Jesus not only tells us to call God our Father, Abba, Papa and we see Jesus personally calling God by this name. God is his Father. Jesus is deeply connected with God – they are one and they always have been – while at the same time he is the Son and God is the Father. They’re as close as they can possibly be. They have the same mind, the same will, the same love, the same power. Jesus is 100% familiar with God in every way … however, he doesn’t lose his awe of God just because he has this closeness.

Yes, Jesus teaches us to be close to God. Yes, he teaches us to trust him as our Papa God and we as his beloved children … but Jesus also teaches us how to be in absolute AWE of God still. He shows us his awe of the Father in two specific descriptive names: Holy Father and Righteous Father.

Jesus calls God ‘Holy Father’ in John 17:11, “Now I am departing from the world; they are staying in this world, but I am coming to you. Holy Father, you have given me your name; now protect them by the power of your name so that they will be united just as we are.” Jesus is praying these words right before he is betrayed, arrested and led to the cross. And understand, he is praying these words for you and I. He’s calling on the name of Holy Father, that we would be protected by the power of his name – that is HOLY FATHER.

Do you know the power of this name? Holy Father.

This is actually the only place in scripture where Jesus directly combines these two words when addressing God.

• Holy = completely set apart, pure, transcendent

• Father = relational, close, personal

We tend to lean towards one of these – either God is completely set apart, distant and intimidating to us, or he is so personally close that he’s become familiar and expected. Jesus shows us how to hold both in awe, reverence and confidence. God is both perfectly holy and perfectly relational at the same time.

Last night I watched a documentary on Hulk Hogan. I’m a bit of a documentary junkie. I love the behind the scenes look at real lives that we often miss. Hulk was this larger than life character with a handle bar mustache and bleach blonde hair known for ripping his shirt off. But at home, he didn’t rip his shirt off. At home, he was a husband and dad named Terry and he played in the floor with his children. He was both, but the true man was only seen behind closed doors. The rest of the world only knew the character making a scene in the ring. He was one or the other, but he couldn’t be both at the same time. So, it caused a split in his life and a loss of his true self.

But the Holy Father is not split. He is the same behind the scenes and on the scene. He is forever both completely set apart and completely up close and personal. He is beyond understanding and personally understanding at the same time. He is Holy and he is Father – and not just for Jesus, but for us too.

At the time of Jesus praying this prayer in the book of John, everyone knew holiness was associated with distance. There was a system in the temple and only priests could approach God’s holy presence. If you did it wrong, you died. Holiness meant you couldn’t casually approach God. But then on the other hand, ‘Father’ implies direct access through relationship and belonging. Jesus is normalizing closeness with a HOLY FATHER, and he’s literally praying you and I can have that closeness too.

Will you allow God to be both for you, both Holy and Father? Will you grow close in relationship with the Father while remaining in reverent awe of his holiness? He isn’t one or the other – he is both, always, forever, and fully.

Jesus prays, “Protect them by the power of your name.” What was that name Jesus just spoke? Holy Father. This is where your personal protection comes from. God’s holiness means absolutely nothing impure can stand against him. No evil will prevail. His holiness protects you from every scheme and attack of the enemy. And God’s fatherhood means he actively cares for and defends you as his daughter.

You’ve heard of the threat of the Mama Bear coming out to protect her children – Well, that’s nothing compared to the Holy Father! Nobody messes with the children of the Holy Father! Do you know him as your Holy Father? Do you know the power of that name?

If God is only Father – you lose reverence. If God is only Holy – you lose relationship. If God is both Holy and Father, you experience transformation in holy relationship with him.

Now, Jesus continues to pray and he shifts from the name Holy Father which focuses on God’s nature, and now he calls him the name Righteous Father, which is a focus on God’s character in action. John 17:25, “O righteous Father, the world doesn’t know you, but I do.” This name is about how God acts. If you know God as your Father, and you know how your Father acts, then you know how you can count on him to show up for you personally. Righteous Father.

The word ‘righteous’ appears in greek as ‘dikaios’, which means just, morally right, fair and faithful to what is true. With this name, Jesus is remembering in prayer that God ALWAYS does what is right. God ALWAYS keeps his promises.

Wow, do you remember that in your prayers? God, you are my Righteous Father. I know you always do what is right. I know you always keep your promises. You do not fail. Ever. I can fully trust you, your ways, and your timing.

My friend, just in case life has been touching you hard lately, I whisper this truth to your soul – you truly can trust every decision God makes. He is the Righteous Father, and he is 100% right!

You won’t always understand it, but you can trust it. He works in ways you cannot see to accomplish things you cannot comprehend, in a dimension you have not yet experienced – but you will. That deminsion is eternity, and it’s where God is working everything together for good, yes everything, and yes real good. One day you will take your first breath in the dimension of eternity and you will see it all for yourself. Every single decision God ever made was divine perfection.

And notice this, Jesus doesn’t say “Righteous Judge”, he says Righteous Father. God’s righteousness doesn’t make him lose his love relationship for his children. He’s the one who judges justly and he is also the one who loves you wildly. He holds the law, but he also holds unstoppable love! God doesn’t choose between being loving and being right – He is perfectly both.

Even if everyone else in this world misjudges you, God understands you perfectly. He knows you because he made you. He wanted you, so he formed you and breathed life into you. The Righteous Father is RIGHT ABOUT YOU and he rightly loves you.

Your Father is Righteous. This means wrong will not win, the broken will be made whole, and complete restoration is coming. Righteous Father is making all things right. Really, really, really right.

Prayer Prompts:

• Holy Father, where have I grown too causal with your presence? How are you calling me to live differently because I belong to you?

• Righteous Father, where do I need to trust your justice? Where do I need to align my life with what you say is right?

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2108 Names of God – Holy Righteous Father