Names Of God
ABBA, FATHER
Abba- Hebrew; also appears in Aramaic
Most synonymous with our word Daddy- displays intimacy, closeness and trust
The term Jesus often used to call on his daddy
I read over the notes I was given on “Abba, Father.” I was hoping to learn more about this name that has intrigued me for years yet that I know very little scripturally or historically about. As I finished the notes I sat disappointed. I only took about a paragraph away from it that I felt like gave me some insight. I thought, “I guess I need to begin some studying on my own to write something insightful about this name of God.” Then I shut my computer and just stared for a minute. What I realized in the seconds that I sat there before I got up to begin to research and study, is that anything I read or find will just be more words on paper. They will just be facts or scripture to fill up a page but I will know little more than I do now about what this name really means to me personally. I realized that maybe others’ great thoughts and meanings weren’t what I needed to find insight and deeper understanding here at all. What I needed was to reflect on how I view God personally; not only as a feared king and master but also as a father that would catch my tears and hold me as I cry. The contrast is incredible.
“When Jesus spoke of God as “Abba” (Daddy), He revolutionized the way the people of God viewed their creator.” The view of God held by the Israelites in the Old Testament was one of fear, reverence and awe because of His awesome power. They were almost afraid to encounter Him. “The Holy of Holies is a good example. Once a year, the High Priest was able to enter the Holy of Holies to make a sacrifice for the people of Israel. He would spend months preparing himself, sanctifying himself for that day when He would enter God’s presence. On that day, he would put on a special robe with bells on the hem at the bottom. This was to signal the people outside that he was still moving around and not dead in the presence of God. In addition, the people were too afraid of their own unworthiness if anything happened to the High Priest, so they would tie a rope to his ankle. This way, if he died in the presence of God, they could drag him out without having to enter the Holy of Holies themselves.”
Because of this awe and reverence for God, when Jesus referred to God as “Abba” (Daddy) it completely challenged and threatened the way many people viewed God. Truly it is to see him as only a son could see a father. God's adoption of us as His children has given us the right to call him "Abba"—father along with Christ. Even in typing this I feel closeness with Christ; that I am learning like Him to cry out to the same Dad that Jesus did before His death. As I look at the places in scripture that Jesus chose to use this name for God, the intimacy of the meaning is revealed. In what was one of Jesus’ most desperate pleas; His prayer to God to save his own life, Jesus cries out ABBA. "Abba, Father," he said, "everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will." Mark 14:36
Begging to spare His life before His crucifixion Jesus didn’t refer to the all-powerful God that could save him as “creator” or “king.” In essence, he cried out, “Dad! save me.” This to me is beautiful.
Long before I had ever heard the word “Abba” in reference to God, I could understand the idea of a loving father from my own. I remember growing up and trying to grasp the concept of a “heavenly father.” Somehow all of the questions became simplified when I looked at my tangible stepfather and the way he loved me and showed me that I could trust him. No matter how old I get, I still go back to a specific memory of my stepfather when I’m having a hard time understanding my heavenly father. As a kid I would stand on the side of the pool and my stepfather would tell me with arms outstretched to jump to him. I was always scared to death. Despite my fear, I trusted him. It might have taken me an hour and counting to three a million different times, but at some point I would always jump. It wasn’t because the fear ever disappeared. It wasn’t because it got any easier. It was always because I would ask again and again, “Do you promise that you’ll catch me? Do you promise you won’t drop me?” the answer was always the same. “Brittany, I promise.” And at some point, my feet would leave the edge, because I trusted him more than all of my fear. He promised. I knew he would never drop me.
I’ve gone back to this again and again in my life. I need it. Sometimes I need to picture my stepdad saying “I promise” so that I can hear God saying the same to me. I need this tangible picture to understand a father that I can’t see with His arms outstretched with the same promise and love in his eyes as my step-dad. I needed it long before I ever understood why.
I know we don’t all have a tangible picture of a father’s love. I know that some part of us however longs for it whether we recognize it or not. Even as I type this I just received a phone call and noticed the picture on the front of my phone is of my sister and me at 6yrs. old sitting with our dad. I am reminded how much we yearn for and need this love of our father. Whether we get the tangible picture of it or not, it is still only a fraction of what God is offering as a loving father to each of us.
There are three scriptures where God is called Abba. They are helpful to understanding Christ’s meaning in this name for God, but the studying of that scripture won’t make Him any more Abba to YOU than me telling you why anything has derived the name that it has. He became Abba to Christ because of his relationship with him. In fact, Jesus’ claim to be the Son of God was one of the main charges that led Him to the cross. (John 19:7) Killed because His name for God was “Daddy.”
I think about Brandon and Emily waiting expectantly for their unborn child. They have the room ready, it’s painted, and booties, bibs and outfits are laid out in eager expectation of their daughter they have yet to meet. Then I see Pete with Charlotte. I watch him in excitement show us how she is beginning to say “Dad.” It is only “da” at this point, and sometimes not even that, but the smile can’t be taken from his face because he knows she is learning and he is so proud to show us what his beautiful girl can do. I wonder how much our heavenly father yearns for this in the same way. So much more I would imagine, because unlike parents waiting to meet their unborn child, He knew and created each of us with the quirks and the features that breathe this air and type these words. How much more does he wait with eager expectation for his child to be born into this world and then desire to hear us call him “Dad?” What heartbreak to go a lifetime and never hear it spoken. I encourage you to find your father; to find the level of intimacy to call God Abba, Father and begin to know Him in the way that God wants you to cry out to Him “daddy.”
