“He
was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them,
and a voice from the cloud said, ‘This is my beloved Son, with whom
I am well pleased; listen to him.” -Matthew 17:5 (ESV).
Jesus
had taken three of his disciples, Peter, James and John, to a
mountain and there the Transfiguration occurred. The event was a
marvelous confirmation of Jesus as the Son of God, with Moses, the
lawgiver, and Elijah, the prophet, appearing, and the voice of
Almighty God pronouncing: “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am
well pleased. Listen to him.”
Jesus
knew that his death as a sacrifice for sin was immanent. Scholars
believe that the transfiguration occurred in the summer before his
death and resurrection the next spring. Some denominations observe
“Transfiguration Sunday” in August. Matthew 17:5 is reminiscent
of Isaiah’s word in Isaiah 42:1 when he wrote, “Behold my
servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have
put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations.”
Jesus
wanted the disciples to know that he must suffer, die and rise again,
and so He had taken three of them apart to be in on an affirmation
from God of who His Son is. This was in God’s plan for His Son as
he fulfilled His mission on earth. It was important that the “inner
circle” of disciples, Peter, James and John, know and understand
this truth, because they had been expecting the earthly Messiah to
set up His kingdom and deliver them from Roman oppression. Going
down the mountain from the Transfiguration, Jesus charged the three
not to tell of the transfiguration and what occurred on the mountain
until after His resurrection. God’s command given at the
Transfiguration added an important phrase to what the voice of God
had said at Christ’s baptism by John the Baptist: “Listen to
Him.”
That
command and its accompanying reason for us to listen echoes from the
Mount of Transfiguration and from the pages of God’s Word which we
now have to study and follow: “This is my beloved Son, with whom I
am well pleased; listen to Him.”
Peter
testifies in his letter about being an eyewitness to the “Majestic
Glory” of God the Son that he had observed on the Mount of
Transfiguration. This experience was extremely important to Peter,
beloved disciple, preacher on the Day of Pentecost, missionary and
writer: “For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made
known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we
were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For when he received honor and
glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the
Majestic Glory, ‘This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well
pleased,’ we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for
we were with him on the holy mountain. And we have something more
sure, the prophetic word, to which you will do well to pay attention
as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the
morning star rises in your hearts, knowing this first of all, that no
prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. For
no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from
God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” (2 Peter
1:16-21).
Prayer:
Thank you, Lord, that we have the Word from You, Jesus Christ, Son
of God, Savior. Thank you that even today we can hear and heed
Jesus, God’s Son. Amen. - Ethelene Dyer Jones 03.12.2017
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