God has a big voice and has lots to say. If he can speak into existence the whole of creation, then his words have immense power. But God is reserved and measured in his words. He doesn’t talk just to hear himself.
God speaks in a calculated manner. God could thunder from heaven, warning people, chastising sinners, and instilling fear, but he doesn’t. God is like a gentleman, reserved in speech and conduct. He wants us to know him and come to a knowledge of the truth, but he doesn’t shout or coerce us.
When God speaks to individuals, it’s usually through visions and dreams. When he speaks to groups, it’s typically through prophets who relay his word. A prophet is someone who speaks God’s word.
The ultimate Word of God is his Son. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. . . . And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:1, 14). The Letter to the Hebrews informs us, “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son” (1:1-2).
Understanding the power of God’s word and his discriminating use of it, let’s discuss the three times in the Gospels when God speaks audibly from heaven and is heard by everyone nearby. Knowing how rare his audible voice is, we see the importance of these announcements, all of which were significant concerning his incarnate Son.
In the Old Testament, God appointed three special offices: prophet, priest, and king. The prophet spoke God’s word, the priest officiated in the Temple, and the king ruled the people under God’s law. These offices foreshadowed the ultimate “Coming One” who would fulfill them, not as flawed humans, but as God himself with divine perfection. Everyone knew that the Messiah would be the ultimate prophet, priest, and king. Jesus fulfilled these roles, and God announced it from heaven.
Let’s examine each office individually and chronologically, from the beginning of Jesus’ ministry to the end. His ministry is bookended by verbal announcements, with the middle one at a high point. Although each gospel doesn’t mention all three offices individually, we find them in all four.
Voice One: Baptism of Our Lord and His Priesthood
At the baptism of our Lord, Matthew, Mark, and Luke narrate that Jesus, accompanied by numerous others, approached John the Baptist in the Jordan River. This location holds immense significance, as it was the place where Joshua led the children of Israel into the Promised Land. Notably, Elijah, the revered father of the prophets and the forerunner of John the Baptist, ascended to heaven and entrusted his mantle to Elisha.
John the Baptist was not an ordinary individual performing baptisms. He stands as the final prophet of the Old Testament, and his parents, Zechariah and Elizabeth, hailed from the esteemed lineage of Aaron, the High Priest. The Bible states, “In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, of the division of Abijah” (1 Chron. 24:1, 10). “And he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth” (Luke 1:5). Consequently, John was not only a prophet, but also descended from the hereditary bloodline of the High Priest.
Aaron, the first High Priest, was consecrated by Moses with the pouring of oil over his head (Exod. 29:7, Ps. 133:2). All subsequent high priests in the line of Aaron were anointed with oil poured over their heads (Lev. 21:10). After John baptized Jesus, Mark’s Gospel informs us, “He saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove” (1:10). In the context of John’s baptism, this event is interpreted by Peter, who says, “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power” (Acts 10:38). A high priest’s ordination began with washing (Exod. 29:4) and then anointing (v. 7). The Holy Spirit is often represented by oil, even to the point of oil becoming synonymous with the Holy Spirit (CCC 695).
What occurred at the Jordan River? Who better to anoint Jesus than John, the prophet and priest?
At this juncture, we witness the involvement of the entire Trinity. Jesus steps out of the water, the Holy Spirit descends upon him, and the voice of the Father audibly confirms this anointing. “And a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased’” (Mark 1:11). This marks the public inauguration of Jesus as the Messiah, meaning “anointed one.” It serves also as an announcement of Christ’s kingship and also significantly applies to his priesthood. Christ did not become a priest at his baptism; rather, he began to exercise his priesthood. Jesus functions as a priest, ordained to carry out God’s priestly work of salvation. God made his approval known audibly above the muddy waters of the Jordan River.
Voice Two: Transfiguration of Our Lord and His Office as Prophet
Matthew, Mark, and Luke recount this remarkable manifestation of Jesus’ divinity. They also reveal him as the ultimate prophet, the New Moses, who will not only reinterpret the Law of God, but will himself be the Word of God. The parallels between Mount Sinai and Mount Tabor, the site of the Transfiguration, are striking—a mountain, a cloud, shining faces, the voice of God, and much more.
I want to emphasize one aspect of these two events. In the wilderness, God spoke to the people through Moses, saying, “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” (Deut. 18:15). This will not be just one of many prophets; this will be the definitive prophet. In the next few verses, God declares that he will put his words in his mouth. The command is clear: when this prophet, like Moses, appears and speaks God’s word, it is imperative—“you shall listen to him.”
At the Transfiguration, we hear the same words from God again: “And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, ‘This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him!’” (Luke 9:35). At this new mountain, God announces that his Son is the prophet that he had promised over a millennium earlier. Jesus functions as the ultimate prophet, ordained to definitively proclaim the word of the Lord. God made his approval of Jesus as the prophet audibly known on the mountain in Galilee.
Voice Three: Kingship Revealed in Jerusalem Prior to the Passion
John 12 relates unmistakably to Jesus as king. He is heralded as king with his triumphal entry into Jerusalem, like King Solomon at his coronation, which had occurred a thousand years earlier on his father David’s mule (1 Kings 1:43-46; John 12:14). Jesus is anointed with the expensive ointment nard, reminiscent of King Solomon (John 12:3, Song 1:12).
In verse 12, Jesus employs language of ruling and exaltation, declaring, “When I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all people to myself.” The Catechism explains that Jesus exercises his kingship by drawing all men to himself through his death and resurrection (786). St. Irenaeus describes the cross as “his government, which is a sign of His reign.”
When Jesus says, “Father, glorify your name,” he uses royal language. Such terms held significant importance in biblical times, representing what was owed to Caesar. For Jews, they glorified God as their king. When Jesus uttered these words, God confirmed his assertions: “Then a voice came from heaven: ‘I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again’” (John 12:28).
This glory is shared by Jesus with his Father. In John 13:31, Jesus declares, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him.” He announces his victory, stating, “Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out” (John 12:31). And who is the ultimate ruler, the glorified king? Jesus himself. He is glorified and brings glory to his Father.
The third time God speaks from heaven, in the context of Jesus the king, he affirms his Son’s royal appointment and glorification.
Therefore, Jesus fulfills all the offices of the Old Covenant: prophet, priest, and king. God’s voice from heaven these three times affirms his Son’s priestly mission, prophetic word, and kingly rule.