Who is God the Father?

If you remember back to January, I noted that we’re going to have a gospel-driven year. You’ve read about many characteristics of Jesus through the I Am series, leading to Easter where the good news Jesus brought the world through His death and resurrection came to all the world.

Then you read about Peter. You learned that no matter what you’ve done in your life, Jesus gives love, grace, and forgiveness to all who call on Him as their Saviour. Jesus healed Peter of his sin, which set within him a steady zeal for serving the Lord. Did Peter continue to sin? Of course, he did! But, he repented and continued to strive to put Christ above all in his life, even up to his own crucifixion.

With Jesus’ ascension back into Heaven, the disciples had to trust in the words Jesus had spoken to them while He was with them, including after His resurrection. “And look, I am sending you what my Father promised. As for you, stay in the city until you are empowered from on high.” Luke 24:49

With Jesus physically gone from them, they had to put their trust in the Father and His good promise to send them the Holy Spirit. The full Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, the Godhead, three-in-one) are mentioned in this verse.

You’ve read about Jesus, but what do you know about God the Father and the Holy Spirit? Let’s explore a bit about what the Bible says about Him. Since there’s much to discover, we’ll start with God the Father.

He is the greatest mystery. You probably know most about Jesus because He is the focus of the gospel, and rightfully so. The Bible focused on His coming, His life, and the power and authority of Jesus, with interweaving knowledge about the Father and Spirit. You can’t ever exclude them because they are all one person. It is truly a phenomenal mystery.

Yet, Scripture is full of references to the Father and Spirit as well, which gives you a window to understand a bit more about this magnificent God you serve.

God the Father is the Master of all. Only He knows certain things, like when Jesus will return,

“Now concerning that day and hour no one knows—neither the angels of heaven nor the Son —except the Father alone.” Matthew 24:36

Did you fear thunderstorms when you were a child? The lightning would flash and soon after, you’d hear the roar of thunder. Depending on how close the storm was to your house, you might have even felt the house shake a little. If so, you can relate to the following.

God the Father is powerful! So much so, that when He speaks, it makes people tremble.

Often when the Father spoke, thunder is mentioned. There was a cloud on Mount Sinai for the Israelites to meet with Him in Exodus 19, as well as during the Transfiguration.

Exodus 19:16-19 says, “On the third day, when morning came, there was thunder and lightning, a thick cloud on the mountain, and a very loud blast from a ram’s horn, so that all the people in the camp shuddered.  Then Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. Mount Sinai was completely enveloped in smoke because the Lord came down on it in fire. Its smoke went up like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain shook violently. As the sound of the ram’s horn grew louder and louder, Moses spoke and God answered him in the thunder.”

Though Exodus 19 doesn’t explicitly describe the voice as the Father’s, you can see this distinction more clearly during the Transfiguration and shortly after Jesus entered Jerusalem riding on a donkey, before He was crucified.

Regarding the Transfiguration, “A cloud appeared, overshadowing them, and a voice came from the cloud: “This is my beloved Son; listen to him!”” Mark 9:7

Before Jesus was crucified He said, “‘Now my soul is troubled. What should I say—Father, save me from this hour? But that is why I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name.’

Then a voice came from heaven: ‘I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.’

The crowd standing there heard it and said it was thunder. Others said, ‘An angel has spoken to him.’” John 12:27-29

All three of these passages show the humility and reverence you should have when you approach God’s throne. He is holy and powerful, above all else, and worthy of your utmost respect.

God the Father has ultimate authority. Technically all three do because they are one person, but Scripture differentiates between them for our minute minds to have better understanding. So, to best explain the Father’s authority, let’s look at Hebrews 1:1-4,

“Long ago God spoke to our ancestors by the prophets at different times and in different ways. In these last days, he has spoken to us by his Son. God has appointed him heir of all things and made the universe through him. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact expression of his nature, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high. So he became superior to the angels, just as the name he inherited is more excellent than theirs.”

God the Father created everything through the Son. When Jesus’ work was finished, the Father seated Jesus at His right hand. This shows that the Father has always been on the throne in heaven. He’s never left it. “The Majesty” has been on high from eternity past and will continue to be for the rest of eternity.

These passages give you a glimpse at the supremacy and majesty of God the Father. He is in complete control of all things. He is all-knowing, even beyond details the Son is aware of. He is just and holy. There is so much you can discover about God the Father! Next week, you’ll see that this powerful, all-knowing, ever-present God is also intimately loving. Until then, remember to come to His throne with complete awe. He alone is worth it.