New Testament/New Depth

With the depth of explanation of who God in the Old Testament, you would think there would be little to add or clarify in the New Testament. Well, nothing could be further from the truth! The New Testament does far more than expand our understanding of God’s name, nature and character. It opens up a whole level of meaning and gives us a whole new depth of appreciation as well.

The way this all happens is really quite simple. In the first two parts of this series, we saw specific and dynamic patterns unfold. The further God’s plan unfolded, the more clearly He was able to be understood. In the beginning, God was the God of power and authority. After all, He created the heavens and the earth. He then became known as the God of relationship as it was revealed that the entire creative process was to accommodate His human creation. Fast forward, and Abraham became a "friend" of God. Fast forward again to when Israel was delivered from slavery and God became the "Lord of Hosts!" From there, He was sanctifier, protector, shepherd, and so much more. As time went on, so the understanding of God increased.

"Father," a radically new title

Now the New Testament rolls in, and it’s time for Jesus to come as the Messiah. This would represent THE single most significant step forward in all of God’s plan. Jesus would come to cancel all of sin for all of humanity through his sacrifice. Such a world-changing step brought a world-changing view of God along with it. And it all came down to one simple common word that had been used through every generation of humanity’s history: Father.

Jesus proclaimed God to be his Father. This had never happened before and would have been a shocking change. More than this, Jesus said that those who followed him would also be able to claim God as their Father! What did all of this mean? Check out our September 18, 2023 podcast, “Who is God? (Part III)” for more. We delve deeply into this amazing description of God and all that it implies. Join us as we work to wrap our own minds around this profound, reverent and inspirational way to better understand God our Father!