O Come True Prophet of the Lord
Notes
Transcript
If you are able, please stand for the reading of Scripture. Today we are reading from Hebrews 1:1-3
Long ago God spoke to our ancestors by the prophets at different times and in different ways. In these last days, he has spoken to us by his Son. God has appointed him heir of all things and made the universe through him. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact expression of his nature, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.
Would you pray with me?
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Please be seated.
One of the most divisive words in the religious sphere is the title Prophet. What is a prophet? What does a prophet do? How do we know if a prophet is real? Is it demeaning to call Jesus a prophet?
All of these things come up.
For Muslims, they consider Jesus a prophet - the last prophet from Israel, and was called son of God only in a figurative metaphorical sense. And so there is an element that they are using the title Prophet for Jesus to demeaning or rob Jesus of his messianic and divine titles.
So it can be normal when we hear people calling Jesus a prophet for us to immediately want to say: “Yeah but not JUST a prophet! Jesus is God, he’s the savior he’s the Lord!”
But out of just the apologetic debates between Christianity and Islam - the word prophet comes with just a slew of baggage and can be confusing, disorienting.
I mean with the rise of the internet it feels like there are more people claiming to be a prophet than ever before. And these people seem to be just fleecing the people of God for their own financial gain or influential gain. Lots of prosperity Gospel false teachers also shockingly claim to be prophets.
Or you have people who hardcore fear monger and hyper preper kinds, who always claim prophetic “I heard from God and” to sell more emergency food or get people to vote a certain way.
There have been at times in different traditions, professional “prophets” who come to youth groups and proclaim some vague platitudes over different young people. They play on generalities with platitudes like: “I sense someone in here is going through a really hard time.” Well, no duh! but they are able to move there way into places of spiritual authority based on falseness rather than appointment of the Holy Spirit. And they can cause ALL SORTS of harm.
Or even more common nowadays are those who conflate being emotionally intuitive with being prophetic! People who “lean into the prophetic” which just means they try to intuit what they are supposed to do by reading the room. I mean that’s wise - but I don’t think that’s prophetic!
Or, one that I ran into a lot in college, is people who would use the Holy Spirit or the Prophetic as an excuse for their lack of preparation or hard work. They don’t want to “stifle the Holy Spirit” so they don’t do the hard work in advance. Nah, that’s justifying procrastination with a spiritual veneer.
All that just to say that the word Prophet is divisive. And it’s that way even in Scripture. I mean you had Godly prophets in the old testament and they lived pretty unhinged lifestyles. I mean Elisha literally called a she-bear onto children to maul them. Prophet of the Lord.
You had prophets heal the sick, and do miracles, and in prayer stop the rain, and declare judgement and cry for repentance.
You also had a SLEW of false prophets or prophets to false Gods. And God detests them, and told the israelites that these false prophets were to be put to death! (and yet today we typically just subscribe to their youtube channels).
So what are we to do with Prophets? And is it right to call Jesus the True Prophet? In what way is he a prophet? And what does that mean for us today?
We continue our advent Series with the next stanza from O Come Emmanuel:
O come O come true prophet of the Lord; And turn the key to heaven's door; Be Thou our comforter and guide; And lead us to the Father’s side
Full disclosure - we often neglect the idea of Jesus being the true prophet of the Lord much to our detriment. While we may not often refer to him this way, by treating his words as the words of a prophet spoken to us can carry significant weight when we consider the entire biblical narrative.
For there is a crazy and profound truth in Christian thought, and that is God has always been involved and speaking in creation.
Let’s look at our scripture this morning. Hebrews 1:1
Long ago God spoke to our ancestors by the prophets at different times and in different ways.
The author of the Hebrews opens his work but proclaiming the biblical truth that long ago God spoke through the prophets throughout different times, and in different ways.
I mentioned earlier - some of the prophets communicated in bizarre ways. From Hosea marrying a prostitute, to in Isaiah 20, the prophet prophesying scantily clad. From object lessons from Nathan about King David, to angry Samuel on king Saul.
But God has been speaking.
Think of how the Biblical Narrative begins in Genesis. God creates by his word. God speaks and creation responds and comes into being.
We do not serve some distant silent God. In fact, I think God is communicating to us much more than we would believe through thousands of ways.
We get hung up on prophecy for many reasons - but partly because we always assume that prophecy is always future prediction. Now, there is a predictive element to certain prophetic moments - but if you read through the prophets in the old testament - their message has less to do with the future and more about God’s word and will being made plain to the people. Warnings of judgement. Truth cutting through the noise. It is God SPEAKING through humans into current situations.
Look now, Hebrews continues - verse 2
In these last days, he has spoken to us by his Son. God has appointed him heir of all things and made the universe through him.
In these last days - a phrase that isn’t just saying recently, but for the Christian faith with Jesus arrival, ministry, life, death, and resurrection, we are in the final days before the consummation of all time. In these last days - the word of God has come by his Son.
God has spoken by his Son, just like he had through the prophets of Old. Make no mistake, when it comes to the official office and qualifications of a prophet - Jesus ticks all the boxes!
