Luke 9:28-36
Find a place and time free of distractions for the next 7-10 minutes. Take a moment to settle into your surroundings and then begin to recognize your breath. As you breathe in, call on the name of Jesus and become aware of his presence with you. As you breathe out, open your mind and heart to receive whatever Jesus has for you today.
Read Luke 9:28-36 picturing the scene and noting any questions that arise.
It has been eight days since Jesus announced that some of the people listening to him would see the Kingdom of God in their lifetime. His closest followers have already seen glimpses of the Kingdom through the displays of Jesus’ power and authority, and they have come to the realization that he is the promised King of Israel. But now here on the mountain three of his disciples are allowed to see the fullness of God’s glory emanate from every pore of Jesus’ ordinary human body.
Take some time to meditate on John’s description of his vision of the resurrected, glorified Jesus:
“I saw…someone like the Son of Man. He was wearing a long robe with a gold sash across his chest. His head and his hair were white like wool, as white as snow. And his eyes were like flames of fire. His feet were like polished bronze refined in a furnace, and his voice thundered like mighty ocean waves. He held seven stars in his right hand, and a sharp two-edged sword came from his mouth. And his face was like the sun in all its brilliance.” – Revelation 1:13-16
Consider how this description compares to your ideas about Jesus. Then take some time to tell him what you think about him. You might want to repeat the sentence, “Jesus, you are…” over and over filling in the blanks with your thoughts about Jesus.
Read Luke 9:28-36 again.
When Peter sees the glory of God shining through Jesus and recognizes that both a long-dead patriarch and prophet are standing with him, he feels a rush of urgency to do something! But then, for the second time in Jesus’ earthly ministry, God the Father speaks a word of affirmation over Jesus and this time adds an instruction: “Listen to him.”
For many of us, a beyond-the-ordinary experience of Jesus makes us want to get busy building the Kingdom or spreading the Good News. But doing without listening will rarely produce a multiplying Kingdom harvest. Rushing into action often results in empty religious activity. We end up constructing pointless shelters much like the tents Peter wants to build - as if they could contain the presence of the glorified Jesus or even Moses and Elijah.
To live lives of purpose, we must constantly remember that Jesus is both our intimate friend and our transcendent Lord, and to be involved in his redemptive work, we must learn to listen to him first.
So let’s do that now. Take the last minutes of this time of meditation to quiet yourself and then listen to Jesus.
What is Jesus saying to you today?
What will you do about that?
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The Everyday Jesus Follower’s Guide ebook can help you learn how to recognize God's voice, how to read and understand the Bible, how to develop deep spiritual friendships, and how to become the person you were meant to be. Use it alone, with a friend or in a small group.
