A father’s relationship with his children is incredibly important to their emotional and social well-being. The negative effects of a child without a father can be seen in countless studies and reports. The statistics show the importance of a father in children’s lives.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, children from fatherless homes account for:
§ 63 percent of youth suicides
§ 90 percent of all homeless and runaway youths
§ 71 percent of high school dropouts
§ 70 percent of juveniles in state-operated institutions
§ 75 percent of adolescent patients in substance abuse centers.
Children do best when they know and are raised by both a father and a mother.
But even when the father is present, it doesn’t mean that everything will go well. Authors and screenwriters have often recognized the complex relationship that often exists between fathers and sons and have used those tensions to create powerful stories.
When Darth Vader in The Empire Strikes Back revealed to Luke Skywalker while they were fighting that he was, in fact, Luke’s father, it was the most shocking father-son moment since, well, probably 2,000 years ago in the Jordan River when Jesus was baptized, and God the Father Himself announced, “This is My Son, with whom I am well pleased.”
How many other movies can you think of that revolve around the relationship between fathers and sons? I can think of Finding Nemo, a story about an overprotective father and a wayward son and The Lion King, a story about a son who feels like he can’t live up to his father’s expectations.
Based on our own storytelling, we know how important fathers are and how difficult our relationships with them can be.
During our midweek Advent series this year, we explored three father-and-son relationships found in the Old Testament, all of which ended in disappointment and often in tragedy.
Cain, the son of Adam, was not the promised Savior that Adam and Eve hoped he would be. Rather, he continued in his father’s sin, becoming the first man among many who would strike out and kill his own brother, Abel.
Ishmael, the son of Abraham, was not the promised son either. Abraham and Sarah thought they had to take matters into their own hands in order to produce an heir for Abraham. But they soon learned of the folly of not trusting fully in God and trying to produce on their own what only God could do.
Absalom, the son of David, despite his father’s great love for him, ended up disappointing his father as well, rebelling against him and losing his life in the process.
These events, both biblical and modern, help point us to the most complicated father-son relationship of all time. It’s the story of God the Father, Creator of heaven and earth, and the children He created, the sons of men. This is our story.
Though we desperately need the presence of our heavenly Father in our lives for our wellbeing, we have rejected Him time and time again through our sinful and foolish ways.
Like Cain, we have not lived up to the expectations given to us in the Ten Commandments and have become murderers through our sinful thoughts, words, and actions. Like Ishmael’s parents, we have tried to take matters into our own hands, thinking that our own good works will earn God’s love and favor. Like Absalom, we have rebelled against our heavenly Father and King, wanting to rule our own lives instead. But this only leads to death and condemnation.
Rather than trust in our heavenly Father’s guidance, which is always wise and good, we prefer to place our trust in political figures, or military might, or in ourselves to find salvation in this life. Rather than listen to the truth that our heavenly Father speaks to us in His Word, we prefer to listen and place our confidence in the opinion of others.
Our story is of wayward and stubborn children who have a Father who is even more stubbornly pursuing us out of His great love.
It is a story perfectly captured by Jesus in His parable of the prodigal son.
You likely know this parable well. The younger son of a wealthy and generous father demanded his share of the inheritance. He may as well have said to him, “I wish you were already dead so I can have your stuff!” With his words, he murdered like Cain. With his actions, he rebelled like Absalom. Yet even more shockingly, the father gives him what he wants. He allows him to walk away and out of his life.
Yet the father never stops looking for his son and hoping and praying that he would return. Though he had every reason to be, he was not angry with his son. He simply wanted another opportunity to show him how much he loved him. And finally, when the son had wasted all of his father’s money and found himself in desperation, his father got the chance to demonstrate just how great his love was for his son.
The prodigal son knew he did not deserve his father’s love or even a spot in the family again. He merely wanted to return as a servant. Perhaps he could work his way back in. With his focus on his own works, he became like Ishmael.
But his father would have none of it. Before he can even speak, the son is embraced tightly, clothed in the finest robe and sandals, and given the family ring, a symbol of his status as a son of the father. A celebration is planned, a fattened calf is sacrificed, and the son who once was lost has been found, the son who was once dead is alive again.
This parable begs the question: how could the father love his son like this? How could he just receive him back as if he had done nothing wrong? And would God the Father do the same for us? These are the questions that are answered by Christmas.
Christmas tells us of the only perfect Father-Son relationship that has ever existed. This relationship has existed before time began (John 1:1-12). This relationship continues to exist throughout eternity. This relationship never ends.
God the Father knows how much we need Him, despite our rejection of Him. We need to know our Father. It is the only way to find true joy, peace, hope, and life. And in order to make us children of God, God sent His only-begotten Son into the world – the Son of Man and Son of God – to be the perfect Son that we could never be.
The angels revealed this perfect Son to the Shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night saying: “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:10-11).
Jesus is true Son of Adam, Abraham, and David. Jesus came in our flesh and took salvation into His hands to give us His righteousness! He remained perfectly obedient to His Father, and yet became a curse for us by hanging from a tree.
Psalm 146 reminds us: “Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation. When his breath departs, he returns to the earth; on that very day his plans perish” (Psalm 146:3-4).
But Jesus is both the Son of Man and Son of God, the Prince of Peace, and when His breath departed on the cross, God’s plan of salvation was complete – God and sinners reconciled.
Because of the gift of His Son, God reveals to us, in a shocking twist, that He is, in fact, our Father, who loves us and forgives us and gives us the right to become children of God. You see, God adopts you and makes you part of His eternal family through your Baptism into Jesus. What God the Father said to Jesus at His Baptism, He now says to you through yours: “This is My son. This is My daughter, with whom I am well pleased.”
So, fear not, for God the Father brings you good news of great joy that is for all people. That Child in the manger is the promised Son who through His obedience to His Father – by living a perfect life in our place, suffering in our place, and dying in our place. For by repentance and faith in Him, our sins are forgiven, and we are restored as children of God. Through Jesus, we have a perfect relationship to God the Father. Amen.
The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen.
+ SOLI DEO GLORIA +
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