… but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.
Summary: Peter, James, and John witnessed Jesus unveil the power of his heavenly nature.
What if you had seen something that no one else had seen? Moreover, what if what you saw was unbelievable?
The movies we see these days are becoming technically sophisticated. In the old days, Godzilla was a stop-action claymation model, and models of spaceships were hung by fishing line. The effect was hokey. Today, special effects make it seem like anything is possible.
As believable as the movies are, we still know that they are just movies. They are not reality. But what if what you saw was more amazing than anything you had ever seen in a movie, and you knew it was real?
Peter has seen such things. He had never seen a movie, but if he had, he would say, “That’s nothing!” What he has seen dwarfs everything else into insignificance.
Peter has seen all or most of Jesus’ miracles recorded in the Gospels. They would be amazing to see. Another list of amazing things would be the things that Peter witnessed after the resurrection. I suspect Peter saw some amazing things, then as well. But the event that Peter mentions in the next two verses is a chart-topper.
Peter knew Jesus as a man. Granted, the Jesus Peter knew was a man who could do amazing things. He could turn water into wine, heal lepers, give sight to the blind, and walk on water, to name a few. Jesus did things no one else has ever done. Yet all of that paled in comparison to what Peter saw on the mountaintop.
Like a scene from a movie, Jesus was transformed into something completely different. Matthew describes it this way: “His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light.” (Matthew 17:2) Luke adds, “his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning.” (Luke 9:29)
For a moment in time, Jesus, the man, was revealed as he actually is. Somehow, Moses and Elijah are able to step into our world from God’s heaven. While this portal between heaven and earth is open, Jesus shines with the brightness of the sun, his clothes with the brightness of lightning.
It might be easy to pass this off as indigestion, except that there were three witnesses who all saw the same thing. Peter calls it “coming in power.” In today’s passage, he says he was an eyewitness of Jesus’ majesty.
Peter knows what the truth is. He witnessed the majesty of Jesus revealed before his eyes. He died knowing that what he had seen was real. He wants us to know it is real, too.
Application: Consider what Peter saw when our Lord was transfigured.
Food for Thought: If you had seen what Peter saw, what would you tell people?
Not sure what I would say but I’d put the woman at the well to shame.
Well, well, well. Nice answer! 🙂
If anyone asked me,..I would tell them the truth as best as I can,..even John in the letter of Revelations couldn’t explain what he saw to a T,..because he keeps on about,..it was like,..it was like,…it was like,…and that letter is a reveling vision given to John to write for us,..So as being a John,…I would probably start out by saying,..it was like and then go into giving Jesus the glory and honor He so deserves,..
But I haven’t seen what these guys saw,.. so I guess I am safe on having to explain what it was like to anyone,..but that doesn’t stop me from sharing of what I do know and have seen with others
Keep smiling!
Thank you, John!
You do make me smile, brother! 🙂
You make a great point, too, about sharing things seen but not understood. We do see, not what Peter & Co. saw, but we see by faith. We still have the same challenge sharing what we see.
Keep up the good work!
If I had seen what Peter saw, what would I tell people? I would like to think, I hope I would, describe it the same as Peter did, not focusing so much on how incredible it all was, but rather describe it so others could know that Jesus is who He says He is. The whole text of what you wrote made me start thinking about movies and how we as people tend to focus on the exciting parts and forget the moral trespasses of everyone in the story. In this story the Hero has no trespasses, and that is one of the main points of the story. I believe Peter not to create “a legend” but to ensure the descriptions keep the focus on Jesus’s real reasons for coming here. I would like to be able to do the same. 🙂
Chris,
What an interesting thought: Keep it to the facts. That is exactly what they did, too. The Gospels do not focus on how the disciples felt, but what happened. Very fact based. Thank you!
Good devotion brother. I am not sure I would say anything differently than Peter did through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. I hope I would share through the power of the Holy Spirit as well. Of course, we can share in His power today.
Brother Rich,
As always, you provide a very grounded perspective. Following God’s guidance through his Holy Spirit is critical. Well said!
Although paling in comparison to the passage or John’s experience, hardly worth mentioning in the same discussion, but I’m guessing we’ve experienced God working miracles in our lives. I know I have.
Do we take, or make, the opportunities to give Him the glory? to acknowledge it? Did we write off as indigestion? I’ve got a few that come to mind, some that have been shared, probably too sparingly, and some that haven’t.
Adam,
Welcome to the party!
You make a great point: How do we acknowledge the miracles in our own lives? Some, in my own experience, I have written down in a journal. Sadly, I have not kept up with that. I should! Thank you for the reminder.
Add to that Earl’s memory verse two months ago –
“ Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.” (Ephesians 5: 15-16)
Make the most of every opportunity to testify to what we have seen.
Thank you, Adam!
10-06-2021, 2 Peter 1:16c, If you had seen what Peter saw, what would you tell people?
In the OT we see creation and fall of man. We then see God as He reveals Himself and ministers through a relationship with specific individuals, some empowered with the Holy Spirit, who lived by faith in Him and His promise of the coming Messiah. The revelation of His coming Son, His ministry among the people and sacrifice on the cross and are revealed to us throughout the Old Testament. God displayed His power as evil was destroyed, barriers broken apart and victory given to imperfect people of faith. The OT saints looked forward to the coming of Christ and we see their tombs were broken open and they were physically raised from the dead as Christ gave His life on the cross for all mankind. Matthew 27:52
In the NT we see the fulfillment of the OT as God confines Himself to the human body of His Son Jesus Christ, walks among mankind for approximately 33 years and humbly submits Himself, allows men to brutalize and crucify Him as THE sacrifice for the sins of all mankind. During the majority of His ministry, He cloaked His Glory and displayed His majesty among men through, love, compassion, humility as He submitted to the Fathers will and served all mankind by revealing His truths, fulfilling the Old Testament and becoming an example for us. Before ascending into heaven, Christ promised to send another helper, teacher. Hebrews 1:3-4, Luke 11:13, 24:49, John 15:26
God inspired writers in the NT further explain the work of the Holy Spirit. Acts 5:32, 2 Corinthians 5:5, Galatians 3:5, Ephesians 1:17
I would suggest, as we live in the final days, that God expects us to discard all thoughts of our previous greatness, and in His power display His Greatness to others. The spirits of all true believers have seen the Glory and Majesty of Christ as revealed to us by the Holy Spirit. We have each seen what we needed to see to drive us to our knees in repentance, abandon our sins and seek the power of God in our hearts over our own. We are new creations, we are once again created beings empowered and given an opportunity to have a relationship with God to the degree we walk in humble obedience to His will.
Allow the Holy Spirit to declare the Majesty of Christ by letting Him be seen. Let Christ tell others of His Majesty, as He loves and serves them through us.
John 16:8-13
Well said, Ron.
Thank you!