The Only Voice That Matters

Today, I was reading Matthew 17:1-13 in my bible study. These verses are about the transfiguration of Christ. Let me just recap a little bit for you.

Jesus takes Peter, James, and John up high on a mountaintop and there Jesus changes from a human form to a heavenly form. Verse 2 says his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. Light represents truth and white represents pureness, without sin. Elijah and Moses appear on the scene and they are supposedly discussing Jesus’ upcoming death.

Then a bright cloud appears (a cloud represents the presence of God). A voice comes out of the cloud saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!”

God’s short message here establishes again (same words God used when Jesus was baptized) the divinity of Jesus, the relationship between God and Jesus, and his authority here on earth!

Earlier in chapter 16, Jesus asked the disciples, “Who do the people say that I am?” and “Who do you say that I am?” The people at the time were confused about whom Jesus was but Peter said “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

Today, are we like the “people” in this story and confused about who Jesus really is to us or are we like Peter, unashamedly and confidently recognizing and announcing Jesus as the Son of God? Our lives reflect what we really believe.

God said, “LISTEN TO HIM!” What does that mean? Jesus is not physically here with us today so we cannot have a town hall meeting or a public debate to discuss his ideology or discover where he sits on the issues of the day. How can we know what he is telling us today?

Well, first, we have to recognize Jesus as Lord and Savior. Once we do that we also recognize that His words and His wisdom are trustworthy and pure and above all of the other voices in the world. His voice then should drown out all of the other voices competing for our attention. Our focus should be on Him alone.

We cannot HEAR Jesus if we are allowing other teachers or authorities to be heard as well. If we are taking various viewpoints from various sources and then trying to form our own opinion to go with, we will never get it right! There is only one authority! There is only one teacher! There is only one opinion that matters and it is not ours!

The word listen according to Webster means – to make a conscious effort to hear; to give heed; take advice.

God is telling us to make a conscious effort to hear Jesus and to do what He says and follow His advice. Remember Jesus represents truth and pureness and we can rely on His direction as being the right direction to go.

May you make a conscious effort today to make Jesus Lord of your heart and may your life reflect the One you serve.