The Nature of God, the Father

    First, know that when Jesus talks about God, The Father, he is referring to Elohim, the God of the Jews.  I will now list a fairly complete summary of what Jesus taught about Elohim.  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.  If you compare the God reveled by Jesus with the God we deduced from philosophy, you will see many similarities and no contradictions.  However, the God of the Bible is much more personal and intimate than the God of philosophy as we shall see.  If we look at the whole Bible, we can get a fuller picture of God, but I show below that the words of Jesus alone are enough to get all the key points.

"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." (Mt 7:11 parallels in Mk 11:24, Lk 11:9-13)

"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." (Mt 5:45 parallel in Lk 6:35)

    Regardless our mistakes, imperfections, and willful disobedience, our divine Father is always there waiting and urging us to return to him.

"For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life." (Jn 3:16)

"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." (Mt 6:25-34)

"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." (Lk 15:4-7 parallel in Mt 18:11-14)

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

    Because the Father loves us, it also follows that he is merciful to us when we repent.

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

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

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

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

"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. (Mt 6:9-13 parallel in Lk 11:2)

"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 18:23-27)

    Though he loves us, his love is not blind.  If we are not ready for him, our sins will have consequences.  If we, in the final analysis, reject him, then he will grant us our desire.  That he loves us as persons rather than animals requires that he honor our will, no matter how bad it is for us.

(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 18:28-35)

"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." (Mk 5:25)

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 22:6-7)

"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 22:13)

    All Jews know that God was the creator of all things, so Jesus did not need to expound on this at great length, but he does mention it in passing while discussing other topics.  God is the first cause as described in Genesis.  God is not merely the cause, but the creator which implies a personal interaction with creation rather than a mechanical one.

"But from the beginning of creation, God made them male and female." (Mk 10:6, Gn 1:12)

"For those times will have tribulation such as has not been since the beginning of God's creation until now, nor ever will be."  (Mk 13:19)

    Jesus spoke frequently about the omniscient (all-knowing) nature of the Father.  He knows not only the all the details of what is happening in the universe, but also knows what is in our hearts.

"But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right is doing, so that your almsgiving may be secret.  And your Father who sees in secret will repay you." (Mt 6:3-4)

"Do not be like them.  Your Father knows what you need before you ask him." (Mt 6:8)

"But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you may not appear to be fasting, except to your Father who is hidden.  And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you." (Mt 6:17-18)

"Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin?  Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father's knowledge.  Even all the hairs of your head are counted." (Mt 10:29-30 parallel in Lk 12:7)

"But of that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone." (Mt 24:36 parallel in Mk 13:32)

And he said to them, "You justify yourselves in the sight of others, but God knows your hearts; for what is of human esteem is an abomination in the sight of God." (Lk 16:15)

    Not only is God all-knowing, but he is all-powerful as well.

Jesus looked at them and said, "For human beings this is impossible, but for God all things are possible." (Mt 19:26 parallels in Mk 10:27, Lk 18:27)

    Finally, Jesus taught that the Father is worthy to be glorified.

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

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

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