Wednesday, February 7, 2018
Matthew 17:1-4 After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. There He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light. Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus. Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters--one for You, one for Moses and one for Elijah."
IT IS GOOD FOR US TO BE HERE
Have you even tried to look at the combination of snow and the brightness of the sun? It usually gives me a very painful headache. In the book of Exodus we read Moses had gone up on the top of Mount Sinai to receive the Ten Commandments from the LORD. But the LORD only allowed Moses while in the cleft of a rock to see His back, and not His face or full glory. The Gospel of Mark gives us another impressive description of Jesus' transfiguration when he says that His garments were "shining, exceedingly white, like snow, such as no launderer on earth can whiten them." The brightness of Jesus' garments alone would have been enough to kill them if it were God's will. It is no wonder and no surprise that in the midst of all the excitement and emotion of this miraculous event that Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters--one for You, one for Moses and one for Elijah."
Think of Peter, James, and John. They had front row seats to what was happening. Just as quickly as Jesus' had been transfigured, "... there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus." Certainly two Old Testament "all-stars" had just come into view. Questions arise like: How did the disciples know it was Moses and Elijah? They lived hundreds of years before them. How did Moses and Elijah appear there with Jesus even though they hadn't lived on the earth for such a long time? Both Moses and Elijah were taken into heaven in two very unique ways. God had buried Moses, and God had taken Elijah by a chariot of fire! Many questions, one answer. Don't make your God too small! In other words, what He tells us has happened, He is certainly able to perform! He keeps His promises.
Recognize that when we sit with Jesus and His Word, we see through the eyes of faith what we will see in our flesh (Job 19) when Jesus returns to take us home to heaven! "I was glad when they said to me, let us go into the house of the LORD!" (Psalm 122:1). And then let us say with those first disciples also, "It is good, Lord Jesus, for us to be here!"
