Wednesday, February 22, 2006
2 Peter 1:16-18 For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty. For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain.
AN EYEWITNESS REPORT WORTH REPORTING
It's funny how a crowd of people can all see the same thing, but then each report what they saw in so many different ways its hard to believe they all saw the same thing. It's funny how as time passes the things we have seen grow and are embellished. We may even wonder if things happened as we recall.
What Peter, James and John saw on the Mount of Transfiguration was not something that they could forget, nor would they. Why? Jesus promised them that the Holy Spirit would bring His words to their remembrance. No doubt the Spirit also helped them to remember the things they saw, so that they could write them down for our benefit.
Peter reminds us here that his report is not like the ever-growing stories of our youth. They did not tell stories that had been made up, but were eyewitnesses of Jesus' Glory. Peter was there in person on the Mount of Transfiguration. He saw with his own eyes. He heard the voice of God the Father with his own ears, declaring Jesus His Son.
The Transfiguration wasn't the only thing He saw with his own eyes and reported. There are many other things that he and the others saw and heard which are reported to us so that we may report them to others. They stood at a distance and saw Jesus crucified. They witnessed his body placed in the tomb. They saw Him alive after the Resurrection and touched them with their own hands.
Their eyewitness reports stand as proof that the word of the prophets is fulfilled in Jesus Christ. We are given the Scriptures, including their divinely inspired eyewitness accounts so that we may report -- with-out embellishing -- what great things the Savior has done for us.
May God the Holy Spirit grant us the boldness to report what we have heard and seen through faith in the Word of God.
