“and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.”” – Matthew 17:5

Scripture reading: Deuteronomy 18:15-22

Jesus is, as Peter confessed, the Christ of God (Luke 9:20). Christ means anointed and He fulfills the three Old Testament offices of prophet, priest, and king that required being anointed with oil upon entering the office.

Moses was the great Old Testament prophet of God. He spoke to the people of God on God’s behalf because they were terrified of the voice of the Lord. Moses was God’s spokesman. God said He would put His words in Moses’s mouth and Moses would speak them to the people. To reject the voice of Moses was to reject the voice of God.

God promised that one day He would raise up for His people a prophet like Moses. He fulfilled the promise in Jesus, the Anointed. Jesus did miracles to authenticate His preaching just as Moses was able to do powerful signs to verify the legitimacy of his ministry (Exodus 4:1-9, 28-31). In fact, when Jesus raised the widow of Nain’s son the people exclaimed, “A great prophet has arisen amongst us!” (Luke 7:16).

As the Prophet of God, Jesus speaks words of eternal life (John 6:68). As the Word of God Himself, He came to make God known (John 1:18). As our Lord Jesus stood on the Mount of Transfiguration with two great Old Testament prophets, Moses and Elijah, the voice of the Father sounded from heaven commanding us to listen to the Lord Jesus. If we do not honour the Son, we do not honour the Father who sent Him (John 5:23).

Suggestions for prayer

Ask the Lord to give us hearing ears and a submissive heart so that we may honour the Father by honouring the Lord Jesus, our Prophet.

Rev. John van Eyk began his ministry in Cambridge, Ontario as a Church Planter and Minister of the Riverside Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church. After 13 years there, he served almost 10 years in the Tain/Fearn congregation of the Associated Presbyterian Churches in the Scottish Highlands. John has served as Senior Pastor of Trinity Reformed Church (United Reformed) in Lethbridge, Alberta since 2017. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. It is also available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com.