Abba- Hebrew; also appears in Aramaic
Most synonymous with our word Daddy- displays intimacy, closeness and trust
The term Jesus often used to call on his daddy
I read over the notes I was given on “Abba, Father.” I was hoping to learn more about this name that has intrigued me for years yet that I know very little scripturally or historically about. As I finished the notes I sat disappointed. I only took about a paragraph away from it that I felt like gave me some insight. I thought, “I guess I need to begin some studying on my own to write something insightful about this name of God.” Then I shut my computer and just stared for a minute. What I realized in the seconds that I sat there before I got up to begin to research and study, is that anything I read or find will just be more words on paper. They will just be facts or scripture to fill up a page but I will know little more than I do now about what this name really means to me personally. I realized that maybe others’ great thoughts and meanings weren’t what I needed to find insight and deeper understanding here at all. What I needed was to reflect on how I view God personally; not only as a feared king and master but also as a father that would catch my tears and hold me as I cry. The contrast is incredible.
“When Jesus spoke of God as “Abba” (Daddy), He revolutionized the way the people of God viewed their creator.” The view of God held by the Israelites in the Old Testament was one of fear, reverence and awe because of His awesome power. They were almost afraid to encounter Him. “The Holy of Holies is a good example. Once a year, the High Priest was able to enter the Holy of Holies to make a sacrifice for the people of Israel. He would spend months preparing himself, sanctifying himself for that day when He would enter God’s presence. On that day, he would put on a special robe with bells on the hem at the bottom. This was to signal the people outside that he was still moving around and not dead in the presence of God. In addition, the people were too afraid of their own unworthiness if anything happened to the High Priest, so they would tie a rope to his ankle. This way, if he died in the presence of God, they could drag him out without having to enter the Holy of Holies themselves.”
Because of this awe and reverence for God, when Jesus referred to God as “Abba” (Daddy) it completely challenged and threatened the way many people viewed God. Truly it is to see him as only a son could see a father. God's adoption of us as His children has given us the right to call him "Abba"—father along with Christ. Even in typing this I feel closeness with Christ; that I am learning like Him to cry out to the same Dad that Jesus did before His death. As I look at the places in scripture that Jesus chose to use this name for God, the intimacy of the meaning is revealed. In what was one of Jesus’ most desperate pleas; His prayer to God to save his own life, Jesus cries out ABBA. "Abba, Father," he said, "everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will." Mark 14:36
Begging to spare His life before His crucifixion Jesus didn’t refer to the all-powerful God that could save him as “creator” or “king.” In essence, he cried out, “Dad! save me.” This to me is beautiful.
Long before I had ever heard the word “Abba” in reference to God, I could understand the idea of a loving father from my own. I remember growing up and trying to grasp the concept of a “heavenly father.” Somehow all of the questions became simplified when I looked at my tangible stepfather and the way he loved me and showed me that I could trust him. No matter how old I get, I still go back to a specific memory of my stepfather when I’m having a hard time understanding my heavenly father. As a kid I would stand on the side of the pool and my stepfather would tell me with arms outstretched to jump to him. I was always scared to death. Despite my fear, I trusted him. It might have taken me an hour and counting to three a million different times, but at some point I would always jump. It wasn’t because the fear ever disappeared. It wasn’t because it got any easier. It was always because I would ask again and again, “Do you promise that you’ll catch me? Do you promise you won’t drop me?” the answer was always the same. “Brittany, I promise.” And at some point, my feet would leave the edge, because I trusted him more than all of my fear. He promised. I knew he would never drop me.
I’ve gone back to this again and again in my life. I need it. Sometimes I need to picture my stepdad saying “I promise” so that I can hear God saying the same to me. I need this tangible picture to understand a father that I can’t see with His arms outstretched with the same promise and love in his eyes as my step-dad. I needed it long before I ever understood why.
I know we don’t all have a tangible picture of a father’s love. I know that some part of us however longs for it whether we recognize it or not. Even as I type this I just received a phone call and noticed the picture on the front of my phone is of my sister and me at 6yrs. old sitting with our dad. I am reminded how much we yearn for and need this love of our father. Whether we get the tangible picture of it or not, it is still only a fraction of what God is offering as a loving father to each of us.
There are three scriptures where God is called Abba. They are helpful to understanding Christ’s meaning in this name for God, but the studying of that scripture won’t make Him any more Abba to YOU than me telling you why anything has derived the name that it has. He became Abba to Christ because of his relationship with him. In fact, Jesus’ claim to be the Son of God was one of the main charges that led Him to the cross. (John 19:7) Killed because His name for God was “Daddy.”
I think about Brandon and Emily waiting expectantly for their unborn child. They have the room ready, it’s painted, and booties, bibs and outfits are laid out in eager expectation of their daughter they have yet to meet. Then I see Pete with Charlotte. I watch him in excitement show us how she is beginning to say “Dad.” It is only “da” at this point, and sometimes not even that, but the smile can’t be taken from his face because he knows she is learning and he is so proud to show us what his beautiful girl can do. I wonder how much our heavenly father yearns for this in the same way. So much more I would imagine, because unlike parents waiting to meet their unborn child, He knew and created each of us with the quirks and the features that breathe this air and type these words. How much more does he wait with eager expectation for his child to be born into this world and then desire to hear us call him “Dad?” What heartbreak to go a lifetime and never hear it spoken. I encourage you to find your father; to find the level of intimacy to call God Abba, Father and begin to know Him in the way that God wants you to cry out to Him “daddy.”
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