Can you see it, Peter, James, and John have just heard a voice from a cloud, telling them Jesus is God’s own Son? (They probably suspected something along this line already.) And then, after falling down in horror from hearing this announcement, Jesus touches them (taps them on the shoulder?) and tells them, “Rise, and have no fear.” (I’m not sure that would do it for me.) What a sight that must have been!
But Jesus isn’t finished yet. Afterwards, when He and His shell-shocked disciples are coming down the mountain, He lays on the clincher—”Tell no one the vision, until the Son of Man is raised from the dead.”
Say what!?
Surely there has been no greater test of restraint ever imposed on a human being than that given to Peter, James, and John: “Tell no one.” How could you not tell of this mind-blowing experience? All of the countless hours of chatter and debate the disciples must have shared about Jesus when He wasn’t around were confirmed—in royal spades!
“What is this all about?” His inner circle must have wondered. “What have we gotten ourselves into with following this Man to the exclusion of all else?” And then the thought that must have haunted them most: “What if our trust is misplaced? What if what He tells us isn’t true?”
Now they knew—but were told not to tell anyone—at least not yet, not until the resurrection.
Could they wait that long? Maybe. We don’t know for sure.
But we do know this: on Easter morning, Jesus’ true nature—His full humanity and full divinity—was broadcast through the universe. The Savior’s triumphant words of victory, “It is finished,” resounded over our sin, our mortality, and Satan himself. Now our mouths needn’t be silent; our hearts needn’t be fearful. We can rejoice in what God has done.
Now we can tell everybody!
THE PRAYER: Heavenly Father, may Your Holy Spirit touch our lips to speak of the love You have shown us in Jesus. In His Name we pray. Amen.
This Daily Devotion was written by Paul Schreiber.
Reflection Questions:
1. What would have been the best part about being one of Jesus’ disciples?
2. What does “His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became white as light” mean to you?
3. Are you good with keeping secrets? Could you have kept the one Jesus gave His three disciples?