Do You Ever Take Jesus For Granted?
Good Morning Friends,
Jews were taught that Elijah would come before the Messiah to reestablish the Golden Age of Israel. And some thought that he came in the person of John the Baptist, for John dressed like Elijah and lived in the desert like Elijah, and confronted Herod as Elijah had confronted Ahab and Jezebel. But regardless of whether Elijah came as John or even in addition as Elijah was seen on the Mount of the Transfiguration, we still must wonder why things have not been restored as promised. But the thing is friends, that we must see the deeper issue here through the eyes of the cross and resurrection otherwise we miss the point of it all. John and Elijah woke people up to repent but Jesus Christ died so that people could be forgiven. If people would just see and believe they would get to know the Spirit of God and get their priorities in proper order. Do You Ever Take Jesus For Granted?
Scripture: Lo, I will send you the prophet Elijah before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes. He will turn the hearts of parents to their children and the hearts of children to their parents, so that I will not come and strike the land with a curse.
Malachi 4:5-6
As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus ordered them, “Tell no one about the vision until after the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.” And the disciples asked him, “Why, then, do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?” He replied, “Elijah is indeed coming and will restore all things; but I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but they did to him whatever they pleased. So also the Son of Man is about to suffer at their hands.” Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them about John the Baptist.
Matthew 17:9-13 (NRSV)
Message: We have a certain freedom as humans and darkly abuse it. Some of us have grown up in a church all our lives and still get the priorities wrong and really do not know Jesus. The Transfiguration should open our eyes to the glory of God and remind us that Jesus is not only 100% human but also 100% God. Here we get a glimpse of Jesus’ pre-incarnational state of being. I have included a copy of Raphael’s last painting, The Transfiguration, for you contemplate for it depicts this mountaintop vision in contrast to the valley healing that was to follow. The story and painting should remind us of who God really is, for in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body. Here we see Jesus wearing His pre-Bethlehem and post-Resurrection wardrobe. There is a metamorphosis here that has implications. The proposition for us is to believe that Jesus is more than just a good teacher. He is more than an influential leader. He is more than a superb role model. He is more than a profound ethicist. He is a prophet, a priest, and king…the culmination of the law and the prophets. But he is first and foremost … God in human form. What is revealed here is Jesus’ power but also that Jesus is to be the priority. There is no longer to be a focus on Elijah or Moses. The focus is to be on a powerful, personal and passionate Jesus that heals us if we would just make him the priority.
Pray we realize that the golden age has come in the coming of Jesus and is to come once the Jews acknowledge that Jesus is the Messiah. Pray we believe that Jesus is powerful, personable, and passionate about us for he is God and cares about us and desires all to be saved. Pray therefor that we make Jesus the priority…that Jesus would be preeminent in our life. Pray we realize that there is no other way to God than through Jesus. Pray we realize that this relationship is not based on being good and following rules and regulations but rather making Christ the focus of our attention. Pray we listen to Christ on the mountain top experiences of our lives as well as the valley visions. Pray we never take Jesus for granted.
Blessings,
John Lawson
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