And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, "You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased"

 

 Now as the people were in expectation, and all reasoned in their hearts about John, whether he was the Christ or not, John answered, saying to all, "I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose.  He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.  His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather the wheat into His barn; but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire."  And with many other exhortations he preached to the people.  But Herod the tetrarch, being rebuked by him concerning Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, and for all the evils which Herod had done, also added this, above all, that he shut John up in prison.  

When all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized; and while He prayed, the heaven was opened.  And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, "You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased."

 

- Luke 3:15-22 

 

Yesterday we read that in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, while Annas and Caiaphas were high priests, the word of God came to John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.  And he went into all the region around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins, as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, saying::  "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the LORD; Make His paths straight.  Every valley shall be filled and every mountain and hill brought low; The crooked places shall be made straight and the rough ways smooth; And all flesh shall see the salvation of God."  Then he said to the multitudes that came out to be baptized by him, "Brood of vipers!  Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?  Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.'  For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.  Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.'  For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.  And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees.  Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire."  So the people asked him, saying, "What shall we do then?"  He answered and said to them, "He who has two tunics, let him give to him who has none; and he who has food, let him do likewise."  Then the tax collectors also came to be baptized, and said to him, "Teacher, what shall we do?"  And he said to them, "Collect no more than what is appointed for you."  Likewise the soldiers asked him, saying, "And what shall we do?"  So he said to them, "Do not intimidate anyone or accuse falsely, and be content with your wages."  

 

  Now as the people were in expectation, and all reasoned in their hearts about John, whether he was the Christ or not, John answered, saying to all, "I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose.  He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.  His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather the wheat into His barn; but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire."   My study Bible explains that fire in this context has the primary meaning of the gift of the Holy Spirit, which is given to the world at Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4).  This further declares the judgment of Christ also, in which the faithless will burn (see 2 Thessalonians 1:6-10; 2:8).  My study Bible further asks that we note that this fire is one.  It is the same Power and the same Spirit which both enlivens the faithful and destroys the faithless.  

And with many other exhortations he preached to the people.  But Herod the tetrarch, being rebuked by him concerning Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, and for all the evils which Herod had done, also added this, above all, that he shut John up in prison.  Herod had divorced his own wife, and then married his brother Philip's wife, Herodias.  As Philip was still living, John the Baptist denounced this marriage as unlawful according to Jewish practice.  For this, John was shut up in prison.

 

 When all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized; and while He prayed, the heaven was opened.  And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, "You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased."  Jesus Himself, my study Bible explains, doesn't need baptism.  But in being baptized, our Lord accomplishes the following things.  First, He affirms John's ministry.  Second, He is revealed by the Father and the Holy Spirit to be the Christ, God's beloved Son.  Moreover, He identifies with His people by descending into the water with them.  Also, He prefigures His own death, and gives baptism its ultimate meaning.  Jesus entered the waters, and so sanctified the water itself for future baptism.  Furthermore, in being baptized, He fulfills the many types given in the Old Testament, such as when Moses led the people from bondage through the Red Sea (Exodus 14), and when the ark of the covenant was carried into the Jordan so that the people could enter the Promised Land (Joshua 3; 4).  Additionally, Jesus opened heaven to a world separated from God through sin.  

