Everlasting Father

Andrew Dyck

His Name • Sermon • Submitted 5 months ago • Presented 5 months ago

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Intro

Open with the story of becoming a father for the first time… unexplainable

It is amazing to me how much I feel I have learned about God since becoming a parent

Love, care, discipline, frustration

We all have the opportunity to know God as our Heavenly Father

All of us are children, and we understand what it is like to relate to our parents

God is described as our Father throughout Scripture

This includes Isaiah 9:6, where the Messiah is called Eternal Father

Remember, Isaiah is prophesying about the nature of the eternal King that will come from the line of David

Wonderful Counselor = Can give wisdom like no other

Mighty God = Is capable of delivering from all enemies, including sin and death

We usually begin by establishing the noun, but today is different

Both “everlasting” and “father” can be seen as descriptions of what type of King Jesus is prophesied to be

Pray

Everlasting

Firstly, Jesus is everlasting

Things just aren’t built to last these days!

Talk about “planned obselesence” and how being “long lasting” is a selling feature

Show Energizer bunny commercial

Israel’s monarchy was also not built to last

Ever since the people asked God for a king, there have been problems

Read through Kings and Chronicles: Some were good, some were bad, but they all fell short

Eventually led to defeat and exile (Israel -> Assyria, Judah -> Babylon)

The Messianic hope of the people would be a permanent, long lasting (everlasting) kingship and kingdom

Isaiah agrees! Read Isaiah 9:7 “Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.”

But where the people are looking for a line of kings that will extend forever, Jesus arrives on the scene as the 1 true, eternal king

Once again going above and beyond the Messianic expectations of His day, but fully in-line with how Isaiah prophesied it would be

To understand the everlasting nature of Jesus, we need to broaden our understanding of the term

Everlasting here doesn’t just mean something that starts and then never stops going (like the energizer bunny); it refers to something (or someone) that has ALWAYS existed and WILL ALWAYS exist

Clues are right in the passage: “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given”

Born = Jesus entering into human history as a baby (fully God, fully human)

Given = the Son did not begin at this moment; he existed from eternity and will exist into eternity

Cf. John 1:1–2 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.”

Cf. Revelation 1:8 ““I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.””

For this reason, I think the best english word we have to capture this characteristic of Jesus is “eternal” rather than “everlasting”

Eternal = outside of the created order, outside of time

Jesus is the Eternal King; His Kingdom will know no end

When He returns, He will usher in the fullness of His kingdom; this is our great hope

Father

Begin by trying to clear up any confusion:

Wait, is Jesus the Son or the Father? Are they the same or different?

Acknowledge the Trinity; mention not getting caught in the weeds

This passage is about describing what type of king the Messiah (Jesus) would be

Not a dictator, or administrator, or absentee… he is fatherly

All attributes that come to life when we look at it from our perspective as children or parents

Jesus is fatherly in his concern for his people

Mention the theme at SCS this year: “God knows my name”

Think about this for a moment: The eternal king Jesus (existing outside of the entire created order) knows your name; He is mindful of you

Cf. Psalm 8:3–4 “When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?”

We found this true in our rainbow baby, Silas Zachary = “the Lord has remembered”

The Lord is concerned with your life; He cares about the details. We don’t deserve it, but it is true

Refer to trying to get my kids to talk about the details of their day at school

Jesus is fatherly in his care for his people

It is one thing for God to know our name and be concerned about the details, but this means little if it is not supplemented by caring for us as well

Cf. Psalm 103:13 “As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him.”

Connection directly made for us: God extends care and compassion just like our own parents

Share about taking care of sicks kids at home?

Part of living in this truth is trusting that God is personal enough and powerful enough to care for your in certain situations

Be very honest about the time I came back from Mom’s house… there has to be more than this

We find ourselves back at the Gospel; the greatest compassion and care we can ever receive came from Jesus on the cross

Jesus is father in his discipline of his people

Not as popular as the first two characteristics, right? But still an important aspect of being a parent

Refer back to the time my dad made me mow the lawn during Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals

God disciplines for the same reasons: For the sake and health of His children

Cf. Proverbs 3:11–12 “My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline or be weary of his reproof, for the Lord reproves him whom he loves, as a father the son in whom he delights.”

Discipline flows out of love

It is directly tied to the concern and care Jesus shows in our life

Discipline has the goal of maturity

When I discipline my children it is with the goal that they will become God-fearing, others-loving men of integrity

When we experience the discipline of the Lord, while uncomfortable, it is trutly for our best

Often expressed through church discipline

Refer to recording for the Armchair Anabaptist and talking about the redemptive goal of discipline and “the ban”

Conclusion

Sometimes it is a challenge to remember the “fatherly” nature of a king during a season when we celebrate his birth

But this child is eternal: Always preexistent and continually existent, out of the bounds (and limitations) of the created order

This child would mature into a king whose reign is highlighted by the concern, care and discipline of his people

This Christmas, we can be thankful for what type of King Jesus truly is

Pray