Happy Father’s Day! Today on a day when we honor the fathers in our lives, Pastor Josh White kicked off a new series titled “What We Should Know About Dad” — a look at Jesus’ high priestly prayer in John 17. If there’s one thing about our heavenly Father that we need to grab a hold of, it’s this: He is faithful.
The Context of John 17
John 17 is one of the most remarkable chapters in all of Scripture. It’s often called Jesus’ “high priestly prayer” — the last extended words He speaks before going to the cross. If you knew this week would be your final week on earth, what would you say to the people you love most? Jesus spent this moment praying for His disciples, and for every follower of Christ that would come after them — including you.
Dr. Martin Lloyd-Jones said it well: “Half our troubles are due to the fact that we fail to realize what is exactly offered in the Scriptures. All of our anxieties and troubles and uncertainties and hesitations, and so much of our unhappiness in our spiritual lives, is to be traced simply to the fact that we do not realize what is provided for us.”
When we understand who God the Father is and what He has promised, everything changes. This series is about knowing our Father — and it starts with His faithfulness.
God Is Faithful to Provide
The first way we see God’s faithfulness in this prayer is that He is faithful to provide for our every need. This isn’t a prosperity gospel promise — it’s a promise of contentment and trust. The author of Hebrews writes:
“Keep your life free from the love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’ So we can confidently say, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not fear what can man do to me?'”
— Hebrews 13:5–6
God wants us to trust Him with our finances — not because He needs our money, but because He wants us to learn contentment and demonstrate trust in Him. In Malachi 3, God challenges the people of Israel: “Bring the full tithe into the storehouse… and thereby put me to the test,” says the Lord of Hosts. “If I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.” (Malachi 3:10)
That’s a remarkable offer from a faithful God. He isn’t just able to provide — He wants to provide. One of the ways we demonstrate our faith in God’s provision is through our giving. If you’ve never tested God in this area, He’s inviting you to. He is faithful.
God Is Faithful to Save
The second great truth about our Father’s faithfulness is this: He is faithful to save. Jesus knew what was about to happen in John 17 — He was about to die on the cross for the sins of the world. In His humanity, He experienced stress and fear. But He had no doubt that God the Father would raise Him from the dead.
Why? Because God had promised it, and God always keeps His promises.
John — the same John who heard this prayer — later wrote these words with full confidence:
“I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life.”
— 1 John 5:13
Not hoping. Not wishing. Knowing. That’s the assurance that comes from trusting a faithful God.
Paul reinforces this same confidence in his letters. To the Corinthians he wrote that God is faithful “by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord” (1 Corinthians 1:9). And to the Thessalonians he declared:
“May the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do this.”
— 1 Thessalonians 5:23–24
Salvation is not ultimately up to us. It’s not dependent on our performance or our ability to hold it together. It is fully dependent on a faithful God who has the power and the desire to complete what He started in us.
So What?
On this Father’s Day, if you’re here and you’re thinking about the imperfect fathers in your life — or perhaps the absence of one — Jesus wants to point you to a Father who is perfect. He will never let you down. He will never disappoint you. He is faithful in every way, at all times.
You may be hoping for a lot of things today. Maybe you’re hoping the Suns win (go Suns!). But there is something far more important to place your hope in: a faithful God who keeps every promise He has ever made.
That’s the kind of Father we have. And that’s very good news.
Scripture References
- John 17 — Jesus’ High Priestly Prayer
- Hebrews 13:5–6 — God’s Promise to Never Leave Us
- Malachi 3:6–12 — Test Me in Tithing
- 1 John 5:13 — Knowing We Have Eternal Life
- 1 Corinthians 1:4–9 — God Is Faithful to Sustain
- 1 Thessalonians 5:23–24 — He Who Calls You Is Faithful