My study Bible has another long note regarding the Baptism of Christ.  From the beginning of the early Church, this event was celebrated on January 6th.  Indeed, in the earliest century of the Church, Baptism and the Nativity of Christ (Christmas) were celebrated together on that same date.  (In the Armenian Apostolic Church, this ancient practice continues.)  This event of Christ's Baptism is known as Epiphany, or more properly, Theophany, which literally means "God revealed."  The Son is revealed by the descent of the Holy Spirit, and by the voice of the Father.  My study Bible calls this the greatest and clearest public manifestation of God the Trinity in human history.  It also notes that the words spoken by the Father also apply to everyone who is baptized and lives faithfully, as sonship is bestowed by adoption (Galatians 4:4-7).  Moreover, the Holy Spirit appearing as a dove is not an incarnation.  It is, instead, a visible sign for the people.  This appearance further fulfills the type prefigured at the Flood.  Quoting from Theophylact, my study Bible notes, "Just as a dove announced to Noah that God's wrath had ceased, so too the Holy Spirit announces here that Christ has reconciled us to God by sweeping sin away in the flood waters of baptism."  If we pay close attention, we might consider the poetic celebration of the early Church, commemorating both the "birth" of Christ's public ministry (Baptism) with the birth of the Christ child (Nativity).  But let us remind ourselves that what is most important is this fuller revelation of God the Holy Trinity.  For without the activity of the Holy Spirit, how would any of this be possible?  Therefore the manifestation of the Spirit in the form of a dove, signifying peace (as will so much of Christ's ministry), is so important.  In the Creed, we declare that Christ was born of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary and became Man.  At His Baptism, the Holy Spirit appeared in order to declare that He is the Christ, in  form of anointing, expressing the eternal reality of the Son, in combination with the Father's voice.  Let us pay close attention, for without the Holy Spirit, we would not indeed have a Church, a whole spiritual history both before and after Christ, nor the possibility of the Helper who comes to us and guides us into Christ's truth.  I recently watched a video special made about various saints, including John the Baptist.  Strangely enough, it did not include the Holy Spirit in its depiction of Christ's Baptism, a serious flaw.  For without the Spirit, we don't have the Baptism, we don't have the preaching of the Baptist nor his mission as forerunner to the Christ, we don't have Jesus, we don't have the journey of the ancient Israelites led by the pillar of fire.  Let us, today, consider this active importance of the Holy Spirit, at once necessary to our story, and at the same time alive and active in our world today.  For without the Spirit, we will neither have the judgment, which awaits the coming of Christ when He returns to our world at the end of the age (John 16:7-11).  For because of the Spirit, the Father and the Son can come and make their home in us also (John 14:15-24). 

And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, "You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased"

 

Baptism in the Jordan, 15th century, Kythera. Byzantine and Christian Museum, Athens, Greece. (Author photo)

 Now as the people were in expectation and all reasoned in their hearts about John, whether he was the Christ or not, John answered, saying to all, "I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose.  He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.  His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather the wheat into His barn; but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire."  And with many other exhortations he preached to the people.  

 

But Herod the tetrarch, being rebuked by him concerning Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, and for all the evils which Herod had done, also added this, above all, that he shut John up in prison.

When all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized; and while He prayed, the heaven was opened.  And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, "You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased."

 

- Luke 3:15–22 

 

 Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, while Annas and Caiaphas were high priests, the word of God came to John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.  And he went into all the region around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins, as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, saying:

"The voice of one crying in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the LORD; Make His paths straight.  Every valley shall be filled and every mountain and hill brought low; The crooked places shall be made straight and the rough ways smooth; And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.'" Then he said to the multitudes that came out to be baptized by him, "Brood of vipers!  Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?  Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.'  For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.  And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees.  Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire."  So the people asked him, saying, "What shall we do then?"  He answered and said to them, "He who has two tunics, let him give to him who has none; and he who has food, let him do likewise."  Then tax collectors also came to be baptized, and said to him, "Teacher, what shall we do?"  And he said to them, "Collect no more than what is appointed for you."  Likewise the soldiers asked him, saying, "And what shall we do?"  So he said to them, "Do not intimidate anyone or accuse falsely, and be content with your wages."   

 

 Now as the people were in expectation and all reasoned in their hearts about John, whether he was the Christ or not, John answered, saying to all, "I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose.  He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.  His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather the wheat into His barn; but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire."  And with many other exhortations he preached to the people.   Note, as we did in yesterday's commentary, the people were in expectation not only because the fulfillment of prophecy was at hand (as the ruling family are sons of Herod the Great, a non-Jew who claimed to be king of Judea - see the prophecy of Jacob at Genesis 49:10), but also clearly because of preaching of John the Baptist, who was held is wide esteem as a holy man.  My study Bible comments on this passage that fire, in the context in which John speaks as that which distinguishes the Baptism of Christ, has the primary meaning of the gift of the Holy Spirit, which is given to the world at Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4).  Moreover, this also declares the judgment of Christ, in which the faithless will burn (see 2 Thessalonians 1:6-10; 2:8).  It is important to understand that this fire is one.  It is the same Power and the same Spirit which both enlivens the faithful and destroys the faithless.  

