Advent Reading: Hebrews 1:1-2

God Has Spoken | Complaining that God is silent with us is like standing at the bottom of the 59th Street Subway Station and saying that New York has no Christmas decorations. Just because the lights and trees can’t be seen from there doesn’t mean they don’t exist. Likewise, God is not silent. He has spoken: “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 to us by his Son” [1].

Through the Prophets | In the past, God usually communicated with His people as a whole by inspiring prophets to speak His Word. Rather than writing His Word in the sky or using a megaphone to shout it from the hills, He inspired human spokesmen to communicate His Word to our fathers. Thus, when the Israelites heard the prophets, they heard God Himself – not man.

Many Times and Many Ways | And He was lavish in how He communicated. He didn’t speak at one time or in one way. Instead, He spoke at many times and in many ways because He wanted to give His people many opportunities to hear Him. He didn’t want to leave them discouraged if they had trouble understanding Him at any one time or in any one way. Thus, as we have seen this advent season, God told Israel about the Messiah through the family, the priesthood, the throne and the prophets [2].

By His Son | Then, by sending His Son, God decisively showed how eager He was to speak with His people. This latest communication was greater than all prior times and ways because Jesus is “the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature” [3]. As heir of all things and co-creator of the universe [4], Jesus will make good on all his promises – even the promise to have final victory over sin and death and everything that threatens to rob us of our joy in God.

Prayer | Lord, When we think that you are silent, remind us that the birth of Jesus is incontrovertible evidence that you have spoken. Today, as we prepare for Christmas, open our hearts to know that you still speak by him, as we meditate on his person and teaching and work. Cause us to put our hope in him, the one who will make good on his promise to come again. Amen.

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What are the non-advent readings for today? Hosea 9-11.

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Footnotes

[1] Heb. 1:1-2 ESV  |  [2] During the first week of advent, we saw that the Messiah would come from a family (see He Would Be a Descendant of Abraham, He Would Be a Descendant of Jacob, He Would Be Born of a Virgin, His Own People Would Reject Him). As the New Testament authors would later explain, these familial aspects pointed to the fact that God was making a people for Himself that would be a family – where Jesus himself would be the elder brother (see, e.g., Hebrews 2:5-18). During the second week of advent, we saw that the Messiah would come from a priesthood (see He Would Be Greater than the Temple, He Would Be Crucified, He Would Be an Atoning Sacrifice, He Would Give Us New Hearts, He Would Have a Price). As the New Testament authors would later explain, these priestly aspects pointed to the fact that Jesus would offer himself as the ultimate Passover lamb and that he himself would be the final High Priest that would make atonement for the sins of his people. During the third week of advent, we saw that the Messiah would come from a throne (see A King in the Line of David, A King Greater than Solomon, A King Born in Bethlehem, A King Riding on a Donkey, A King Who Chose Poverty). As the New Testament authors would later explain, these kingly aspects pointed to the fact that the Messiah would be the ultimate and final king on the throne over all time and the entire universe.  |  [3] Heb. 1:3 ESV  |  [4] See Hebrews 1 (noting that Jesus is the Son of God and, therefore, God Himself because divinity begets divinity and noting that his being heir of all things means that all things will be at his disposal at the end of the age).