Jesus’ Relationship with the Father

Topic: Jesus is our example at how to live life. What can we learn about His relationship with the Father to live our with our relationship with the Father?

Read: Matthew 5:14-16

Introduction

Our relationship with others and our ability to be a light in the world is dependent on our relationship with God the father.

Why is this? Because how do we know what God is calling us to do and how God is calling us to be if we do not know God? There are tons of religions around the world doing things in “the name of God” without actually knowing who God is.

We see that in Exodus 32, when Moses (a man who served as the people’s connection to God had been away for some time, they began to forget or question who God is. In a matter of days with no direct connection/relationship to God the people build a Golden Calf and confuse it with God saying: ‘This is your God, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt.” (V. 4). Days away from direct communion and relationship with God and the people are confusing the BIG God of the Universe who parted the Red Sea and brought plagues down to save them from their enemies with a golden cow. If that’s what happened to the Israelites when there was a gap in their relationship with God, what do you think happens to us if we don’t seek God on a daily basis? The same thing. We may not build a golden calf in our living room, however we do give our lives away to idols and things NOT of God. I bet we can even think of our “golden calf” right now.

So, let’s learn from Jesus’ fervent relationship with the Father. Why can we, mere humans, display traits of a relationship that exists in the Trinity between the Father and Son?

In John 8:12, Jesus says: “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.” John Piper says: “The way Jesus is the light of the world is by coming from the Father and going to the Father and being one with the Father.”

As Jesus says in John 8 that He is the light of the world, He also says in Matthew 5 that, similarly, WE are the light of the world. We are able to glorify our Father in Heaven because we are in relationship with the Father. We know who he is and what He is asking us to do and therefore can share Him with the world.

Today, we are going to talk about four key relationship qualities that capture the heart of God the Father and Jesus’ relationship. We are also going to look at the way, through Jesus, that we can pursue and emulate these same qualities in our relationship with God. Remember, the only reason that we can emulate or pursue relationship with God in this way is because of what Jesus did for us on the cross.

 Jesus’ Relationship with God the Father

Let’s look at Jesus’ relationship with God the Father.

Let’s turn to John 15. (Read 15:1-11).

What do we notice about God the Father and His relationship to Jesus in John 15?

1. First, God the Father is supreme. Supreme means highest ranking or the top. The Son is under the supremacy of the Father. The Son has the identically same nature as the Father (He is not subordinate and possesses the full nature of God). But their relationship, although equal, Jesus is under the Father’s authority.
2. We see this in John 15:8: “My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be My disciples.” Jesus recognizes the supremacy of God and is working for the glory of the Father.
3. In the same way that Jesus prays, He invites us to pray: “our Father who is in heaven, Holy be your name.” Jesus show respect by acknowledging the supremacy of the Father.

– How does this relate to us? Jesus led by example by acknowledging that God the Father was supreme over their relationship. We can only do what God has called us to do if we acknowledge Him in His Holiness and live our lives in reverence to that knowledge. If we don’t think God is Holy and Supreme, then we don’t understand how amazing it is that He loves us and calls us according to His purpose. We will follow our plans for life rather than His. However, John says: “He must increase, but I must decrease.” This is how Jesus lived His life. He humbled Himself to the Father. We must do the same and acknowledge God’s supremacy.

2. Second, and similarly to God being Supreme, John 15 shows us that God the father is authoritative. He is able to prune the branches and take away branches that do not bear fruit. He makes the BIG decisions.

-We see this in His relationship with Jesus too. God the Father is supreme to the nature of the Godhead. The Trinity is made up of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. They are all wholly God on their own yet are one being. They, God, are one being with three persons. These three persons are the same in character, as they are all God, however they are different in role. The relationship of God the father in the Trinity is the head – the supreme.

1. We see this in 1 Corinthians 11:3: “But I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.”
2. John 8:28-29: “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and I do nothing on My own initiative, but I speak these things as the Father taught Me. And He who sent Me is with Me . . .” Jesus woke up every morning, and through each moment of every day never thought to say something he shouldn’t say. He spoke in alignment with God always. He never once did something on His own. He lived in perfect obedience: every action He did, every word He spoke, every attitude of His heart was aligned to the Father.

–What can we learn from this? Whenever Jesus had to make a decision He prayed. He prayed before His conflict with the Pharisees, before choosing the disciples, during temptation etc. He was in communion with God for everything. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 says: “Never stop Praying”. We need to remember to stop relying on ourselves and making decisions (even the smallest of ones) a part from God.

3. Third, the Father and Son have a relationship characterized by love for one another. The Son does these things out of a deep LOVE for the Father.
4. In John 15:10 Jesus says: “If you keep my commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.”
5. Jesus and the Father had a relationship of obedience that is moved out of love (John 14:31: “I do as the Father has commanded me so that the world may know that I love the Father.”) The Father Loves Jesus too. Commands given in love and obedience rendered in love.

–How does this relate to us? In the same way, we must ask God to show us the love that He has for us and then to do EVERYTHING we do in life out of that love. 1 Corinthians 16:14 says: “Let all that you do be done in love.” 1 Corinthians 13 – the love chapter – also talks about doing tasks a part from love as being useless. This relates to our relationship with God. We must know His love and seek to follow Him out of love rather than duty.

