THIS IS MY CHOSEN SON

Opening Prayer

Jesus, God’s Chosen One, help me to listen, to hear you, and to follow you.

Read LUKE 9:28-36

The Transfiguration

²⁸ About eight days after Jesus said this, he took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray. ²⁹ As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. ³⁰ Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus. ³¹ They spoke about his departure,^[a] which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem. ³² Peter and his companions were very sleepy, but when they became fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him. ³³ As the men were leaving Jesus, Peter said to him, “Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” (He did not know what he was saying.)

³⁴ While he was speaking, a cloud appeared and covered them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. ³⁵ A voice came from the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him.” ³⁶ When the voice had spoken, they found that Jesus was alone. The disciples kept this to themselves and did not tell anyone at that time what they had seen.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

1. Luke 9:31 Greek exodos

New International Version (NIV)Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Meditate

‘I used to believe that prayer changes things, but now I know that prayer changes us and we change things.’1

Think Further

Jesus’ transfiguration on the mountain top reveals who he truly is, not merely a great prophet but God’s own Son. It demonstrates his glory, in a way that leaves Peter befuddled (v 33). The voice from heaven (v 35) recalls Jesus’ earlier baptism experience,2 and the sleepy disciples (v 32) anticipate the painful Garden of Gethsemane experience.3 Each of these pivotal moments shapes and sharpens Jesus’ journey in significant ways. Most of all, this is a moment of prayer. As Jesus prays, his physical appearance is transformed, reflecting the power of this intense, transcendent experience of God’s presence. Once again, it is in prayer that Jesus is reminded that he is God’s Son. It is significant that Jesus needs this profound reassurance twice, once just before the start of his public ministry and his time of temptation in the wilderness and once before he starts the long path to the cross. In these moments of prayer, his identity is reaffirmed and the path ahead is clarified.

This moment parallels Jesus’ baptism, yet instead of being the beloved Son, he is now the ‘chosen Son’ (see v 35); instead of the Father delighting in him, there is a call to the others there to ‘listen to him.’ These differences reflect the developing progression of Jesus’ calling and ministry. In the deep experience of embracing God’s presence and being overwhelmed by it, Jesus is transformed and a glimpse of his heavenly identity is revealed. In the mystical encounter with Moses and Elijah, Jesus sees the journey he must make to Gethsemane and beyond. Most importantly, he knows afresh his core identity as God’s chosen Son and all the grace and power that comes with this to navigate what lies before him.

Apply

Where do you meet God’s transforming presence, knowing yourself to be a child of God and seeing clearly the journey ahead? How can you find that deeper moment of prayer?

Closing prayer

Almighty God, you declared Jesus as your Son on the mountain; may I never forget the price paid so that I could call you Father.

Last Updated on August 8, 2023 by kingstar