Yesterday when I visited my daughter’s home, my little 18 month old grandson saw me when I came in the back door and came running. He is not calling my name yet, but his excitement and energy coming to me screamed, “Papa, Papa!” I can’t wait to hear him say that to me. And when he got to me, he practically dove into my arms. Here’s a pic to prove it (pardon the Band-Aid on the nose).

Paul’s use of “Abba! Father!” in today’s verse isn’t just a flippant use of Hebrew and Greek. No, this use of two words from two different languages was intentional and meant to convey a deep personal relationship. The phrase is used two other times in the New Testament which we will look at. Think of my illustration above. That’s the picture I want you to have in your mind when you hear “Abba! Father!”

APPLICATION

In Mark 14:36 we find Jesus using that phrase when He was in the Garden of Gethsemane praying. “And He was saying, ‘Abba! Father! All things are possible for You; remove this cup from Me; yet not what I will, but what You will.’” Jesus was crying out to His Heavenly Father during a time of deep pain and torment. He knew He was destined for this moment, but in this moment, He turns to the most intimate relationship He had, His Father. We must do the same.

Paul writes in Galatians 4:6, “Because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying out, ‘Abba! Father!’” Here in this usage of the phrase, it is the Spirit crying out to the Father for us. Again, The Spirit and the Father are intimately connected. The Spirit only speaks what the Father tells Him to speak. He only moves as the Father tells Him. Shouldn’t we be the same?

Abba! Father! Daddy, daddy! Hear my cry! That is what we are saying when we use those words. We need to realize that the closet relationship we should have as followers of Christ is with the Father through the Spirit because of the Son. It’s a family thing. Remember, we are sons and daughters of the King. We have the right to call out “Abba! Father!” and to know He hears us. Amen!

I cry out to You today, Abba Father. Hear my cry!

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