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For I know the plans I have for you,declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jer 29:11 |
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| Archived Manna: | |
Dear
Friend,
If you do not already have a habit of gathering daily manna the first thing in the morning (we can look at the example given to us in Exodus 16 and find the pattern for make it a habit. Establish your life and your schedule to allow you the necessary time to do your daily collection first thing every morning to give you the strength to make it through the day. And remember that today’s manna will not be sufficient for tomorrow; tomorrow’s manna must be collected tomorrow morning. Friday, May 27, 2022
Today's Passage : Today's Passage :The Transfiguration [2] Bible Verse:Matthew 17:9-13 (ESV) "And as they were coming down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, “Tell no one the vision, until the Son of Man is raised from the dead.” And the disciples asked him, “Then why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?” He answered, “Elijah does come, and he will restore all things. But I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they pleased. So also the Son of Man will certainly suffer at their hands.” Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist." Message:
We see Jesus, time and time again, charge those who witnessed miracles or teachings not to tell anyone about it. He does not give a reason for this, but one obvious explanation is that He does not want the Jewish people to widely proclaim the coming of the Messiah before they (or at least some of them) understand what the Messiah is. Jesus is very different from what they expect. Most Jews expect a beefed-up version of David, a military and political leader, probably of high birth, who would drive the Romans from the Promised Land and reinstitute the integrated Kingdom of Israel. (Many Sadducees thought the Messiah had actually already come! They saw the Messiah not as a man, but as a process, that had started with Judas Maccabeus.)
We have seen, and continue to see today, how difficult it is for people to hear the actual message of Christ. People will say and do all kinds of crazy and unchristian things in his name. Even with Peter beginning to comprehend the full meaning of his existence, Christ anticipated the difficulties the church would face, once He had ascended.
Icon of Elijah, Russia, 15th century
Primitive icon of Elijah
God would not force salvation on us. But if a Christ Movement arose as an armed rebellion, not only would Christ’s message of a new covenant (and therefore the salvation he brought) be drowned out, but any Christian who understood the message would be slaughtered along with the rest of the “rebels”. As it was, Christ intervened directly by converting Paul; but that was as far as God intended to go, in using force to spread repentance and the acceptance of the Holy Spirit.
The idea that Elijah would reappear in advance of the Messiah is complex. It was a doctrine widely held among the Jews. John the Baptist did act as a forerunner of Christ, and here Jesus speaks of John as fulfilling the expected role of Elijah; but John the Baptist, himself, denied he was Elijah. (John 1:21) And indeed, he was not, for Elijah was a specific individual and had not died.
As we see in the first chapters of Acts, this gives a practical aspect to the Transfiguration. People will make any argument they can, to obfuscate the truth. So, God has given Peter a retort to anyone who will argue, “Christ could not be the Messiah, because Elijah did not return to earth to precede him.” (Malachi had made multiple prophecies, one of which did indeed predict the return of Elijah, but that prophecy seems to refer to the Second Coming.)
So essentially, Christ is saying, if you would have Elijah before the Messiah, you have John — the life of John the Baptist fulfills the prophecy of Elijah’s return. But now Peter has a second, ironclad and literal, fulfillment of the prophecy: he and two other Jews have personally witnessed Elijah’s return.
Yes, the entire business of John and Elijah is complicated to us, difficult to follow and, if we throw Malachi in the mix, it is nearly impossible to unscramble. But the Transfiguration makes all the theology unnecessary. Peter and the apostles had absolute proof of Christ’s divinity. And if there were any confusion about the return of Elijah — Elijah had returned and they had seen him!
Meditation : “In the end, it is important to remember that we cannot become what we need to be by remaining what we are.” Prayer : Let me not forget my prayers as I go out into the world. Holy Spirit, be with me, and let me praise you and remember you in my every action and thought, for the entire day long. In Christ’s name I ask this,...........Amen |
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