While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!”--Matthew 17:5
Dear Suzanne, Rebecca, Anna, and Mikayla,
I have always loved the Father's response to Peter in this. The Lord had taken Peter, James and John up on the mountain and at the top was transfigured before them. His face, the bible tells us, shone like the sun and His clothes became as white as light. Moses and Elijah also appeared to them, talking with Him. Peter was obviously deeply moved by all of this and wanted to forever memorialize the moment by constructing three tabernacles...one for Jesus, one for Moses and one for Elijah. Now to Peter's credit he did put Christ first, but He did not give Him pre-eminence. The Lord Jesus is above all...The Bible tells us that while Peter was still speaking the Father spoke from heaven. "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!" The disciples heard Him and fell on their faces and were greatly afraid. Methinks our Father wanted to make a point. Jesus is the revelation of God. God has spoken to us in many ways...through the Law, the prophets and was now speaking through His Son. (See Hebrews 1.) It is Him that our Father wants us to hear. When you truly understand who Jesus is, the only response is to obey Him and fall down on your face in worship.
John recalls this moment on the mountain when the veil was lifted in John 1:14 saying “And we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” Jesus laid aside this glory when He came to earth for us...at His resurrection He received it back again and now shares it with us. As we behold Him in His word and look to Him we are transformed into His image. What a gift! What a beautiful promise...what a beautiful picture is in this verse.
2 Corinthians 3:18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.
Hear Him...put Him first in your life.
Love
Mom
