Hearing God in Jesus

'…The Emmaus road story is, pre-eminently, a model of prayer… In fewer than twenty verses the Lord communicates in at least five different ways: conversationally ‘as they talked and discussed these things with each other’; exegetically when he explained ‘all the Scriptures concerning himself’; sacramentally when he ‘took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them’; prophetically when ‘their eyes were opened’; and inwardly when he spoke directly to their hearts, which were ‘burning . . . while he talked’.

This is not an exhaustive list of all the ways in which God speaks (no dreams here, no angelic visitations, no talking donkeys, and so on), but it certainly provides a broad enough basis for a thorough exploration of the theme. It also resonates deeply with our own Christian experience. The simple fact of the matter is that for every person who encounters Christ dramatically on the Damascus road, hundreds more meet him slowly and quietly, incognito on the Emmaus road, through friendship, Scripture and conversation.

I said that God speaks in five ways through these twenty verses, but the list is incomplete without its most important component. The ultimate way in which God communicates in this story is not through the Bible… nor through the breaking of bread… nor is it through ‘hearts burning within’… but rather it is through Jesus Christ himself. He is the pre-eminent and ultimate Word of God (John 1:1) who animates and defines every other word God may speak in our lives.’

‘On another occasion he makes it perfectly clear that it’s possible to ‘study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life,’ but then he adds, ‘These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life’ (John 5:39–40 NIV UK). Elsewhere, the writer of Hebrews makes a similar point: ‘In the past God spoke . . . at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son’ (Heb. 1:1–2, NIV UK, italics mine).

What this means is that hearing God begins and ends with meeting Jesus.'

Holy Spirit, today I’m asking for a fresh revelation. I want to meet Jesus - in every word I read and every conversation I have. Help me encounter Him again today.

Amen.