 

 But Herod the tetrarch, being rebuked by him concerning Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, and for all the evils which Herod had done, also added this, above all, that he shut John up in prison.  My study Bible explains here that Herod (also known to us as Herod Antipas) had divorced his own wife and married his brother Philip's wife Herodias while Philip was still living.  

 

When all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized; and while He prayed, the heaven was opened.  And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, "You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased."  My study Bible comments that Jesus Himself does not need baptism.  In being baptized, however, our Lord accomplished several things.  First of all, He affirmed the ministry of John the Baptist, whom we know as the greatest of the Old Testament type prophets.  Second, He was revealed by the Father and the Holy Spirit to be the Christ, God's beloved Son.  Additionally, He identified with His people by descending into the waters with them; and He prefigured His own death -- thereby giving baptism its ultimate meaning.  Jesus also entered the waters, and thus sanctified the water.  Moreover, He fulfilled the many "types" given in the Old Testament, such as when Moses led the people from bondage through the Red Sea (Exodus 14), when the ark of the covenant was carried into the Jordan so that the people could enter the Promised Land (Joshua 3; 4).  Finally, through His Baptism, Jesus opened heaven to a world separated from God through sin.

There is quite a lengthy note in my study Bible regarding Jesus' Baptism which is worth reporting here.  His Baptism is celebrated on January 6th in the Orthodox world, and is commonly known as Epiphany ("manifestation" or "showing forth"), or more properly, my study Bible says, Theophany, which means "God revealed," or "manifestation of God."  The Son is revealed by the descent of the Holy Spirit and by the voice of the Father.  This is the greatest and clearest public manifestation of God as Trinity in human history, as in the words of a hymn of this occasion, "The Trinity was made manifest."  My study Bible adds that the words spoken by the Father also apply to everyone who is baptized and lives faithfully, as sonship (implying "heirs" regardless of gender) is bestowed by adoption (Galatians 4:4-7).  The Holy Spirit appearing as a dove is not an incarnation.  It is rather a visible sign for the people.  This appearance further fulfills the type prefigured at the Flood (Genesis 8:8-11).  Theophylact is quoted:  "Just as a dove announced to Noah that God's wrath had ceased, so too the Holy Spirit announces here that Christ has reconciled us to God by sweeping sin away in the flood waters of baptism."  It's worth noting here also that in the very early Church, both the Nativity and Baptism of Christ were celebrated on the same day, January 6th (a practice which continues in the Armenian Apostolic Church today).   We can see the idea of the manifestation of God in the world -- an "appearing" to the public gathered of Father, Son, and Spirit -- and the birth of Jesus Christ coming into the world in the flesh, as being celebrated in one event.  Moreover, this event is the birth of Christ's public ministry in the world, the coming forth of the gospel message to all.  In that sense, it is truly the "revelation of God," God showing forth into the world, and we are prepared to follow Him on His journey, His way to teach us the way. 

 

 

As He prayed, the appearance of His face was altered, and His robe became white and glistening

Transfiguration icon by Theophanes the Greek, late 14th century

Now it came to pass, about eight days after these sayings, that He took Peter, John, and James and went up on the mountain to pray.  As He prayed, the appearance of His face was altered, and His robe became white and glistening.  And behold, two men talked with Him, who were Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of His decease which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.  But Peter and those with him were heavy with sleep; and when they were fully awake, they saw His glory and the two men who stood with Him.  Then it happened, as they were parting from Him, that Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is good for us to be here; and let us make three tabernacles:  one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah" -- not knowing what he said.  While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were fearful as they entered the cloud.  And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is My beloved Son.  Hear Him!"  When the voice had ceased, Jesus was found alone.  But they kept quiet, and told no one in those days any of the things they had seen.

- Luke 9:28-36

Yesterday we read that as Jesus was alone praying, His disciples joined Him, and He asked them, saying, "Who do the crowds say that I am?"  So they answered and said, "John the Baptist, but some say Elijah; and others say that one of the old prophets has risen again."  He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"  Peter answered and said, "The Christ of God."  And He strictly warned and commanded them to tell this to no one, saying, "The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day."  Then He said to them all, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.  For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.  For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost?  For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in His own glory, and in His Father's, and of the holy angels.  But I tell you truly, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the kingdom of God."

