Elijah at the transfiguration
Key Verses: 2, 7, 19, 25, 26, 37, 42
The kingdom of God coming in power. We so often think of this as something in the future only. But the disciples experienced it in their present, our past. The glory manifested in those moments was indicative of the glory Jesus has always had as Deity. For a few moments the earthly veil was pulled back.
This moment is not lost on the disciples. They know this is a sacred moment, with eternity invading time, so they want to make it more permanent. “Let’s set up tents.” But this isn’t meant to be a permanent display, but a temporary exhibit. Jesus is the headliner. Moses and Elijah don’t even get an honorable mention. And that is the way it is supposed to be in our lives. Jesus should get the top billing, and we should not get an honorable mention.
The disciples get stuck in their thinking. It is not until after the Resurrection that their thinking gets unstuck. They missed the Elijah/John the Baptist connection. They also missed the Suffering Messiah one. John the Baptist was killed and so will He be killed.
People are still trying to understand who Jesus is! The religious leaders, the crowds, the teachers, the disciples. They haven’t figured it out, but they bring their hardest cases to Jesus and He is able to handle them. Jesus points them all to faith, faith in Him. Jesus is staying with them. He puts up with them. It is a personal thing. He is calling them to have faith in Him, not just faith in general.
But the demons know exactly who Jesus is! No doubt or wavering there. They have faith in Him. They know judgment has come! And it does.
Jesus’ own day of judgment is coming. Crucifixion, burial and resurrection. The judgment was His deservedly. It was ours. His death instead of ours. The disciples don’t get it. So often, we don’t get it either. We miss the plain truth. And we don’t ask the questions that need to be asked, just like the disciples. So much stays the same.
Kids, on the other hand, ask questions all the time. They are not afraid to show their ignorance, or their misunderstandings. They just put it all out there. The disciples are encouraged to follow the example of a little child. They don’t worry about this and that. They just do things innocently.
The disciples don’t have these same instincts. They judge other’s motives. They stand in the way of their growth. They cause others to stumble. They must learn that nothing is as important as facilitating people coming to Jesus, rather than standing in the way of the truth.
The Arnold Journey 