Jesus showed the utmost reverence for His heavenly Father and esteemed His name above all others, giving it primary importance in the Lord’s prayer. Jesus emphasized that the divine name was both sacred and holy. The Lord’s prayer was to serve as a model prayer for all of His disciples.
Matthew 6:9 states: “Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name (may thy name be held holy).”
Jesus glorified His Father’s name and made His name manifest or known to men. He did not seek his own glory or praise from men, but only sought the glory of Him who sent Him, His heavenly Father.
Jesus said at John 17:6: “I have manifested thy name (made your name known) to the men whom thou gavest me out of the world.”
Jesus said at John 17:26: “. . .and I have made your name known to them, and will make it known, so that the love from which you loved me may be in them, and I in them.”
Jesus said at John 5:41: “I do not accept glory from human beings (I take no praise from men).”
Jesus said at John 8:49-50: “49. . . I honor my Father and you dishonor me. 50 I do not seek my own glory; there is one who seeks it and He is the judge.”
Jesus said at John 7:18: “Those who speak on their own (authority) seek their own glory (glory for themselves); but the one who seeks the glory of Him who sent him is true, and their is nothing false in him.” (See also John 13:16)
Jesus said at John 12:28: “‘Father, glorify thy name.’ Then a voice came from heaven, ‘I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.'”
Jesus said at John 14:13-14: “Whatever you ask in my name, that I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.”
Jesus prayer to His Father at John 17:1: “After Jesus had spoken these words, He looked up to heaven and said, ‘Father the hour has come; glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you.'”
Jesus’ prayed to His Father at John 17:3-4: “3 This is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. 4 I glorified you on the earth, having accomplished the work that you have given me to do.”
Revelation 1:6 states: “And He (Christ) made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father– to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever, Amen.”
Jesus gave the glory to His God and Father, and did not seek His own glory or praise from humans. Why then are the majority of denominational and non-denominational Christians giving Jesus all of the glory, when in Christ’s own words, the glory belongs to the Father? God the Father has been pushed out of the vast majority of churches and is no longer a real person or entity, just a figure of speech. In accordance with their own theology, Jesus has now taken the place of His Father by receiving all the glory. It is not uncommon to see bumper stickers declaring, “All Glory To Jesus!” This is also evident in that most Christians, when praying, only use the term, “Father,” as a figure of speech. In reality they are praying to Jesus. This is also reflected in their praise and worship music that gives all of the glory to Jesus, instead of to God the Father. In their minds, Jesus has become the Father! As we shall see, this is a total violation of divine protocol and headship, as clearly defined by Jesus Christ Himself and the apostles.
Our Prayers & Worship
Identifying God the Father as a distinct person from Jesus Christ and knowing His name, helps us to clarify and identify who our worship and formal prayers should be directed to. Clearly our prayers should be directed to God the Father, whose name is “Yahweh.” Note, Jesus own words in this regard and how certain scriptural renderings would have appeared in the Aramaic or ancient Hebrew text.
Matthew 6:9 states: “Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name (may thy name be held holy).”
Matthew 23:9 states: “And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven.”
And Jesus answered the devil, “It is written, ‘You shall worship Yahweh (the LORD) your God, and Him only shall you serve.'” Luke 4:8
“35 And one of them, a lawyer, asked Him (Jesus) a question, to test Him. ’36 Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the law?’ 37 And He said to him, ‘You shall love Yahweh (the LORD) your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. 38 This is the great (greatest) and first commandment.'” Matthew 22:35-38
Matthew 6:6 states: “But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.”
The apostles prayed to God the Father, through the Lord Jesus Christ and in His name.
The Apostle Paul at Romans 1:8 prayed: ” First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all. . .”
Romans 15:6 states: “that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Romans 16:27 states: “to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, be the glory forever, Amen.”
Ephesians 5:20 states: “always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father.”
Colossians 1:3 states: “We give thanks to God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you.”
