For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6).
The church of old longed for a lasting ruler who would set the world aright. One “like a son of man” would come before the Ancient of Days and be given “dominion and glory and a kingdom” (Daniel 7). In particular, the eternal King would arrive in the line of great King David and
make all his enemies a footstool (Psalm 110). The prophet Isaiah clothes this promise in the title Everlasting Father.
What comes to mind when you hear the word father? Like it or not, each of us carries a working definition shaped by our own lives.
Growing up among the cornfields of Iowa and within a faithful church, I was surrounded by strong men who loved the Lord. Foremost was my own father, who served as the minister of our small church for 30 years. He exhibited the kind of strength, resolve, and faith every young boy needs to see in older men. I also recall the elders of my childhood church, some of the toughest men I’ve ever known. These farmers worked long days in harsh conditions, but on the Lord’s Day, they cleaned up, put on their suits, taught Sunday School, offered prayer, and served communion.
I am grateful for other “fathers” as well. As an American, I am grateful for the fathers of my country — men who labored to form “a more perfect union,” giving shape to our nation. Christian history beckons me to consider the traditions I have received from fathers in the faith who stood firm for biblical truth in the face of mockery, persecution, and the threat of death.
I am deeply mindful and profoundly grateful for the fathers God has provided me. Isaiah’s prophecy does not diminish our gratitude; rather, it lifts our eyes to our Eternal King, showing us that every praiseworthy attribute in our earthly fathers is perfectly displayed in him.
Everlasting Father
What do you think of when you hear the term “Father” being ascribed to Christ? You may be unsure how to interpret this title. But there is flexibility in the scriptural usage of the term “father.” For instance, it is found in several places not overtly connected to biology. Jabal is described as “father of those who dwell in tents and have livestock” (Genesis 4:20), Job is described as “father to the needy” (Job 29:16), and various magisterial rulers are described as fathers of those under their care (Naaman in 2 Kings 5:13, Eliakim in Isaiah 22:21).
Second, the term “father” as applied to Christ does not in any way confound the personhood of the Trinity, nor does it divide the essence thereof. Among the unity of the Godhead, God the Son is a distinct person from God the Father and God the Holy Spirit.
This phrase in Isaiah 9 describes an attribute of God the Son incarnate — his rule over and care for his people like a loving father cares for his children or a benevolent king, his subjects. The Westminster Larger Catechism speaks to the kingly aspect of Christ’s work, saying:
Christ executeth the office of a king, in calling out of the world a people to himself, and giving them officers, laws, and censures, by which he visibly governs them; in bestowing saving grace upon his elect, rewarding their obedience, and correcting them for their sins, preserving and supporting them under all their temptations and sufferings, restraining and overcoming all their enemies, and powerfully ordering all things for his own glory and their good: and also in taking vengeance on the rest, who know not God, and obey not the gospel (WLC 45).
This child that Isaiah declares as Everlasting Father is the source and protector of his elect; the elect properly belong to him. In an insecure world, Christ gives lasting security. As we wrestle through the doubts and difficulties of this life, the gospel assures us that Jesus loves us, calls us his own, and will bring us all the way home to be with him in glory.
The Heidelberg Catechism speaks of this as comfort, in fact, as our only comfort in life and death.
Everlasting Father
Jesus is like a father, and he is also “everlasting.” Isaiah expands on this descriptor in verse 7:
Of the increase of his government and of peace
there will be no end,
on the throne of David and over his kingdom,
to establish it and to uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
from this time forth and forevermore.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this (Isaiah 9:7).
The second law of thermodynamics is one we are all familiar with experientially, even if not explicitly. In our world, we know that energy depletes, things wear out, our bodies age, and the forces of decay have their effect over time in many ways. Even as I type this, my cup of coffee is not as hot as it was when I poured it from the carafe just moments ago.
Physicists call this entropy, but in the biblical story, it is a result of our rebellion against God. Creation was subjected to futility (Romans 8:20-22), but even though the heavens and the earth will wear out like a garment and pass away, God will remain (Psalm 102) and his words will not pass away (Matthew 24:35).
There is eternity set within the heart of man (Ecclesiastes 3:11), yet there is an eternal security and joy uniquely bestowed upon the church; those united to Christ by faith. Believers will inhabit the new heavens and the new earth, as all things will be made new, and all traces of sin will be removed.
He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away (Revelation 21:4).
This was the church’s hope in Isaiah’s day and is ours today: Christ, our Savior, holds us secure in himself and will bring us into our everlasting dwelling. We will forever be with Christ, our Eternal King. Therefore, to him is bestowed that epithet he is most worthy to receive: Everlasting Father.
Josh Harp serves as senior minister of King of Kings Presbyterian Church located in the west valley of Phoenix, Arizona.