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Day 3: GOD SPEAKS

Everything around us in this simultaneously beautiful and horrifying world proclaims the glory of God. In form and function, everything reveals his power and divine nature. This world and the creatures who inhabit it are no happy accident. The universe is not the coincidental confluence of time and chance. It is a glorious sight to behold. It is an intentional work of its Creator, whose fingerprints can be seen throughout.

But as much as this world is a testament to the existence of its Creator, it doesn’t tell us everything about God. Or, more accurately, it doesn’t tell us everything he wants us to know about him.

God’s general revelation shows us enough to know that he is real, that he is here, and that he is good. It unveils that he is far above us, yet still involved in this world. It leaves us without excuse for failing to honor and worship him (Romans 1:19‑20)—because truly, who or what else could be so worthy? And it reveals enough to condemn us as fools if we say there is no God (Psalm 14:1; Romans 2).

But for humans to know everything God wants us to know about him—and for us to truly know him—he doesn’t leave us to figure it out on our own. God doesn’t leave us guessing. Like you may have done during kindergarten show‑and‑tell time, he shares. He tells us about himself. He tells us specifically in a revelation of a different sort. A special revelation that helps us to know God in a personal sense. This special revelation takes two forms—one a person, the other a collection of writings—both sharing the same name or title: the Word of God.

JESUS, THE WORD OF GOD

John’s Gospel introduces us to the Word, one who was “in the beginning” with God and who was God (John 1:1 NIV). Everything was made through the Word, and not one thing was created apart from him. This Word came into the world and dwelt among us; he took on human form and became known to us as the man Jesus Christ (John 1:2‑4; 14). Jesus was and is “the radiance of God’s glory and the exact expression of his nature” (Hebrews 1:3 CSB). He is God’s special revelation to us. To know Jesus is to know God the Father; to see him is to see God the Father (John 14:8‑9).

THE BIBLE, THE WORD OF GOD

God’s special revelation is the Word—Jesus Christ. But God’s special revelation is also the Word that was spoken through and written down by prophets and apostles (2 Peter 3:2). This is a Word we can read today: the Bible. The Bible reveals God’s nature and character. It tells us of God’s will for us and his purpose for the world. It demonstrates his extravagant love for us as he came into the world to rescue and redeem humanity and all of creation. The Bible is God’s special revelation to us.

Jesus, the eternal Son of God, the Word of God—a divine Person upon whom our faith rests. The Bible, the living and active Word of God (Hebrews 4:12)—a book in which we can discover what God is saying to us right now, if we have eyes to see and ears to hear. Both reveal all we need to know about God in order to love, honor, and obey him every day.