Matthew 17:1-4 (NASB)
1 Six days later Jesus *took with Him Peter and James and John his brother, and *led them up on a high mountain by themselves.2 And He was transfigured before them; and His face shone like the sun, and His garments became as white as light.
3 And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him.
4 Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, I will make three tabernacles here, one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah."
God has blessed me with the privilege of preaching dozens of camps, retreats, rallies, and revivals. He has moved powerfully in many of those settings. Youth groups and churches have been deeply touched. The challenge has always been to translate those powerful works of God back into mainstream living.
There really is no secret to camp. You get people away from negative influences. You seclude them in an environment where they will study the scriptures, worship, have fun, and most importantly meet with God. Students are saved. They repent and rededicate their lives. Some even feel called by God to go into the ministry. It happens every summer all across America. We call it a camp high. Or a mountain top experience.
That is what Peter, James, and John experienced. They got to be a part of a God encounter they would never be able to fully explain to their peers. What they saw and experienced was beyond description, though we get a sneak peak in the Gospels.
Jesus took these three up on a high mountain away from everyone else. He removed them from distractions where He had their undivided attention. Those three unsuspecting disciples could not have imagined what they were going to see. Jesus was transfigured before them.
The word transfigured means to transform, change, and to metamorphosize. We are told His face shone like the sun. Meaning His face beamed and radiated like blindly bright sun rays. They could not look upon the manifest glory of Jesus on display as He unzipped the outer shell of His humanity to let His divinity radiate before the small band of followers. His clothing shone white like lightening. The whole scene is hard to fully explain. Jesus shone so bright I am sure the disciples had to shield their eyes and bow on the ground. They got just a glimpse of what Moses experienced in Exodus 33 when he asked God to let him see His glory. God hid Moses in the cleft of the rock and passed by. Moses only got to see the backside of God's glory. His face radiated for a long time afterward noticed by the children of Israel.
Both Moses and Elijah appeared on the top of that mountain. They talked with Jesus. The scriptures do not indicate that the disciples were privy to that conversation, but they saw these two Old Testament heavyweight stalwarts of the faith. Moses and Elijah both shared an uncommon communion with God. God used both of them in unusual ways to promote His glory. The disciples got to see them with their own eyes.
Impulsive Peter was the first to open his mouth. He said it was good for them to be there. He was right. The moment was not lost on Peter. These three disciples were privileged to see something no others had seen. He knew it was special. He offered to build three tents for Jesus, Moses and Elijah to dwell in. Peter did not want to leave the top of that mountain. Can you blame him? He and his companions experienced something none of the rest of us have. He did not want to go back down to the mundane ordinary grind of life. He wanted to remain in that glorious God encounter.
From time to time we all need those special God encounters. One of those places for me is the little two- bedroom prayer cabin I frequent in deep east Texas once a year. That is sacred soil. A place of numerous God encounters. A place where God has inspired and birthed numerous books. Getting to go there once or twice a year is a mountain top experience.
It is interesting that Jesus did not stay on the mountain top. If you continue reading that chapter, as soon as they came down from the mountain, they met a father whose son was demon possessed. The other disciples were powerless to help. Jesus came down from the mountain to the gritty ministry of helping people.
In some ways, true revival is a mountain top experience. Such seasons do not last forever. That is why when God chooses to bless a church, community or even a country with such an outpouring, it must not be taken for granted. Many have lived and prayed their whole lives and never seen God bring revival. When He chooses to move powerfully among His people, we must jump in with both feet and prayerfully soak it up like a sponge inviting others to experience God too. In time, those seasons of refreshing end. What then?
We are supposed to go back to work evangelizing, standing against the schemes of Satan, and seeking first the kingdom of God. We are to roll up our sleeves and get involved in the work of helping people. Jesus does not want us to live like monks and nuns secluded from people in our mountain retreats. Part of our purpose is to minister to hurting, broken, needy, sinful people.
We should appreciate those special God encounters we enjoy at camps, conferences, revivals, and retreats. We must also be mindful that we are surrounded by tens of thousands of people who need God encounters too. We may visit the mountain tops, but ministry happens in the valley. May mountain top God encounters fuel us to effective ministry to those around us when we come back down.
- Recall a recent mountain top experience you enjoyed with God? What changes did God make in your life as a result? Did it last?
- Examine the current condition of your walk with God. Are you in need of a fresh encounter with Him?
- Pray for Jesus to reveal Himself to you in a new way today.
- Get prepared to minister to people around you after your Jesus encounter. Trust that He will put the right people in your path who need a divine encounter. Commit to help them get connected with Jesus and trust Him for the results.
No comments:
Post a Comment