Who's Your Daddy?
ATP Blog #53
Who’s Your Daddy?
John 8:19-20
The question ‘Who’s your daddy?’ is loaded with meaning; it seeks the answer to ‘Do you have a dad at home?’, ‘How important is your dad?’, and ‘What does your dad do for an occupation?’ “Three boys in the schoolyard were bragging about who had the highest paid father: The first boy said, “My Dad scribbles a few words on a piece of paper, he calls it a poem, and they give him $100.” The second boy said, “That’s nothing. My Dad scribbles a few words on a piece of paper, he calls it a song, and they give him $1000.” The third boy said, “My Dad is ever better than that. He scribbles a few words on a piece of paper, calls it a sermon, and it takes 6 or 8 men just to collect all the money!”” (www.ministry127.com)
To Jesus: In John 8:19a, the Pharisees asked Jesus, ‘Where is Your Father?’, which basically is like asking ‘Who is your daddy?’ The reason I say this is this, by asking where He is, they are asking who He is. If Jesus answers Joseph in Nazareth (as they may have been expecting, and as many people understood), then they could counter His claims in the previous verses regarding His witness to being the Messiah promised to Israel and to the world. If Jesus answers God in Heaven, then they have a harder time countering the claim, but also a harder time believing Him. Back in Luke 2:49, Jesus, at the age of twelve, already called God His Father instead of Joseph, although in subsequent verses it explains that He submitted to His earthly parents while He lived with them (so, for the next 18 years). Jesus’ answer to this question is very important, as it validates who Jesus is.
Jesus’ Answer: His answer is a bit of a slap in the face of the religious leaders of the day. He replied, ‘You know neither Me nor My Father. If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also.’ (John 8:19b) Jesus is telling the people several important details with this statement. First, to know God, you must get to know the Son of God. Jesus is Immanuel, which means God with us, and came for several reasons, one of which is that we humans may get to know God’s identity and character better than people did in the Old Testament. Jesus is also telling the people that His Father (or daddy) is the Almighty, Creator God, and that He is not in any one location (Psalm 139). The reason this is a slap in the face for these leaders, is that they were expected to be intercessors between the people and God, and teachers regarding God’s Word. Jesus is basically saying that they know nothing about that which is their main occupation, their main subject of study and teaching!
To You: So, I pose the question to you: ‘Who is your daddy?’ Three verses in the New Testament explain that we can (and should) call God our Abba Father (Mark 14:36; Romans 8:15; Galatians 4:6). Let me be clear, this does not make God so familiar that we can get our every desire. Calling Him Abba Father is an act of submission and trust, seeing God as the perfect Father who will care for us when we stay within His will. This, of course, is only true of those who have truly accepted the gift of salvation. As the verses above indicate, we have been adopted as sons and daughters of God, giving us the privilege of being under His protection and care. So, is He your daddy? If not, make it so today ... without delay!
Your Answer: To make this a reality you must choose today whom you will serve (Joshua 24:13). Accepting the gift of salvation is as easy as making a decision (because God did the work required), but is as hard as giving up everything you have and are (submitting to His will for you). Do you believe that Jesus Christ is God in the flesh, that He came to live as a perfect example, that He came to die in payment for your sins, and that He rose again to give us new life? If so, then accepting the gift of salvation means you give Him everything, and allow Him to rule your life (Romans 12:1-2). Make Him your Daddy today, and start receiving the benefits immediately ... the privileges of inheritance, blessings, protection, and best of all, eternal life.