Colossians 3:17 states: “And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”
1 Peter 1:3 states, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. . .”
(Rd. Acts 4:24-31, an early church prayer in its entirety; directed to God the Father & in the name of thy holy servant and child, Jesus)
The early Christian scholar and theologian, Origen (185-254 AD), wrote:
“Now if we are to take prayer in its most exact sense, perhaps we should not pray to anyone begotten, not even to Christ Himself, but only to the God and Father of all, to whom even our Savior Himself prayed, as we have explained, and to whom He taught us to pray. For when He heard ‘teach us to pray,’ He did not teach us to pray to Himself, but to the Father by saying, ‘Our Father in heaven, and so forth.'” (See Luke 11:1-2 & Matthew 6:9)
The Divine Name
Even after His resurrection and glorification, Jesus stated that God the Father was as much His Father and God, as He was Father and God to his disciples.
Jesus said to Mary Magdalene: “Do not hold me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brethren and say to them, I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.” John 20:17
The model prayer that Jesus gave us is all inclusive, in that God the Father is both our Father and also Jesus’ Father. Jesus (Yeshua) was a worshiper of Yahweh, His heavenly Father. Christ included Himself, when He taught us to pray this way:
“Our Father who art in heaven. . .” Matthew 6:9 (Read also John Ch. 17; Jesus’ prayer to His Father)
In ancient Israel, to censor, misappropriate, or profane God’s holy name (Yahweh), was an act as serious as any other sin or form of willful disobedience. It has not been until recent times, that many preachers and theologians are once again incorporating God’s name, “Yahweh,” in both their sermons and literary works. There are also new Bible translations that feature the divine name, “Yahweh.”* This helps to show a distinction between the Father and the Son and that there is only one Most High God, over all the earth.
Psalms 83:18 states: “Let them know (that people may know) that thou alone, whose name is Yahweh (the LORD), art the Most High over all the earth.”
The angel Gabriel referred to Jesus as “Son of the Most High,” not the “Most High.”
At Luke 1:32 the angel Gabriel said to Mary: “31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 32 He will be great, and will be called Son of the Most High. . . ”
The psalmist showed a distinction between the Father and the Son in personage, power, and authority, by the revelation of God’s name, “Yahweh.”
Psalms 110:1 states: “Yahweh (the LORD) says to my Lord (Christ): ‘Sit at My right hand, until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.'” (See also Acts 2:34-35)
Note that all large case letters are used in “LORD” when referring to God Almighty. “LORD” (in all capital letters) is a substitute for God the Father’s personal name, “Yahweh,” (the tetragrammaton or YHWH). The divine name “Yahweh” appeared in the original Hebrew or Aramaic text, 6,823 times, more than any other name. This distinguishes God the Father from the Son in both status and authority. Conversely, “Lord,” (in smaller case letters) refers to the Son, Christ Jesus (“Yeshua” in Hebrew). By removing God’s name, “Yahweh,” from their translations, most Bible translators have failed to accurately translate Holy Scripture from the original Hebrew text.
(See the OT passages that Jesus quoted from at Deuteronomy 6:5 & 6:13. These verses clearly show where the divine name, “Yahweh,” would have appeared in the original Hebrew text) (See also Father, Son, & Holy Spirit, topic III & IV & The Divine Name topic)
Glory and Power to God the Father
The scriptures plainly state that we should glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God should be glorified in all things through Christ Jesus and in Jesus’ name. Anything we ask for in our prayers should be in Jesus’ name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. To God the Father be the glorify forever and ever.
Romans 15:6 states: “that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Previously cited)
1 Peter 4:11 states: “. . . so that God may be glorified in all things through Jesus Christ. To Him belong the glory and power forever and ever. Amen.”
John 14:6 states: ” Jesus said to him (Phillip), ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through me.” (Previously cited)
Jesus said at John 14:13-14: “Whatever you ask in my name, that I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.” (Previously cited)
Philippians 4:19-20 states: “19 And my God will fully satisfy every need of yours according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus, 20 To our God and Father be glory forever and ever, Amen.”
Revelation 1:6 states: “And He (Christ) made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father– to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever, Amen.” (Previously cited)
Jesus said at Matthew 16:27: “For the Son of Man is to come with His angels in the glory of His Father (in His Father’s glory). . .”
Romans 6:4 states: “. . . so that just as Christ was raised from the dead, by (through) the glory of the Father, so we to might walk in newness of life.”
