Episode #125 Jesus, Everlasting Father? – The Majesty of Jesus

Hey friends, is it hard for you to think of Jesus as Everlasting Father? Well, if so, stay tuned because that's what we're talking about today.

We're going through a passage in Isaiah where it talks about what Jesus will be called. It says his name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father and Prince of Peace.

Isaiah referencing Jesus as Everlasting Father is not a commentary on the Trinity. He's not saying that Jesus the Son, is God the Father. Most scholars believe when he's using the phrase Everlasting Father, he's talking about the everlasting and eternal nature of Jesus. He's talking about the ministry that Jesus fulfills in the world. And how he is without end, how he is the father of eternity and he is a father forever. And so we're exploring that verse from this vantage point in a new way and potentially with greater detail.

Jesus didn't begin someday. He wasn't born on earth and then that was his first beginning. It wasn't even like God the Father always existed, and then at one point God the Father was like, hey, I'll have a son and had God the Son. No, our triune God has always existed. God the Father, God the Son, God the Spirit. And what this is talking about in Jesus is that Jesus is without end.

He is the father of eternity.
He is forever.

In John 1:1-5, it talks about this everlasting nature of God And specifically about the everlasting nature of Jesus. And it says:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” (John 1:1-5)

So this is talking about Jesus again as the word and how he was there in the beginning. Everything was made through him.

He always has been. We also see this in Isaiah, so in Isaiah 11:1, it says:

“There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit.” (Isaiah 11:1)
So this is talking about the remnant of the people, Israel, they have turned away from God, they're going to be going into exile, but a remnant, a small remainder will remain, and Jesus is going to be the fruit that is sprouted up. But Jesus is not just the shoot. He's also the root. skip down a few more verses, still in Isaiah 11:10, it says:

“In that day the root of Jesse, who shall stand as a signal for the peoples—of him shall the nations inquire and his resting place shall be glorious.” (Isaiah 11:10)

Jesus is not just the product of this lineage, which we looked at in a recent episode.

He's not just the shoot. He's also the root.
He's not just the product. He's also the source.
He is everlasting, eternal, without beginning or end.

I think there's a lot of places that God might want to explore this conversation with each of us. Maybe you've only seen. God the Father, as being fatherly towards you before. And so the idea of Jesus as Everlasting Father is stretching and is something that's worth you exploring that further with God.

Maybe the idea of father in general is really stretching and difficult for you based on experiences that you've had with a human father. And God wants to talk with you about that.

Maybe it's God being eternal and everlasting. It's natural in our finite boxes to try and put God in confined boxes as well. But he is outside of time. He is both the root. And the fruit. And maybe he's inviting you to explore that with him in a different way or simply to celebrate that.

I don't know what that is for you, but I do know that this is true of Jesus. And I also know that our good God talks with us. So he invites you to bring this conversation to him.

And so here's our question today, and we're addressing this question to Jesus. We're asking him to make this reality of who he is part of our connection with him in a real practical way.

Jesus, how can I know you more as Everlasting Father?

Have a good talk.

And if you've been encouraged by this content, please share it with a friend and help them grow in their conversational relationship with God too!

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