Speaking in Son

God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son... - Hebrews 1:1-2 NASB

I've been rereading the entire epistle to the Hebrews over and over lately, in preparation for possibly writing a study guide for the book. The themes of the superiority of Christ and the New Covenant as pointed to in the types and shadows of the Old Covenant are so rich, I keep getting drawn back to them.

Tonight, though, I couldn't get past the opening two verses. The writer to the Hebrews starts his letter with a reminder of the revelation that God has given over time to His people. He refers to God in times past speaking to the Hebrew fathers through the mouths of prophets, and delivering His message progressively through many different stages of the history of the nation of Israel, and revealing His voice in diverse ways like dreams, visions, direct speech, even animals. A great reminder for us all that we have a God who is not silent, who has spoken clearly to His people as He has seen fit.

And the writer goes on to point to the culmination of Gods revelation in "these last days". There's a sense of finality in the wording used here, that God spoke long ago but now, as the ages are moving to a close, He has spoken to us fully and finally. And the form of that speech is in His Son, Jesus Christ. Literally, in Son or by Son.

This sounds odd to us in English. How can God speak "in Son" or "by Son"?  In reality we talk like this all the time. For example, when referring to using a foreign language, we might say that someone spoke to me "in Spanish." The means and mode and medium of communication was the Spanish language. Or that I received a message "by email". The message was delivered via the media and means of an email. Makes perfect sense. So apply that to God speaking to us in/by Son. What we see is that the means of God's revelation, the medium of His speech, and the mode of what He has spoken to us is Christ. Jesus, God's Son, is the language and also the content of His full and final revelation to His people. He didn't just speak to us through Jesus as a mouthpiece like He did with the prophets, who had to preface their words from God with "thus says the Lord." No, in contrast to that, Jesus is more than a spokesman. He's the language, the means, and the message, in one glorious revelation.

So what are the implications of this? First, I think it should inform how we view Christ. If we seek to understand the full revelation of God, His character, His purposes, His actions, His will and His grace and His justice, we must look to Christ. Not a made up Jesus, but the Jesus in which He's spoken to us. God's communication of His gracious gospel is wrapped up in the person and work of His gracious Son.

Second, we need look for no further word from God after He has spoken to us in Christ. What further revelation of God could possibly be needed after He has fully and finally revealed Himself to us in the second person of the triune Godhead? When we ask for more, or think some fresh new word or sign from God is needed, we in essence are treating God's speech to us in His Son as insufficient, not enough for us. God has spoken His Son to us, yet we arrogantly look for something more or something else.

We are surely still in these last days as the church and people of God in Christ. The last days will end when Christ returns and time is no more, all things are made new and right, and there will be no more need of God's revelation since we who know Him will be eternally with Him. But in the meanwhile, let's rest in the speech God has given in Son, and look to Him only for all we need.