Luke, Chapter 9 part 2

I hope that everyone out there had a good Christmas. It has been nearly a week since I have written here. In that time, I have felt very disconnected with God. It feels like I should be approaching Him more and more, especially this time of year, but things keep driving me further and further away. It is a frustrating time. I feel like I have all the time in the world, but I am still rushed by imaginary things that I have to accomplish each day. I want to change that by getting back to explicitly seeking God the first thing each morning. I want to give Him and this endeavor my first moments, undivided, each day. Let’s see how it goes.

When we last left Jesus in the book of Luke he was sending out the Twelve at the beginning of chapter 9. In the middle of this chapter we have two very important events. First, Jesus asks His disciples who they think He is. Remember, these guys were living the Bible. They didn’t have it written in advance. Naturally, they would be curious as to who this guy was with all these powers.

18Once when Jesus was praying in private and his disciples were with him, he asked them, "Who do the crowds say I am?"
19They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, that one of the prophets of long ago has come back to life."
20"But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?"
Peter answered, "The Christ of God." – Luke 9:18-20

This is an act of faith by Peter. There had been many prophets before Jesus that had similar powers. Therefore, there was plenty of reason for these men to think Jesus was another prophet of Israel. Instead, Peter believed that Jesus was the Christ. He looked past everything to the man and saw the truth. He hadn’t needed more proof at that point. His faith was strong enough (and remember, with Peter, the faith issue sometimes vacillated) to see Jesus for who he was.

29As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. 30Two men, Moses and Elijah, 31appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus. They spoke about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem. – Luke 9:29-31

This was a special moment for Peter, James, and John. They were there to witness Jesus revealed in His full glory. They were given a special privilege that even the nine other disciples weren’t given. It is almost like a reward too. Jesus chose to reveal himself not because they needed a boost in their Faith, but because He wanted them to see Him in His full power and glory.