Everlasting Father

Alba 12-26-2021

EVERLASTING FATHER

Isaiah 9:6

You know, God couldn’t wait to tell people about the coming of Christmas. So 700 years beforehand, 2,700 years ago now, God foretold the Christmas story by choosing a prophet named Isaiah to tell the world about a an amazing baby.

Isaiah’s prophecy are words that George Frederic Handel made even more famous by immortalizing them in his famous Hallelujah chorus.

"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." -- Isaiah 9:6

Today we will examine the phrase, “And he will be called... Everlasting Father.” What did God have in mind when He gave Him this title? What did He want us to imagine when He announced this 700 years before it happened?

Of all the titles given to the Christ-child, this one, Everlasting Father, probably raises the most questions. It is really intriguing. After all, how can a child be a father? And how can a newborn be so old as to be called everlasting?

The prophet Isaiah makes it clear that the Messiah, this child to be born, would be no ordinary man. Not a mere political or military leader; not the king of an earthly dominion, nor a general to lead His people to conquer the nations of this world.

He would be far more than a common teacher or prophet; there had been dozens of those in Israel’s history. No, the Messiah would be absolutely unique; something never before seen in the history of the world.

He would be God in the flesh, God become man. God, with all his power, and might, and wisdom, and glory; yet somehow fully revealed in the person of a male human being. The gospel of Matthew makes this same point in its version of the Christmas story:

"The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means, ’God with us.’" Matthew 1:23

That’s what Jesus is. "God with us". Not God out there somewhere, beyond the boundaries of the universe, but God here, in our midst. God walking among us as a flesh-and-blood person.

And that’s what the title "Everlasting Father" signifies. Let’s look closely at both of these words.

1. Everlasting

I think for humans, everlasting is a difficult concept to grasp. We count everything by time with a beginning and an end. A minister, Jim Paice tells the story how when he was a kid he remembers being really disappointed one time - by a very specific thing.

He said, “I would have only been 6 or 7 and I had heard all about a piece of candy that lasted forever. So - I saved up all my pocket money and went to the candy shop and bought myself an everlasting Gobstopper. I was so excited to get started on it and then have it with me, forever.

“I realized after only a few hours that the candy was getting smaller and smaller until eventually it was all gone. They lied to me.”

He said, “Now - anytime I hear the word 'Everlasting', I get a little cynical.”

I suppose that is why there are other cynical people in the world today, because on this earth they do not see anything that lasts. So we need to look beyond this world to find what is unavailable here.

Isaiah is saying, “The One who’s coming is Everlasting.” In other words, “He is not just from this world. He is eternal. He has always existed and always will.”

If you wonder about that one, just look at this for a minute. Some religious leaders questioned Jesus on a number of counts. They questioned His authority, they questioned His origin, they questioned His motives.

Then there was that conversation recorded in John chapter eight when Jesus said, Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad.” John 8:56

See what He’s saying there? “I know all about Abraham. In fact, I knew Abraham.” Well, the others pick right up on that right away, “Hold on!” The Jews said to Him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?” – John 8:57

Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.” – John 8:58 To understand this statement, you have to know that “I am” is the name that God used to reveal Himself to Moses.

It’s an amazing title, if you think about it – tailor-made for God. Because when you try to describe God, the most accurate statement you can make about Him is, “He Is.” He exists fully, everywhere, at all times.