Father’s Day is a time to remember our fathers in good times and maybe not so good. It is a time for fathers to remember their roles in good times and maybe not so good. It is a time to evaluate our current condition. Nearly 40% of American children currently do not live with their biological fathers according to American Demographics. In a survey of 4 and 5 year olds, 33% of them said they’d rather give up their fathers than television. 


This is the time to embrace God’s role as heavenly Father. It is time to remember that God is a Father Who wants us to be His children. Through the work of Jesus, we are adopted into the family of God when we place our faith in Jesus alone. We get a wonderful glimpse of God as Father in the Trinity. There has always been love and interdependence within the Godhead, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The triune God is transcendent - He doesn’t need us. The triune God is immanent - He wants us.  


Father’s Day is a time to see what God the Father is like and how He relates to each of us who are part of His family.


An Examination of God as Father

• Jesus is uniquely the Son of the Father, John 1:14, And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.  

• He is the beloved Son, John 3:35, The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand.

• The Father protects His Son, Matthew 26:53, Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels?  

• The Father protects those He has given to His Son, John 10:29, My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.


An Examination of God the Son 

• Jesus is the only way to the Father, John 14:6, Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.  

• The Son loves His followers as the Father loves Him, John 15:9, As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.  

• Jesus reveals the Father, John 14:9, Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?  

• The Father was Jesus’ example, John 5:19, So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise.  

• Jesus’ love for the Father was exhibited by obedience, Matthew 26:39, And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.”


An Examination of God as an Adoptive Father

• Our heavenly Father loves us.  

▸ The Father loves those who love the Son, John16:27, for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God.  

▸ God loves His adopted children deeply, just look to the cross, John 3:16, For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.  

▸ His love is evidenced by discipline, Hebrews 12:6, For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives. God disciples His children not to get rid of His anger but to develop our character.  

▸ Charles Spurgeon, The hardest blow that God ever laid upon his child was inflicted by the hand of love.


• Our heavenly Father communicates with us.

▸ His communication is through His Son, Hebrews 1:1-2, Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.

▸ His communication also come through prayer, the study of God’s Word, and the direction of the indwelling Holy Spirit.

• Our heavenly Father cares for our needs.

▸ The Father cares for the needs of His children, Matthew 6:31-33, Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

▸ His care is incomprehensible, Hebrews 12:7, ... What is man, that you are mindful of him, or the son of man, that you care for him? His care for us is more than we can imagine. We are not alone despite great difficulties. We must trust God at His word and turn to Him despite the circumstances that can seemingly overwhelm us. 


The following story of was shared by Pastor R. Kent Hughes, On a dark night about a hundred years ago, a Scottish missionary couple found themselves surrounded by cannibals intent on taking their lives. That terror-filled night they fell to their knees and prayed that God would protect them. Intermittent with their prayers, the missionaries heard the cries of the savages and expected them to come through the door at any moment.

But as the sun began to rise, to their astonishment they found that the natives were retreating into the forest. The couple’s hearts soared to God. It was a day of rejoicing!


The missionaries bravely continued their work. A year later the chieftain of that tribe was converted. As the missionary spoke with him, he remembered the horror of that night. He asked the chieftain why he and his men had not killed them. The chief replied, “Who were all those men who were with you?” The missionary answered, “Why, there were no men with us. There were just my wife and myself.” The chieftain began to argue with him, saying, “There were hundreds of tall men in shining garments with drawn swords circling about your house, so we could not attack you.


Lessons from the Father/son Relationship

• Love is the bond

▸ Love your children unconditionally - they don’t have to earn my love, they have it.

▸ Love their mother and love being with them and getting to know them.

▸ Love by showing affection, R. Kent Hughes, Men are never manlier than when they are tender with their children.


• Imitation is a sign of love

▸ Children imitate their parents, John 8:38, I speak of what I have seen with my Father, and you do what you have heard from your father. 

▸ They imitate what we say, what we watch, what we do. Do they see integrity, faithfulness, humility, fruit of the Spirit?


• Obedience is a mark of love

▸ Use discipline to develop character, not to get rid of your anger.

▸ Let children experience the consequences of their actions.


• Protection is a fact of love

▸ We are to provide a safe, healthy environment that would include physical, emotional and spiritual protection.

▸ Do we monitor where they are? Do we monitor who they are with? Do we monitor what they do? Do we monitor what they listen to and watch?


• Provision is an indicator of love

▸ God’s Word emphasizes the importance of providing for the physical needs of our children,

1 Timothy 5:8, But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

▸ Our provision is to include spiritual nurture, Ephesians 6:4, Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. Don’t leave such provision to others, to mom or to the church.


As fathers who are Christians, we have the responsibility to relate to our children as the Father does to the Son. Love our children unconditionally. Pursue a life worthy of imitation. Obey God our Father and demand obedience from your children. Protect your family with your life. Provide for their needs by utterly depending on God our Father.

We can’t change the past but our heavenly Father can give us hope for the future as we submit to His loving care demonstrated by His Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ. It is time for us to be godly parents and grandparents.