Matthew 6:9, Honor the Father

Tod Kennedy, August-September, 2005

Matthew 6:9-15, The Disciples’ Prayer. See the previous lessons for the introduction, setting, and purpose for this prayer.

Introduction to Jesus’ lesson in Matthew 6:9-15

Jesus gives his disciples a model prayer specific for their ministry. There are three sections or parts to this prayer.

1.     Matthew 6:9 is a prayer for due honor to the Father (first request).

2.     Matthew 6:10 is a prayer that the Messianic kingdom will come soon (second requests).

3.     Matthew 6:11-13 is prayer for the disciples themselves as they proclaim the Messianic kingdom (third requests).

Matthew 6:9

1.     Matthew 6:9 begins the prayer with honor to God our Father. Then verse 10 begins the prayer with the request that the Messianic kingdom, which the disciples will be proclaiming, will soon come. Verse 11 begins requests for the disciples’ ministry.

a.      “Pray, then in this way” (present middle imperative stressing an ongoing process).

i.        This is a model or pattern prayer to keep their minds focused during their ministry of preaching the kingdom of heaven.

b.      “Our Father who art in heaven” (6:9) teaches them to address God the Father in prayer. We church age believers are to address the Father (John 14:13-14; 16:23-27; Ephesians 5:20).

c.      God our Father.

i.        God is our heavenly father. Though he is invisible and absolute holiness (John 1:18; 1 Timothy 1:17), our Father he thinks and acts in certain ways toward those who accept his son. He also is the pattern for earthly fathers to think and act. Note that he does not instruct to say “our God.” Jesus wants his disciples to think of God as their Father.

1)     Central passages in Matthew that form part of the Doctrine of God our Father, Paterology, include Matthew 5:16, 45, 48; 6:1, 4, 8, 9, 14, 15, 18, 26, 32; 7:11, 21; 10:20; 29, 32, 33; 11:27; 12:50; 13:43; 16:17, 27; 18:10, 14, 19, 35; 20:23; 21:31; 23:9; 24:36; 25:34; 26:39, 42, 53; 28:19.

2)     Central passages in the other gospels that form the doctrine of God our Father include Luke 6:36; Mark 13:32; 14:36; John 5, 6, 8, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17.

3)     Central passages outside the gospels that form the doctrine of God our Father Acts 2:32; Romans 15:6; 1 Corinthians 8:6; 15:24; Galatians 1:1-4; 4:6;  Ephesians 1:1-3, 17; 2:18; 3:14; 4:6; 5:20; Colossians 1:12; 1 Peter 1:1-3; 1 John 3:1; 4:14; Jude 1; Revelation 1:6.

4)     There are many other verses in this study.

ii.      A brief summary of God the Father.

1)     The Father has planned the course of world history (Acts 1.6-8; 17.24-27).

2)      He has planned wonderful blessing for believers (Ephesians 1.3-11; 3.10; Romans 8.28-30; Romans 16.20).

3)     He is our spiritual father and each of us is his spiritual child. Sons should be like their fathers; sons depend upon their fathers (1 John 3.1-2; Galatians 4.6).

4)     Our Father takes personal responsibility for us and our lives. Our spiritual lives depend upon him, not upon ourselves (Romans 8.28, 31-32, 38-39).

5)     Our Father cares for us and comforts us. He cares for us more than we care for our loved ones. He comforts us in suffering and from this we learn how to comfort others (1 Peter 5.7; 2 Corinthians 1.3-4; Luke 15.11-32; Philippians 4.19).

6)     Our Father is a pattern for human fathers. We learn how a father treats his children by how he treats believers—his spiritual children (Ephesians 5.1; Luke 15.11-32).

iii.    Some specific works of God the Father for believers include

1)     He foreknew who would believe in Christ (Romans 8:29; 1 Peter 1:1, 2) and chose them for blessing and privilege (Ephesians 1:4).

2)     He predestined all believers to become conformed to the image of His Son (Romans 8:29; Ephesians 1:11).

3)     He blesses believers with every spiritual blessing (Ephesians 1:3).

4)     Those who believe in Christ, the Father gives to His Son (John 10:29).

5)     He called, justified, and glorified the believer (Romans 8:30).

6)     He loves and comforts the believer through grace (II Thessalonians 2:16).

7)     He sanctifies the believer (Jude 1).

8)     He reveals truth to the believer (Matthew 16:17; Ephesians 1:17),

9)     He supplies the believer's needs (Matthew 6:32, 33; Philippians 4:19).

10)He seeks the worship of the believer (John 4:23).

11)He disciplines the believer (Hebrews 12:5-10).

12)In the future He will gather all believers in Christ (Ephesians 1:10).

