What does Abba mean in the Bible? Explore what Jesus reveals about God the Father, his intimate love, our identity, and the purpose of Christ’s saving work.
The post Abba: What Jesus Reveals About the Father appeared first on Bible Gateway News & Knowledge.
Throughout His earthly ministry, the word Jesus used to address God Most High is Abba. It’s a transliteration. Meaning, translators wrote the sound of the word which the Hebrews spelled: Av.
Greek translators took the Aramaic or Hebrew, Av, and they wrote the closest word they had in their lexicon: Pater. In Greek it means “Father,” but “Father” in Greek and “Father” in Hebrew are not necessarily the same thing. (This means when you read the words of Jesus and He is recorded as having said, “Father,” Jesus said, “Abba.”)
Abba vs. Pater vs. Father
In the Greek mind, the word Pater describes what God is. It’s along the same lines as describing God as Creator, Protector, Healer, Provider, etc. All are true and glorious, magnificent descriptions of God’s character and person, but the Hebrew word Abba is inclusive. It combines the description of what God is with who God is.
It’s Pater plus some intimate knowledge of.
In English, we don’t really have a word that does the same. When someone says Pater they can be simply describing a what — as distant as the name on a family tree — but when someone says Abba they’re not only describing a what but they’re speaking intimately to a who. Big difference.
Abba carries innately inside the combination of its own letters a deep expression of intimacy and knowingness. It’s Father in 4K Ultra HD. Etched into the word is identity, security, purpose, and ownership. Jesus’ use of Abba causes the religious rulers of the day to hate Him. Despise Him.
Every time He says it, Jesus is making Himself equal with God. A Son with all the authority, rights, and privileges thereof (Matthew 28:18, John 17:2). And every time He says it, the Pharisees are looking at Jesus and asking themselves, “Who does this guy think He is?” They think He’s blaspheming the name. And He would have been, were He not actually the only begotten Son of God. Which He was. And is.
When Does Jesus Say ‘Abba’?
Let’s look at a few instances:
- “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” (Luke 12:32, ESV throughout)
- “When you pray, say: ‘Father, hallowed be your name …’” (Luke 11:2, Matthew 6:9)
- “And he told those who sold the pigeons, ‘Take these things away; do not make my Father’s house a house of trade.’” (John 2:16)
- “I and the Father are one.” (John 10:30)
- “Father, glorify your name.” (John 12:28)
- “Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.” (Luke 6:36)
- “All that the Father has is mine. …” (John 16:15)
- “Father, forgive them …” (Luke 23:24)
- “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” (Luke 23:46)
- “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” (John 20:17)
Jesus uses Abba more than any other word to refer to God. If He taught us anything about the one who sent Him here, who begot Him, He taught us that He was and is His Father. And not just His Pater, but His Abba. He uses the word some 165 times in the Gospels. Look at the sum total of all the recorded words of Jesus, what singular word did Jesus use the most in His teaching? What word came back as the most spoken? Father. And there wasn’t even a close second.
Who Is the Father?
Do you know the Father? Really?
If not, what lie are you believing that would keep you from Him? What lie about Him are you believing that would keep you from getting on your knees and crying out?
Maybe you had a horrible experience with your dad, so when I say this you cringe. You have no box for a dad who loves you and you really don’t want to go here. This whole idea really pushes too many buttons. I get it. I’ve spent a lot of time with a lot of both men and women who have gaping holes in their chests caused by dads who were not good men. Who did not love them. And, to make matters worse, you have an enemy who wants you to translate and project that experience on earth to your Father in heaven. In football terms, this is called “piling on.”
But that’s just it. God the Father is not like your earthly dad.
The Reason for Jesus
The reason for Jesus was and is to return us to the Father. From the fall in the garden, all of history has been about a return to what was lost. What was lost? A lot, but the primary cost of the fall in the garden of Eden was and is the relationship between God the Father and us.
This is the grand metanarrative of Scripture. God the Father wants you to know His love. Intimately. So much so that Jesus died so that we might.
The Lord wants to put a word in your mouth. It’s a special word. Maybe the single most important and meaningful word we will ever speak. We used to know it. For most of us, it was the first word off our lips when we were born. It was resting there. Our lips make the sound naturally. It’s the DNA-cry of our heart.
Abba.
What if the reason for Jesus wasn’t just to save you from hell, but to bring you home to a Father who loves you more than you can imagine?
The Reason for Jesus: Why Did God the Father Ransom You? reveals that the ultimate purpose of the cross is not just a ticket to heaven, but an invitation into an intimate, life-changing relationship with the God who has always wanted you back.
In this book, Charles Martin embarks on a profound exploration of faith’s central question, moving beyond traditional understandings of salvation to uncover a deeper, more personal truth. That the ultimate purpose of Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection is to restore humanity’s intimate relationship with God, not just as a distant deity, but as a loving Father.
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