Jump Start # 190

Matthew 17:5 “While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and behold, a voice out of the cloud, saying, ‘This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to Him.’”

  The transfiguration of Jesus Christ. There is nothing else like it in the Bible. The inner circle of apostles, Peter, James and John are invited to witness this spectacular event. There are so many unusual things that take place on this mountain. Jesus changed. His face became as bright as the sun. His clothes became bright. Later, as our passage today states, a bright cloud overshadows the three apostles. Then Moses and Elijah appear. Moses, representing the Law, Elijah, representing the prophets are there before Jesus, the Messiah. It is the Old Testament that points to Jesus. They are discussing the upcoming departure of Jesus. He was to die at Calvary, and then be resurrected and later ascend to Heaven. Moses and Elijah seem to be aware of these things. The three apostles are not. Moses had an unusual departure—God allowed him to see the promise land from the mountain top and God took his life. Later Michael and Satan disputed over the body of Moses. Elijah, too, had a most unusual departure. He never died. God took him up to Heaven in a fiery chariot. Moses never met Elijah, they lived centuries apart. Here these all meet.

  Peter speaks, not to Moses or Elijah, but to Jesus. He has talked to Jesus before and he knew Jesus. He wants to do something special. He wants to make three tabernacles, one for each of them. Peter, wanted a historical marker to remember what happened there.

  Our verse today has God speaking. He interrupts Peter. Peter is talking and talking and it is as if God says, “enough.” He acknowledges that Jesus is His Son, and that He is pleased with that Jesus is doing. And then, God says, “Listen to Him.” That one little phrase speaks volumes. God didn’t say, “Peter, be quite and listen to what these men are saying.” No, “Listen to Him.” Him is Jesus. Don’t listen to Moses. Don’t listen to Elijah. God was showing that Jesus was supreme to the Law and Prophets and the Law and Prophets were fulfilled in Christ.

  Like Peter, sometimes we talk too much. We want to do nice things and be fair to everyone but we get it all wrong. I don’t know what I would have done had I been there. All that brightness…Moses…Elijah…Jesus, looking different. My first thought would be to run, but these three didn’t do that. I don’t fault Peter. It was a good idea, building three tabernacles or memorials to the event. We like to do that . Throughout the country side you find historical markers. Along highways we see white crosses—reminders of a loved one who died in a car accident. But God didn’t want any plaques, signs, tabernacles or anything else, other than listening to His Son. Today, we’d build a museum, highlighting the events of Moses and Elijah and Jesus. There would be a gift shop right next door. Folks would travel there, take a few pictures, look around and go about their day. That’s not what this is about. God isn’t in the museum business. He is in the building lives business. Listening to Jesus implies, obeying Jesus and changing your life because of Jesus.

  I wonder sometimes if we do too much talking in our church services. Now, I don’t mean, whispering to one another, but rather we hear the voice of man more than the voice of God. Maybe we ought to read more verses and talk less about them. Listen to Him is the plea from Heaven.  Could be, there is so much noise in my life, or more likely, I’m talking so much, that I can’t hear Him. Have you noticed, it’s hard to listen to someone else while you are talking. Someone has to stop. God tells us who—it’s us. Jesus has something to say. Jesus needs to be heard. He is speaking to you today, through His word.

  The Psalmist said in Ps 46:10, “Be still and know that I am God.” In other words, “hush” and listen. Too much complaining…too much talking about other people…too much…LISTEN. LISTEN TO JESUS. Try it. You’ll learn things. You’ll be better. You’ll know what God wants.

Roger

Jump Start # 78

Matthew 17:5 “While he was still speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold, a voice out of the cloud said, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him.” 

  The occasion of this passage is the transfiguration of Jesus. The first three Gospels record this. There is nothing like this in all the Bible. Jesus was changed. His face and clothing became brilliantly bright, like the sun. With him were Moses and Elijah, whose very presence represents the Law and the prophets. They were talking to Jesus about His coming departure, or “exit” as the Greek word means. Moses had an unusual exit. God allowed him to see the promise land from the mountain and then God took his life. The book of Jude tells us that Michael, the archangel, and Satan disputed over the body of Moses. Elijah also had a most unusual exit, God took him up in a fiery chariot. So, the law (Moses), the prophets (Elijah) are talking to Jesus about His exit.

  God allowed three of the disciples to witness this. John would say, “we beheld his glory as the only begotten from the Father” (1:14). Through the transfiguration Jesus showed them what God looks like—it is as if he pulled the curtain back and said, “this is who I really am.” Peter was not speechless, no, he was talking a mile a minute. He was preparing to build memorials to Moses, Elijah and Jesus. Then God speaks. He interrupts Peter. It is as if God had enough so He doesn’t let Peter finish.

  This is the second time God has spoken directly to Jesus. The first was at His baptism. The message from God is not so much for Jesus as it is for the disciples. Jesus is not equal to Moses and Elijah and His words are not on par with the Law and the

Prophets, He is above them, and His words are above all things.

  God’s one sentence tells us three things. First, Jesus is God’s son, His only begotten as it is told in John 3:16. Jesus is deity. Secondly, God is pleased with what Jesus is doing. Jesus is right. He is doing exactly what the Father wanted. He is on course. To please God is the greatest ambition of all. Thirdly, listen to Him. Jesus is the voice. Jesus is the answer. God wanted the disciples to listen to Jesus. His voice is above Moses and the Prophets. Jesus has something to say and we do well to hear Him.

  This one sentence from God set things in order. The disciples needed to get that. We need to get that. Jesus speaks, we need to listen. What Jesus says comes before all things. It is much more than “just the Bible” it is Jesus speaking. We need to hush with our opinions, our polls, our feelings, our “want to’s” and listen to Jesus. Hebrews begins with this same idea, in the last days God speaks to us through Jesus. We need to listen.

  How do we hear Jesus? We hear Him through the pages of the New Testament. We must read the Bible. As we read, we pause, we think, we reflect, we connect, we explore, we understand, we believe, and we obey. The more time spent in the Bible, the more we hear Jesus. God is not going to speak to you in whispers, dreams or feelings, but through Jesus. The message is clear. The message is understandable. The message is loud, if you listen. Hear My Beloved Son, is what God wants all of us to do. Have you heard Him in a while?

 Roger