The idea that God desires a family, not merely obedient servants or angelic hosts, is revolutionary. Unlike angels who are perfect but impersonal beings, man is invited into a relationship of love, choice, and intimacy with God. The concept of God as a Father, especially a personal Father, is one of the most beautiful revelations in Scripture, but it is not always clearly understood.
In the Old Testament, references to God as Father are relatively rare and generally impersonal. When He is called Father, it is often in the sense of being the creator or the national protector of Israel, rather than a relational parent to individuals.
Key Scriptures:
Deuteronomy 32:6 — In the Song of Moses, the Israelites are asked "Is he not your father, your Creator, who made you and formed you?"
Isaiah 63:16 — "You, Lord, are our Father, our Redeemer from of old is your name." God is portrayed as a patron of the nation, not a parent.
Jeremiah 31:9 — "For I am Israel’s father, and Ephraim is my firstborn."
If the use of 'father' here is personal, then all who have gone before Ephraim are excluded.
With the coming of Jesus, the understanding of God as Father unfolds in a remarkable progression. This is not a sudden shift, but a carefully revealed truth that grows deeper through Jesus' life and ministry.
The Progression:
- The Father — Jesus refers to God as “The Father,” an elevated and reverent title. For example, “The Father is seeking such to worship Him.” (John 4:23)
- My Father — Jesus introduces a unique and deeply personal relationship with God. As a boy in the temple, He declares, “I must be about My Father’s business.” (Luke 2:49) He was speaking to his foster father, Joseph, and Mary his mother.
- Your Father — In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus extends this relationship to the multitudes following him, saying, “Your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.” (Matthew 6:6)
- Our Father — Finally, in the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus teaches His disciples to say, “Our Father,” drawing them into shared intimacy with God (Matthew 6:9).
In our Biblical record, this is the first time the term 'Our Father' is ever used. This must have astonished the hearers, a breathtaking concept. Can I really get that close to God?
This gradual unveiling was not only doctrinal, but deeply relational. Jesus was drawing humanity into the family of God — first as hearers, then as children, and ultimately as co-heirs.
Jesus’ teaching in the Sermon on the Mount marks a turning point. The phrase “your Father in heaven” recurs frequently. Jesus redefines the audience’s relationship with God, not as distant deity, but as an ever-present, attentive Father.
Jesus is no longer the only begotten Son of God but the firstborn among many siblings.
Romans 8:29 — “That He might be the firstborn among many brethren.”
Matthew 12:49–50 — “Whoever does the will of My Father… is My brother and sister and mother.”
Hebrews 2:11 — “He is not ashamed to call them brethren.”
After the resurrection, Jesus tells Mary Magdalene:
John 20:17 — “I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.”
This confirms the completed work of adoption through Jesus, God becomes our Father too.
Paul teaches that believers are adopted into God's family through the Holy Spirit, who enables us to call Him “Abba, Father.”
Romans 8:15 — “you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, ‘Abba, Father.’”
Galatians 4:6 — “...crying out, ‘Abba, Father.’”
Mark 14:36 — In the Garden, Jesus exclaims, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will.”
“Abba” is an intimate Aramaic term similar to “Daddy”. Abba is found only 3 times in the New Testament. First used by Jesus and later by believers empowered by the Holy Spirit. According to the Gemara, a commentary on the Talmud, slaves were forbidden to use this term, indicating the profound nature of the believer’s new identity.
Though all people are God's creation, not all are His children.
1 John 3:10 — “In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest…”
John 8:44 — “You are of your father the devil…”
Only those who receive Christ are given the right to become children of God.
John 1:12–13 — “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God”.
1 Peter 1:23 — “having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever,”
God’s family spans heaven and earth.
Ephesians 3:14–15 — “I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named.”
1 Peter 2:9 — “You are a chosen people… God’s special possession.”
1 John 3:1 — “Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!”
From the faint glimpses of fatherhood in the Old Testament to the radiant fullness in the New, God’s eternal purpose is clear: He desires a family, with whom to share His love and goodness. Through Jesus Christ, believers are not just forgiven — they are adopted, reborn, and embraced as His beloved children. He is not only the Father. He is OUR Father.