Now it came to pass, about eight days after these sayings, that He took Peter, John, and James and went up on the mountain to pray.   The number eight mentioned here, is significant spiritually, and particularly in light of the fact that it is the Transfiguration that is going to take place before these three disciples who form Jesus' inner circle.  Eight is the number of the Resurrection.  It signifies eternity, as we say the new day of Resurrection is the eighth day.   Previous to the Resurrection, worship for the Jews was on the Sabbath, which was the seventh day, Saturday.  The new Sabbath is the Lord's Day, the eighth day, Sunday.  To be up on the mountain is frequently a place of divine revelation in Scripture.

As He prayed, the appearance of His face was altered, and His robe became white and glistening.  The whole character of this experience is the great light that transforms or "transfigures" everything.  It is a revelation of the divinity of Jesus.  My study bible tells us that because God is light (1 John 1:5), all the elements that reflect a light inexplicable by worldly standards demonstrate that Jesus is God.  In some icons, this light is shown with a blue hue, depicting an ineffable color, showing its spiritual origin.  We note that the appearance of His face was altered; this is a revelation of a transcendent truth, something more than what the purely worldly can reveal.

And behold, two men talked with Him, who were Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of His decease which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.  Moses and Elijah represent all of the spiritual history that has led to this time of the Messiah, the Christ.  Moses represents the law and all those who have died.  Elijah represents the prophets and, as he did not experience death (see 2 Kings 2:9-12).  My study bible says that their presence shows that the law and the prophets, all the living and the dead, bear witness to Jesus as the Messiah, the fulfillment of the entire Old Testament.  Importantly, Christ speaks to Moses and Elijah of His decease which He was about to accomplish in Jerusalem.  In the Greek, the word translated as decease is "exodus."  This incident foreshadows the Resurrection, the time of glory when as the Messiah He will usher in the long-awaited Kingdom.

But Peter and those with him were heavy with sleep; and when they were fully awake, they saw His glory and the two men who stood with Him.  Then it happened, as they were parting from Him, that Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is good for us to be here; and let us make three tabernacles:  one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah" -- not knowing what he said.  The disciples, after struggling from sleep, saw His glory.  Let us remember another moment when Peter and those with were heavy with sleep:  in the garden at Gethsemane, Jesus' time of great agony, when He also asked these to watch with Him (Matthew 26:36-46).  Peter's seemingly disconnected remark is coming from his understanding that he's witness to what prefigures the coming of the Kingdom.  Tabernacles (or tents) were built for the feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot, or the Feast of the Coming Kingdom) which commemorates Israel's time of wandering in the wilderness toward the Promised Land, worshiping in the tabernacle and living in impermanent dwellings.

While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were fearful as they entered the cloud.  And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is My beloved Son.  Hear Him!"  When the voice had ceased, Jesus was found alone.  But they kept quiet, and told no one in those days any of the things they had seen.   The very presence of the Kingdom of God is indicated as well in the cloud, such as overshadowed the tabernacle of Moses and led the Israelites is a visible sign of God being extraordinarily present.   The voice of God the Father proclaiming His beloved Son and that all should Hear Him!   The present tense used here:  This is My beloved Son, is a further indication of the eternal quality of this experience and of the Kingdom, and that Christ is Son before all ages.  The glory radiating around them in the presence of the holy light  is Christ's by nature, God's energy. 