Jude 25 states: “To the only God our Savior; through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, power, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen”
Worship the Son, to the Father’s Glory
The scriptures goes on to state that following His death on the cross, it was God the Father who highly exalted His Son and bestowed on Him a name, which is above every name. It also states that in the name of Jesus, every knee should bow and every tongue confess Jesus as Lord, to the glory of God the Father. It is important to note, that all of this was done to the glory of God the Father and in accordance with the Father’s will. All forms of worship given to the Son; obeisance, kneeling, bowing, and confessing Jesus Christ as Lord are acceptable to God. This is all done to the glory of God the Father.
Philippians 2:9-11 states: “9 Therefore God hath highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
In like manner, when He (God the Father) again brings His firstborn Son into the world (by resurrecting Him), He (the Father) says, “let all the angels of God worship Him.”
Hebrews 1:6 states: “And when He again brings the firstborn (first begotten, firstborn Son back) into the world, He (the Father) says, AND LET ALL THE ANGELS OF GOD WORSHIP HIM.”
It is clear from the above verses, that all worship given to the Son (both angelic and human) is sanctioned and sponsored by God the Father.
While Jesus was still on earth, the Apostles did obeisance in worshiping the risen Lord.
Matthew 28:9 states: “And behold, Jesus met them and greeted them. And they came up and took hold of His feet and worshiped Him.” (Similar accounts of worship occur eleven times in the gospels) (See also Matthew 28:17 & Luke 24:52)
In a manner similar to our worship, we can give glory to Christ; yet in the final analysis the ultimate glory is given to God the Father, through Christ and in His name.
Paul stated at 2 Timothy 4:18: “The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and save me for His heavenly kingdom. To Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen”
The Divine Hierarchy
The scriptures tell us that there is a divine hierarchy between God the Father and the Son, following Christ’s ascension and glorification. This can be seen from the following verses. There is one Spirit, one Lord Jesus Christ, and one God and Father of all, who is over all, through all, and in all.
The Apostle Paul states at Ephesians 4:4-6: “4 There is one body and one Spirit (the Holy Spirit), just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord (Jesus Christ), one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all (above all), and through all, and in all.”
All things are from or originate with God the Father and for Him we exist. Conversely, all things come through Jesus Christ (our Mediator) and through Him we exist. This clarifies the distinct roles and status of both God the Father and His only begotten Son.
The Apostle Paul states at 1 Corinthians 8:6: “Yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.”
1 Timothy 2:5 states: “For there is one God and one Mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.”
The early Christian bishop, Irenaeus (125-202 CE), wrote: “Well also does Paul His apostle say: ‘One God, the Father, who is over all and through all and in us all.’ For over all is the Father; and through all is the Son, for through Him all things were made by the Father; and in us all is the Spirit, who cries Abba Father, and fashions man into the likeness of God.
The early Christian scholar and theologian, Origen, wrote (185-254 CE):
“To admit that the architect of the world is the Son of God, and that his Father is the first God and Sovereign, Ruler over all things.”
“. . . the immediate Creator, and as it were, very Maker of the world was the Word, the Son of God; while the Father of the Word, by commanding his own Son, the Word, to create the world is primarily Creator.”
These verses make it very clear that there is one God and Father of all and above all. He is the primary and sovereign Ruler and Creator. This would mean that Almighty God is not only God and Father to the body or church, but that He is also God and Father to both the Holy Spirit and the Lord Jesus Christ. The terms, “God and Father,” are not just mere figures of speech, but clearly identify Almighty God (Yahweh) as the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. The following verses establish this fact. Our formal prayers and petitions should be made to God the Father. Our prayers should be directed through Jesus, not to Jesus!
Colossians 1:3 states: “We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you.”
Colossians 3:17 states: “And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” (Previously cited)
Ephesians 1:3 states: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.”
Ephesians 1:17 states: “17 and the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him.”
