[Pastor Ralph]

Q2. How was the intimate way that Jesus taught his disciples about God as "Abba" and "Father" different from the Jews' understanding of God as Father? How does God as Abba influence your relationship with him?

[pickledilly]

The O.T. and Jewish understanding of Yahweh saw Him as more of a stern, formal figure. Israel was called His child nationally, but we now have an intimate, personal father-child relationship that I don't think they could have understood. They had the promise of adoption, but that promise was fulfilled, delivered, and realized through Jesus Christ. He is the one who demonstrated and taught us who Father is and how we can/should now relate to Him. He showed us what that should look like and how important it is. And that is now our inheritance. On the grace side of the cross, we have the benefit of literally being adopted into the Father's family as sons and daughters. We shouldn't lose any of the proper respect and submission due to Yahweh. But Christ gives us the marvellous and incredible privilege of each having a personal intimate relationship of love and tenderness that couldn't be imagined before restoration to the Father was accomplished through the Savior.

I have been longing for greater understanding of how much I am loved by God for a long time now. It's so hard to get a real grasp on such an amazing thing in the practical terms of how I think and live every single day! This revelation of God as Abba makes that love-relationship even more precious.

[Helenmm]

The Jews of the Old Testament did not even like to say the Name of Jehovah, calling him instead Yahweh, or Yah. Maybe much of their experience of God was as a victor in battle and their concepts were limited to fear of Him. Some knew Him intimately, like David. Certainly Abraham knew Him intimately. One doesn't know how they would have described their relationship with Yahweh, but intimacy was possible, and David was terrified, when he transgressed the relationship, that the spirit of God might be taken from Him. His songs, that the people often sang, reflected that intimacy and sharing of the whole range of emotionsl experience with God. Some intimacy was present with Simeon and Anna who met the baby Jesus at the temple. But the concept of God as Father or "Abba", was not current. By that term Jesus showed the magnitude of the possibility of intimacy with God as even more than "friend", indeed as Abba, Father. It's like zooming the camera in on God and enjoying the closer relationship with Him.

I greatly enjoy the zoom lens on "Daddy". He is still the King of Kings, but He is also My "Daddy", which means I have access to Him as a blood brother of Jesus, and can come boldly before the throne of grace with a need or request. He has a personal interest in me and that feels great! That lifts me up to a wonderful level of meaning, purpose and reality. Yes, I am part of "The Family", and nothing and nobody can take that from me!

[Lisa Rupert]

Q2. How was the intimate way that Jesus taught his disciples about God as "Abba" and "Father" different from the Jews' understanding of God as Father?
The Jews consider it to be blasphemy to pronounce the name of God. It is not to be read aloud. It is replaced with ADONAI (LORD). Adonai is not spoken by some Jews since to do so is considered a violation of the commandment not to use the Lord's name in vain. (Exo 20:7)
Jesus taught us that God is someone who wants to have a relationship with his children. A God who wants to be a part of his children's life. Who wants to hear from his children, who cares for his children. A God that wants to know his children and have his children know him.

How does God as Abba influence your relationship with him?
I love having a relationship with God ABBA. I love sharing my life with him. I love that he has an open door policy. I constantly try to include him in everything I do. Without my father, I don't know where I would be. He is my rock. I don't have to live in fear that I might disappoint God because he knows my heart.

[Triciahh]

I am one of those people who has real difficulty relating to God as Father in a positive manner. That being said, the idea of having a loving “Abba, Daddy” Father as my own is an incredible draw to God. The Jewish idea of Father God as the authoritative disciplinarian is far easier for me to understand. That Father meted out harsh discipline and justice, along with his protection and providence. Jesus’ teaching of God who is Abba, Father, is full of loving affection and grace. My first gut reaction to that idea is, well, envy. I wish I could have that. Then it dawns on me that Jesus is saying that I can have that. Amazing grace, how can it be? Wow, thank you Jesus, for dying for me and making it possible to share Daddy with you.

