Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son… (Hebrews 1:1-2)
When I was in seminary, we would have worship each day. The flow of the week meant we celebrated communion each Wednesday. The other days the worship liturgy would often be Morning Prayer.
One of the responses that I remember from those morning services comes from the text above. The leader would begin and the congregation would respond:
L: In many and various ways, God spoke to our ancestors of old through the prophets.
C: But now in these last days, God has spoken to us by the Son.
I love this passage. It is clear and simple. It reminds us that God has been in the speaking business for a long time and has used many ways to speak to God’s people through the ages. God isn’t a one and done God! But it also makes a claim on our lives as Christians that tells us that for us, the voice of Jesus is the voice we listen for.
Martin Luther liked to remind people that their baptism included a promise from Jesus to always be present. He also urged them to not take that for granted but to listen for his voice. The author of Hebrews has high respect for the work of Jesus and for Christ’s role in our lives. It is the core of his message to us – listen to Jesus and trust his work.
