October 20, 2012 … WHAT IF?

Chronological Bible Reading Plan - Day 294

Blogger’s Note: As you may have noted by now, Christian music plays a big part in my devotional life; and today as I meditated on the great NT story of the mount of transfiguration in Matthew and Mark’s gospel accounts, one song, performed by Nichole Nordeman, What If, came to my mind; and I found the link to it on You Tube. Here it is, linked for your viewing/hearing …  . Watching this video will give you a lot of thoughts out of today’s time as to what the disciples must’ve been going through in their confusion about Jesus and why He would reveal - to at least three of the leaders of these twelve - what He did on that mountain in these two accounts.

Passage of the Day: Reference of Today’s Chronological Bible Study: Matthew, Chapter 17 To study these chapters, go to this link - 
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Passage of the Day: Reference of Today’s Chronological Bible Study: Mark, Chapter 9 To study these chapters, go to this link - 

Highlight Passages: Matthew 17: 1-13 : [NLT] … { This is the passage where Matthew describes three of the twelve, Peter and the brothers, James and John, being taken up a high mountain and being given a vision of heaven which involved seeing Jesus with Moses and Elijah. It had to have been in incredible vision for these three, yet confusing as well. And that’s likely why Jesus, when they were descending from the mountain, instructed them not to tell what they saw to anyone – AT THAT TIME. Obviously they did later reveal this story, probably sometime after the resurrection, because here Matthew is writing about it, as John Mark did as well (see Mark 9). Use the link above to read/study from Matthew, Chapter 17. }
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Highlight Passages: Mark 9: 1-13 : [NLT] … {Here we have John Mark’s version of the incredible Mount of Transfiguration story. Note that Mark was not one of the inner disciples; and he likely may have heard this story directly from one of the three or from Matthew after the resurrection. But the story becomes important as one of Jesus’ way of revealing Whom He really was to at least some of His disciples. As above you can use the links to go to the story in Mark’s gospel account to read this parallel account of the transfiguration story. }
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Cross Reference Passages: Malachi 4: 5 : [NLT] …{This prophesy was the one questioned by the Disciples about Elijah coming before the Day of the LORD would come. We now know that John the Baptist fulfilled this prophesy in history. But these men had trouble seeing that reality in their time with Jesus claiming to be The Messiah. } … 5 “Look, I am sending you the prophet Elijah before the great and dreadful day of the LORD arrives. … 

My Journal for Today: Two very close Gospel accounts from Matthew, one of the inner twelve Disciples, and Mark, a later, post-resurrection disciple, both of whom were writing to help people of their day see that Jesus was really the Son of God and really THE Messiah for all mankind. And the story of Jesus revealing heaven to three of the twelve Disciples up on that mountain shows how Jesus was carefully trying to allow His inner disciples to get a glimpse that He was Whom He was claiming to be.

And the dilemma of Jesus’ identity, faced by the disciples in their day, is still the most important question anyone will answer for themselves during their life time today. And it’s the question that is posed in the song to which I’ve linked you above in this devotional journal entry. ”WHAT IF” Jesus is truly Whom He claimed to be? Because if He IS Whom He showed Himself to be to Peter, James, and John up on that mountain; and He IS Whom was prophesied in the Old Testament and revealed in the New Testament, then He IS our Messiah; and faith in Him, for Whom He is and in what He did for us on the cross, is life-changing … FOREVER (see John 3: 16 and Romans 10: 9-13).

So, rather than take long time to journal on speculations about what is written in Matthew 17 and Mark 9 about the Mount of Transfiguration and other ideas of the gospel writings of Matthew and Mark, I’m just going to stop here, praying that anyone reading this has answered that question of WHAT IF, clearly for themselves, … knowing that JESUS IS THE MESSIAH; and knowing that our belief in Him as The Messiah will have us spending eternity together... with Him.

My Prayer Today: … LORD, You are Whom You claimed to be; and YOU ARE my Messiah. Amen