My Father and your Father, My God and your God

Interrupting my God Story journal to pen my thoughts on something that is dear to my heart: my identity - a beloved daughter of God.

This month of April 2021, I have been studying the book of John. As we all know, John's gospel is slightly different from the other three gospels and is filled with the words of Jesus, including the seven I am sayings of Jesus that is unique to John's gospel. 

In my bible, quite literally, the majority of the pages in the book of John is in red - the words of Jesus.

As I read John this month, three things that Jesus said jumped out of the page at me. 

One of it is from John 6:28-29 on doing the works of God. I have penned down my reflection here. 


Today, I would like to share my short reflection on something Jesus said after His crucifixion and resurrection from John 20. 

Reading John 20, you would find Mary Magdalene, Peter and John coming to the tomb only to find it empty.  Read further along and you'd find Jesus saying this to Mary: 

John 20:17 (NKLJV) Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.’ ”

Source: Internet

As I read this verse, I felt as though I was reading this sentence for the first time and a veil has lifted up from my eyes. (Sad and ashamed to admit this but I must have skimmed through the book of John all these times! How could I have missed something so important?!) 

I could hear Jesus whispering these words to me - my Father and your Father, my God and your God. 

I don't know if you noticed this but John 20:17 made me realize something - throughout the book of John, Jesus had always referred to God as "My Father" and "the Father". However, when He spoke to Mary Magdalene in John 20:17, after He was resurrected, it was the first time He had used "your Father, your God". 

I know in the book of Matthew, Mark and Luke, Jesus used the term "your Father in Heaven", "your Father" and "our Father" when speaking to the disciples and the multitudes on various occasions. One example would be when Jesus taught the multitudes on prayer. 


But as the disciple John recorded the accounts and sayings of Jesus, there was a subtle contrast. Read all the conversations of Jesus in the book of John and you'll see that Jesus only used "My Father" or "the Father" starting from the first instance in John 2:16 until John 18:11. 


Now, every Christian (even very new ones) knows that they are a child of God. 

Children of God. Children of light. Sons and daughters of God. Heirs of God. Joint-heirs with Christ. Received the Spirit of adoption. I could list so many scriptures on this. 

But it dawned on me that the biblical truth on our sonship are mostly found in the teachings of the apostles, in particular the Apostle Paul. 

And here, I find Jesus Himself telling Mary Magdalene, telling the disciples, telling me (and you!) that we are His brethren. 

I find Jesus telling Mary Magdalene and telling me (and you!) that He is going to the Father, emphasizing the Father as His Father and my Father (and your Father!). 


I've highlighted that Jesus did not refer to the Father as our Father until in John 20:17. Do you wonder why? I did. And the Holy Spirit showed me why. 

Here, in John 20, Jesus has been crucified and has now risen from the dead. In short, He has completed the work that He came to do, that He was sent to do. 

Therefore, He could then call us His brethren, affirming the truth that God, the Father, is our Father and is our God. What a wonderful revelation! 


Let's read the The Passion Translation of what Jesus said:

John 20:17 (TPT) Jesus cautioned her, “Mary, don’t cling to me, for I haven’t yet ascended to God, my Father. And he’s not only my Father and God, but now he’s your Father and your God! Now go to my brothers and tell them what I’ve told you, that I am ascending to my Father—and your Father, to my God—and your God!”


Beloved in Christ, do you hear that? 

He's not only my Father and God, but now he's your Father and your God! 


Get this truth into your whole being, brothers and sisters! We ARE children of God. We are His brethren. Be blessed. 

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