Some Heard It Thunder

“‘Now is My soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save Me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour. Father, glorify Thy name.’ Then — came there a voice from Heaven, saying, ‘I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.’ The people therefore, that stood by, and heard it, said that it thundered: others said, ‘An angel spake to Him.'” -John 12:27-29 KJV

In the passage above, Jesus had entered into Jerusalem for the Feast of Passover, riding on the colt of a donkey while the people waved palm branches and shouted, “Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the LORD.'” During all the commotion, as people came around wanting to see this long awaited King take over His Kingdom, Jesus began to speak of His impending death and resurrection. In verse 27, Jesus began praying to the Father in what appears to have been this very brief tug-o-war over what He was about to endure. Ultimately, He said, ‘Father, glorify Your name’ and laid His own will down. At that moment, the Bible says a voice was heard from Heaven speaking to Him saying, ‘I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.’ The Bible says the people that were standing around and heard it said it thundered, while others thought perhaps an angel was speaking to Him. Clearly, Jesus had addressed the Father. So what happened? Jesus had this powerful encounter where the Father opened the Heavens and spoke to Him. It was the most epic moment in history up to that time and all the people heard was thunder. How is it that a powerful moment like that could happen and the people that were there in the midst of it could miss it?!

I believe part of the answer, if not all, lies in John 4:24. Jesus spoke to the woman at the well and said, “But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father — seeketh such to worship Him. GOD is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth.'” – John 4:23-24 KJV

After coming up out of the waters of His baptism by John (the Baptist), the Bible says the Holy Spirit descended on Jesus, who was near the age of 30. Shortly after that, we read how He came up out of the wilderness in the power of the Holy Spirit after being tempted by the devil. He lived a life set apart. He spent time with the Father, in prayer. He had cultivated a relationship with Him. Prior to the scene recorded by John, when the Heavens opened over Jesus, we see only glimpses of a much more subtle lifestyle. Very little is written about that time in His life. He would have had traditional studies of Torah and of the writings of the Prophets in His youth. He would have worshipped as any other Jew in His time would have. He would have learned the customs and the culture of His day. Some might argue that Jesus arrived here with His wisdom and knowledge already in tact but the Bible says in Hebrews 5:8, “Though He were a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered.” Luke’s writings record that, “Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with GOD and man.” He learned… and increased… just as we do.

Jesus, as a man, needed both to learn truth and also to be baptized with the Holy Spirit. How much more do we need both today, to be able to worship GOD the way He intended and to be able to carry out His plans for our lives. I believe this is also where the separation lies between those who hear the voice of GOD when He speaks and those who only hear thunder. Hearing GOD’s voice comes from a place of encounter and encounter comes through the Holy Spirit.

I have been in meetings where the Holy Spirit was moving powerfully, where people were getting touched. I’m worshipping, absolutely ugly crying in the moment, completely wrecked by the LORD and I realize the person sitting beside me is sitting there stone faced, completely unphased. Two people… same room… same powerful move… two totally different responses. Why? One was in the place of encounter and one was not. One was open to receive and one was not. One was getting purified, filled with oil and one was not. One was only hearing thunder and the other was not.

The Father is seeking those Who will seek Him, who will prepare their hearts to receive all that He has, who long for Him and have an ear tuned to Heaven, desiring to commune with Him. Jesus promised that those who seek after Him will find Him and to those that knock, the door will be opened. It’s time.