2023-11-10
Good Morning Dear Ones,
The Lord Jesus surprises John, Peter, James, and us, MT 17: 1-13 when these individuals were allowed to see His glory very early. When you read this passage, you will understand that it is the story of the Transfiguration. Truthfully, I don’t completely understand why Jesus wanted the others present to see His glory at that time. Maybe He thought it would advance their spiritual maturity faster, but that’s only a suggestion. Maybe it would lend authenticity to Christ’s words. Traditionally Jewish people think of the prophet, Elijah will come to announce the end of evil after they and others all over the earth make peace. That’s why an empty place is set at the Passover table with a cup of wine is left for him. Those who know and accept Jesus Christ as our personal Savior think differently. This is because we have the NT and particularly the book of Revelation. But let’s get back to the Transfiguration.
It all begins with Jesus being transfigured high on a hill before the three. “His face shone like the sun and His clothes became white as the light. Suddenly, the three could see Moses and Elijah talking with Jesus. A white cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, ‘This is My Son, Whom I love and am well pleased. Listen to Him!’” [MT 17: 2, 4-5]. If we look at the reactions of Peter and the other two, it can be revealing. In MT 17: 4, Peter says to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” The impetuous Peter didn’t understand the significance of what he was seeing. MT 17: 6 shows us the immediate reaction of the disciples when they heard God’s voice. “They fell facedown to the ground, terrified.” Of course, it was appropriate for them to be worshipful, but terror shouldn’t have been a part of it. That’s why Jesus told them, “Get up, don’t be afraid,” in vs. 7. And when they got up, they didn’t see anyone except Jesus. The mystified disciples were next seen walking down the mountain with the Lord, Who placed on them an emotional and spiritual burden of responsibility. MT 17: 12, [Christ speaking] “Don’t tell anyone what you have seen, until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead,” which followed the Lord’s answer to their question about Elijah in verses 11-13. “To be sure, Elijah comes and will restore all things. But I tell you, Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but have done to him everything they wished. In the same way the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands.” At this point, the disciples understood He was talking to them about John the Baptist.
Those familiar with the Bible know that this is not the only time that God’s glory, by far, impacts events on earth. JN 20: 11-17 is another. Christ had just been buried after His crucifixion, or so Mary Magdelene thought. She stood outside the tomb that Joseph of Arimathea had provided for the Lord Jesus crying. She bent over to looking into the tomb, seeing the entrance to it was open. Suddenly she saw two angels dressed in white, seated where Christ’s body had been. They asked her why she was crying, and she replied, “I don’t know where they have put Him.” At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there without recognizing Who He was. He uttered her name at which she did, saying, “Rabboni,” meaning “Teacher.” Jesus said, “Do not hold on to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to My brothers and tell them, ‘I’m ascending to My Father and yours, to My God and your God.” And she obeyed Him. Mary didn’t yet know that the Lord Jesus would return shortly thereafter to appear to her and others.
PRAYER: O Lord, the experiences described here have some mystery in them to the mind of a human, as we are limited by human perspective. So, what are the lessons we learn from this? They are that Christ is the Messiah and will eventually save the world from the influence of evil upon it. We can believe the word of God is totally true and something on which we can depend [HE 4: 12]. The same can be said that it is entirely “God-breathed” [2 TIM 3: 16-17]. These are lessons that the people in the Bible might not understand as well as we do. However, You have much more to teach us from these precious words than we realize. If we become victors or saints (meaning that we persist in being obediently faithful to Jesus), we will have the mark of God’s ownership on us and will gain eternal life. We acknowledge Your amazing power –always used for good-that You deserve our eternal thanks and praise for the blessings You bestow on us. This prayer is offered in the holy/mighty name of Jesus Christ. Amen
NEXT WEEK: I’ve been commanded by the Holy Spirit to write about more stories that showcase the limits of human understanding of God’s glory. His wisdom in knowing how to respond to these limitations is nothing short of remarkable. However, we still can’t completely understand God’s glory and must remember that God doesn’t give us all the details about matters of importance to us, because He wants us to have faith. He wants us to demonstrate our commitment to His teachings. There are still some great stories which help us to see the importance of His need for us to have faith, even when all our questions are not answered. No single human on earth is wise enough to know all the answers or all we will learn should we earn eternal life with Him. I have a friend who says, “When I get to heaven, oh boy will I have a lot of questions to ask God!” I can’t help thinking, God may be purposely slowing us down and making things clearer in His own time and way. All of us need to recognize our need to let Him lead, and that doesn’t come naturally to humans. Remember these truths: PS 19: 1, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands.” JN 1: 14, “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn, JS 24: 15
© Lynn Johnson 2023. All Rights Reserved.
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