God's energies are revealed to Peter, James, and John.  That is, these divine energies that are extraordinarily present in Christ.  This moment will give them strength for what is to come, as the text continually reminds us.  Indeed, this moment is tied to Jesus' suffering on the Cross, which He calls His "hour of glory" (John 12:23).  Although it is here that His glory is evident to the disciples, as the divine light is radiant around them and through all of the elements present, even Jesus' clothing, it is the time of the Cross that Jesus calls His glorification.  But we have this moment with us, one of divine revelation, to teach us about Christ -- who He is, what He is, the nature of His divinity.  What are God's energies?  Perhaps we are to understand that this radiant extraordinary light is always present, but we are not equipped to perceive it.  Certainly we are to know, and confess in faith that Christ has always been the Beloved Son of God, begotten before all ages.  He does not become Son because of His ministry and mission.  Rather, the truth is the opposite:  this ministry and mission as one of us, His suffering and death as one of us, comes because He is the Son.  It comes because the world is so beloved of God that Christ was sent to us (John 3:16).   A hallmark of the nature of God shared among the Trinity is surely love (1 John 4:8).   In this is perhaps the greatest truth about Jesus' time among us, the accomplishment of His "decease" which He calls His hour of glory, as His sacrifice is a supreme act of love in order that we may have the eternal life He can give us.  His mission as human being into our world isn't simply to reveal His glory to us as God.  Rather, it's just the opposite:  His glory is revealed in His love for us, in the sacrifice and suffering He voluntarily makes out of love for us.  This is what our faith offers us.  It surely offers us all of the glory and grandeur and power and otherworldliness associated with the divine everywhere.  But it offers us one thing deeper, truer, grander:  it offers us love as the ultimate character of God -- a love which is guaranteed to be always extraordinarily present, which has been present before all ages and always will be.  This is a love so pure that it will experience even death for those upon whom it is bestowed, even if they should refuse that love.  Christ is true to His own nature, and His hour of glory reveals the fullness of that nature.  He offers to share His nature with us, if we "follow Him."   Let us consider the fullness of what that might look like, and the holiness of the saints.  Its learning curve has an eternal horizon, and grace and truth is its cup.  The Transfiguration is titled "Metamorphosis" in Greek.  Let us remember that this radiant example is for all of us to understand about ourselves.  Our lives are not meant to be stagnant; we exchange one reality for another.  This glory is reflected in our cross we take up daily, as He has said (see yesterday's reading, above).  It is the way to grow in the fullness of His likeness.

Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out. And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself

 "Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say?  'Father, save Me from this hour'?  But for this purpose I came to this hour.  Father, glorify Your name."  Then a voice came from heaven, saying, "I have both glorified it and will glorify it again."  Therefore the people who stood by and heard it said that it had thundered.  Others said, "An angel has spoken to Him."  Jesus answered and said, "This voice did not come because of Me, but for your sake.  Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out.  And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself."  This He said, signifying by what death He would die.  The people answered Him, "We have heard from the law that the Christ remains forever; and how can You say, 'The Son of Man must be lifted up'?  Who is this Son of Man?"  Then Jesus said to them, "A little while longer the light is with you.  Walk while you have the light, lest the darkness overtake you; he who walks in darkness does not know where he is going.  While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light."  These things Jesus spoke, and departed, and was hidden from them.

- John 12:27-36a

Yesterday we read that there were certain Greeks among those who came up to worship at the Passover feast.  Then they came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and asked him, saying, "Sir, we wish to see Jesus."  Philip came and told Andrew, and in turn Andrew and Philip told Jesus.  But Jesus answered them, saying, "The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified.  Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain.  He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.  If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also.  If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor."

"Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say?  'Father, save Me from this hour'?  But for this purpose I came to this hour.  Father, glorify Your name."  Then a voice came from heaven, saying, "I have both glorified it and will glorify it again."  Jesus' words illustrate both His human and the divine natures.  As a human being, Jesus says that His soul is troubled, as He knows what is coming.  But according to His divine nature, His will is subservient to the purposes of the Father.  The Father's name, my study bible says, is an extension of His Person.  The Son's death completes the purpose of the Father and shows His love for all, thereby glorifying Him.  Christ accepts for the Father to lead Him to the Cross.  God the Father's response refers to the signs already performed by Christ and to the death and Resurrection to come.

Therefore the people who stood by and heard it said that it had thundered.  Others said, "An angel has spoken to Him."  Jesus answered and said, "This voice did not come because of Me, but for your sake."  My study bible comments here that although the Father spoke clearly, some people heard indistinct sounds like thunder because they lacked faith.  Those with a little faith heard the words but did not know the source, thinking that it was an angel.  The disciples knew that the Father Himself had spoken, as Jesus addresses them by saying the voice came "for your sake."

"Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out.  And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself."  This He said, signifying by what death He would die.   Lifted up is Christ's reference to the Cross (see also 3:14-15; 8:28).  He says that His death will not only bring salvation to all peoples, but unmistakably that it will render judgment on this world -- destroying the power of the ruler of this world, Satan.