[s8nfighter]

The main difference is that of knowing. There are few in the old testament that knew the Father. Abraham, Moses, David, and others, but the rest only knew of him through the words of prophets. I believe that is why Jesus said that if you know me you also know the Father. The wonder of all is that through the death and resurection we also can know the Father through the Holy Spirit.
How does that change us? It should change our hearts desire to get to know Him better.

[JustJeff]

Save for Yahweh's chosen prophets, He was unapproachable to the Jews. Only the High Priests could enter through the second vail, the holiest of all but once a year for the remission of sins. The Jews were forbidden to even set foot on Mt Sinai, lest they die and as time passed, the Jews would fall away from Him, only to call for Him in times of great hardship and affliction. This, because their relationship with Yahweh was distant, broken by sin from a law they could not keep.
Jesus introduced us to the Father as a loving, father figure. He made Him approachable and available. A God who desired an intimate relationship with each of His children. By His sacrifice, He gave us the Holy Spirit, to commune continually with our heavenly Father, to help us to be able to be obedient. He taught us that His was a tough love, that we would not go unpunished by our sin, yet we would always be loved in our brokenness. I cannot fathom an earthly father even remotely able to do this. It is why I can call no man on earth my father.

[Salome Ross]

Jesus certainly showed us that we could aproach God when He taught us we could say OUR FATHER IN HEAVEN! He was no longer just our AWESOME GOD but also our AWESOME FATHER!

I do believe just as I can hear in the voices of my children on the phone, when they say Hallo, what the situation is in their lives - so our Heavenly Fathers attention is there when He hears when we really need Him. I have had prayers answered almost in an instant and knew that I knew the Holy Spirit/Abba Father knew that I needed Him right then!

Thank you Father for caring so for me! Even if I was the only one on this earth Jesus/Yashua would have died for my sins! How awesome that is, that you loved a sinner like me, your child!!!

[Marilyn Rivington]

Jesus taught that God was a loving Father, one that you would run into his open arms and call Abba just as a little child would. The Jews saw God more as a disciplinarian, a judge of their wrongs. A God who fought their battles.

God has been showing me over the last few years that he is a loving Father. One that can be trusted to keep his word, to be there for me, to never betray me and to love me “no matter what!” Not that he doesn’t let me know about things that are wrong in my life, but he walks me through to healing and wholeness. What a God. Only he is worthy to receive my love, my obedience, my honour and my worship. Amen.

[steve.c]

How was the intimate way that Jesus taught His disciples about God as "Abba" and "Father" different from the Jew's understanding of God the Father?

Although I think that it would be unfair to characterise the Jew's God as lacking personal concerns for the individual and giving individual guidance, the Jew's God is a more distant, monarchical figure: powerful, Lord of Hosts, the ultimate ruler of Isreal. As a Rock He appears more as the protector of a nation, rather than of an individual. People feared His presence because it usually meant death. Jesus' teaching of God differs markedly in this. God now has a real paternal relationship with his Son. In relation to paternal gifts or paternal discipline, God is characterised as a human father. There is a warmth in the relationship; instead of the more distant figure of the God of the Old Testament of which we stand in awe. For example, at His baptism, God shows genuine parental pride: "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased." [Matthew 3:17]

How does that influence your relationship with Him?

I hope the greater intimacy that Jesus displays towards God does not mean that I reverence God less. He is still an all-powerful, ever-present and all-knowing God whose magnifence, perfection and holiness is beyond human comprehension. But I am also a child of God. "Yet to those who receive him, to those who believe his name, he gave us the right to become children of God." [John 1:9] This gives me a more intimate prayer relationship with God. He understands my weaknesses. He is there to encourage as well as discipline. Through Jesus I feel His love and His generosity; His guidance every step of the way on His path for my life. There is a warmth in the love that flows from God which does not appear to be such a prominent characteristic of the God of the Isrealites.

[charisbarak]

The relationship Israel had with God was more as the absolute authority for them.

It wasn't until Jesus paid the price for our sins that made us co-heirs with Him & actually part of the "family." We, through Jesus Christ, can call God "our Father" "Abba." Praise Him!

