The Witness of a Son

In the New Testament, we find a gospel message through the Apostle John, who details the significant and important relationship between a father and son. According to John 1: 1-18, there are some very notable and divine truths about the role of parenting from a father and son perspective. Firstly, John reveals that the practice  of fathering is an already established principle; it always existed, hence the phrase:

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God”.

The other point is that Sonship was made through the existence of God, hence the scripture reference:

“In Him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it”.

The Son’s job was to be a witness to the goodness of the Father. We may ask, why should it be the job of a son to declare that the father is good? Shouldn’t that job description be up to the father to declare? Perhaps these are good questions. The answer possibly can be best explained in the following context. When we are born, our given names on a birth certificate are not mother or father. The birth certificate has our first, middle and last names.  While we grow and develop, we are taught, nurtured and socialized into a particular way of living. During this process, we learn about our parents based on our interactions with them. The same is true for those who have taken on the role of guardianship in our lives. As children grow, they begin to get a greater understanding of who their father is and the role of a father. Often these children see the father in good and bad situations. Based on the child's perception of his or her father’s character, they begin to make their declarations. The Son in the context of John 1 is Jesus Christ declaring the goodness of His Father to be the light that darkness can never overcome or understand.

On this Fathers’ Day, we will all reflect on the role of fathers. Some will be quite happy because they have good fathers. Others may be in mourning because they did not know their fathers or have deceased fathers. Others may have negative feelings because they did not have a good relationship with their fathers. Whatever the case, please understand that Abba Father honours the role of father. His intention is to proclaim the excellency of fatherhood. Fathers were made to encourage, to give, to protect, to lead and to provide.

We also acknowledge that some fathers have not given care, guidance or support to their children. This, however, does not diminish the importance of a father. In fact, God knows that fathers are fallible and has made provisions for their frailties. Jesus Christ is the perfect Son, and He intercedes today for fathers everywhere. He prays that fathers will love and bless their children. Fathering has nothing to do with money, but it has everything to do with relationships.

May fathers know that they are loved, cherished and valuable to God and to their children. May they know that the Lord has made them strong. May they never forget that they have help. Our good, good Abba Father has always been and will always be there. Just ask His Son.  Jesus declared His purpose as a Son, that He is filled with grace and truth;  and if we accept Him into our hearts, He will forgive us of our past, present and future sins. Jesus took on the sins of mankind and shielded us from the effects of our sins. Through Jesus’ presence in our lives, we have been given the right to become sons of God and through this, we can testify to the goodness of our Abba Father.  As children who have received grace from our heavenly Father through Jesus Christ, we must extend grace to our earthly fathers regardless of whether they are around or not. Shalom.