For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this. (Isaiah 9:6-7 NIV)
In Psalm 27, David wrote: “Though my father and mother forsake me, the LORD will receive me” (Psalm 27:10). Those are powerful words! Not just for the promise about God: “The Lord will receive me.” But also for the honesty about life: “Though my father and mother forsake me.” Even parents can let you down. Some of you hear that and think, “Duh!” You’ve been let down by parents again and again. Maybe worse: Absent parents. Abusive parents. “Though my father and mother forsake me…” No kidding! Others of us have been blessed with loving parents. But you realize something: Parents don’t last forever. You move. They move. Ultimately, they die.
That’s why there’s a word that’s used 41 times in the Old Testament. It’s the word “fatherless.” Why is “fatherless” mentioned 41 times just in the Old Testament? Because it’s a real thing! In the ancient world, not having a father was hard. No one to provide for you. No one to defend you. No one to teach you what you need to know for life. No one to stand up for you. No one to save you. That’s why it comes up again and again. It’s hard to be fatherless. That’s one of the biggest signs of the brokenness in our world. “Though my father and mother forsake me…”
Here’s the saddest part: That’s what we deserve from God. When Adam and Eve sinned, God cast them out of the Garden of Eden. Did they turn around and say, “God, that’s not fair”? No. They knew it was fair. When David sinned against God, he prayed, “Do not cast me away from your presence” (Psalm 51:11). Why did he pray that? Because he knew that’s what he deserved. He deserved to be cast away from God forever. If we hurt our earthly parents, how much more have we hurt our God? Because of our sins, we deserve to be cast away from God’s presence. Fatherless. Like the lost son in Jesus’ parable. Remember him? He said, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son” (Luke 15:18).
That’s why it’s so striking to hear the next title for Jesus: “Everlasting Father.” To people who deserved to be fatherless, God made a promise: A Child will be born. He will be your “Everlasting Father.” Who? Jesus! Wait a minute. Jesus isn’t God the Father. Jesus is God the Son, right? Can you explain this? Why does it say that Jesus is God the Father? It doesn’t. It doesn’t say Jesus is God the Father. That would contradict the rest of Scripture. Isaiah isn’t discussing the Trinity here. He’s describing the Messiah. Even though Jesus is God the Son, as our Savior he is our Everlasting Father.
What does that mean? Where do you think we should look to find out how Jesus is an “Everlasting Father”? In the Bible! We let Scripture interpret Scripture. If you look at what the Bible says about fathers, you’ll find this verse: “As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him” (Psalm 103:13). What trait of a good father stands out? Compassion. That’s Jesus! Think of the compassion that the best father has for his children. Jesus has that compassion times a billion for us. He is “Everlasting Father.” “As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him.”
Last week, we heard that Jesus is “Mighty God.” Today, “Everlasting Father.” Think of what happens when you put those two titles together. Is Jesus tough or tender? Well, he’s Mighty God. You don’t get any tougher than that. And he’s Everlasting Father. You don’t find more tenderness than that. He’s both! Is Jesus strong or merciful? Yes. Both! Is Jesus fierce or forgiving? Yes. Both! Is Jesus stern or loving? Yes. Both! We human fathers aren’t perfect. But when a father does what God calls him to do, it’s quite a combination: Strength and tenderness in one person. To provide. To care. To protect. To love. Who does that? Jesus. Everlasting Father.
As my kids grow older, I’m realizing more and more another thing fathers do: Pay for lots and lots of things. Have you noticed that? Everything costs so much! Fathers pay their children’s debts. And they don’t even charge them for it. Like Jesus did. He paid our debt. How? Not with gold or silver, but with his holy, precious blood. The debt we couldn’t pay for our sins, Jesus paid when he died on the cross for us. And he doesn’t even charge us for it! Like a Father.
And he wants his family to grow. Jesus wants more and more and more children. The New Testament adds: “So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ” (Galatians 3:26-27). Jesus brings more and more and more people into the family of God. How? Through faith in him. Through faith in Jesus, we are God’s children. Through baptism, we are born again into God’s family.
Think of what this means for you: No matter what your earthly father has been like, good or bad, alive or dead, you have a Father! You’re not alone. In those moments when you just need a hug, Jesus is there. In those moments when you just need someone to talk to, Jesus is there. With a smile, he says, “Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). You can trust your life to him. “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep” (John 10:11). You are not fatherless. Jesus is Everlasting Father!
Just remember what else goes into being a father. Here’s one more key verse from the Bible: “The LORD disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in” (Proverbs 3:12). Like any loving father, Jesus isn’t going to let you get whatever you want in your life. He knows better. Jesus isn’t going to let you get away with sins in your life. He knows better! Life with a loving father isn’t all smiles. Sometimes there’s pain. Sometimes there are spankings and timeouts and groundings. Why? He loves you! “The LORD disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in.” If you feel like you’re in the middle of one of those today, it’s because he loves you! Jesus is always leading us to repent and trust in him.
Because that’s where joy is found. A couple years ago, a picture of a little boy went viral on the internet. The boy is standing like this with one fist straight up in the air and a huge smile on his face. Can you guess what just happened? Did he win a big game? No. Christmas vacation? No. The three-year-old had just been officially adopted. Even at just three years old, he knew how special that was. He was loved. He had a family. Arm raised in the air. “Yes!” Don’t lose that joy. Don’t lose that appreciation. You are not cast away. You are adopted. Loved by Jesus.
And that won’t ever go away. There’s one word we haven’t focused on yet, but it’s super important: “Everlasting.” Even the best fathers come and go. Even the best fathers pass on to heaven. Even the best fathers can leave you fatherless. But not Jesus. He is the Everlasting Father. That means your joy in Jesus never needs to change. Your family won’t ever change. Remember where we started? “Though my father and mother forsake me, the LORD will receive me” (Psalm 27:10). The LORD is with us, because that Child is our Everlasting Father.
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