Unto Us: Celebrating the Arrival of JesusSample

Everlasting Father

The word father can evoke a wide range of emotions for us. Maybe we smile when we hear the word, because it brings up wonderful memories of our own father. Or perhaps our hearts feel torn, because we miss our fathers, or we’re grieving the loss of a relationship that never met our expectations. However you see your earthly father, your Heavenly Father cares deeply for you and is always near.

Isaiah 9:6 tells us that Jesus is our Everlasting Father. The Hebrew language defines it this way:

Everlasting — ‘ad

Forever, continuing future; of continuous existence 

Father — ‘ab

Father; God as Father; ruler or chief

These two words tell us that Jesus, our Everlasting Father, is the God of continuous existence. That means He existed before time began, and He exists without the assistance of anyone. He wasn’t created, and doesn’t need the help of anyone or anything. He sufficiently sets the bar for any earthly father to strive for. And He cares for us in a tender, fatherly way. 

We may not truly understand the goodness of our Everlasting Father because of our earthly experiences. One of our greatest challenges in understanding our Everlasting Father is the baggage we carry from our own fathers. Whether we had an engaged, caring, and dependable father or a distant, neglectful, and mean one, Jesus is the kind of Father that all of us wish we’d had. The good news is that He came to earth to rob our brokenness and replace it with a hope-filled eternity. 

We don’t have to fear that we’ll be separated from Jesus. He’s everlasting and always near. There is no death, fear of the future, or anything else that exists that can separate us from our Everlasting Father. We may not know what lies ahead, but we can trust Him fully. He’s worthy of it. 

Lean back and rest in your Everlasting Father’s comfortable arms. Spend time talking to Him and listening for His guidance on the concerns and joys that are heavy on your heart.