Transfigured

When the time coomes to reveal the truth to your closest friends, you need to find a way that sticks.

Jesus took with him Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. And while he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly they saw two men, Moses and Elijah, talking to him. They appeared in glory and were speaking of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. Now Peter and his companions were weighed down with sleep; but since they had stayed awake, they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. Just as they were leaving him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah” —not knowing what he said. While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were terrified as they entered the cloud. Then from the cloud came a voice that said, “This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!” When the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and in those days told no one any of the things they had seen. -Luke 9:28-36

Jesus needed Peter, John and James to understand who he was, so he orchestrated this presentation to make it absolutely clear.

This is My Son, my Chosen.

We still struggle with what that means.  

Some claim Jesus was adopted by God, becoming a "Son" by choice and through that choice, we all inherit the title of heirs along with him.

While many believe Jesus is fully divine, one with God and the Holy Spirit.

I wonder what James and John and Peter thought after seeing him tranfigured before them.

This is the guy who lived with them, ate and drank with them, taught them about God and the Kingdom.  He was one of them, and yet not one of them.

Those who knew Jesus as a boy rejected him, so the faith of all rests with them.

These three would bear the weight of what they have come to learn about him.  They would live to share what they witnessed, and pass it along.

Without them, we would know nothing about Jesus.  We would see him as any other prophet.  Special and chosen, but not anything more.

Maybe that is the way God wants it.  

We need to come to know Jesus before we can believe in him, and that's OK with me.

Even those of us baptized at birth need to come to recognize Jesus transfigured on the mountaintop in order to truly believe.

Today, we get a glimpse of that moment, but we still need to come to it in our own lives.

And when we do, we will understand who we are in God's eyes.

More to come...