Devotional Studies on the Father from the gospel of John
Scripture
For this morning's full text, click here.
What can we observe about the Father from this short verse? Well, it seems to me that the word 'live' appearing three times offers us a clue. Jesus is trying to emphasise something about The Father. The Father he tells us is living, alive, and also the giver of life.
The first thing Jesus says about the Father is that he is 'the living Father'. God is the living one. The Father is alive. He is the living one. That means that he's not dead. He is active and involved and he is the source of life in all its liveliness. He provides life.
Jesus says 'I live because of the Father'. Our second point to be made then is that the Father sustains the Son. He is the reason that the Son exists.
Such is the nature of God the Father. He is living but also life giving, to such an extent that Jesus could say 'the only reason I live is because of him.' This is more than saying 'he's my reason to live' or, as we sometimes use the expression, 'I live for it...' Jesus is speaking literally:
Application
This is our Father. Do you see it? Do you see the life giving, alive and empowering Father? Come to him and have life in his name. When you get near this Father, when you receive his Son Life is the inevitable consequence. He is liked an overflowing fountain that if you get too close to you get drenched. The Father oozes life and as Christians we come to him and receive life in his name and with his permission.
Thank you Father. What can I say? I'm in awe of you and I realise that so many of my thoughts about you aren't accurate. Often I think of you as stingy and cruel or if not those things, then far off and distant. It's not true, I see that. Thank you that you give me life, both kinds of life; temporal and earthly but also full and eternal.
Scripture
For this morning's full text, click here.
As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me.Observation
John 6:57
What can we observe about the Father from this short verse? Well, it seems to me that the word 'live' appearing three times offers us a clue. Jesus is trying to emphasise something about The Father. The Father he tells us is living, alive, and also the giver of life.
The first thing Jesus says about the Father is that he is 'the living Father'. God is the living one. The Father is alive. He is the living one. That means that he's not dead. He is active and involved and he is the source of life in all its liveliness. He provides life.
Jesus says 'I live because of the Father'. Our second point to be made then is that the Father sustains the Son. He is the reason that the Son exists.
Such is the nature of God the Father. He is living but also life giving, to such an extent that Jesus could say 'the only reason I live is because of him.' This is more than saying 'he's my reason to live' or, as we sometimes use the expression, 'I live for it...' Jesus is speaking literally:
'I have life in my veins and breath in my lungs because of God the Father. He puts it there and ensures it stays there.'God is the living Father, and the life giving Father.
Application
This is our Father. Do you see it? Do you see the life giving, alive and empowering Father? Come to him and have life in his name. When you get near this Father, when you receive his Son Life is the inevitable consequence. He is liked an overflowing fountain that if you get too close to you get drenched. The Father oozes life and as Christians we come to him and receive life in his name and with his permission.
Praise the one who paid my debt and raised this life up from the dead.Prayer
Thank you Father. What can I say? I'm in awe of you and I realise that so many of my thoughts about you aren't accurate. Often I think of you as stingy and cruel or if not those things, then far off and distant. It's not true, I see that. Thank you that you give me life, both kinds of life; temporal and earthly but also full and eternal.