4. Fourth, the Father has given Jesus a big part to play in the salvation plan for the World. John 15:5: “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.” The Father’s purpose that all things be summed up in and subjected to His son. The Father chooses to carry out His purposes through the Son (and not a part from the Son). What does this express about the generosity of the Father? He brings the Son alongside Him in the work (Colossians 1) instead of carrying out His purposes on His own. He honours the son in a share of (Psalm 2:7-9) the joy and inheritance and glory. We know through studying Revelation and through studying the scripture that Jesus is glorified (Philippians 2).

–How does this relate to us? In a similar way, the Father gives us generously the privilege of sharing in His work. God doesn’t need any of us to do any of the things He is going to do in the world. However, He chooses to use us. He does His work through us not a part from us. He gives us gifts and resources and abilities to use as stewards to bring people to Him. We get the privilege of participating in God’s Kingdom, just as Jesus did.

Prayer as the means of Communion

We need to understand that everything we do begins with communion and relationship with the Father just as everything Jesus did stemmed from communion and relationship with the Father.

How does one have communion with the Father? Communion means: “The sharing or exchanging of intimate thoughts and feelings, especially when the exchange is on a mental or spiritual level.” When we commune with God , and when Jesus communed with God it was through prayer.

Prayer is a conversation With God. It’s the word used to describe our communication with God.

Prayer was Jesus’ daily way to pour into the different relationship qualities we named above . . . . to proclaim God’s supremacy, to submit to God’s authority, to show Him love and in turn receive His love, and to be aligned with God to actively participate in the Kingdom of God.

Prayer should be our daily way to pour into our relationship with God.

How did Jesus Pray on Earth?

We talked about prayer a few weeks ago, but we never really focused on Jesus’ example of prayer. What can we learn about how Jesus communicated with God while He was on earth?

1. Jesus prayed for others. (The children (-Matthew 19:13: “Then some children were brought to Him so that He might lay His hands on them and pray; and the disciples rebuked them.”) the disciples (John 17:6-26).
2. Jesus prayed with others. (At communion, when he broke the fish and bread)
3. Jesus prayed alone. Just as it is important for us to ‘be still’ before God and to spend time alone with Him. Matthew 14:23: “After He had sent the crowds away, He want up on the mountain by Himself to pray; and when it was evening, He was there alone.”
4. Jesus spent a long time with God prayer. Luke 4. We should be able to pray long and short.
5. Jesus prayed regularly (Luke 5:16: “Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed”).
6. Jesus prayed with His heart. Why? Because He knew that His authority and message came through prayer and through connecting with the Father in the power of the Spirit.
7. Jesus prayed based on His knowledge of God and His truths.
8. Jesus taught and showed persistence in prayer. (Luke 18:1). Praying in the garden when He was sweating blood.

MY STORY

A few years ago (when we were in our 2 and 3 year of University) my friend and roommate at the time, Michele and I decided we wanted to learn more about God and develop our relationship with God. So, we decided to keep each other accountable and get up an extra hour earlier, head up to the living room together with our Bibles and a cup of coffee and spend an hour in alone time with God – together. After Michele moved back to Calgary when we graduated I had a year where I wasn’t reading my Bible consistently. I really missed that time, but I honestly wasn’t willing to put in the effort – I had a lot of stuff to do. Work and life were busy and sometimes in the evening, maybe a couple of times a week I would read my Bible for a few minutes. One of these “once in a while” times I happened upon –  Mark 1:35: “In the early morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went away to a secluded place, and was praying there.” Immediately, I was convicted. Even Jesus, with all of the crazy miracles He was performing and in His crazy travel schedule had the time to pray because He made the time. What did He do? He got up early, when it was still dark and went away on His own to pray and spend time with the Father. This example that Jesus set inspired me to do the same. And now, each day before work I get up early (usually it’s between 6 and 7 depending when I have to work) when it’s dark and go upstairs to a place on my own and spend an hour with God. Praying and reading His word. Building into relationship with God. Following Jesus’ example for communion with the Father.

Application

-So what is it for you? After hearing all of this today, how are you going to, following the example of Jesus, build into and be intentional with your relationship with God?

-Are you going to get up in the early morning to pray? Are you going to pray more often or more persistently? Will you commit to praying in community – with ONE other person every day?

Conclusion

Be people of prayer. Be people who pursue actively (through prayer) a relationship with the Father, following the amazing example of Jesus. Everything you do will flow from your relationship with God. “They will be known by their fruit.” Your relationship with God is defined through these key qualities: God’s supremacy, submission to His authority, to love Him and to receive His love and to be aligned with His purpose. Know who God is and who you are in relation to Him. Because of your communion with the Father you will not be so easily tempted your golden cow. It might still be there but you know it’s just a golden cow because you know your God. I pray that we would have the courage to seek these qualities out daily and live them out purposefully as we pursue relationship with God the Father as our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ did.

Written by: Justine Dueck