He was sent by God the Father with a direct call. He had many distinct messages from the Father - both about future events and ongoing realities. He had deep love for Gods people. There was an authority in Jesus - we see here in this passage, that permeated his whole ministry and message.
That is one of the reasons so many people flocked to hear Jesus talk: Matthew 7:29
because he was teaching them like one who had authority, and not like their scribes.
And those who spoke authoritatively about the work of God in a jewish perspective were Prophets. And they knew there were at times bad prophets - they had in the law rules to follow and ways to discern a Prophet of God and false prophet. But the crowds around Jesus really considered him a Rabbi and a Prophet.
When the people saw the sign he had done, they said, “This truly is the Prophet who is to come into the world.”
That’s even what they said at the end of his ministry: Matthew 21:11
The crowds were saying, “This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee.”
It’s obvious why the people around Jesus during his life would consider him a prophet. He seemed to speak for God, and he worked miracles, and carried himself with authority.
But as Hebrews says - it wasn’t just the words of Christ that made him a prophet - Christ himself IS the message of God. The Word of God. Hebrews 1:3
The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact expression of his nature, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.
Oh this is just so good - Jesus is the RADIANCE of God’s glory. You know when the sun is behind a cloud, and the beams of light pierce through and strike the earth. JEsus is that. The root of this word in greek can be translated dawn or daybreak - much like we talked about last week. Jesus here IS the tangible presence of God’s glory.
AND the exact expression of his nature. Think about this with me. This is a trinitarian worship moment here. God is ontologically unique, or we would say holy. there is NO ONE and NOTHING like him. He’s above and beyond and distinct from all things.
but Jesus is the EXACT EXPRESSION of God’s nature. Emmanuel, God with Us. The very Nature of God in exact precision radiating into flesh to dwell amongst us.
And he sustains all things by his powerful word. This is no ordinary prophet. This is a TRUE Prophet. He speaks the literal words of God for he IS the literal word of God. And it’s by his word that all things hold together and come to completion.
And after making purification for sins, which is a priestly role - we will talk about Jesus as priest later - he than sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on High.
This would make Jesus a prophet truly in two ways - He is prophetic in the words he speaks - and also in the way he lives. Both come to us and proclaim the Kingdom of God.
And while this is all just fuel for worship - i mean truly - This advent series has been hard to write, not because of studying issues, but because when I look at who JEsus is as revealed in scripture, I get so fired up and grateful to Christ. It’s appropriate for us to be motivated to worship!
But! If it’s true that Jesus is God, if it’s true that he’s the true prophet, we gotta ask the question - why aren’t we doing what he told us to do?
We get into Christmas season, and like good christians, we know that we need to celebrate the reason for the season, so we pray before meals and we set up nativity scenes - that’s all well and good.
But are we obeying God? Do we do what he says?
Or do we, in the words of James 1, just live in delusion and deception. James 1:22
But be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
So many people are happy to hear the words of Jesus - we love some of them and they make great hobby lobby mugs.
“Do unto others as you would have others do unto you” so good - every kindergarten class ought to have that on their walls, right?
But what about what Jesus actually commanded us to do? What about these words of Jesus?
“If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, and even his own life—he cannot be my disciple.
Now we look at a passage at that, and we just don’t know what to do with it, so we chalk it up to hyperbole, surely Jesus isn’t being serious, and we move on, right?
Or what about?
“You have heard that it was said, Do not commit adultery. But I tell you, everyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of the parts of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of the parts of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.
Surely he can’t be talking about us actually mutilating ourselves, sooo we just ignore it.
Cause Jesus wouldn’t have us actually change our lives to follow him, right? Like I can’t give up watching Game of Thrones just cause there is nudity and porn in it, right? I wouldn’t be able to dialogue with my friends if I’m not up to date on all the latest smut filled romance novels - so surely Jesus isn’t telling me to get ride of that, right?
And that’s just gross sin, none of us would ever do anything like that. No what’s much more midwestern is just pretending there is no problem even when there is. Like we don’t ever talk abot the issues, we just live in unforgiveness.
But then look at Matthew 18:21-22
Matthew 18:21–22 (CSB)
Then Peter approached him and asked, “Lord, how many times must I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? As many as seven times?” “I tell you, not as many as seven,” Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven.
But Jesus couldn’t mean my family member, right? Like they’re totally unforgivable. Surely that’s an exception.
So many people in our quote unquote christian culture want the outflows of life with christ, but don’t actually want to live the christ-life.
We love the nativity scene. We love the baby Jesus. Cute, mild. We can do that - but we struggle with JEsus as King and prophet. Cause what if he tells us that our lives need to change?
So we can go through life, adorned with all the Christmas festivities, claiming Jesus is our Savior - without ever actually bending the knee to JEsus.
There is a crazy passage in Matthew 7:13-23
“Enter through the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who go through it. How narrow is the gate and difficult the road that leads to life, and few find it.
“Be on your guard against false prophets who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravaging wolves. You’ll recognize them by their fruit. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes or figs from thistles? In the same way, every good tree produces good fruit, but a bad tree produces bad fruit. A good tree can’t produce bad fruit; neither can a bad tree produce good fruit. Every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So you’ll recognize them by their fruit.
