Everlasting Father

Names of Christmas – Message 3
Perry Duggar

December 12, 2021

Prayer: Jesus is our Everlasting Father. He protects and provides for us. He encourages us through acceptance and affirmation. As we worship in song and Word, as well as through our generosity, ask Him to express His Fatherhood to you.

Introduction: We continue our series called, Names of Christmas.

• Isaiah 9:1-7. C/R: 2 Samuel 7:16

A. The giver of gifts to children at Christmas has different names in different places.

1. In England, he is known as Father Christmas.
   
2. Father Christmas is a combination of King Frost, who arrived with the Germanic Saxons in the 5^th and 6^th centuries and the later-arriving Viking’s god Odin, who had a long white beard and distributed goods to deserving people.

B. The greatest gift received at Christmas was Jesus, our Savior, the Messiah—and He gives the greatest gifts to us all; they are revealed in His names!

1. The prophecy of Isaiah spoken to King Ahaz of Judah in 735 BC revealed the names of the coming Messiah from David’s line.
   
2. Isaiah 9:2,6-7 (NLT)—² The people who walk in darkness will see a great light. For those who live in a land of deep darkness, a light will shine. … ⁶For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on His shoulders. And He will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. ⁷His government and its peace will never end. He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of His ancestor David for all eternity.
   
3. The prophet Nathan prophesied to King David over 2 centuries earlier: 2 Samuel 7:16 (NLT)—“Your house and your kingdom will continue before Me for all time, and your throne will be secure forever.” 
4. This future king would not reestablish the earthly kingdoms of Judah or Israel; instead, He would establish the kingdom of God on earth! [Matthew 4:17]
   
5. Each of the Messiah-king’s names, or titles, reveals ways relates to His children.
   
6. This morning we will focus on the third name or title, Everlasting Father.
   
7. The Hebrew phrase translated “Everlasting Father” could be “Father of Eternity.”
   
8. Jesus is Father forever; His Fatherhood will be without end.
   
9. What difference does Jesus make in our lives as our Everlasting Father?
   
   

II. Our Everlasting Father…
A. #1 – Protects from harm. (Matthew 2:12-15. C/R: Psalm 34:7; 2 Timothy 4:18; Hebrews 13:6)

1. Every father is expected to protect his family. (I kept a club in my nightstand.)
   
2. We see how God protected His Son, Jesus and His family that first Christmas.
   
3. At, Matthew 2:8, King Herod instructed the wise men to travel to Bethlehem to find the newborn king of the Jews, then return and tell him where the child was so he could go to worship Him, but he really intended to kill the Messiah.
   
4. The magi followed a star, found, worshiped, presented Him gifts. (Matthew 2:10-11)
   
5. Matthew 2:12 (NLT)—When it was time to leave, they [wise men] returned to their own country by another route, for God had warned them in a dream not to return to Herod.
   
6. Concerned about their safety, God protected the wise men and Jesus’ family, by warning them—wise men through a dream; Joseph through an angel.
   
7. Matthew 2:13–15 (NLT)—¹³After the wise men were gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up! Flee to Egypt with the child and His mother,” the angel said. “Stay there until I tell you to return, because Herod is going to search for the child to kill Him.”
   ¹⁴That night Joseph left for Egypt with the child and Mary, His mother, ¹⁵and they stayed there until Herod’s death. This fulfilled what the Lord had spoken through the prophet: “I called My Son out of Egypt.” [Hosea 11:1; 700-year-old prophecy from Hosea, a contemporary of Isaiah.]
   
8. Our Everlasting Father is protective of His children, concerned about our safety.
   
9. Psalm 34:7 (NLT)—For the angel of the Lord is a guard; He surrounds and defends all who fear Him. [2 Timothy 4:18; Hebrews 13:6]
   
10. APP.: Do you fear danger? Are you afraid of harm? Ask God for reassurance!
    
    

Our Everlasting Father…
B. #2 – Provides for needs. (Matthew 1:18-25; 6:31-33; 7:11; 14:13-21)

1. A father provides for his family, especially things children cannot obtain for themselves.
   
2. An Everlasting Father furnishes both practical and spiritual essentials.
   
3. Mary became pregnant as an unmarried teenager, which threatened her life.
   
4. Matthew 1:18-25 (NLT)—¹⁸This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged [betrothed] to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin [15-17 years old], she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit. ¹⁹Joseph, her fiancé, was a good man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement [divorce] quietly.
   
