The last verse of John 17 Jesus Christ prays to the Father and states that he has declared "thy name" (the Father's name) to his disciples and will declare it. In Hebrews 2:12 Paul quotes a prophesy from the Psalms regarding Christ that he would "declare thy name unto my brethren" (again, implied that Christ would declare the Father's name unto his disciples).

So I began thinking and praying, what "name" did he declare to them? The immediate answer might appear to be: "Jesus Christ"! The name above all names. But I don't believe that is what Christ was saying. In fact, Jesus did not really reveal that name to his apostles/disciples. He didn't come "in his own name". The Father revealed that name to them by the Holy Ghost. I believe it is the Holy Ghost's job to bear witness of the name "Jesus Christ." So the question is, what name did Jesus Christ declare unto his brethren?

I believe the answer is SUPER significant if we consider how completely NEW and different this name was to a Jew at that time (or even any Gentile).

I believe the name that he revealed to them was "Father"! This might not seem significant to us because we grew up in a culture where we pray prayers like "Our Father..." and "Dear Heavenly Father"..., but if you stop and think for a moment how significant this is, it is EVERYTHING!

As far as I can tell (from what I have searched) NO ONE ever in the Old Testament called the God of heaven and earth, their Father. (God said he would be a Father to Solomon... and ultimately a prophecy of Christ; and there was a prophecy in Psalm 89 of David that he would call God his father... again also a prophecy of Christ.... but aside from these, NOBODY referred to God as their Father except twice in Isaiah where Isaiah was crying out for the nation).

He was known as "God", "the LORD", "the most high God", "the Almighty", "the God of....", "the LORD of hosts", "Jehovah", etc.... but people did not speak to God and speak of God as if he were their real Father.

I know the Jews in John 8 when pressed by Jesus ultimately said, "We have one father, even God..." but that was more of a doctrinal/theological position than a REAL, GENUINE, spiritual relationship.... which is why Jesus rebuked them by saying something to the effect of, "If God were your Father, ye would love me...."

The thing that Christ came to reveal to his disciples... and ultimately RESTORE to them (he being the first fruits), was that he was the real Son of God. God was really his Father. He spoke of God not as some far off being that he stood in fear and trembling of, but he spoke of him as if he truly was his Father. He spoke of him as if he was truly loved by his Father and loved his Father in return. He spoke as if God heard him and gave him the desires of his heart as a father would a son. Why? Because he TRULY was his Father! This is the name and the hope that Christ came to give us of the true God.... Father!

That is what made the Jews SO ANGRY! They thought "God" should be reverenced and honored (of course it was all only with their lips) to some untouchable level... but Christ spoke with such confidence and authority that God was his Father and honored him and heard him and loved him. That is why when his disciples asked him how to pray he taught them to pray "Our Father"... this was unthinkable to a religious Jew of those days. That is why in the upper room he just continued to speak of the Father and how he had revealed the Father to them and how they now knew the Father and could abide in the same love that he and his Father shared.

This is not just a "doctrinal/theological" truth, but this was true in spirit and in deed.

I think the significance and importance of this revelation of God's name as Father has been lost today because we have grown up with this doctrinal understanding of it in our "Christian" culture that it can just be something we "know" in our minds but never really experience in spirit and in truth. Plus, also the lie that God is everyone's father has definitely been used to basically cast this PEARL to the swines which they trample and turn and rend the phony Christian that tries to cast this precious relationship and love to the heathen that don't fear or know God.

However, if you think about this, this is a key basis and token of this NEW and BETTER covenant (relationship) that we get to enter into with God through Jesus Christ. In Hebrews 3 and Galatians 4 it reveals that under the Old Covenant, Israel became the servants of God (Moses was a servant in the house). But in Christ, we now get to be sons of God! That is why when we are truly born again we receive the Spirit of Adoption and the Spirit of his Son which cry "Abba, Father!" That is a reality of the cry of the Spirit within us to bear witness that we are his children! Abba is literally like a little child saying "Papa". or "Daddy". It is not this formal, theological term, but it is a personal, loving, intimate term! God is truly our Father!

This explains the things that John speaks of in his 1st epistle about being the sons of God and the confidence that we have that anything we ask of him according to his will we know he heareth us and that we KNOW that he will grant our petitions.... this again is not just a theological explanation, but a confidence and reality that as we grow up more and more into the love and obedience of our Father that we know that he delights to give us these things that we have requested for his glory according to his will! (Just as an earthly father delights in blessing his child).

Brother, there are many in our circles that talk about "God, God, God" etc... and if you listen carefully it is a false fear of God taught by the precept of men, and a self-righteousness about what we can DO for God, and a God that is towering above far off in the distance. Or they speak of "Lord, Lord, Lord" etc... and they think him to be some brutal taskmaster that is ALWAYS demanding of them and never relenting in his scrutiny and criticism of his servants. They might pray and say "Father" because it is custom or culture to our day.... but how many people do you really know that when they speak of God or to God, actually speak of him and to him as if he truly were their Father?

I am not talking about devaluing God's nature and character. That is why we first learn of him as the true God! We can't change him into our image of what we want him to be. We must believe him and seek him for who he truly is. And we seek him as God, and the Lord, the most high, and the Almighty... etc. We perfect holiness in the fear of God. But there should come a point when he is no longer just God..... but now he is truly our Father! Where we no longer fear and quake as a terrified sinner, but where we draw near as a purified son! Where we don't pray and hope that God is hearing us, but we pray to our loving Father for his will and glory and we KNOW that he will answer us. Where we no longer have to be tormented by fear and uncertainty but we can operate by faith which worketh by love!

Brother, our Lord Jesus Christ came to declare God's name to us... the Father! (Just look through the New Testament and see how many times he is referred to as the Father or our Father.... there is NOTHING like this in the Old Testament.... this was a HUGE REVELATION and CHANGE from the old to the new).