Our Forever Father

Merry Christmas!

I hope you are having a very special day, and that you are enjoying the advent of our Lord Jesus Christ. When Isaiah prophesied 700 years prior to the birth of Jesus, about the gift of Jesus, he said, “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder, and His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6 ESV)

Jesus was described in many beautiful ways in this passage. One that stands out to me is that Jesus is our “Everlasting Father.” Of all of the descriptions of the Messiah, this one in Isaiah 9:6 might be the most unexpected. The son would be our eternal father? As we unpack that concept a bit, we find what I consider to be one of the most encouraging concepts in all of scripture, that we are eternally under the care of a loving father. We have been adopted into a new family – the family of God – and we can expect Him to always remain our loving father. He is a good father that always has our best in mind. 

In a world full of less-than-perfect parents, this is something so different; this is a promise of eternal faithfulness. One of my favorite lines that we sing at Hope is, “You’re a good, good father. It’s who you are!” Admittedly, we do not think of that as a Christmas song, but the meaning is a part of the wonderful promise of Christmas. Jesus came as our forever, loving father. 

On this Christmas Day, whether you are surrounded by earthly family or not, I want to remind you that your perfect heavenly father is eternally committed to you. This Christmas Day, as you celebrate the birth of Jesus, join me in taking some time to remember what an amazing gift He truly is. He was the only gift that could be our Wonderful Counselor, our Mighty God, our Everlasting Father, and our Prince of Peace! 

Expectantly!

Shawn