The Good News
Years ago, as part of my ministry tasks, I was assigned to be an event coordinator for a large gathering of people. It was a challenge too big for me. I went to the Lord daily to ask what He wanted to teach His people. I daily tried to follow what He led me to do, while He paved the way, put strategic people in front of me to help and put a plan together to make it happen. Our mission was to help people see, know, and come closer to Jesus and learn from Him through this gathering. The phrase the “devil is in the details” could not have been more true. Leaders, do you hear me? Do you relate?
We felt the event was accomplished exactly in ways God wanted…for His people to see Jesus, nothing but Jesus because of the reaction of the people. We allowed people to evaluate the event. Most were favorable, with statements of “I saw Jesus here” and other comments like this one. Then there was the evaluation by one woman who in three paragraphs with bold letters wrote hateful words that told us we were discriminating against those who drink tea but not offering tea bags and hot water at the break tables with the coffee and donuts. Wow. I sat and wept openly in the privacy of my office as I read it. I was not crying for me as I did not take this personally, I was crying for her. JESUS was here, and she missed Him. She was more concerned about building alters to tea and she missed Jesus and all that He did in the lives of the people gathered there that week. How do we miss Jesus?
It happens. An even greater prayer I had for everyone who came was that after seeing “nothing but Jesus” they would not leave Him there on that “mountain top experience” but would take Him home to be forever in their hearts, His words on their lips and His leading found in their behavior. Transformed people with Christ leading the way, HIS way was my prayer always.
I remember this as Jesus declared the glory of God to just a few of his followers on a mountain. God, in return, let them know Who Jesus was to Him. “This is my Son, marked by my love. Listen to Him.”
Mark 9, The Message
9 Then he drove it home by saying, “This isn’t pie in the sky by and by. Some of you who are standing here are going to see it happen, see the kingdom of God arrive in full force.”
In a Light-Radiant Cloud
2-4 Six days later, three of them did see it. Jesus took Peter, James, and John and led them up a high mountain. His appearance changed from the inside out, right before their eyes. His clothes shimmered, glistening white, whiter than any bleach could make them. Elijah, along with Moses, came into view, in deep conversation with Jesus.
5-6 Peter interrupted, “Rabbi, this is a great moment! Let’s build three memorials—one for you, one for Moses, one for Elijah.” He blurted this out without thinking, stunned as they all were by what they were seeing.
7 Just then a light-radiant cloud enveloped them, and from deep in the cloud, a voice: “This is my Son, marked by my love. Listen to him.”
8 The next minute the disciples were looking around, rubbing their eyes, seeing nothing but Jesus, only Jesus.
9-10 Coming down the mountain, Jesus swore them to secrecy. “Don’t tell a soul what you saw. After the Son of Man rises from the dead, you’re free to talk.” They puzzled over that, wondering what on earth “rising from the dead” meant.
11 Meanwhile they were asking, “Why do the religion scholars say that Elijah has to come first?”
12-13 Jesus replied, “Elijah does come first and get everything ready for the coming of the Son of Man. They treated this Elijah like dirt, much like they will treat the Son of Man, who will, according to Scripture, suffer terribly and be kicked around contemptibly.”
Question for us:
When you look around are we looking at nothing but Jesus?
Is He guiding your every thought and action in your family, employment, retirement, financial decisions, relationships, and all of life’s stuff?
God says to us still, as followers…This is my Son, listen to Him. Are we?
Dear Heavenly Father, Help us to avoid longing for mountain top experiences and live our lives expectantly waiting for You, listening to You, looking and focusing on You and what Your best is for us. All we have to do is ask, so we are asking now, what would You have us be and do today? We are listening.
In Jesus Name, Amen
