“God has a big voice and has lots to say. If he can speak into existence the whole of creation, then his words have immense power. But God is reserved and measured in his words. He doesn’t talk just to hear himself.

“God speaks in a calculated manner. God could thunder from heaven, warning people, chastising sinners, and instilling fear, but he doesn’t. God is like a gentleman, reserved in speech and conduct. He wants us to know him and come to a knowledge of the truth, but he doesn’t shout or coerce us.

“When God speaks to individuals, it’s usually through visions and dreams. When he speaks to groups, it’s typically through prophets who relay his word. A prophet is someone who speaks God’s word.

“The ultimate Word of God is his Son. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. . . . And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:1, 14). The Letter to the Hebrews informs us, “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” (1:1-2).

”Understanding the power of God’s word and his discriminating use of it, let’s discuss the three times in the Gospels when God speaks audibly from heaven and is heard by everyone nearby. Knowing how rare his audible voice is, we see the importance of these announcements, all of which were significant concerning his incarnate Son.

”In the Old Testament, God appointed three special offices: prophet, priest, and king. The prophet spoke God’s word, the priest officiated in the Temple, and the king ruled the people under God’s law. These offices foreshadowed the ultimate “Coming One” who would fulfill them, not as flawed humans, but as God himself with divine perfection. Everyone knew that the Messiah would be the ultimate prophet, priest, and king. Jesus fulfilled these roles, and God announced it from heaven.

”Let’s examine each office individually and chronologically, from the beginning of Jesus’ ministry to the end. His ministry is bookended by verbal announcements, with the middle one at a high point. Although each gospel doesn’t mention all three offices individually, we find them in all four…”

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