The people answered Him, "We have heard from the law that the Christ remains forever; and how can You say, 'The Son of Man must be lifted up'?  Who is this Son of Man?"  Then Jesus said to them, "A little while longer the light is with you.  Walk while you have the light, lest the darkness overtake you; he who walks in darkness does not know where he is going.  While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light."  These things Jesus spoke, and departed, and was hidden from them.  The light refers to Christ, and this reflects a repeated theme in John's Gospel (1:4-9; 8:12).  My study bible says that Christ's teaching here has several facets of meaning.  First, that He will be shortly completing His public ministry.  Moreover, our lives are very limited; we have a short time to repent and believe in Christ before death.  Finally, the second coming of Christ is only a little while when compared to eternity. 

As we come closer to the Crucifixion, the time of choice becomes more stark, more clear.  Jesus now brings up Judgment:  "the judgment of this world," as He puts it.   As Jesus is lifted up on the Cross, the Crucifixion somehow asks us to make a decision.  Moreover the judgment is against "the ruler of this world," the one who would truly desire to bring about the death of Christ and in so doing feel that somehow His message of spiritual liberation would be lost.  The Cross becomes not only the symbol of salvation, but the means whereby we are set free from the this "strong man" who would keep us captive (Matthew 12:29-30).  In yesterday's reading, Jesus taught, "He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.  If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also.  If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor."  It's a question of what we put first, and what we are willing to choose when faced with the dilemma of following Him or allowing something to which we cling to stop us from going where He asks us to go.  Jesus, as any human being, loves His life in this world.  But as Son, He goes where He must go and does what He must do to lead the way.  In this sense He is "lifted up" for us, in order to gather all to Him, and to cast out in judgment the ruler of this world.  How is this important for you today?  Are there things you need to "cast out" in order to better follow Christ?  Is there something you need to face?  These choices, as also exemplified in the Cross, are not simple and easy.  We come up against hard choices, relationships we cherish, personal habits we take pleasure or pride in, customs we're told are essential, and we need to be willing to find His way, a different way, a future that we don't yet know as we follow Him further along down that road.  Often that future is on the other side of the Cross.  What does this mean for you?  How will you be set free from the strong man of this world for a better Leader?

This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!

Transfiguration icon, Russia, 17th century

Now it came to pass, about eight days after these sayings, that He took Peter, John, and James and went up on the mountain to pray.  As He prayed, the appearance of His face was altered, and His robe became white and glistening.  And behold, two men talked with Him, who were Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of His decease which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.  But Peter and those with him were heavy with sleep; and when they were fully awake, they saw His glory and the two men who stood with Him.  Then it happened, as they were parting from Him, that Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is good for us to be here; and let us make three tabernacles:  one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah" -- not knowing what he said.  While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were fearful as they entered the cloud.  And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is My beloved Son.  Hear Him!"  When the voice had ceased, Jesus was found alone.  But they kept quiet, and told no one in those days any of the things they had seen. 

- Luke 9:28-36

Yesterday, we read that, as Jesus was alone praying,  His disciples joined Him, and He asked them, saying, "Who do the crowds say that I am?"  So they answered and said, "John the Baptist, but some say Elijah; and others say that one of the old prophets has risen again."  He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"  Peter answered and said, "The Christ of God." And He strictly warned and commanded them to tell this to no one, saying, "The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day."  Then He said to them all, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.  For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.  For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost?  For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in His own glory, and in His Father's, and of the holy angels.  But I tell you truly, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the kingdom of God."

