Part 4

This week Pastor Steve guides us into the profound truth of Jesus as the "Everlasting Father," unpacking this title beyond a mere role and revealing Him as the very source of our eternal existence. In most biblical contexts, the term father often refers to the origin of a people, or nation. For instance, ‘Father Abraham’ Is referred to as ‘our father’ by the Jews in John 8. Yet Jesus replies, “You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.” (John 8:44) Here Jesus makes a deep distinction between the spiritual fatherhood of those in his kingdom and those that are not. Just as Abraham, the father of many nations, was the origin of a lineage, Jesus is the origin of our spiritual life. He is not merely a figurehead but the life-giving force behind our existence. Through Him, we receive not just life, but everlasting life – a life that transcends death and extends into eternity. This understanding of Jesus as the "Everlasting Father" shifts our perspective, moving us from a passive recipient of grace to an active participant in His divine plan, secure in the knowledge that our eternal destiny is firmly rooted in His birth, death and resurrection. 

How does the passage in Genesis 17:1-8 foreshadow the role of Jesus as the "Everlasting Father"?