5. A Jewish man would not marry an unchaste, immoral, woman, which is what Mary appeared to be; she would be shamed in her village, rejected by friends and relatives, perhaps even cast out of her father’s house with no means of support; she could even be stoned—until God intervened through an angel!
   
6. Matthew 1:20,24 (NLT)—²⁰As he [Joseph] considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. … [Would he have believed another person?]
   ²⁴When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded and took Mary as his wife. [She would have a husband to support her and her child.]
   
7. This passage points out that God provides a necessity through Jesus that neither Joseph, nor any other person, could supply.
   
8. Matthew 1:21 (NLT)—“And she will have a son, and you are to name Him Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”
   
9. Jesus, our Everlasting Father, would offer Himself to supply an essential, eternal, spiritual, need that we could not provide for ourselves.
   
10. Our Everlasting Father continues to supply practical needs of this life.
    
11. Matthew 6:31–33 (NLT)—³¹“So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ ³²These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. ³³Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need.” [Matthew 7:11]
    
12. Jesus fed the 5000 (Matthew 14:15-21) and the 4000 (Matthew 15:32-39), demonstrating His concern for people’s practical need—hunger—and willingness to feed them.
    
13. APP.: What need do you have—practical or spiritual?
    
14. APP.: God cares for you; you belong to Him. Ask Him to provide!
    
    

Our Everlasting Father…
C. #3 - Presents encouragement. (Matthew1:22-23; Luke 1:26-49; Ephesians 5:1-2;
1 Thessalonians 2:11–12)

1. All of us need our fathers to accept us, to express that we have value and worth.
   
2. Our self-esteem, self-confidence, security, are shaped through our perception of what our fathers (but also other significant persons) think about us.
   
3. A critical, abusive, non-nurturing or absent father will damage our identity, including our sexual identity.
   
4. Affirmation from our fathers requires their presence.
   
5. A secure sense of self grows as the intimacy of our relationship with our fathers—including our Everlasting Father—grows.
   
6. Our greatest encouragement comes from the Presence of our Everlasting Father.
   
7. Matthew 1:22-23 (NLT)—²²All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s message through His prophet: ²³ “Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and He will be called Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us.’”
   
8. We see God’s concern for Mary’s emotional state through the angel Gabriel’s suggestion of someone who could offer support to this scared teenager.
   
9. Luke 1:36 (NLT)—What’s more, your relative Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age! People used to say she was barren, but she has conceived a son and is now in her sixth month. [We see Mary’s response to the angel’s words.]
   
10. Luke 1:39-40,42-49 (NLT)—³⁹A few days later Mary hurried to the hill country of Judea, to the town ⁴⁰where Zechariah lived. She entered the house and greeted Elizabeth. …
    ⁴²Elizabeth gave a glad cry and exclaimed to Mary, “God has blessed you above all women, and your child is blessed. ⁴³Why am I so honored, that the mother of my Lord should visit me? ⁴⁴When I heard your greeting, the baby in my womb jumped for joy. ⁴⁵You are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what he said.” [How would this young woman feel hearing this?]
    ⁴⁶Mary responded, “Oh, how my soul praises the Lord. ⁴⁷How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior! ⁴⁸For he took notice of his lowly servant girl, and from now on all generations will call me blessed. ⁴⁹For the Mighty One is holy, and He has done great things for me.” [See the effect of this encouragement!]
    
11. Psalm 103:13 (NLT)—The Lord is like a father to His children, tender and compassionate to those who fear Him. [memory verse]
    
12. APP.: Do you need encouragement from God? Ask Him! He cares for you!
    

As you pray each day, seek intimacy with Him, learn to linger in His Presence!