READING: Hosea 4-6, Psalm 58, Matthew 17
They’re just a few words, but they mean much. Indeed, they mean much because God the Father first spoke them. Jesus had taken three of His disciples to the mountain to pray, and there He was gloriously changed. There, the Father also spoke from the clouds, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased. Listen to him!” (Matt 17:5). Not surprisingly, the disciples fell on their faces in fear.
They’re just a few words, but they’re packed with magnificent truth. Jesus was God’s Son – not just another rabbi or teacher in the land of Israel. He wasn’t a sinful charlatan evangelist trying to build his own earthly kingdom. He was the Word come in flesh, loved by the Father and fully obedient to His task. In fact, the Father was “well-pleased” with His Son. Tempted like we are yet without sin (Heb 4:15), Jesus never brought disappointment to the Father.
They’re just a few words, but they guide us even today. The Father said to Jesus’ disciples, “Listen to Him!” They were to listen to Him because He was God’s Son. He was greater than Moses and Elijah; He was, in fact, the fulfillment of all they had written. The only proper response of the disciples was to pay attention to what Jesus said.
That’s not different for us. Jesus is still God’s beloved Son. The Father is still pleased with Him. And, we must still listen to Him. What is He teaching you today through His Word and His Spirit that you must hear?
PRAYER: “God, give me listening ears today.”
TOMORROW’S READING: Hosea 7-10, Matthew 18