Transfiguration of Our Lord

GodSpeak for the Week of March 3

We finish our three-week tour of assigned readings from the Lectionary this week with the events on Mount Tabor.

Day 1…Read Deuteronomy 34:1-12

  • Consider this – mountaintops are often the places where God shares with His servants (here, it’s Moses) very, very important things.
  • Answer this – what “mountaintop experience” and promise is Moses offered by God here?
    • Take a look at the last sentence of v. 4 – why does God say this to Moses?

 Day 2…Read Deuteronomy 34:1-12, again (focusing especially on vv. 5-7)

  • Consider this – the focus of what we’re talking about in worship on Sunday is answering the question: “What makes something REAL?”
  • Answer this – why are we given these details in vv. 5-7?
    • It’s clear from what’s said, that we’ll probably never find Moses’ grave – but, what do these details do for us nonetheless?

Day 3…Read Luke 9:28-36

  • Consider this – once again, we find the story centered around a mountain. Here, Jesus has gone up to pray.
  • Answer this – what was the purpose of the Transfiguration?
    • Why is it important that Peter, John and James were there to see it?

 Day 4…Read Luke 9:28-26, again (focusing especially on v. 32)

  • Answer this – why do you think the three disciples were “very sleepy” in the literal face of the transfigured Jesus?
    • Wouldn’t that event make a person hyper-aware of what’s going on?
    • What must have been going on with them to cause the disciples to feel that way?

Day 5…Read 2 Peter 1:16-18

  • Consider this – Peter is clear to say, “…we did not follow cleverly devised stories…” (v. 16) The Greek word for “cleverly devised” is “sophos”.  It carries the idea of a person who argues with clever reasoning (but with decidedly mistaken beliefs to underscore that reasoning).
  • Answer this – for Peter, what is it that made the Transfiguration of Jesus REAL?

 Day 6…Read John 20:24-31

  • Consider this – this is the famous “Doubting Thomas” portion of John’s Gospel.
  • Answer this – given what God showed James, Peter and John on Mount Tabor; given what Mary Magdalene reported to the disciples on that first Easter Sunday (cf. John 20:18); given what Jesus offers to the doubting Thomas in this passage – what is it that makes matters of Christian faith REAL?
    • Why is what Jesus says in v. 29 so important, AND what does it lead us to do?
    • Why is it important what John then notes in vv. 30 & 31 – what does that do?