The Nature of God, the Father

    First, know that when Jesus talks about God, The Father, he is referring to Yahweh, the God of the Jews.  I will now list a fairly complete summary of what Jesus taught about Yahweh.  Even though his emphasis is sometimes different, he does not contradict the teachings of the Old Testament.  Because we know that we can trust Jesus, the following are all true.

Mt 6:25-34 "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat, or about your body, what you will wear.  Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?  Look at the birds in the sky; they do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them.  Are not you more important than they?  Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your life-span?  Why are you anxious about clothes?  Learn from the way the wild flowers grow.  They do not work or spin.  But I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was clothed like one of them.  If God so clothes the grass of the field, which grows today and is thrown into the oven tomorrow, will he not much more provide for you, O you of little faith?  So do not worry and say, 'What are we to eat?' or 'What are we to drink?' or 'What are we to wear?'  All these things the pagans seek.  Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.  But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides.  Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself.  Sufficient for a day is its own evil."

Lk 15:4-7  "What man among you having a hundred sheep and losing one of them would not leave the ninety-nine in the desert and go after the lost one until he finds it?  And when he does find it, he sets it on his shoulders with great joy and, upon his arrival home, he calls together his friends and neighbors and says to them, 'Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.'  I tell you is just the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need of repentance." (parallel in Mt 18:11-14)

Lk 15:11-27  The parable of the prodigal son.

Lk 15:4-7  The parable of the lost sheep, same as above.

Lk 15:11-27  The parable of the prodigal son.

Mt 6:14  "If you forgive others their transgressions, your heavenly Father will forgive you."

Lk 6:36  "Be merciful, just as your father is merciful".

Mt 18:23-27  "That is why the kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king who decided to settle accounts with his servants.  When he began the accounting, a debtor was brought before him who owed him a huge amount.  Since he had no way of paying it back, his master ordered him to be sold, along with his wife, his children, and all his property, in payment of the debt.  At that, the servant fell down, did him homage, and said, 'Be patient with me, and I will pay you back in full. 'Moved with compassion the master of that servant let him go and forgave him the loan."

Mt 18:28-35 (continuation from above)  "When that servant had left, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a much smaller amount.  He seized him and started to choke him, demanding, 'Pay back what you owe.'  Falling to his knees, his fellow servant begged him, 'Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.'  But he refused.  Instead, he had him put in prison until he paid back the debt.  Now when his fellow servants saw what had happened, they were deeply disturbed, and went to their master and reported the whole affair.  His master summoned him and said to him, 'You wicked servant!  I forgave you your entire debt because you begged me to.  Should you not have had pity on your fellow servant, as I had pity on you?'  Then in anger his master handed him over to the torturers until he should pay back the whole debt.  So will my heavenly Father do to you, unless each of you forgives his brother from his heart."

Mt 22:6-7 The rest laid hold of his servants, mistreated them, and killed them.  The king was enraged and sent his troops, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city.

Mt 22:13 "Then the king said to his attendants, 'Bind his hands and feet, and cast him into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.'"

Mt 5:45 "That you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust." (parallel in Lk 6:35)

Mk 5:25 "When you stand to pray, forgive anyone against whom you have a grievance, so that your heavenly Father may in turn forgive you your transgressions."

Mt 6:9-13 "This is how you are to pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven.  Give us today our daily bread; and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors; and do not subject us to the final test, but deliver us from the evil one. (parallel in Lk 11:2)

Mt 7:11 "If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good things to those who ask him." (parallels in Mk 11:24, Lk 11:9-13)

Mt 6:9 "This is how you are to pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,"

Jn 12:28  "Father, glorify your name."  Then a voice came from heaven, "I have glorified it and will glorify it again."

Jn 14:13 "And whatever you ask in my name, I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son".