Ephesians 3:14 states: “I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ”
Romans 15:6 states: “that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Jesus said at John 14:13-14: “Whatever you ask in my name, that I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.” (Previously cited)
John 14:6 states: ” Jesus said to him (Phillip), ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through me.” (Previously cited)
Revelation 1:6 states: “And He (Christ) made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father– to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever, Amen.” (Previously cited)
The Head of Christ is God
In holding fast to the traditions and ordinances that were handed down to us from the Apostles, we need to understand that Christ is the head of man. In the same way, man is the head of woman. In a corresponding manner, God is the head of Christ. Just as man is subject to Christ, woman is subject to man, and Christ is subject to God the Father. The following verses define the divine hierarchy.
At 1 Corinthians 11:2-3, the Apostle Paul stated: “2 Now I praise you because you remember me in everything and hold firmly to the traditions (keep the ordinances, keep unchanged the rules), just as I delivered them to you. 3 But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of (has authority over, is supreme over) every man, and the man is the head of (has authority over, is supreme over) a woman, and God is the head of (has authority over, is supreme over) Christ.” (See also Matthew 23:10, 1 Timothy 2:11- 13, & John 14:28)
The Apostle Paul also wrote at 1 Corinthians 5:22-24: “22 Wives, be subject to your husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, His body, and is Himself its Savior. 24 As the church is subject to Christ, so let wives also be subject in everything to their husbands.”
Once again, Apostle Paul refers to the divine hierarchy at 1 Corinthians 3:22-23: “22 . . . all things belong to you, 23 and you belong to Christ; and Christ belongs to God.”
The Father Has Given All Things To the Son
Jesus said at John 3:35: “The Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hand.” (See also Mathew 11:27)
Jesus at Luke 10:22 states: “All things have been handed over to me by my Father. . .”
Jesus said at Matthew 28:18 “All authority in heaven and has been given to me.”
Philippians 2:9 states: “9 Therefore God hath highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name. . .”‘
2 Peter 1:17 states: “For when He (Christ) received honor and glory from the Father, such an utterance as this was made to Him by the Majestic Glory (the Glory from the Divine Majesty), ‘This is my beloved Son with whom I am well pleased’–”
Christ receives the kingdom from the Ancient of Days, God the Father
In the book of Daniel, the prophecy states that the Son of Man is given dominion and glory and a kingdom from the Ancient of Days (God the Father), the One seated on the throne. This passage of scripture shows a definite distinction between the Ancient of Days, who is seated on the throne, and the Son of Man, who is given a kingdom; the Ancient of days (God the Father) being eternal (infinite) and without beginning or end.
Daniel 7:9 & 13-14 states: “9 As I looked, thrones were placed and One that was Ancient of Days took His seat; His rainment was white as snow, and the hair of His head like pure wool; His throne was fiery flames, its wheels were burning fire. 13 I kept looking in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven One like the Son of Man was coming, and He came up to the Ancient of Days, and was presented before Him. 14 And to Him (the Messiah) was given dominion, glory and a kingdom . . .” (See also Daniel 7:9-10)
Jesus said to His disciples at Luke 22:29: “And just as my Father has granted (conferred, assigned, given) me a kingdom (the right to rule), I grant you.”
The Son Subjects Himself to God the Father
Note, how after His reign (at the end), the Son hands over the kingdom to His God and Father, and subjects Himself to the One who subjected all things unto Him; that God may be all things to everyone, utterly supreme.
1 Corinthians 15:24-28 states: “24 Then comes the end, when He (Christ) hands over the kingdom (His royal power, the kingship) to the God and Father (to God, even the Father), when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power. 25 For He (Christ) must reign until He (God) has put all of His enemies under His feet. 26 The last enemy that will be abolished is death. 27 For He (God, the Father) has put all things in subjection under His (Christ’s) feet. But when He says, ‘All things are put in subjection,’ it is evident that He (God, the Father) is excepted (not included) who put all things in subjection to Him (Christ). 28 When all things are subjected to Him (Christ), then the Son Himself also will be subjected (be subject, place Himself under) to the One (God the Father) who subjected all things to Him (who placed all things under Him, the Son), so that God may be all in all (God will rule completely over all, utterly supreme, wholly and absolutely God, everything to everyone).” (See also Psalms 110:1, previously cited)
*The Legacy Standard Bible.
Red print is for variations of scriptural passages and/or for clarification.