So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. (Romans 8:12-17 ESV).
While the list of the names of God we have explored is not exhaustive, I hope they have been an encouragement to you in your daily life. Today we come to the last of those names I’ve chosen to highlight: “Abba.” We first see it used by Jesus at the Garden of Gethsemane by Jesus (cf. Mark 14:32-36). Jesus spoke the everyday language of his people: Aramaic. So instead of saying “Pater” (which is Greek) for “Father,” Jesus would say “Abba” (which is Aramaic).
In the Mark passage we find both the Aramaic and the Greek for “Father” as Jesus prayed, “Abba ho Pater” (literally, “Abba, the Father”), at Gethsemane. There he agonized over the suffering he would face for our sins, and he asked his “Abba, Father” to take that responsibility from him. In this way Mark portrays Jesus’ agony as well as his intimacy with God the Father.
The apostle Paul uses the words “Abba ho Pater” also in our reading today. He uses it to state that because we are adopted as God’s children, we must live as God’s children. Some people mistakenly say that Abba suggests we can call God “Daddy.” But everyone from little children to adults in Jesus’ day used Abba for “Father.” Still, following Jesus’ example, we can say “Abba, Father” to express intimacy with God. For Jesus and for us, “Abba, Father” is prayer language. In prayer we enter God’s presence, submitting to his will, knowing that he cares for us and knows us intimately. And, like Jesus, we can also say, “Not what I will, but what you will.”
This willingness to submit to the suffering of the Cross indicates the depth of His love and care for us. Trust Him to lead you through every challenge and difficulty. He will not fail you.