him who led his people through the wilderness, for his steadfast love endures forever;
17 to him who struck down great kings, for his steadfast love endures forever;
18 and killed mighty kings, for his steadfast love endures forever;
19 Sihon, king of the Amorites, for his steadfast love endures forever;
20 and Og, king of Bashan, for his steadfast love endures forever;
21 and gave their land as a heritage, for his steadfast love endures forever;
22 a heritage to Israel his servant, for his steadfast love endures forever.
23 It is he who remembered us in our low estate, for his steadfast love endures forever;
24 and rescued us from our foes, for his steadfast love endures forever;
25 he who gives food to all flesh, for his steadfast love endures forever.
26 Give thanks to the God of heaven, for his steadfast love endures forever.
CONCLUSION
CONCLUSION
In Jesus we meet the Everlasting Father
WE ARE SAFE because He is the One who guards His people,
WE ARE SATISFIED because He supplies their every need,
and WE ARE SECURE because HE holds us in His steadfast love that endures forever
REPONSE
REPONSE
Maybe you need to stop for a moment. And inhale the fact that HE IS YOUR PROTECTION...then exhale the reality that YOU ARE SAFE!
Will you preach to your insecurities this week that you are SAFE IN JESUS?
Will you preach to your DISCONTENTMENT this week that YOU ARE SATISFIED WITH JESUS? YOU HAVE BASKETS-FULL TO GIVE OTHERS!
Will you encourage someone this week going through tough times, that there is HOPE & SECURITY IN CHRIST?
YOUNG KIDS
How does knowing you are safe with Jesus help you feel better when you are scared?
What are some special things you can say or do to show someone you love them like Jesus loves you?
How can you share the message of Jesus with a friend who might be feeling lonely or worried?