[Teodora]

"No one has ever seen God; the only Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has made him known" (Jn. 1:18).

The teaching of the Fatherhood of God takes a decided turn with Jesus, for ‘Father’ was His favorite term for addressing God.
When Jesus used the Aramaic word Abba, He introduced a word of tender familiarity and intimacy which little children use to call their own fathers. Abba is the word framed by the lips of infants, and betokens unreasoning trust.The fact that a young man of the 1st Century Palestine, a man of our own flesh and blood considered himself to be in a unique way the Child of the Most High and called the Almighty God “Daddy” was uncommon, unbefitting, scandalous, and blasphemous. To the Jewish mind the use of this familiar household term would have been considered disrespectful in prayer. This was stamped in the apostles’ memory and the early Church knew that Abba was an exclusive word and only through Jesus and His Spirit one can utter this word Abba!
We can obtain the right to call God our Abba by adoption through Jesus Christ.
For the Father of Jesus knows and loves each one of us so intimately that every single hair on our head is counted , He refuses to give up on us and searches for us when we sin because his own heart feels such tenderness for us. He throws his arms around our neck and covers us with kisses in our very weakness; having found us he cries out that all of heaven and earth must celebrate because his lost child has been found, his dead child has come back to life. This Father desires us to trust him without reserve and yearns to lavish his care upon us in our every need . We need the Father's healing presence in our life. As we allow the Father's tenderness to pervade our own lives, we will find that we can hardly refrain from crying out to Him “Abba, Father.”

“Verily I say to you: unless you change and become like little children, you will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven.” (Mt. 8:3)

[June]

Back in the days of Abraham, God was known more as Father of the Nation. Jesus taught us to have an intimate relationship and to call on " Our Father" for all our needs. Jesus taught love whereas back in olden days it was mainly respect for the patriarch.
God is our Father in whom I place all trust. Just knowing that He hears my every cry for help is beyond all comprehension. He knows exactly what I need and when I need it. This is not possible for humans, so knowing that God is my Divine Heavenly Father and I can call on Him for my every need gives me great satisfaction. I discuss many a thing with " Abba" Father as my earthly father is no longer here, and there are somethings I would only discuss with God The Father as He created me and knows all about me. Sometimes I look like I'm talking to myself but I am asking God how to deal with some situation.. All Glory Goes To God The Father!!

[Pei]

In some cultures, "father" represents authority or powerful. He's the head of the family and he's expected to be strong, tough and responsible. He's a figure of righteousness and productivity. He is expected to make correct decisions and bring prosperities to the family. I guess that Jesus wants to remind us that we can expect something more from our fathers, both earthly and heavenly. Abba brings loving care, protection, security and trust. When we encounter problems in life, Abba has a way out. He is wise and He's got solutions. But we need to call out for Him first. He is always there. His love is faithful. He looks after his children and we're all His little princes and princesses.

[linda bass]

The Jews understanding of God as Father was that they considered Him as Father of the nation, of the people.
He was considered the Head and Ruler over the Israelite nation.
Jesus taught His followers that they could have an intimate relationship with God, in the same way a child has a close relationship with it's father.

[Lion of Grace]

The Jewish understanding of father was one of fear and reverance and absolute authority. There were no rights and the severity of discipline was not questioned. He was distant and though He was one to obey and receive the benefit from that obedience, I don't think they saw Him equated with love. They wouldn't even write out His name in full out of reverance. They knew God as " law" and even though those laws were given to benefit them, there didn't seem to be the "relationship" that would encompass them in his love. I don't think that was God's intent...there were plenty of times He offered love and comfort, but Israel wouldn't take it. To them God was the Father of the Nations and a helper in time of need, not a Father who loved and cared for them daily. I don't want to be lumping everyone together though. There were some Jewish people in the Bible that did have that relationship aspect with Him. That is why they could be used so mightily by Him.
With Jesus though, He taught us God is love. God's intent was always on loving us, delighting in us and for us to be a part of fulfilling His plan here. We are " adopted" as sons and daughters and nothing will ever change His love for us or cause Him to forget us or forsake us. We are HIS! It was sin that set us apart from Him. He loved us so much He sent His son to die for us. To take away and make atonement for that sin so we could be reunited with Him. So we could come directly to Him and have a relationship with Him. I can't even fully comprehend that kind of love! But it is there and available. HE is available! Everyday!
The best way I can sum it up is " I love because He first loved me." He sought me. He wanted me. And at such a price! We forget that! He paid such a price! Now my respect comes from devotion to Him. I want to give back. I want to please Him and if I mess up ( like we all do) He still loves me and is waiting for me with open arms. I get up and take His hand and everything is good again! When He disciplines I can know it's for my good and it won't be so severe and it won't be forever and it will be fair and His love is kind and pure and good. That's Abba....He looks on us with kind eyes.

