A Case Study
This case study will show how Jesus is a righteous son and how God is a righteous father. It is part of the Bible Study On Fathers & Sons.
Throughout this bible study, we have seen the following examples of various fathers and sons:
– King Ahab: how the sins of an unrighteous father can be passed down to his son.
– Samuel: how a father is righteous even though his children are disobedient to God.
– Josiah: how a son can be righteous when his father is not
Finally, we end our case study with the only true and perfect example of a father/son relationship through Jesus and God.
Jesus Is A Righteous Son, God is A Righteous Father
Both God and Jesus are righteous and holy. Yet only God is independently righteous.
Luke 18:19 and Mark 10:18 say “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good-except God alone.”
Matthew 19:17 says “Why do you ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good.”
God is righteous on his own without the need of anyone or anything else since He has no father; He is the father of all.
Ephesians 4:6 says “one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.”
Malachi 2:10 says “have we not all one Father? Has not one God created us? Why then are we faithless to one another, profaning the covenant of our fathers?”
Acts 17:24 says “He is the God who made the world and everything in it. Since he is Lord of heaven and earth, he doesn’t live in man-made temples.”
Acts 17:25 says “nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything.”
Hebrews 12:9 says “furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits, and live?”
Jesus Is A Righteous Son Because He Obeyed God
The next scriptures show how Jesus, the son, obeyed, honored and respected his father’s teachings in every way. Through this obedience, Jesus is a righteous son.
John 6:38 – “For I have come down from heaven to do the will of God who sent me, not to do my own will.“
Matthew 26:39 – “Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”
Matthew 26:42 – “A second time He went away and prayed, “My Father, if this cup cannot pass unless I drink it, may Your will be done.”
John 4:34 – Jesus explained, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to finish His work.”
John 5:19 – So Jesus replied, “Truly, truly, I tell you, the Son can do nothing by Himself, unless He sees the Father doing it. For whatever the Father does, the Son also does.“
John 5:30 – “I can do nothing by Myself; I judge only as I hear. And My judgment is just, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.“
God’s Instruction To Fathers
God instructs us as fathers to diligently and accurately teach and discipline our children (sons).
Deuteronomy 8:5 says “know then in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the Lord your God disciplines you.”
Revelations 3:19 says “those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent.”
Proverbs 3:11-12 says “my son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline, and do not resent his rebuke, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in.”
Hebrews 12:5-11 says “and have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says, “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.
7 Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? 8 If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all.
9 Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live! 10 They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness.
11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.”
2 Samuel 7:13-14 says “he is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 14 I will be his father, and he will be my son. When he does wrong, I will punish him with a rod wielded by men, with floggings inflicted by human hands.”
Proverbs 29:17 says “discipline your children, and they will give you peace; they will bring you the delights you desire.”
Proverbs 6:23 says “for the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life”
Proverbs 19:18 says “discipline your children, for in that there is hope; do not be a willing party to their death.”
Job 5:17 says “Blessed is the one whom God corrects; so do not despise the discipline of the Almighty.”
Psalm 94:12-14 says “Blessed is the one you discipline, Lord, the one you teach from your law; you grant them relief from days of trouble, till a pit is dug for the wicked. For the Lord will not reject his people; he will never forsake his inheritance.”
1 Corinthians 11:32 says “Nevertheless, when we are judged in this way by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be finally condemned with the world.”
Proverbs 23:13-14 says “Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you punish them with the rod, they will not die. Punish them with the rod and save them from death.”
Psalm 78:4-7 says “We will not hide them from their descendants; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, his power, and the wonders he has done.
He decreed statutes for Jacob and established the law in Israel, which he commanded our ancestors to teach their children, so the next generation would know them, even the children yet to be born, and they in turn would tell their children.
Then they would put their trust in God and would not forget his deeds but would keep his commands.”
God, The Father Taught Jesus, His Son Everything He Knows
God taught Jesus accurately and diligently. God is righteous. He is the perfect example of how a father should be. The following scriptures show how everything Jesus said came from what God taught him.
John 7:16 & 17 – “My teaching is not My own,” Jesus replied. “It comes from Him who sent Me. 17If anyone desires to do His will, he will know whether My teaching is from God or whether I speak on My own.”
