HEAR HIM

This particular day started out as quite ordinary. Peter, James, and John are asked to go up into a mountain with the Lord Jesus to pray. But can you imagine their astonishment when, in the middle of this prayer session, the Lord’s countenance and His raiment suddenly changed into a glistening bright white. It completely overwhelmed the disciples as it would have us, had we been there. Also, they listened as Moses and Elijah talked to the Lord about His exodus which would be accomplished at Jerusalem.

Peter spoke of three tabernacles - one for each of the three men. There are two things wrong with his statement. The first was putting the Lord on the same level with Moses and Elijah. But further he put this incident in the millennial reign where the feast of tabernacles will have its fulfillment. Peter obviously hadn’t been listening. The Lord had told them just prior to this incident that at Jerusalem He would suffer, be rejected, be slain, and be raised from the dead. Peter couldn’t accept this idea and so rejected it. Peter wanted to get to the good part - the reign. Wouldn’t we all? But first there had to be the suffering. Peter wasn’t ready for that. None of us want that. We all try to dodge suffering in our lives. We are thankful that much physical suffering has been eliminated. But, unfortunately, we sometimes do things that seek to alleviate suffering for the cause of Christ.

The preaching of the gospel is compromised when we eliminate the doctrines of repentance, eternal hell or the inflexible justice of God. When we get rid of sin and preach only of the love of God, we preach another gospel. If we only present the Lord Jesus as a great leader, part of a great religion, and an example to follow, we preach another gospel. If we introduce things into the church which appeal to the flesh, and minimise the reproach of the cross, church doctrine and the gospel will be undermined.

Peter had to learn that suffering is the pathway to glory. As his epistles testify, He did. May we learn the same lesson! Following the Lord may not be the popular way but it is the only way to the glory that is to follow.