13)He rewards the believer (Hebrews 11:6).

d.     “in heaven.” This refers to the third heaven, God’s home and seat of his authority. For a fuller treatment of heaven, see the Doctrine of Heaven notes.

i.        In heaven,” heaven is a distinct place and our Father lives there. Paul calls this “the third heaven” and “Paradise” in 2 Corinthians 12:2-4. Do not confuse this biblical terminology with cultic terminology for various heavens (e.g. Mormonism). Though God is omnipresent he has a throne or place in which he localizes his glory, authority, and power.

ii.      The word is “heaven” used 222 times, many of which refer to the kingdom of heaven, some to the atmospheric heavens, some to interstellar space, and some to the highest heaven—Paradise—also called the third heaven by Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:2. All are names for God’s seat of authority and rule.

iii.    There are three heavens mentioned in the Bible. The third is specified. We assume the first and second by reasoning; if there is a third, there must be a first and second.

1)     The atmospheric heaven is apparently what some call the first heaven. This is the sky above us, and the residence of birds (I Kings 21:24; Hosea 2:18), clouds (Daniel 7:13), rain (Acts 14:17), snow (Isaiah. 55:10), dew (Dan. 4:23), frost (Job 38:29), wind (Ps. 135:7), thunder (1 Sam. 2:10), and hail (Job 38:22).

2)     Stellar space (Genesis 1:14-18; Nahum 3:16) is apparently that which Moses called the firmament (Genesis 1:8) and the home for angelic beings. Some call this the second heaven.

3)     Paradise is God’s seat of authority and rule and the future home of believers. Paul, in 2 Corinthians 12:2, also called it the third heaven. It is mentioned many times in the NT. Examples include Matthew 6:10, Mark 11:30, John 3:13, John 14:1-3, Acts 1:11, Acts 7:55-56, 2 Corinthians 12:2, Ephesians 4:10, Hebrews 12:23, and Revelation 4:1.

iv.    The bottom line about heaven for believers:

1)     Heaven is our future home. Be glad about that. We can anticipate great things in the near future and these will last forever.

2)     Who gets to live in heaven forever? Only those who have trusted God’s Son, the Messiah and our Savior, for eternal life are qualified to live in heaven (John 3:16-18; John 14:1-6; John 20:31).

2.     “Hallowed be thy name.”

i.        The Greek verb hagiazw in the aorist passive imperative, third singular. The aorist imperative stresses a summary command, but when spoken to a superior it expresses a serious request. The word means to make holy, to sanctify, to consecrate. Also see Luke 11:2.

ii.      The word “name” does, of course, recognize that special name, but more than that it refers to the Father himself as a person.

iii.    Jesus teaches his disciples two things when they are to pray “hallowed be thy name.

1)     They pray that God will vindicate his holiness. This picks up the thought of Ezekiel 36:16-38. Israel profaned God’s name by their disobedience to the Law. The nations mocked God because of Israel (Ezekiel 36:20). There will come a time, the Lord says to Ezekiel, when God will change all of this “and I will vindicate the holiness my great name” (Ezekiel 36:23). See also Isaiah 29:23.

2)     This phrase also teaches them to fully recognize the sanctity of God the Father. The disciples were taught to honor God the Father by ascribing holiness to him.

iv.    This prayer also reminds us that God is unique. His character or attributes characterize him and describe him to us. The attributes of God include his sovereignty, holiness, justice, love, eternality, omnipresence, omniscience, omnipotence, immutability, and veracity.

v.      We believers who live in the church ought also to pray that our heavenly Father—name and person—will be shown to be true and righteous in the world.

vi.    Scripture is full of comments that believers are to demonstrate God’s glory and to glorify him (Matthew 5:16; Romans 15:6, 9; 1 Corinthians 6:20; 2 Corinthians 9:13; 1 Peter 2:12; 4:16; and others).

3.     Here are some reminders for our prayer life (John 15:7; Ephesians 5:20; 6:18; 1 John 5:14-15).

a.      Each believer is a child of the heavenly father and may confidently pray.

b.     Pray to the Father.

c.      Pray in the name of the Son.

d.     Pray while walking by the Holy Spirit.

e.      Pray for others and self.

4.     We can summarize Matthew 3:9 in the following way.

a.      God is the heavenly Father of the Jesus’ disciples and of every believer.

b.     God the Father’s seat of glory, authority, and power is in the third heaven.

c.      God the Father always possesses the highest glory, authority, and power. He deserves the highest honor and praise from man and angels. He will in the future demonstrate to all creation his right to receive all glory, honor, and praise.

d.     Do we understand the character of our heavenly Father—what he is really like?

e.      Do we pray to our heavenly Father?