Son of God became “one of us” to speak to us
Published 7:12 am Saturday, March 17, 2018
By K. Ray McDowell
Deuteronomy 18:18 (NLT)
18 I will raise up a prophet like you…I will put my words in his mouth, and he will tell the people everything I command him.
Moses assured the people of God that they would always have a messenger who would speak to them the things God wanted them to know. They asked for someone who could understand them – speak their language – identify with them – be one of them.
According to verse 17 God agreed they needed someone “like them” – “a brother” – to walk with them and show them the way to be close to God. Throughout their history God fulfilled His promise. He sent them prophet after prophet, sometimes they listened and sometimes they didn’t. When they didn’t life was harder for them, yet God kept sending His messengers because He loves people.
Finally, God sent the greatest “prophet” of all. His own Son – Jesus. Peter in Acts 3 and Stephen in Acts 7 both quote Moses’ words saying that Jesus was the ultimate fulfillment of the promise declared in Deuteronomy 18.
Jesus left the glory of Heaven and was born just like us. Jesus lived life in this world just like us. He experienced pain, lose, loneliness, grief, hunger, thirst, betrayal, sorrow, temptation, just like us. He understands us. He identifies with us. He came in “flesh and blood” like a “brother” according to Hebrews 2:12 to lead us.
The Divine Son of God became “one of us” to speak to us about the Father’s love and to show us the Father’s ways. Ours is but to listen and follow.
K. Ray McDowell is the Lead Pastor of First Church of the Nazarene in Orange Texas. To learn more about OFCN go to www.ofcnazarene.org or our Facebook page.
