Good Morning Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
The “transfiguration” account of Jesus Christ is spoken of in Matthew 17, Mark 9, and Luke 9. When you read the accounts, you see Jesus taking Peter, James, and John with Him. During the time Jesus is on the mountain, He meets with Moses and Elijah (referred to as “Elias”). During this meeting, Jesus is transfigured when His face suddenly did shine as bright as the sun, and His garments were as white as bright light. During this a bright cloud overshadowed Jesus and God’s voice, from the cloud, said, “This is My Beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased; hear Him.”
When you become a student of God’s Word, you soon learn that no name, no place, and no other specific identifying information is trivial or coincidental in the Kingdom of God. If it’s there, God put it there for us to find the revelation in it. Revelation, or “revealed wisdom,” is to enable us to always operate from a position of royalty and power. You are the daughters and sons of the Most High God and King of Kings. We need to operate this way and not like the beggar. Royalty decrees and expects it to be obeyed. Jesus taught us and modeled this during His time on the earth and continues to teach us from His Word and through the Holy Spirit in us.
Let’s look at Peter, James, and John. Jesus gave Simon Peter the name “Cephas.” which means “stone.” The name James comes from the name Jacob which means “to supplant” or “supplanter.” John means “Yahweh has been gracious” or “grace.” “Yahweh” is the Hebrew name for God. Ok, so what is the greater meaning of Jesus having Peter, James, and John with Him? Notice in Matthew 17:1 the order of names: Peter, James, and John. This is not trivial or coincidental. You’ll see why in this next statement:
LAW SUPPLANTED BY GRACE
Peter represents the “Law.” James represents the “supplanter.” John represents “grace.” Jesus Christ came to replace, or supplant, the Law, which condemns, with Grace, which blesses. Isn’t our Father amazing! Under the Law, man had to perform for God. Under Grace, God performs for man. This is the significance of Jesus, acting as a servant, washing the Disciples feet after eating the Passover meal in the upper room in John 13. Jesus had to address Peter, representing the Law, when Peter said Jesus couldn’t wash his feet. Jesus told Peter, “If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with Me.” Jesus was telling the Disciples the Law was being fulfilled by Him, through Grace, and if they would not accept Grace, God serving man, then they couldn’t be a part of Him. AWESOME!!!
Let’s look quickly at Moses and Elijah. What is their significance? I’ll give you a clue. Let’s look at Luke 24:44 and Matthew 5:17:
Luke 24:44
And He [Jesus] said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning Me.
Matthew 5:17
Think not that I [Jesus] am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
Both verses are statements made by Jesus. Moses represents the Law. Elijah represents the Prophets. In Jesus, the words of the Law and the Prophets are fulfilled in “The Word,” Jesus Christ.
We, as Believers, are commanded by God to study His Word.
II Timothy 2:15
Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth.
When I truly made Jesus the Lord and King of my life, I had this insatiable desire to study the Word. I knew at 55 years of age there had to be more to the Kingdom of God than this “hang on for Heaven and be a good person” mantra I had heard out of pulpit after pulpit. I came to know Jesus as my Savior at 13 years of age, but I truly didn’t make Him the absolute Lord and King of my life until 55 years of age. When I really began to study God’s Word, God opened it up to me just as He’ll do for you. At first, I was angry with the preachers and teachers at what I had been largely, wrongly taught through the years in church. God, as a loving Father, then said, “look at II Timothy 2:15. I told YOU to study to show yourself approved unto Me, not your preacher or teacher. If you had been doing this, you would have known you were being wrongly taught. But you cannot hold it against them. They did it out of ignorance or out of rebellion. It still comes back to YOU being responsible to Me.” I had to repent for my angry and wrong thoughts at my past preachers and teachers who taught a denomination’s doctrine about God’s Word. Every single denomination was half or largely wrong in their doctrine.
I pray you’ll develop a deep hunger for God’s Word, to study and abide by it. Yes, we all still make mistakes and sin. Until we shed this human flesh, this is going to happen. Only Jesus was perfect in this human flesh, praise God. God looks at your heart. David committed adultery and had the husband of the woman killed in battle. When confronted by God, David acknowledged his sin and repented from the heart with true sorrow for his misdeed. God said of David, “he was a man after His [God’s] Own heart.”
Don’t allow yourself to be duped by the traditions of men and the rudiments of the world (Colossians 2:8), by denominational doctrine that doesn’t line up absolutely with ALL of God’s Word. Always go to God’s Word, not the words written by a denomination or religion, and see what our Father has to say. If you do this, I promise the Holy Spirit will lead and guide you to the Truth about any matter you have (John 14:26, John 16:13). It’s time to stand boldly for Jesus, The Word. As I tell others, what have you got to lose. How’s your present way of doing things working out for you? We all know the answer to this. When you decide to make God’s Word the final decision and authority in your life, watch and see the blessings and abundance in all areas of your life and your family’s life flow in. He has never, and will never, fail us.
For all those who are preachers, pastors, teachers (yes, Sunday School, too), priests, deacons, elders, etc., read Galatians 1:8-9. Paul, through the Holy Spirit, is giving us a stern warning about WHAT we preach and teach. If you don’t want to receive a double portion of the curse (this is what “accursed” means), you had better heed what the Holy Spirit, through Paul, commands. Don’t mess with, add to, or take away from God’s Word.
In Christ,
Larry