[Embraced by the Father]

The Jews understood their fathers to be distant and who rules with harshness and authority. They didn’t really get to have a close relationship with them. Instead it was a matter of respect and honor. Jesus taught his disciples and teaches us that we can have a different perspective on our Heavenly Father than that of the Jewish traditions. We can have a close and intimate relationship with our Heavenly Father. It is a gentle, loving and embracing relationship that a child has with his father. It is a relationship of devoted love. It is a relationship where a child can crawl up on their father’s lap, give him a hug and snuggle close to his chest in comfort and peace. This is how I see my relationship with my Heavenly Father. I am his child and can snuggle up to him in peace and love. I am able to approach him because the veil in front of the holy of holies has been torn. I can approach him and come into his presence. He loves me and I love him so very dearly.

[care2hope2]

The Jews saw God as Father Creator who was to be held high and obeyed and that the protection
would be there but this was a God far above them and not intimate at all one to be held in
respect and at a distance.
Jesus taught the deciples and apostles of Abba a term used for a daddy/father by a child a very
intimate and endearing term. Someone close that could be talked to and be comforted by and
be in close to. The distance and awe was lessened and this person God was approachable.

Well , I see what is the difference here and yet personally I still am caught a little in the
old testament way of seeing God. I know what the diffrence is but I am still uncomfortable
with this concept. I would like to relax and communicate with God this Abba way. But I guess
I don't know if I can relax and expernence this yet. Will try......... but very uptight about
letting go.and experiencing this.

[anthony s. rapaglia]

This is my idea of the difference of a Earthly Father and a Heavenly Father.

Our earthly fathers are either, good or bad,spiritual or not spiritual,listens or don't want to listen,love or not loving,cares or not caring,protects or not protecting,etc,etc.

If we read the Bible daily, we can see that Jesus Christ teaches us about, "God Our Father" who is Powerful,Loving,Caring,Proctecting,Listens,Leads us,Guide us,Humble,Gentle.When we seek God,he is there for us forever.Even when we don't seek Him, He is still there waiting.GOD OUR FATHER nevers turn his back on us whenever we fail.

When we look into the Bible an understand what Jesus Christ is teaching us,what the true meaning of what "FATHER" really means.

[Stan]

Q2. How was the intimate way that Jesus taught his disciples about God as "Abba" and "Father" different from the Jews' understanding of God as Father? How does God as Abba influence your relationship with him?



The Isrealites were taught that God as Father was a stern disciplinarian. One who punished to the third and fourth generation. They as a people had no knowledge of God as a daddy figure. Even Abram was afraid to question God and took his questions as being a punishable offense. Till Jesus came and started teaching that God was also a tender hearted God of love and devotion,one who could be endeared in the heart and chearished like one does an earthly Father no one had heard of this concept.

I think of Father in the same way, a Father figure is a stern person to be looked up to and obeyed. Respected more than loved, but daddy is one who loves me and wants to show me that love and expect it back in return.Daddy is respected out of that love not of fear. I want to have that relationship with God that He came come to be my daddy ,one who is there for me helping me in time of trial and pain. One who I can turn to when I need help just getting through the day. One I can talk to about any problem or guild without reservation or fear. God is always waiting for us to come to terms with the knowledge that this is truly what He wants from us the Love due our DADDY.