YOUR FATHER
John 20:11 ¶ But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping: and as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre, 12 And seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. 13 And they say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? She saith unto them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him. 14 And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away. 16 Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master. 17 Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God. 18 Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that he had spoken these things unto her.
What a glorious Savior we have! Our sins were put on him, causing him the greatest horror and shame beyond imagination! “We hid our faces from him. We esteemed him stricken, smitten of God!” How terribly we and our sins, and the forces of the demonic treated him! Yet he gives to us His Father! John 15:13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. And, being God, he IS love! And love “seeketh not her own!” What wondrous love is this, O my soul! He is that friend that sticketh closer than a brother. Proverbs 18:24
And amazingly, this glorious, unspeakable love even entitles us to an inheritance as joint-heirs with him! Romans 8:16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: 17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. 18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
Yet we well know that not all brothers have had anything near such glorious compassion for their siblings! For such abounding love finds not its origin in the flesh! Cain was so jealous of God’s acceptance of his brother Abel that he became the first murderer, who has resided in Hell longer than any soul. Genesis 4:8 And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him. 1 John 3:12 Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous.
Also the elder brother of the returning prodigal was so angry, that he refused to even come into the house with him. And when the father came out to him, he was all too happy to enumerate his brother’s sins! Luke 15:28 And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and intreated him. 29 And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends: 30 But as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf.
Adam blamed God and Eve as the cause of his transgression. “The woman thou givest me,” he exclaimed! Yet the Last Adam had just cause to make the same accusation. For unlike his counter part, we really are the cause of his shame! Isaiah 53:4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. 2 Corinthians 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
But the forgiveness of our sin is not even where his love stops! For the one thing the father refused to do that the prodigal requested was to make him but one of his hired servants! And listen as our elder Brother goes on to petition His Father to make us one with him, even as he is one with the Father! John 17:21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. 22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: 23 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me. 24 ¶ Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world. 25 O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me. 26 And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.
Is it any wonder that all crowns shall cast at his feet? Revelation 4:10 The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, 11 Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: 5:9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;
One important thing which we must have in our minds concerning God, the Father is that, unlike mere mortals, who must produce a son in order to become a father; God has always had a Son because he IS a Father! God’s eternality involves his immutability – his changelessness! Malachi 3:6 For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed. Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.
Therefore being eternal and immutable, he has always been a Father, as there has always been the eternal Son. We are given glimpses of this in the eighth chapter of the Book of Proverbs. There the Son is shown to us in the personification of Wisdom. For we see him revealed to us as our wisdom in First Corinthians. 1 Corinthians 1:30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:
Then we read in Proverbs 8:12 these words: I wisdom dwell with prudence, and find out knowledge of witty inventions. And as Wisdom begins to speak as a person, we come to see more of the eternal relationship of The Father with the Son. Consider these verses as the Son speaks in the Person of Wisdom:
Proverbs 8:22 The LORD possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old. 23 I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was. 24 When there were no depths, I was brought forth; when there were no fountains abounding with water. 25 Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth: 26 While as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the highest part of the dust of the world. 27 When he prepared the heavens, I was there: when he set a compass upon the face of the depth: 28 When he established the clouds above: when he strengthened the fountains of the deep: 29 When he gave to the sea his decree, that the waters should not pass his commandment: when he appointed the foundations of the earth: 30 Then I was by him, as one brought up with him: and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him; 31 Rejoicing in the habitable part of his earth; and my delights were with the sons of men.
Now reconsider those verses, listed above, of John 17:21-26. How blessed are these glorious insights into the eternal relationship of God, the Father with God, the Son! And how wondrous it is to see the super-abounding love that the Son has in giving to us His Father to be “Your Father” as he spoke to Mary Magdalene, a previously demon-possessed sinner! Then he even chose her to be the first missionary to go to his brethren and deliver the very first gospel truth!
Mary was given both a message, which she believed, and a mission, which she fulfilled. And this is the only criteria for every truly God-called preacher. … go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God. 18 Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that he had spoken these things unto her. But our land is filled with those who have just taken up this work as merely a vocation. But their lip service is sadly all that some know false convincing that they are of the true church! Yet it is void of the power of the Holy Spirit! 1 Corinthians 4:19 But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord will, and will know, not the speech of them which are puffed up, but the power. 20 For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power.
Yet even in this, the very apostles of Christ did not believe her. So the truly God-called ministers must declare their message for God’s glory, not depending on ‘success’ among men. For the Lord will deal with those who have been given opportunity to hear his message from his messenger, yet refuse to believe it. Mark 16:9 Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils. 10 And she went and told them that had been with him, as they mourned and wept. 11 And they, when they had heard that he was alive, and had been seen of her, believed not. 14 ¶ Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided (reproached) them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen.
For this most glorious message of God’s unbelievable love in providing for us the wondrous privilege of having God as our Father cannot be dealt with without God’s personal attention. For, as has already been stated, this is the highest degree of love ever to be revealed! John 15:13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Therefore rejecting this highest degree of God’s expressed love brings down on that soul the highest degree of God’s wrath! John 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.
Revelation 20:10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. 14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
May God have mercy on those attempting to approach Him with only a moral adherence to a form of religion! John 4:23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. 24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
Pastor Gene Breed
June 22, 2023
