Jesus heard the voice of the Father infrequently, and only after passing the same trials we all face

While Jesus described that he felt as if the Father had forsaken him while on the cross, many people assume that, until then, he had a constant, unbroken, instant, verbal line of communication with the Father. It’s impossible to approach an accurate understanding of the suffering the Lord endured while holding to the incorrect idea that he had access to the Father that extended beyond what anyone has who is equally obedient to him.

There are exactly three times when the Father is recorded as speaking in an audible voice to Jesus.

At his baptism, a voice from heaven was heard to say: “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:17) Christians assume that this voice came only for the sake of John, whose mission was to testify of the identity of the Messiah, and that Jesus had heard the voice of the Father many times before, potentially even having regular and more involved interactions with him. But what if this was the first time Jesus heard the voice of the Father? What if, just like everyone else, the Lord had to strive to learn and live more like the Father for years before he heard his voice?

The next time the Lord is described as hearing the voice of the Father is at the Mount of Transfiguration (see Matthew 17:4-5). Just as at his baptism, the voice is directed towards a special audience—in this case, Peter, James, and John—further stressing the point that it was no light thing for anyone—including Jesus—to hear the audible voice of the Father.

The final time the voice of the Father is recorded is six days before the last passover, when Jesus explicitly says the voice did not come for him, but for those with him.¹ What if part of the Lord’s trial wasn’t getting to the point where he would hear the Father’s voice, but getting to the point where he would do the Father’s will without needing to? This theory is supported by the trial from Gethsemane to the cross, where Jesus “cried with a loud voice...My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” (Mark 15:34)

Any special privilege that made his life easier than ours would void his purpose of demonstrating the example of how each of us must live. As far as we know, Jesus never received the voice of the Father when he was lonely, when he was tired, when he was sad, when he was unmotivated, or when he struggled to believe in himself. He heard the voice of the Father when John needed to know who he was, when Peter, James, and Andrew needed to know who he was, and when his disciples needed to know who he was. If we want to follow the example of Jesus, we will not seek the voice of the Father—or any other manifestation of his power—to rob ourselves of the trial of faith, but only to increase the faith of others. God’s power does not exist for our convenience, but to further his own purpose.