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by Gary Sims
02/18/04
Not For Sale
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The Gospels
Luke 9:28-36 (37-43) – “Dazzling White”
Key Verses: (NRSV)

28: “Now about eight days after these sayings Jesus took with Him Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray.” – Jesus had just outlined the events that were going to take place in Jerusalem that lead to His death. This trip into the mountain demonstrates the importance of a spiritual retreat prior to the beginning of any new undertaking.

29: “And while He was praying, the appearance of His face changed, and His clothes became dazzling white.” – In prayer and communion with God, Jesus in visibly transformed. “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12)
30-31: ³⁰“Suddenly they saw two men, Moses and Elijah, talking to Him. ³¹They appeared in glory and were speaking of His departure…” – By having Moses and Elijah joining and talking with Him, it demonstrated that Jesus was the fulfillment of all that is contained in the Law and promised by the Prophets.
33: “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.’” – Who wants to leave a mountain top experience, especially one so dramatically connected with God?
35: “Then from the cloud came a voice that said, ‘This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to Him!’” – God clarifies the experience for the disciples so that there is no misunderstanding.
35: “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.” – It became time for personal reflection.

Points to Contemplate:

How do you prepare for something new? When you are about to start a new program or ministry, what do you do to prepare? Do you scurry around with your to do list and busy yourself with details? Or do you take some time to meditate? Can you see the importance of retreating from your regular daily routine with a few of the core members of your team? Do you recognize how God will use this time to inspire and motivate you? Will this step insure that the foundation of your new ministry is solid with God?
How is Jesus’ change of appearance important to you? Is it a specific event that was designed to impress upon Peter, John, and James who Jesus was? Does it reinforce John’s description of Jesus being the “light of the world?” C.S. Lewis describes Jesus as the light streaming forth from God just as light is emitted from a lamp.¹ Is this story the physical representation of Jesus as the Light of God? Or can you personalize this experience? Can you expect to be transformed by God? Will you, like Moses and Jesus before you, shine with the love of God?
Are you hesitant to leave your “mountain-top” experiences? What do you tend to do following an important spiritual event in your life? Do you hesitate to leave? Do you want to build monuments to remember and celebrate this event? Do you attempt to recreate it? What do you feel God was attempting to do by interrupting Peter’s plan? Was He suggesting that attempts to cling to these experiences are misguided? When He says “listen to Him,” is He telling each of us that Jesus will lead us from the mountain into ministry? Do these verses reinforce the importance of taking your personal God-moments out into the world instead of clinging on to them and trying to make them last forever?

Promises of the Gospel:

The Transfiguration is an event in Jesus’ life that we have difficulty understanding. It raises questions without answers. Are we to see this as a model for worship? Are we to look for God-moments in our lives and recognize how the world as we see it has changed because of them? What are we to do with our new insights and visions? How are we to proceed? Are we to bow down and worship? Are we to build monuments and altars to the memory of these experiences? Are we to be transformed and changed? Will our countenance glow? Will our problems be solved? How are we to come down from the mountain and back into our world? How will things be different? Jesus was changed and “everyone was amazed.” (Luke 9:43) Is this what we can expect to happen to us?

¹”A Year with C.S. Lewis – Daily Readings from His Classic Works,” edited by Patricia S. Klein, pub. HarperCollins, pp.42, excerpt from Mere Christianity.

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