RUN LIKE A CHAMPION

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6)
There’s never been a person to grace this planet like Jesus. He was much more than a mortal man. He was God clothed in human flesh. It’s difficult to comprehend the combination of His human and divine nature. But Isaiah, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, wrote a prophecy that seals the evidence of the nature of Jesus. He said the coming Messiah would be a “son given” and a “child born.” Yet in the same sentence, the prophet wrote that this son and child would be called “Everlasting Father.” A literal translation of the Hebrew would read, “the Father of eternity.”
One can’t say the Messiah was merely a good moral leader or a great religious teacher. His title as “Everlasting Father” gives us no room to believe in Him as simply a great person. For Jesus is the Father of all that exists from eternity past and in eternity future.
Both aspects of this name give us great hope for our personal lives. “Father” is a familial term. It shows us how close Jesus wants to be to us. And “Everlasting” describes how great He is. He’s without beginning and without end. He was, is, and always will be. He’s the One who revealed Himself when Moses asked God about His name. The answer was, “I am that I am.” God revealed Himself to Moses as “I am.” Yesterday He was “I am,” and today He’s still “I am.” And tomorrow He will continue to be “I am.”
Many years ago, a friend was struggling in his Christian life. Much of his struggle could be traced to his father, an alcoholic who often beat my friend’s mother as well as the children. My friend’s father would spend his money on alcohol and leave the family destitute. When my friend became a Christian, he viewed God in much the same way he viewed his earthly father.
But the more my friend came to know Jesus, the more he discovered the “Everlasting Father” was and is so different from his human father. Jesus is the Father who cares about all our needs. In Jesus there’s no neglect and abuse. In Him, there’s only comfort and provision. Rather than give us undeserved beatings, Jesus lavishes us with unmerited love. He’s the good Father. And He’s perfect in His goodness. Oh, how He loves His children.
But Jesus is much more than a good and perfect Father. He’s also the “Everlasting Father.” He knew you before you were born. He knows about all your past failures. Even more amazingly, because He’s eternal He knows about everything you will ever do in the future. Yet Jesus still loves you. Think of that: Jesus is the “Everlasting Father” — your “Everlasting Father.” His love for you endures forever. He will never stop loving you. He’ll love you in the morning when you awaken, and He’ll love you in the evening when you lie down. His love will escort you into eternity. When the love of others ends, His great love for you has just begun.
You may have had a wonderful father, or you may have had an abusive father. But you’ve never known a Father like Jesus. He’s the “Everlasting Father.”