The Father's Last Audible
Command to Earth
“While he was still speaking [Peter], a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, ‘This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased Listen to him!’ Matt 17:5.
Peter’s is Interrupted by God
While Peter was still talking, about his idea of building “three shelters” (John 17:4), to commemorate Jesus talking to Moses and Elijah. God interrupted Peter to show him where his attention and loyalty should lie—on the Son of God, not on Moses or Elijah. They stood for the Old Testament witness given to Jesus.
This is the last audible commandment from God the Father, in authority of more importance than the giving of the Law on Mt. Sinai. The first audible commands of God were written on “tablets of stone.” This audible command from God, is to be written on “tablets of human hearts” (2 Cor 3:3).
God Himself is telling the world what he wants us to do—Listen to His Son. “For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval” (John 6:27). To listen to Jesus, became the theme of the New Testament, Moses, and Elijah, only carried weight as they witness about Christ. “For Moses said,” said Peter, “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you must listen to everything he tells you. Anyone who does not listen to him will be completely cut off from their people” (Acts 3:22,23).
To Listen is God Command
The Greek word for listen is akouó, meaning “to hear, to listen and to understand.” This is the second audible commandment of God to us, during the life of Jesus.
This command carries the salvation of the world for “Christ is the culmination of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes” (Rom 10:4). Christ is the fulfillment and embodiment of the Law. For the Law demands a righteousness, Christ provides for the sinner righteousness that exceeds the demands of the Law, as the Son of God is more complete then just ten commands.
Before Christ, the Law provided righteousness if you obeyed the law, “if we are careful to obey all this law before the Lord our God, as he has commanded us, that will be our righteousness” (Deut 6:25). Now after Christ, righteousness comes by faith in Christ, “This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile” (Rom 3:22).
There is a new kind of work we are to be doing. Jesus said, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent” (John 6:29). For today we “know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So, we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified” (Gal 2:16). To be justified is to be forgiven, on account of the atoning blood of the cross of Christ, all our sins are completely forgiven by grace, through faith.
On Last Commandment
God spoke three out loud to the earth, three in the New Testament. First time at the baptism
“As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased” (Matt 3:16-17; Mark 1:11; Luke 3:22)
The second time when Jesus’ “face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus” (Matt 17:2,3). Followed by the audible words of God, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!” (Matt 17:5).
Twice God said that he loved his Son. Thus, to be in the channel of God’s love, we should also love His Son. This is a very clear picture of the character of God, that he wholeheartedly loves is Son, thus when by faith in God’s son we are in the channel of all of God’s love. What more could we wish for?
The teachings of Jesus are not that of just a human man. Jesus said if “These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me” (John 14:24). This cannot be said of any person, not Moses, not Elijah, not Samuel, not King David or Solomon. Nobody but Jesus Christ the Son of God can claim that his words are from God the Father.
The last Audible Voice of God to be heard on earth
Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem, for the last few days on earth of his life. Philip brought a group of Greeks who said, “Sir, we would like to see Jesus” (John 12:20).
There was, as usual, a crowd around Jesus as a group of Greek’s approached him. Jesus was very transparent about the time of trouble facing him, in a few hours. He is deeply distressed, there was turmoil on his face, and he said out loud, “Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name!”
All the sudden, “a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.” The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him” Jesus said, “This voice was for your benefit, not mine.” (John 12:27,28).
Apparently, some in the crowd did not understand, but the disciples did and have left the record for us. The point is, God will bring honor to Jesus. God has brought Him honor; He has accepted the atonement for sins of the entire world through the life and death of His Son. Today Jesus is the most recognizable name in human history. He is honored by millions and millions, apart from one another scattered all over the world. Millions honor Him, every second of the day. Who among a good man or woman can claim such a lasting record, of devotion and love?
Angels Speak to the World
In the book of Revelation and Angel flies in heaven having “the everlasting gospel…saying with a loud voice, “Fear God and give glory to Him…” (Rev 14:6,7). God is speaking to our world, proud of its accomplishments in technology, science, astronomy, and medicine. If ever there was a society that could boast over all other generations, it is today. God would have our minds turned to Jesus, His Son, to give him honor and glory, instead of ourselves.
Build on the Words of Jesus
Jesus cites a parable of two houses, one on the sand and the other on the rock, Jesus’ emphasizes the importance of listening to His word. “Therefore, everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock” (Matt 7:24)
The Last Commandment
God has added one last commandment to the earth: What is it? It is to listen to and keep the teachings of Jesus, His son. We are told to “let the word of Christ dwell in you richly” (Col 3:16). Paul tells us that through Christ we have access to God the Father, “according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him” (Eph 3:11,12). Our access to God is made available by our continued focus on Jesus, called “the gospel of Christ” (Phil 1:27).
So seriously are we to listen to God’s son, a failure to do so, is death. Paul says, “When the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might” (2 Thess 1:7-9).
Written by: Brothers & Sisters in Scripture Fellowship
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