John 12:49 – “I have not spoken on My own, but the Father who sent Me has commanded Me what to say and how to say it.”
John 14:24 – “Whoever does not love Me does not keep My words. The word that you hear is not My own, but it is from the Father who sent Me.”
John 8:28 & 29 says “so Jesus said, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing on My own, but speak exactly what the Father has taught Me. He who sent Me is with Me. He has not left Me alone, because I always do what pleases Him.”
John 12:50 – “And I know that His command leads to eternal life. So I speak exactly what the Father has told Me to say.”
God’s Instruction To Children
The following scriptures explain how God expects children to be towards their parents:
Ephesians 6:1-2 says “children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise.”
Deuteronomy 21:18-21 says “18 If a man have a stubborn and rebellious son, which will not obey the voice of his father, or the voice of his mother, and that, when they have chastened him, will not hearken unto them:
19 Then shall his father and his mother lay hold on him, and bring him out unto the elders of his city, and unto the gate of his place;
20 And they shall say unto the elders of his city, This our son is stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton, and a drunkard.
21 And all the men of his city shall stone him with stones, that he die: so shalt thou put evil away from among you; and all Israel shall hear, and fear.”
Exodus 20:12 says “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.”
Exodus 21:17 says “Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.”
Leviticus 19:3 says “Each of you must respect your mother and father, and you must observe my Sabbaths. I am the Lord your God.”
Proverbs 6:20 says “My son, keep your father’s command and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.”
Proverbs 13:1 says “A wise son heeds his father’s instruction, but a mocker does not respond to rebukes.”
Proverbs 23:22 says “Listen to your father, who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old.”
Proverbs 30:17 says “The eye that mocks a father and scorns to obey a mother will be picked out by the ravens of the valley and eaten by the vultures.”
Collosians 3:20 says “Children, it is your Christian duty to obey your parents always, for that is what pleases God.”
Transitioning Obedience From Your Parents To God
As a child, you must obey your parents’ philosophies and ways of looking at the word of God. A child must submit to their parents. Jesus also did this when he was a child.
When his parents couldn’t find him, Jesus was found in the temple with the priests 3 days later.
The story is found in Luke 2:41-52
41 Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Festival of the Passover. 42 When he was twelve years old, they went up to the festival, according to the custom. 43 After the festival was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. 44 Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends.
45 When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him. 46 After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. 47 Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers. 48 When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.”
49 “Why were you searching for me?” he asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?”[a] 50 But they did not understand what he was saying to them.
51 Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient (submissive, subject) to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart. 52 And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.
As Adults, Our Obedience Must Be To Our Heavenly Father
When you grow to adulthood, you must find out the truth in the word of God for yourself. Each of us should follow Jesus’ teachings and philosophies and not our parents’ ways.
Hebrews 12:9 says “furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits, and live?”
If you continue to follow your parents’ ways, you would be taking on their iniquity. We see an example of this in the case study of King Ahab. In this example, King Ahab’s son, Ahaziah, takes on his father’s iniquity.
As adults, our obedience must be to our heavenly father only. This can only be done through the teachings of Jesus.
Matthew 10:37 says “Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.”
Luke 14:26 says “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple.”
Deuteronomy 33:9 says “he said of his father and mother, ‘I have no regard for them.’ He did not recognize his brothers or acknowledge his own children, but he watched over your word and guarded your covenant.”
Scriptures On Jesus’ Obedience
Jesus is righteous because of his obedience to his father. He is the perfect example of how a child should be towards his parents. Or in the case of adulthood, how we should be towards our heavenly father.
Philippians 2:8 “he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.”
Another translation says “He was humble and walked the path of obedience all the way to death—his death on the cross.”
John 10:17-18 says “The reason the Father loves Me is that I lay down My life in order to take it up again. 18No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of My own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from My Father.”
John 14:31 says “But I do exactly what the Father has commanded Me, so that the world may know that I love the Father…”
John 15:10 says “If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love.”
Hebrews 5:8 says “Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from what He suffered.”
Romans 5:19 says “For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous.”
We must learn from these examples of how to be a righteous son and a righteous father.
Acts 5:32 says “And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”
Romans 8:14 says “For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.”
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