Matthew 17:1-13
God Calls Jesus His Son
1 After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. 2 There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. 3 Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.
4 Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.”
5 While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!”
6 When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. 7 But Jesus came and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don’t be afraid.” 8 When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus.
9 As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus instructed them, “Don’t tell anyone what you have seen, until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”
10 The disciples asked him, “Why then do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?”
11 Jesus replied, “To be sure, Elijah comes and will restore all things.12 But I tell you, Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but have done to him everything they wished. In the same way the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands.” 13 Then the disciples understood that he was talking to them about John the Baptist.
Mark 14:60-65
Jesus Tells the High Priest that He is the Son of the Blessed One
60 Then the high priest stood up before them and asked Jesus, “Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?” 61 But Jesus remained silent and gave no answer.
Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?”
62 “I am,” said Jesus. “And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.”
63 The high priest tore his clothes. “Why do we need any more witnesses?” he asked. 64 “You have heard the blasphemy. What do you think?”
They all condemned him as worthy of death. 65 Then some began to spit at him; they blindfolded him, struck him with their fists, and said, “Prophesy!” And the guards took him and beat him.
Isaiah 55:8-9
My Thoughts are Not Your Thoughts
8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the Lord.
9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
Was the Son of God blessed?...Wouldn't that just seem like a simple question?...I would say that if anyone were ever blessed it would be God's Son...He was the Son of God, so how could He not be blessed?...But as we study and read about Jesus and think about how we actually view His life, especially His ministry and the challenges He faced with the Jewish leaders of His time, it was an interesting time for Him...He most regularly drew the anger and wrath of the religious leaders, He was around...His life ended abruptly and was short...He was crucified, a most tortuous and agonizing way to die...
Yet, He is blessed....We know that...God often works in a paradox and in irony, to our way of thinking...Sometimes His Ways are just odd and strange to us...But we know that God makes the last first, the least become the greatest, He gave life from death, He turned suffering into joy...He actually turned death, His Son’s death into joy and one of the greatest things ever to be...Death into Life Eternal...A Grand Resurrected Savior...