Show Us the Father
How did you learn the Father?
All of us have some sort of internal response to that word. Some of us have (or had) incredible fathers who showed us the love, protection and wisdom of God. They revealed the tender strength of a loving authority. Others had absent or even abusive fathers who left a curse where there should have been a blessing.
Some of our dads were present but unavailable, supportive but emotionally distant. Others were angry, constantly stressed, or quietly shut down. Whether we realize it or not, the words and actions of our fathers shaped who we are and how we experience the world. Even more significantly, they shaped how we experience God.
Time and time again, Jesus referred to God as Heavenly Father. “Abba” was the Hebrew word for daddy. While scholars don’t agree on an exact number, the Old Testament reveals as many as 24 unique names for YHWH, the God of Israel. Abba isn’t one of them, but it’s the primary title that Jesus used while addressing God in His life and teaching.
What can we conclude from this?
Hebrews 1 helps answer this question:
Hebrews 1:1-3 // Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. 3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature.
Jesus brought the final and full revelation of God’s nature available for mankind in this age. He revealed Him as “our Father.”
The New Testament authors embraced this reality.
Ephesians 3:14-21 // For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, 16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
Bowed in humility…
Asking for His strength…
To comprehend the vastness of His glory…
To experience His love personally…
That we may be filled with His fullness.
That FULLNESS becomes the power at work within us that does more that we can ask, think or imagine. In other words, HIS POWER IS ROOTED IN HIS LOVE.
In John 14, Philip says to Jesus, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.”
IT IS ENOUGH. Seeing Him is enough. Open our eyes!
John 14:1-10 // Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2 In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. 4 And you know the way to where I am going.” 5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”
8 Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” 9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works.
Let’s briefly survey the Love of the Father revealed through the face of His Son.
1. COMPASSION (Gr: splanchnízomai - to be moved from within)
Matthew 9:36 // When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
Matthew 14:14 // When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick.
Mark 1:40-42 // And a leper came to him, imploring him, and kneeling said to him, “If you will, you can make me clean.” 41 Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him, “I will; be clean.” 42 And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean.
Luke 7:12-14 // As he drew near to the gate of the town, behold, a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow, and a considerable crowd from the town was with her. 13 And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.” 14 Then he came up and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And he said, “Young man, I say to you, arise.”
For the harassed and helpless, for the sick and unclean, for those experiencing great loss… we see the Father’s love in the compassion of Jesus.
Psalm 103:8-14 // The Lord is merciful (compassionate) and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever. He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him. For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust.
2. GRACIOUS (Heb: ḥānan - to bend or stoop in kindness to an inferior)
Exodus 34:6 // The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.”
Psalm 116:5-6 // Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; our God is merciful. The Lord preserves the simple; when I was brought low, he saved me.
Luke 18:9-14 // He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: 10 “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ 13 But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
3. ABOUNDING IN STEADFAST LOVE (Heb: ḥeseḏ - God’s zealous, loyal love)
1 John 4:7-12 // Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 10 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.
Romans 5:6-8 // For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— 8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
The ultimate picture of the Father’s compassion, grace and steadfast love was displayed upon the cross. “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.”
According to Jesus, when we look upon His crucifixion, we are beholding the FATHER laying down His life for the children.
There is no greater love!
Response
Ephesians 4:32-5:1 // Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. 2 And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.