Bible Explained

What would it be like to hear the audible voice of God?

Over the centuries some mystics and prophets have claimed to hear the audible voice of God. Some people yearn for this – “if only God would speak from the heavens and make himself known!”

But what if God has already done that? And it was recorded forever in the most famous book of all time?

In Mark 9 we see this very thing happening.

Jesus has climbed to the top of a mountain with his 3 closes friends and disciples – Peter, James and John.

Suddenly Jesus is transfigured before them into dazzling white clothes, his glory shining forth. Then 10 audible words come from God himself “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!”

(Interestingly God’s words often come in 10s in the Bible. There are the 10 words of God in Gen 1 that create the universe. The 10 commandments etc. When God speaks, it brings life to this World.)

We might think – “well I know I ought to listen to Jesus, couldn’t God have said more?” but actually the context here gives much greater richness to what God is saying. Remember a text removed from its context is a con!

In Mark 8v31 for the first time Jesus has just predicted that he will be rejected, suffer and be killed in Jerusalem – he knows the cross is coming. But what is Peter’s first reaction in v32? Peter takes him aside and begins to rebuke him. Think of them walking along. Jesus would have been leading the way. Suddenly Peter thinks he knows better than Jesus and goes to the front pulling Jesus aside from the path to Jerusalem and the cross. Notice what Jesus says to him -“Get behind me…” He needs to fall back and follow as a disciple again. Peter and the discples had envisaged Jesus the King going to Jerusalem to be crowned in glory – not ending in shame, humiliation and death. They didn’t have the spiritual eyes to see that the cross is the great victory, where Jesus takes our place. We are rebels against God, like Barabbas the rebel, we committed murder, killing the Lord of the Universe himself Jesus. But like Barabbas (meaning “Son of the Father”), Jesus the true Son of our Heavenly Father” exchanges places with us at the cross taking our sin and shame, dying in our place to bring us adoption into God’s family, life, freedom from sin, filling us with His Spirit and an eternal future.

This is the context for the audible voice of God saying “listen to Him”. Listen to Jesus when he says his mission really is all about going to the cross. The cross is the prism through which we understand everything of God – his love, his mercy, his grace, his judgment, the fulfilment of his promises, his justice judging sin, his defeat of Satan. Everything there at the cross. Will we listen to God’s Son, take up our cross and follow the Jesus way?