7 Bible Verses about Fathers, Examples Of

There was in the time of Herod, the king of Judaea, a priest of the name of Zechariah, belonging to the class of Abijah. He had a wife who was a descendant of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. They were both of them upright before God, blamelessly obeying all the Lord's precepts and ordinances. But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren; and both of them were far advanced in life.read more.
Now while he was doing priestly duty before God in the prescribed course of his class, it fell to his lot--according to the custom of the priesthood--to go into the Sanctuary of the Lord and burn the incense; and the whole multitude of the people were outside praying, at the hour of incense. Then there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense; and Zechariah on seeing him was agitated and terrified. But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your petition has been heard: and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call his name John. Gladness and exultant joy shall be yours, and many will rejoice over his birth. For he will be great in the sight of the Lord; no wine or fermented drink shall he ever drink; but he will be filled with the Holy Spirit from the very hour of his birth. Many of the descendants of Israel will he turn to the Lord their God; and he will be His forerunner in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn fathers' hearts to the children, and cause the rebellious to walk in the wisdom of the upright, to make a people perfectly ready for the lord." "By what proof," asked Zechariah, "shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is far advanced in years." "I am Gabriel, who stand in the presence of God," answered the angel, "and I have been sent to talk with you and tell you this good news. And now you will be dumb and unable to speak until the day when this has taken place; because you did not believe my words--words which will be fulfilled at their appointed time."

They asked his father by signs what he wished him to be called. So he asked for a writing-tablet, and wrote, "His name is John." And they all wondered. Instantly his mouth and his tongue were set free, and he began to speak and bless God.read more.
And all who lived round about them were filled with awe, and throughout the hill country of Judaea reports of all these things were spread abroad. All who heard the story treasured it in their memories. "What then will this child be?" they said. For the lord's hand was indeed with him. And Zechariah his father was filled with the Holy Spirit, and spoke in a rapture of praise. "Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel," he said, "Because He has not forgotten His people but has effected redemption for them, And has raised up a mighty Deliverer for us In the house of David His servant-- As He has spoken from all time by the lips of His holy Prophets-- To deliver us from our foes and from the power of all who hate us. He dealt pitifully with our forefathers, And remembered His holy covenant, The oath which He swore to Abraham our forefather, To grant us to be rescued from the power of our foes And so render worship to Him free from fear, In piety and uprightness before Him all our days. And you moreover, O child, shall be called Prophet of the Most High; For you shall go on in front before the Lord to prepare the way for Him, To give to His People a knowledge of salvation In the forgiveness of their sins, Through the tender compassion of our God, Through which the daybreak from on high will come to us, Dawning on those who now dwell in the darkness and shadow of death--To direct our feet into the path of peace." And the child grew and became strong in character, and lived in the Desert till the time came for him to appear publicly to Israel.

He went on to say, "There was a man who had two sons. The younger of them said to his father, "'Father, give me the share of the property that comes to me.' "So he divided his wealth between them. No long time afterwards the younger son got all together and travelled to a distant country, where he wasted his money in debauchery and excess.read more.
At last, when he had spent everything, there came a terrible famine throughout that country, and he began to feel the pinch of want. So he went and hired himself to one of the inhabitants of that country, who sent him on to his farm to tend swine; and he longed to make a hearty meal of the pods the swine were eating, but no one gave him any. "But on coming to himself he said, "'How many of my father's hired men have more bread than they want, while I here am dying of hunger! I will rise and go to my father, and will say to him, Father, I have sinned against Heaven and before you: I no longer deserve to be called a son of yours: treat me as one of your hired men.' "So he rose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and pitied him, and ran and threw his arms round his neck and kissed him tenderly. "'Father,' cried the son, 'I have sinned against Heaven and before you: no longer do I deserve to be called a son of yours.' "But the father said to his servants, "'Fetch a good coat quickly--the best one--and put it on him; and bring a ring for his finger and shoes for his feet. Fetch the fat calf and kill it, and let us feast and enjoy ourselves; for my son here was dead and has come to life again: he was lost and has been found.' "And they began to be merry. "Now his elder son was out on the farm; and when he returned and came near home, he heard music and dancing. Then he called one of the lads to him and asked what all this meant. "'Your brother has come,' he replied; 'and your father has had the fat calf killed, because he has got him home safe and sound.' "Then he was angry and would not go in. But his father came out and entreated him. "'All these years,' replied the son, 'I have been slaving for you, and I have never at any time disobeyed any of your orders, and yet you have never given me so much as a kid, for me to enjoy myself with my friends; but now that this son of yours is come who has eaten up your property among his bad women, you have killed the fat calf for him.' "'You my dear son,' said the father, 'are always with me, and all that is mine is also yours.

When they had returned to the people, there came to Him a man who fell on his knees before Him and besought Him. "Sir," he said, "have pity on my son, for he is an epileptic and is very ill. Often he falls into the fire and often into the water.

"Rabbi," answered one of the crowd, "I have brought you my son. He has a dumb spirit in him; and wherever it comes upon him, it dashes him to the ground, and he foams at the mouth and grinds his teeth, and he is pining away. I begged your disciples to expel it, but they had not the power."

and a man from the crowd called out, "Rabbi, I beg you to pity my son, for he is my only child. At times a spirit seizes him and he suddenly cries out. It convulses him, and makes him foam at the mouth, and does not leave him till it has well-nigh covered him with bruises.

So He came once more to Cana in Galilee, where He had made the water into wine. Now there was a certain officer of the King's court whose son was ill at Capernaum. Having heard that Jesus had come from Judaea to Galilee, he came to Him and begged Him to go down and cure his son; for he was at the point of death. "Unless you and others see miracles and marvels," said Jesus, "nothing will induce you to believe."read more.
"Sir," pleaded the officer, "come down before my child dies."