Thursday 06 August 2020

Psalm: Psalm 47

Background

Jesus regularly retreated from the hustle and bustle to spend time with God. He was having one of these quiet moments with Peter, James and John accompanying him (verse 28), when something miraculous happened. As Peter, James and John watched, Moses and Elijah appeared and started having a conversation with Jesus (verse 30).

There's a lot I don't understand about the Transfiguration. Surely Jesus didn't need Moses and Elijah to give him advice when he had the ear of the Father himself? Was their presence there more for the Jewish people's benefit than for Jesus'? Either way, the three disciples got to see the glorious transformation take place, and Jesus holding court with Elijah and Moses. They may have only been half awake, but they knew they were witnessing something special – so much so, Peter even suggested building a memorial there – "three dwellings: one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah" (v. 33).

If the appearance of Moses and Elijah wasn't earth-shattering enough, God then upped the ante by chipping in himself – engulfing them in a cloud and declaring loudly, "This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!" It's no wonder the disciples were silent (verse 36); how would you even begin to explain all that to someone who wasn't there to see it?

To Ponder:

• Try to imagine the conversation Jesus was having with Moses and Elijah. What sort of things do you think they said to each other?
• The word "glory" (vs. 31, 32) appears a few times in today's passage. What comes to mind when you think of God's glory?