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in your name, drive out demons in your name, and do many miracles in your name?’ Then I will announce to them, ‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you lawbreakers!’
I mean, if I can be honest - like that is hard stuff, right? But think about it - the world in its state, corrupted by sin is killing us. But what we often go to is wanting just a little bit of Jesus while still living in the world. Like I want to go to heaven when I die - but i also would love a super yacht on a private island, so Can’t I have both?
look at the stanza from O Come Emmanuel again:
O come O come true prophet of the Lord; And turn the key to heaven's door; Be Thou our comforter and guide; And lead us to the Father’s side
I love this stanza - because Jesus the true prophet of the Lord does lead us in the ways to heaven. He can comfort us and guide us and lead us to the Fathers side - but at some level that means we ought to follow him. It means we actually got ot LISTEN to what he says.
Repent of Sin. Love our neighbor. Give to the Poor. Serve others as if they were Christ. love your family, honor your father and mother. Yes - not to earn salvation - but because that’s what JEsus said to do, and it’s not just about a ticket to heaven, it’s about being born again into the new creature that will live in the new creation!
It’s not just christmas Carols and gifts - Jesus came to give us new life. Don’t you want it?
And he knew it wouldn’t be easy. I think of John 6. in John 6, he feeds the five thousand, and they claim that hes the true prophet because of the miracle. Now his discples and Jesus go across the sea to the others side, and the crowd followed. And jesus gets a bit frustrated. Because he knows what’s going on.
Jesus answered, “Truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate the loaves and were filled. Don’t work for the food that perishes but for the food that lasts for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set his seal of approval on him.”
Jesus knows that they’re really after the food. They want the Christmas party. Not necesarily the king. But they listen and engage. Look at verse 28, and JEsus response:
John 6:28–29 (CSB)
“What can we do to perform the works of God?” they asked. Jesus replied, “This is the work of God—that you believe in the one he has sent.”
Jesus goes - yall you can’t do the work of God, you jsut gotta believe in me! And they continue to question, asking for a sign. They even say they want more bread, just like the manna in the wilderness.
Jesus challenges them that it wasn’t moses who gave them bread - but it was God, and it’s that God given bread that gives life. and so they ask
Give us this bread, always.
And now, Jesus goes for the jugular.
“I am the bread of life,” Jesus told them. “No one who comes to me will ever be hungry, and no one who believes in me will ever be thirsty again. But as I told you, you’ve seen me, and yet you do not believe. Everyone the Father gives me will come to me, and the one who comes to me I will never cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me. This is the will of him who sent me: that I should lose none of those he has given me but should raise them up on the last day. For this is the will of my Father: that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him will have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”
Now the passage continues, and the jews get bent out of shape because jesus was saying that we need to eat his flesh as bread and drink his blood, and that it would be a sign that we are in Christ. And the result look
Therefore, when many of his disciples heard this, they said, “This teaching is hard. Who can accept it?”
They were ticked! To the point where people abandoned him, verse 66
From that moment many of his disciples turned back and no longer accompanied him.
They wanted the party, but not the hard. Not the truth. And so when things got tough, they leave.
Jesus now turns to the twelve: verse 67
So Jesus said to the Twelve, “You don’t want to go away too, do you?”
Now look at the response of Peter.
Simon Peter answered, “Lord, to whom will we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.”
This is honest. This is real. This is Peter saying - Look JEsus, we don’t really know what to do with that teaching. Like we don’t like it - but where else do we go? We know that YOU are the way to eternity. So we will follow you!
That’s the real stuff.
Jesus, as the true prophet is speaking the truth that leads to God, and he knows that it is divisive and many people will leave. But the response of the twelve here is the biblical response - we have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.
In other words - we live and act IN FAITH. FAith pushes us to obey and have action.
Okay… Let’s tie these threads together, let’s ask our question:
So What?
So What?
I think we miss Jesus prophetic office because we don’t want to hear the hard truth. We love sweet baby Jesus. The lamb that came to take away the sins of the world. All of that is good, and right.
But JEsus is the prophet, the king, the Lion of Judah. And we need to obey him.
It is not offensive to call JEsus a prophet - for he is. He is the true prophet. He is the radiance and is God. We can learn from his life and his teachings. But we need to actually DO what he says.
Which means we need to live in faith. We need to love each other. We need to sacrifice for others. We need to pray.
If we want to see the spiritual temperature of south eastern south dakota increased - if we want to see the kingdom come here on earth as it is in heaven, it means we need to hear the words of God spoken in the word of God, Jesus, and live that way.
And we will see crazy things happen. Man, we already have! People have been saved. People have been baptized. Lives have turned around here! as a result of the Spirits ministry and presence.
But we need to trust in the words of our Lord, and listen. And I don’t just mean listen with your ears, I mean listen with your heart.
So would this Christmas be a time where we receive Christ, as God in Flesh, as Dayspring, and as the True Prophet. Would we hear the words of Christ, and would we radically obey as he leads us to the fathers side. We LIVE in Faith. We do things and operate in ways that may not make sense in the eyes of the world because JESUS is our guide.
Would you stand with me?
