Lent - 26th Day
The Transfiguration
"Then Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God arrive with power.”
After six days Jesus took with Him Peter, James, and John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. There He was transfigured before them. His clothes became radiantly white, brighter than any launderer on earth could bleach them. And Elijah and Moses appeared before them, talking with Jesus.
Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters —one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” For they were all so terrified that Peter did not know what else to say.
Then a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and a voice came from the cloud: “This is My beloved Son. Listen to Him!” Suddenly, when they looked around, they saw no one with them except Jesus.
As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus admonished them not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. So they kept this matter to themselves, discussing what it meant to rise from the dead. And they asked Jesus, “Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”
He replied, “Elijah does indeed come first, and he restores all things. Why then is it written that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected? But I tell you that Elijah has indeed come, and they have done to him whatever they wished, just as it is written about him.” Mark 9:1-13
Continuing our Lenten study reading through the Book of Mark, we read that Peter again was talking without thinking first.
We also will notice that Jesus brought with Him Peter, James and John up a mountain. Normally He will do this alone to pray to Our Heavenly Father.
But not this time.
This one time, He brought His three closest followers so they can be first hand eyewitnesses. Peter (and Matthew and Luke) wrote about this eyewitness account, the same as Mark did.
Peter wrote (in 2 Peter 2:16-19) that:
...they did not follow cleverly devised fables when they made known the power and the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, for he (and others) were eyewitnesses of Christ's majesty, they themselves heard the voice of the Father saying, “this is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” when they were with Him on the holy mountain.
And that they also have the word of the prophets as confirmed beyond doubt, so that we will do well to pay attention to it, as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in our hearts.
Confused
But like then, with Peter, James and John, they have not understood what they have witnessed. Peter himself only opened his mouth to say something because he did not know what else to say (typical of him).
We too will initially not understand any of these (or we might not get it at all, or choose not to).
Jesus also reminded them again not to tell anyone just yet, until the proper time. And they waited and they wrote it down for us, all future generations.
Right Time
Today, is that proper time for many of us. And this is the very reason why you are sitting there alone and reading about it right now.
Jesus told them to wait for when He had risen and they do not even know what that meant at that time. They waited for the right time, when they fully understood and for the Holy Spirit. And they became witmesses to the ends of the world. Their testimonies reach out to us, to this day.
And this church is a testimony to that. We are able to reach you where ever you are with the saving knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ of Nazareth. This is what Christianity is really all about.
We do not expect you to get all these at once. But you will.
Please continue this Lenten series with us, and let us continue to get to know Christ, spend quiet time with our Father in heaven, praying, fasting and to finish this 40 day journey together. Shalom.
Lenten Series
"Then Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God arrive with power.”
After six days Jesus took with Him Peter, James, and John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. There He was transfigured before them. His clothes became radiantly white, brighter than any launderer on earth could bleach them. And Elijah and Moses appeared before them, talking with Jesus.
Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters —one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” For they were all so terrified that Peter did not know what else to say.
Then a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and a voice came from the cloud: “This is My beloved Son. Listen to Him!” Suddenly, when they looked around, they saw no one with them except Jesus.
As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus admonished them not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. So they kept this matter to themselves, discussing what it meant to rise from the dead. And they asked Jesus, “Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”
He replied, “Elijah does indeed come first, and he restores all things. Why then is it written that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected? But I tell you that Elijah has indeed come, and they have done to him whatever they wished, just as it is written about him.” Mark 9:1-13
Continuing our Lenten study reading through the Book of Mark, we read that Peter again was talking without thinking first.
We also will notice that Jesus brought with Him Peter, James and John up a mountain. Normally He will do this alone to pray to Our Heavenly Father.
But not this time.
This one time, He brought His three closest followers so they can be first hand eyewitnesses. Peter (and Matthew and Luke) wrote about this eyewitness account, the same as Mark did.
Peter wrote (in 2 Peter 2:16-19) that:
...they did not follow cleverly devised fables when they made known the power and the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, for he (and others) were eyewitnesses of Christ's majesty, they themselves heard the voice of the Father saying, “this is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” when they were with Him on the holy mountain.
And that they also have the word of the prophets as confirmed beyond doubt, so that we will do well to pay attention to it, as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in our hearts.
Confused
But like then, with Peter, James and John, they have not understood what they have witnessed. Peter himself only opened his mouth to say something because he did not know what else to say (typical of him).
We too will initially not understand any of these (or we might not get it at all, or choose not to).
Jesus also reminded them again not to tell anyone just yet, until the proper time. And they waited and they wrote it down for us, all future generations.
Right Time
Today, is that proper time for many of us. And this is the very reason why you are sitting there alone and reading about it right now.
Jesus told them to wait for when He had risen and they do not even know what that meant at that time. They waited for the right time, when they fully understood and for the Holy Spirit. And they became witmesses to the ends of the world. Their testimonies reach out to us, to this day.
And this church is a testimony to that. We are able to reach you where ever you are with the saving knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ of Nazareth. This is what Christianity is really all about.
We do not expect you to get all these at once. But you will.
Please continue this Lenten series with us, and let us continue to get to know Christ, spend quiet time with our Father in heaven, praying, fasting and to finish this 40 day journey together. Shalom.
Lenten Series
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