December 5 How Did They Know?

Luke 9:30-33 Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus. They spoke about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem. 32 Peter and his companions were very sleepy, but when they became fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him. 33 As the men were leaving Jesus, Peter said to him, “Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters — one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” (He did not know what he was saying.)
 
YOU likely have questions about biblical events. This is good. It means you are thinking about what you read. If we don’t know or understand something about the Bible, we must ask. For example, regarding this passage someone once asked me, “How did the disciples know it was Moses and Elijah with Jesus? There weren’t any pictures of them.”
The disciples knew Moses and Elijah in the same way they knew Jesus is “The Christ of God.” (Luke 9:20) Jesus told Peter how he knew this in Matthew 16:17 “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. The Father had arranged for the three disciples to see the prophets and the Transfiguration of Christ together. Certainly the Spirit of God revealed to them who was with Jesus. This is God’s inspiration. We believe the Bible is the inspired word of God. The Holy Spirit informed and empowered men throughout the ages to teach us of God.
   In yesterday’s lesson, we considered that one reason God had arranged for the three disciples to see Jesus’ glory was to prepare them for their ministries. Another reason, perhaps, the Lord wanted to show them Jesus ‘glory was to contrast Jesus to these two highly esteemed prophets.
   To many Jews, Moses was THE law giver and prophet of old. No one was greater than he. But Jesus had come to complete the Law of Moses. There are many comparisons, too, with Elijah’s and Jesus’ ministry. For example, there is Elijah’s survival in a wilderness, an unending supply of bread for a widow, and Elijah resurrecting her son. Remember, also, how people were saying Jesus could be the Elijah who was to come.
   The Jews’ rightly believed that Moses and Elijah were great prophets called and empowered to do extraordinary work of the LORD. But they were prophets who pointed to Jesus. God, the Father, has clearly revealed to James, Peter and John that Jesus is the glorious Son of God. We’ll see this even more in the next lesson. 
   Again, as discussed in our last lesson, this experience of Jesus’ Transfiguration will be one way these disciples will be transfigured into the extraordinary work God gave them to do. The more they know Jesus as the Son of God, the more certain they are to minister in his name.
   So it must be for us.
 
Prayer: Jesus, you are the Son of God. Fill my heart, mind and soul with an unwavering knowledge of you. Amen.