CATCH A GLIMPSE OF GOD’S GLORY

Luke 9:28-35

 

 How good it is if we could taste and see how good our God can be.

It is an honor and privilege if we could have that chance of seeing at least a bit of God’s glory.

Is it not awesome to open our eyes and you could see the fulfillment of what we dreamed of, what we desire, of what we aspire to?

Have you experienced it, going to a place you dreamed of and when you were there, you were feeling awe and you don’t want to leave that place anymore?

When God has given you the chance to taste and to experience, you may say to yourself “Lord hope this will last for long.”

And when we have it, we felt undeserving and question ourselves “who am I to deserve all of this?”

THE EXPERIENCE OF DISCIPLES

And these are the same emotions of Peter when Jesus took them up to the mountain.

Jesus had given them the chance of their lifetime to catch a glimpse of Jesus’ glory.

To see and experience what other disciples missed to experience and see.

To be in an exclusive, private moment with Jesus.

To witness the amazing presence of Father himself in the company of the prominent servant of God: Moses and Elijah.

GOING TO THE TOP

But experiencing glory is not easy unless you pass through agony.

Experiencing victory is not easy unless you pass the hardship and test of difficulties.

Because going to the mountain requires you to climb it. It requires you to pursue it.

No guts, no glory.

Jesus’ glorious resurrection did happen if he did not walk toward the Mount of Calvary.

There is no glory if there is no Calvary.

There is no Easter Sunday if there was no Good Friday.

THE MOUNT OF GLORY

An old man was climbing a mountain but as he climb it, there was a point that he felt really tired and said” God, I’ve been climbing this mountain for almost all of my life but now I’m failing and it seems I can’t reach the peak of this mountain.”

And he heard a voice echo saying” This mountain has no peak, climbing it has already its own reward. You never climbed it in vain!”

All of us may be tired of climbing our own mountain desiring to reach its peak.

We may be having going up and trying to conquer the mountain of problems, a mountain of obstacles, and difficulties but do not be dismayed because climbing has already its rewards.

We may be waiting to see the fullness of our quest, the answers to our prayers, and the realizations of our dreams.

But our climbing is not in vain because when we climb the mountain of life, it teaches us to persevere, it makes us strong, it expand our faith, it develops our hopes and it molds our character.

Our mountain teaches us to trust God. It teaches us to be humble.

We may not have that glorious moment yet but if we never falter and quit, the glory is about to come.

Time will come to that victory is sweet and we can taste it.

JESUS REVEALS HIMSELF

Jesus reveals himself to his three disciples.

The Jesus they know in the valley is different from the Jesus they saw on the mountain.

Jesus showed them that glimpse of His divinity.

Jesus’ transfiguration elevates their knowledge of Him.

He revealed to them that the Son of Man will suffer many things and be ejected by the elders and chief priest and scribes, and be killed and raised up on the third day. (Luke 9:22)

To tell them that His word is true, He showed them himself in a glorious form.

He may be a suffering Son of Man but He is also a Glorious Son of God.

The question is, how much do you know Jesus in your life?

Is He the Jesus you know in the Valley or the Jesus on the Mountain?

Because if you knew Him only that He is a wondrous healer,  a miracle worker, The Shepherd, the provider, the suffering servant then your knowledge of Him is just Jesus on the valley.

But if you considered Him as the Son of God, the King of kings and the Lord of Lords, The King seating on the right hand of the Father, then you know Him as Jesus on the Mountain.

Our knowledge of God shall elevate as well.

JESUS CHOOSES HIS COMPANION

Have we not asked ourselves why there are twelve disciples yet He revealed His glory only to only three?

Jesus feed thousands and healed many, but He circled himself with His twelve disciples. But out of the twelve, He chooses only three as His trusted confidante.

Because we cannot give ourselves to so many.

God’s glory is exclusive to those who are chosen, to the few who are willing to follow Him.

As He said, if you want to be truly my disciples, deny yourself, carry your cross and follow me”.

There is sensitive information that can be confined only to a few.

Mt 17:9 Jesus said, tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man is risen from the dead.”

And they kept silent and reported to no one in those days any of the things which they had seen.

Surrounds ourselves with people whom we can trust.

Jesus surrounds himself who can insulate and help Him to accomplish his mission.

KNOW WHO WE ARE IN FRONT OF HIM

They saw Jesus in His glory talking to Moses and Elijah.

When they are fully awake, they saw His glory speaking to two men.

Then Peter speak “Master, it is good for us to be here, I will build three tents- not realizing what he was saying.

While He was saying this, a cloud formed and overshadowed them.

And a voice came out of the cloud and said “This is my Son…

What we know in the valley cannot be used in the mountain.

We cannot be too much intelligent in front of God.

Rather He commands us to listen to Jesus, the beloved Son of God.

GO DOWN FROM THE MOUNTAIN

It’s good to stay on the mountain, especially if the presence and glory of God are there, and Peter was so eager that he suggested building three tents for Moses, Elijah, and Jesus.

But that glorious experience shall not remain on the mountain but rather share it as well with those who seek His glory.

We have to go down from the mountain and start to witness and share that experience with others.

Jesus allowed His disciple to see Him in His glorious form, a glimpse from humanity to divinity.

They have that moment to witness a transfigured Jesus on the mountain because they might not recognize a disfigured Jesus when they go down to the valley.

He revealed to them that the Son of Man will suffer many things and be ejected by the elders and chief priest and scribes, and be killed and be raises up on the third day. (Luke 9:22)

If we desire to experience and caught a peek at the glorious face of Jesus, first we need to recognize the disfigured Jesus in the life of others.

We cannot just yearn to experience glory but rather feel and see His agony in the life of many.

Let us acknowledge, remember and minister to Him in the life of those who are disfigured because nobody recognized them in their situation especially those who suffer, the voiceless, who are in pain, who are deprived, who are helpless, hungry, and thirsty, the unloved, the persecuted and rejected.

If we aspire to see Him in His glory, we need to seek Him in the life of brethren who are in frailty and agony.

Mother Theresa said” I see God in every human being. When I wash the leper’s wounds, I feel I am nursing the Lord himself. Is it not a beautiful experience?”

May all of us have a glimpse of His glory,

Mikesendon