12-22-2024 His Name is The Everlasting Father
Text: Isaiah 9:6
As we continue our look into Isaiah’s prophecy of the coming Messiah, we see how Christmas was foretold in the Old Testament. Isaiah saw it all in advance from the Virgin Birth to the coming of the eternal kingdom. He also shows us the dimensions of the deity of our Lord Jesus in the names he gave to Him. Today, we will look at why Isaiah called Jesus the Everlasting Father.
This event was more than a birth; it was the Incarnation, which means that a human being houses a deity or spirit. In simple terms, it’s even though Jesus assumed the human form when He came to earth as the child of the Virgin Mary, He was still fully and completely God. So, let’s see how the Everlasting Father entered into our space and time.
Jesus was born in Bethlehem. This was told to us by the prophet Micah in 5:2 which says: “But you, Bethlehem Ephratha, though you be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall He come forth unto Me, Who is to be Ruler in Israel; Whose goings forth have been from the old, from everlasting.” The phrase, ‘though you be little among the thousands of Judah’ signifies the birth of Jesus will be in a small place. Hence the carol, O Little Town of Bethlehem. And the phrase ‘yet out of you shall He come forth unto Me, Who is to be ruler in Israel’ speaks of the Christ coming from the tribe of Judah. This was also told to by Jacob about1,690 years before it occurred in Genesis 49:10 which says: “The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between His feet, until Shiloh come; and unto Him shall the gathering of the people be.” This tells us that the only way to God the Father is through Christ the Son; the only way to Christ the Son is through the Cross; and the only way to the Cross is for us to turn our lives completely over to Jesus Christ.
Why was Bethlehem chosen for the birthplace of Jesus, the Everlasting Father? The first mention of it is found in Genesis 35:15-20 where Scripture tells us it was a place of sorrows because it is where Rachel, wife of Jacob, died giving birth to her son Benjamin. Jesus was to be a Man of Sorrows. Bethlehem was the place where David was born so Jesus was of the lineage of David. And as we read in I Samuel 16, God sent the prophet Samuel to anoint David, who was about 15 at the time, as King of Israel. God had become dissatisfied with King Saul and chose the young David to replace him. “Bethlehem-Ephratah” means ‘house of bread.’ In John 6:35 Jesus said: “I am the Bread of Life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes on Me shall never thirst.” Only Jesus can satisfy souls that are hungry and thirsty for real meaning in their lives.
Paul tells us in Philippians 2:5-7 that the incarnation of Jesus means that He gave up His Heavenly deity yet was equal with God – the Everlasting Father. Jesus made Himself of no reputation meaning He never asserted the rights His deity gave to Him. Instead, Jesus became was made in the likeness of men and became a servant. Then He humbled Himself even more when He died on the Cross for all the world.
All this required that the Everlasting Father who was, who is, and always will be, become subject to the time constraints of our world. He was born at a particular time, as Luke 2:1-7 tells us that the time had come for Mary to deliver the child she was carrying. Luke 2:52 tells us that over time “Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.” Paul tells us in Galatians 4:4-6 that when the time was right, God sent His Son, made of a woman, to redeem them who were under the law so we could become the children of God by adoption. The adoption becomes final when we accept the Son Jesus as Savior and Lord over our life, and God sends His spirit into the hearts. When the adoption is final, we then become equal heirs of God the Father through Christ the Son.
All those who are subjects of earthly time experience the same things. As soon as we’re born, we begin to age, and time takes its toll on all of us. We all leave this life the way we came into it. Nothing we accumulate or gain in this life is taken with us. But if we accept Jesus the Everlasting Father by faith, we will receive everlasting life. As He Himself said in John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that He gave His Only Begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have Everlasting Life.”
There is a line in a Gospel song “now that’s a strange way to save the world.” Now, if we were king or queen, we would not have chosen to save the world in this manner. But it’s the way that our Creator, being the just God that He is, chose to do it. God’s offer of everlasting life is available to every person in this world. No college degree is required, no amount of income need be reported. No sin committed is so bad that it can’t be forgiven. Just come with an open heart and a willingness to change your life. Eternal life through Jesus Christ is a gift given to all who, by faith, accept Jesus Christ as the Lord and Savior and allow Him to come into their heart and mind to guide every step of their life from that point on. This is the greatest Christmas gift that has ever been given. It’s one that we didn’t earn because it was given while we were still sinners. We will never be good enough in this life because we will continue to slip and fall back to sinning until we leave this life. So, we must always confess our sins so that God will forgive them.
Everyone can receive the gift of Jesus Christ by faith while they are living this earthly life. But it isn’t something that can be delayed until you see what happens after you die. This gift has an expiration date and it’s the moment of death. So don’t wait to make that decision. Or if there are those in your life who haven’t yet accepted Jesus, tell them what it requires and what the rewards are. Share with them what Jesus has done for you, so they too can receive the gift of eternal life this Christmas season and spend eternity with the Everlasting Father.
The points brought out in today’s lesson show us clearly that Jesus and the Cross have always been part of God’s plan since the fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. The Old Testament and the New Testament can’t be separated. They are part of the entire story of the grace of the eternal God and of our salvation for eternity.
As you leave this place today and celebrate Christmas this week with those you hold most dear, don’t forget that it’s all possible because the Everlasting Father chose to leave Heaven to be born as a baby, grow into a man, die on a cross, and rise again from the dead so that we could know the heart of God our Father through Him. He taught us how to be loving, kind, and forgiving people. He showed us that there is more to look forward to when we leave this life into which we were born. And remember to thank Jesus every day that because of His agonizing sacrifice on the Cross, we can be equal heirs to all that God our Creator has and live for eternity in a world where there will be no tears and no pain.
May you all have a very Merry Christmas!
Until we meet again, may God bless and keep you, may He shine His light on you, show you grace, and give you peace in all the days ahead.