Pastor Barry's  "Chapter & Verse"  Day 191

July 10;    Mark 9:7;    37/260(III);    ‘Hear Jesus’

Mark 9:7 And a cloud came and overshadowed them; and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!"

This passage of scripture is called the transfiguration.  The Lord Jesus took with Him Peter, James and John up on a high mountain.  Why was it always Peter, James and John who were with Jesus?  The simple truth is that they are the ones who wanted to be with Him.  We can be with the Lord Jesus all we want to be.  It is our decision.  There on the mountain, the Lord was transfigured before His disciples.  Remember, Jesus looked just like anyone else.  There was nothing special about His outward appearance that drew people to Him.  As Jesus was transfigured, the beauty, radiance and power of His Spirit Man began to shine right through His clothing.  It was the Lord Jesus’ inward beauty that revealed itself to Peter, James and John.  Elijah and Moses appeared and were talking with Jesus.  Needless to say, the disciples were terrified.  Soon a cloud, which was the glory of the Lord, the presence of the Holy Spirit, overshadowed them.  God the Father’s voice spoke out of that cloud saying, “This is My beloved Son.  Hear Him”.  How vitally important what the Father said is.  Jesus Christ is the Word of God (John 1:1).  In essence, the Father was teaching the disciples and us, the Lord Jesus’ inward radiance reflects who He is, the Old Testament heroes ‘reported’ to their Lord and the Holy Spirit’s glory covered them.  As incredible as those things were, the Father exhorts us to hear the Word.  The Word is more important and needed than anything.