Listen to Him

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The Gospel according to Luke Jesus: The Human Tabernacle of God (9:28–36)

Second, Jesus is designated the “chosen” Son (v. 35) rather than the “beloved” Son, as he was at his baptism (3:22).75 The word for “chosen” Gk. eklegesthai), used with reference to the divine appointment of the twelve apostles (6:13), here in the Greek perfect form, signifies that Jesus has been divinely chosen beforehand as Messiah of God (v. 20; 23:35) to fulfill the office of the chosen Servant of the Lord (Isa 42:1). Finally, the command “listen to him” (v. 35; Gk. autou akouete) recalls Deut 18:15, “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me.… You must listen to him [Gk. autou akouesthe].” The divine declaration thus ratifies the earlier word of Jesus in response to Peter’s confession that the Messiah—and the disciples in following the Messiah—must suffer (vv. 20, 22).76 Christology leads to discipleship, and discipleship flows from Christology. “Listen to him” not only designates Jesus as the prophet who would follow Moses, but also as the Son who must suffer, and who calls disciples to share his suffering.77 The disciples have not come—indeed they cannot come—to the recognition of Jesus as God’s chosen Messiah on their own (so Matt 16:17; 2 Pet 1:17–18). Only the Father can impart the mystery of Jesus’ divine sonship to believers.

Luke 3:22 ESV

22 and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”

isa 42.1

(ESV)

1 Listen to me in silence, O coastlands; let the peoples renew their strength; let them approach, then let them speak; let us together draw near for judgment.

Isaiah 42:1 ESV

1 Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations.

Luke 6:13 ESV

13 And when day came, he called his disciples and chose from them twelve, whom he named apostles:

Luke 9:20 ESV

20 Then he said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” And Peter answered, “The Christ of God.”

Luke 23:35 ESV

35 And the people stood by, watching, but the rulers scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, his Chosen One!”

2 Peter 1:17–18 ESV

17 For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,” 18 we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain.

Echoes of Exodus: Tracing a Biblical Motif Introduction

What is the exodus motif? The following pages will demonstrate that the exodus motif is a much bigger concept than merely the liberation of the Hebrews from the oppressive iron furnace of the Egyptians. It is about God’s crafting a people for himself by bringing them to the very abode of his presence at Mount Sinai. Yet there is more. Just as there was an anticipated goal at the beginning of creation in the Garden of Eden, so also there is an anticipated goal for Israel. The deliverance from Egypt did not stop at Sinai, where God meets with his people. The deliverance was intended to include the Promised Land. In the immediate context of the Hebrew Bible, this means the land of Canaan. However, the final goal of the exodus deliverance and salvation itself includes something greater than the Promised Land. It is nothing less than the grandest gift imaginable: heaven itself, which I will refer to as “the world-to-come” in this book.4 Mishnaic Hebrew came to express the world in the future as ʿôlām habāʾ (world-to-come). This Hebrew construction is often used to contrast “world” in an eschatological context with the present world (ʿôlām hazzeh). This is where the exodus motif finds it fulfillment, in the world-to-come (cf. Rev 21:3).5

Deuteronomy 18.15 (ESV)

Deuteronomy 18:15 ESV

15 “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers—it is to him you shall listen—

Acts 3:17–26 ESV

17 “And now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers. 18 But what God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that his Christ would suffer, he thus fulfilled. 19 Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, 20 that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, 21 whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago. 22 Moses said, ‘The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brothers. You shall listen to him in whatever he tells you. 23 And it shall be that every soul who does not listen to that prophet shall be destroyed from the people.’ 24 And all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and those who came after him, also proclaimed these days. 25 You are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant that God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘And in your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed.’ 26 God, having raised up his servant, sent him to you first, to bless you by turning every one of you from your wickedness.”

Hebrews 1:1–4 ESV

1 Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. 3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4 having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.

Matthew 3:16–17 ESV

16 And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; 17 and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”

Isaiah 42:1–4 ESV

1 Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations. 2 He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street; 3 a bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice. 4 He will not grow faint or be discouraged till he has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands wait for his law.