Remembering
2 Peter 1:12-21 (NIV) 12 So I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now have. 13 I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the tent of this body, 14 because I know that I will soon put it aside, as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. 15 And I will make every effort to see that after my departure you will always be able to remember these things.
16 For we did not follow cleverly devised stories when we told you about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in power, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17 He received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” 18 We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain.
19 We also have the prophetic message as something completely reliable, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. 20 Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. 21 For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
What a strange thing it must be to write as Peter did in this letter, knowing that his life would soon be over. Who would you write, what important thoughts would you want to convey?
Peter reminds the Gentiles reading his letter of several things. One of the most consequential was his presence, along with James and John, at the Transfiguration. Can you imagine trying to reduce into words being a witness to Jesus, Moses, and Elijah as the glory of God was revealed? It is moments like this, when God’s supernatural presence breaks through the veil that separates the earth from the heavenlies, that define us. You see, these God encounters will lift us and sustain us during times of distress. Peter knew this.
So, Peter reminds the recipients of this letter that between eyewitness testimony and prophetic messages, God has made known His majesty, and through Jesus He has made known His love. And it is vital that we, today, understand that even though we live in the temporal world, our hope is in the eternal.
May we today and every day keep our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. And may we, empowered by the Holy Spirit and His Word, take the name of Jesus with us and share Him with all we meet.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
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