Transfiguration

Matthew 17:1-13; Mark 9:2-13; Luke 9:28-35; 2 Peter 1:16-18
Caesarea Philippi/A.D. 29

"This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!"  This startling revelation came again a second time from a voice in the heavens. Jesus once more received from God the Father glory and honor.  Leading up to the Transfiguration, in all three Gospels Peter confesses Jesus as the Christ, Jesus predicts His death and resurrection to the disciples, and Jesus explains that the cost of following Him would mean losing your own life, high stakes but eternal rewards.  Jesus is preparing his disciples to understand what His Messiahship truly meant, in particular Peter, James, and John.  A few days later Jesus toke those three disciples up to a mountain, transcends time and pulls back His humanity for a brief moment.  He becomes radiant with the Glory He once had in the Heavenlies and in the midst of this grandeur He is seen speaking with Moses and Elijah about His impending death in Jerusalem. Now, it seems to me the drama is mounting and at this point I would think the disciples adrenalin would be pumping so much they would be beside themselves but Luke records that, "the disciples were heavy with sleep".  I don't even know what to say about that except if the truth be known it is probably something I would do too...how pathetic.  I'm wondering now if the Father was using His 'parental' voice when He spoke to the disciples.  Maybe He was waking them up!  Not sure where we are headed tomorrow, after I wake up I will see what happened next and report back.  Blessings!

Baptism

Matthew 3:1-17; Mark 1:1-9; Luke 3:1-22; John 1:19-34
By tradition Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lenten season, a forty day period of repentance and reflection leading to the celebration of the Resurrection of Christ on Easter.  A day historically set to vigilantly consider yourself before God and repent, for some it is even done symbolically with ashes on their head.  Personally I don't have that tradition ingrained and view repentance as an act that is continually done in a daily growing walk with the Lord as He convicts me through His Holy Spirit.  However, I do like that attitude (of repentance) as a starting point and see it as a good beginning to this devotional journal.  Christ certainly was not in need of repentance...being perfect, but it pleased the Father that in the fulness of time (I just love that term) His Son would come and fulfill all righteousness, beginning His ministry with baptism.  John, the forerunner preparing the way for the Messiah, urged all to bring fruits worthy of repentance...a different way of thinking...a changed life.  Turning from sin and living rightous lives, not ceremonial living, not hollow traditions but rather a life baptised in the very Spirit of the Living God.  A spiritual life of belief and trust that leads to rightousness and peace in spite of circumstances.  An inward life lived in a close relationship with the Heavenly Father made possible now through the coming of His Son, well you get the idea.  Jesus' baptism though was not admitting He was sinful and needed to change, He was consecrating Himself to His ministry.  We though, having no power of our own over a sinful nature, need the power that comes from above and can only be found through Jesus.  Now, in water baptism we are identifying ourselves with Jesus, in effect saying we are putting off the old man and putting on a new one.  We are now clothing ourselves in a new way of life, learning to please God and longing for the same words the Father spoke to Jesus at His baptism, "This is my beloved Son (or daughter:-), in whom I am well pleased".   This brings me to where we are headed next in our forty day journey to know Jesus better.  There are only two times in scripture that God spoke from heaven, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased", once was as Jesus came out of the water at His baptism and the other one we will find out about tomorrow.  So I hope to see you then!

For a deeper look at repentance visit (but be prepared to get serious): http://www.frontlinemin.org/repentance.asp