Day 22 Seeing God as Father

In episode 22 of In Light of the Cross, we transition from how the cross interprets the Old Testament to talking about God, ourselves, and our relationships in light of the cross, and we preview five post-Easter episodes focused on our new life, resurrection, and future. We explore a key shift from the Old to the New Testament: in the New Testament we can call God “Father.” While God is referred to as Father of Israel a handful of times in the Old Testament, no one personally addresses God that way in prayer, but Jesus consistently does—except on the cross when quoting Psalm 22—and teaches us to pray “Our Father.” We read Romans 8:12–17 on adoption, crying “Abba, Father,” and being heirs and co-heirs with Christ, and we note Hebrews 2:10–11 that Jesus calls us brothers and sisters. We close by inviting honest prayer, lamenting imperfect earthly parents, receiving God’s perfect fatherhood, and praying the Lord’s Prayer. 00:00 Podcast Focus Recap 00:27 Series Roadmap Ahead 01:30 Pause and Prayer 02:00 God as Father Shift 02:58 Old Testament Contrast 04:42 Jesus Teaches Our Father 05:47 Abba and Adoption 07:22 Heirs and Siblings 09:00 Personal Application Prayer 11:06 The Lords Prayer Close