Jesus spoke these things; and lifting up His eyes to heaven, He said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify Your Son, that the Son may glorify You, even as You gave Him authority over all flesh, that to all whom You have given Him, He may give eternal life.John 17:1-2
You could place every dialogue in Scripture into one of three distinct categories of revelation.
The first would be conversations between men and men. Take, for example, Joseph’s loving words to his brothers (Genesis 50:20), or Samuel’s challenge to Saul (1 Samuel 15:22). God teaches us much about Himself through these dialogues.
The second would be conversations between God and men. These dialogues provide an extra special glimpse into the nature of God because we are able to hear Him speak directly. Take, for example, His words to Moses on Sinai (Exodus 19), or His promise to Abraham (Genesis 15), or His conversation with Job (Job 38-41), or Jesus’ teachings in the Gospels.
But the third and most profound revelations are found in the conversations between God and God. That is why John 17 stands at the pinnacle of theology; it effectively gives us a firsthand glimpse into the Trinitarian relationship.
With that in mind, I want us to quiet our hearts today and simply reflect on Jesus’ opening word: “Father.” I fear that the idea of God as Father has become too trivial to many of us and we no longer feel the significance of it. We can’t afford to just understand the idea intellectually. We need to hear Christ, on the eve of His death, call out that personal title and realize that everything He says next stems from it.
Recently, I had the privilege of hearing the testimony of a converted Muslim who had been forced out of his home country. He talked about how his father was a Muslim priest and how he himself was training to follow in those footsteps during his formative years.
But everything changed when he turned 18-years-old. During that year, a Christian shared the gospel with him and it troubled his spirit. He fought the message at first and even scoffed at it, but day after day the words kept doing their Spirit-empowered work.
Eventually, as my friend began to ask hard questions and struggle more and more with his Muslim faith, the truth finally, and radically, gripped his heart. In spite of enormous opposition, he gave his life to Christ.
This friend went on to say that Islam has 99 names for God, but love isn’t one of them. Neither is father. Allah is merciful and beneficent, but he abides in the seventh heaven, far removed from the affairs of men.
This friend reminded me that only in Scripture is God revealed as a loving Father. And that singular truth drives my converted friend to share the gospel with his unbelieving family, though his life is at risk because of it.
There was a time in all of our lives when God was not our Father. Perhaps for you it was many years ago, but can you recall the first moment when, by faith, you were adopted into the family of God? Do you remember the first time you looked up to our Creator and called Him Father?
It is a wonderful privilege we so often take for granted. So consider the intimacy of that title today. Let it serve as the fuel of your worship and the focus of your witness as you share that message with a prodigal world.
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