From the dawn of history, humanity has craved the voice of God. Across cultures and especially in Africa, there is a deep longing for divine revelation. People seek something more than instinct, science, philosophy, culture, and tradition. All these voices can be biased. They leave people confused about what’s true, real or meaningful. So we, humanity, long for divine truth. This longing is indicative of the fact that God made us. Because he didn’t only make us but created us to know him, God’s voice is the only one that truly satisfies our hearts, our deepest desires. Thanks be to God, for he has spoken to us. He has spoken decisively, clearly, and finally in the Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.
In Christ, God has given us the foundation for understanding divine revelation, God’s authority, our own salvation, and the very nature of God himself.
God Isn’t Vague or Distant
One of the most comforting truths in Scripture is that our heavenly Father isn’t silent. God speaks.
This truth is evident on the very first page of the Bible. Genesis introduces us to the speaking God. The Bible doesn’t begin with humans searching for God’s voice. It begins with God speaking. “God said” (Genesis 1:3, 6). Creation actually came into being through God’s speech. He spoke the world into existence through powerful, purposeful words. From the beginning, God reveals himself not as a distant deity, but as one who addresses his creatures.
God addresses his creatures.
This pattern is consistent in how God relates to humanity. In Genesis 1-2, God created a perfect and good world. On the sixth day, he created humanity in his own image and likeness. Creation reveals God’s nature beautifully, yet God also spoke directly to humanity.
In Genesis 1:26, he instructs them to fill the earth and subdue it. In Genesis 2, God commands them not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. From the very beginning, we see that God speaks clearly to those he’s made. His word is neither vague nor uncertain.
Progressive Revelation in Scripture
In the Old Testament, God continued to speak in many ways. He spoke to Abraham, calling him from his homeland in Ur and establishing a covenant with him. That covenant became foundational in shaping the history of redemption. God also spoke to Moses, giving laws, commandments, and statutes to guide Israel’s worship and social life. Through Moses, the prophetic pattern was established, and God continued to speak through the prophets. He raised prophets such as Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel, through whom he pronounced messages of warning, judgment, and comfort. God also communicated through visions, dreams, signs, and angelic messengers.
They pointed forward.
Each of these revelations was true. But they were also partial. They pointed forward to a greater and fuller revelation yet to come.
Climactic Revelation in Christ
The climax of God’s revelation is the incarnation. God has spoken ultimately and finally through his Son, Jesus Christ. Unlike the prophets, who were only messengers, Jesus Christ is the heir of all things. He is the radiance of God’s glory. No passage summarises this better than the opening lines of Hebrews. “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world” (Hebrews 1:1-2). God’s speech has reached its final expression in Jesus Christ.
This revelation is superior because the Son is superior.
The prophets declared, “Thus says the Lord.” But Jesus speaks as that Lord and God himself. Hebrews explains that in former times God spoke through prophets, visions, the Law and signs. But now he has spoken through his Son. This revelation is superior because the Son is superior. Jesus isn’t simply another messenger; he is both the messenger and the message. The revelation of God isn’t only something Jesus brings. It is also something he embodies.
Hebrews speaks about Jesus’ superiority over everything. Moses. The priesthood. Prophets. Even angels (Hebrews 1:3-4). They worship him (Hebrews 1:6). They serve God’s people (Hebrews 1:14). To focus on any of those but Christ himself is a grave theological error; it could be failing to hear God’s gospel (Hebrews 2:1-4).
God the Word Made Flesh
John’s Gospel expresses the above truth beautifully. We read that Jesus is the Word made flesh (John 1:14). “In the beginning was the Word” (John 1:1), deliberately echoes Genesis 1:1. Jesus is the eternal Son of God. He is the Word through whom all things were made. Jesus is God revealed in visible and tangible form.
In Jesus Christ we have a reliable and sufficient revelation.
John 1:18 goes on to emphasise that no one has seen God, but the Son has made him known. The Greek verb translated “made him known” is ἐξηγήσατο, a word that carries the idea of explaining or interpreting something fully. The Word of God exegetes God. He explains. Jesus perfectly reveals the Father to us. The eternal Word of God fully discloses God to us. Jesus personally interprets and reveals the invisible God. Through his incarnation, life, teachings, miracles, death, resurrection and ascension, the divine nature is fully displayed. In Jesus Christ, then, we have a reliable, sufficient, and ultimate revelation that completes the progressive revelation begun in the Old Testament.
Consider John 5:39. Jesus tells the Pharisees that the scriptures testify to him. Thus, the Bible is not a collection of disconnected ancient writings; it is a unified testimony centred on Christ. The Old Testament points forward to him, finding its climax in Christ.
Christ: The Full and Final Revelation
If Jesus is the final revelation of God, the one who makes God known, we should tolerate no rival or supplementary revelation. We need nothing beside him. We don’t need to get beyond him. Jesus is not another messenger among many. He is the ultimate and decisive Word. Jesus is the centre of God’s revelation. Through him, God doesn’t merely give further instructions, laws, or prophecies; through Christ’s person and work, God fully reveals himself. In the Son, we possess the final revelation of God and therefore lack nothing.
The essential revelation of who God is has been fully given in Jesus Christ.
This revelation is seen not only in what Christ says but also in what he does. In the incarnation, Jesus was made like us in every way, sharing in suffering and obedience, yet without sin. This demonstrates God’s willingness to enter human suffering in order to redeem fallen humanity. He lived in a world marred by sin and yet remained sinless, revealing the true righteousness of God. His sacrificial death accomplished the once-for-all atonement that surpasses the repeated sacrifices of the old covenant. His resurrection and exaltation reveal the Son’s eternal priesthood and kingship. Seriously, you can read all about this in Hebrews.
Messenger, Message and Messiah
In Christ, God’s self-disclosure is complete and decisive. This doesn’t mean that we cease to grow in our understanding of God. Nor does it mean that the Spirit stops illuminating our hearts and minds, teaching us through scripture. Rather, it means that the essential revelation of who God is and how he saves has been fully given in Jesus Christ. All subsequent teaching, reflection, and proclamation derive their authority from him and are measured against his person and work.
Jesus doesn’t simply proclaim good news. He is the good news.
Because God has spoken finally in his Son, we are not left ignorant or uncertain about who he is. In Christ, God reveals himself as a Father who: seeks the lost; welcomes those who repent and believe; and calls his people to a transformed life. Such a revelation demands a response: faith, obedience, and worship. Jesus doesn’t simply proclaim good news. He is the good news.
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