 Now it came to pass, about eight days after these sayings, that He took Peter, John, and James and went up on the mountain to pray.  As He prayed, the appearance of His face was altered, and His robe became white and glistening.  And behold, two men talked with Him, who were Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of His decease which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.  But Peter and those with him were heavy with sleep; and when they were fully awake, they saw His glory and the two men who stood with Him.  In the story of the Transfiguration, we begin with Peter, John, and James whom Jesus takes with Him to pray on the mountain.  This is His inner circle, the ones brought with Him to Jairus' house when Jairus' daughter was at the point of death, those whose faith is strongest.  We remember that Jesus has just told the disciples (in yesterday's reading) that He will suffer and be rejected and killed, and be raised the third day.  Peter has just made his confession of faith that Jesus is "the Christ of God."  Moses and Elijah appear, as representatives of the Law and the Prophets.  The glory that appears for the disciples confirms the understanding of the presence of the kingdom of God.  The text is translated that Moses and Elijah speak to Jesus of His decease which He is about to accomplish at Jerusalem.  The word translated as decease in the Greek is "exodus."  It refers to His death, at which He will be glorified (John 12:23).  My study bible says the term reveals that Christ's Passion is a true fulfillment of the Old Testament Passover and the true exodus from enslavement into salvation.  His glory also reveals that His suffering will be voluntary.  What arresting soldier could have resisted it?

Then it happened, as they were parting from Him, that Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is good for us to be here; and let us make three tabernacles:  one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah" -- not knowing what he said.  The Feast of Tabernacles was the feast of the Coming Kingdom, commemorating the time when Israel followed Moses and lived in tabernacles (or tents), temporary dwellings on their way to the Promised Land.   Peter's statement may seem nonsensical, but it does make sense in the context of what he knows and understands.

 While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were fearful as they entered the cloud.  And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is My beloved Son.  Hear Him!"  When the voice had ceased, Jesus was found alone.  But they kept quiet, and told no one in those days any of the things they had seen.  Here is what is called a Theophany, the revelation of God in the form of the Trinity.   The cloud overshadows them as the bright cloud of the Spirit that went before the Israelites, visible sign of God's presence (see also Numbers 11:25).   The Father's voice speaks, and Jesus is identified as beloved Son.   The command to "Hear Him!" even reflects on Jesus' identity as the Word (John 1:1).

The Transfiguration is a revelation of many things, a point from which we can understand many aspects of Christian faith.  Some suggest that as Jesus has just revealed that He will suffer and die, and be raised on the third day, it is an affirmation for the apostles of His true identity.  It is something they won't forget and will bear meaning for them after the events of the Passion, and giving more depth of understanding to the Resurrection. These men will need a strong faith to go through the events they are about to endure, and memories that will cement in place their mission as apostles.  For now, the text says, they keep all of this very quiet, and told no one in those days any of the things they had seen.  This is because the events that are going to occur must proceed as they will in order for all to be given the true ideas about Messiah, the Christ.  The expectations of the people run very contrary to what will happen, and what sort of Kingdom this is going to be and how it will work in the world.  But the Transfiguration, to my mind, also teaches us about mystery.  Certainly there is revelation of Jesus' divine nature, and most importantly, of the Trinity.  But the Transfiguration also gives us an image to think about, to contemplate, as we consider the work of the Kingdom in the world.  The disciples -- Jesus' inner circle of Peter, James, and John -- are given an extraordinary experience and revelation.  But this image must also work to help us to contemplate the presence of the Kingdom in the world.  When we pray, do we enter into a place where we have a communion with God, a taste of something that permeates our world with experiences perhaps of joy, or peace, or even insight into our own dilemmas and circumstances?  The image of Transfiguration -- so often shown in icons in a blue-tinged light, meaning a glory that is beyond an earthly light -- is one which feeds us our own sense of what mystery and reality exists not just "beyond" or "after" this world or this life, but really interpenetrates our lives and touches our souls and spirits.  It is something good to meditate on, to understand in a contemplative way, how faith becomes not just about teachings and precepts, but is also experiential.  That is, an understanding that touches the heart with things we experience like love, or insight, or confidence we wouldn't have without it, a faith in what is "right" when the world puts pressure on us to make a difficult choice.  Without the Transfiguration, a sense of the holy as immanent wouldn't be so clear or secure within our faith.  It's not only about the miracles and the healings, the signs of the Kingdom Jesus does.  It's also about this image, in which God's light shines mingled and out-glowing even earthly light, but nevertheless shines for us -- for all of us.  This is what we take with us to experience as our own faith illumines what we need, and how we need it.  The mystery of the light remains, but the transfiguring power of the presence of this mystical reality works in us and those around us, even in always-surprising ways we can see and know and experience, and in the testimony of those for whom the Lord has done great things.