Eyewitnesses

2 Peter 1:16–21 (NASB 95)

16 For we did not follow cleverly devised tales when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty. 17 For when He received honor and glory from God the Father, such an utterance as this was made to Him by the Majestic Glory, “This is My beloved Son with whom I am well-pleased”— 18 and we ourselves heard this utterance made from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain.

19 So we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts. 20 But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, 21 for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.

Examine / Explain

Peter is reinforcing the authenticity of the gospel. Stating that there are no hidden stories in his words. He has presented the truth of who Jesus is. Peter was a witness to Jesus’s transfiguration on the mount, and he was not alone when it happened. Peter saw the Son of God glorified and the future that we are destined for. This is confirmation of the prophets. The words they spoke are true and were revealed to Peter as an eyewitness. And if those things were true the truth that Jesus is coming back must be true. For the prophetic words about His coming again are divine in nature and not merely the words of a man hoping for something better.

How do I apply this to my life?

What do I believe? If we are incapable of living outside our belief system, what does my life say is true? Does my life scream that Jesus is coming back? Or does it drift through time wondering about eternity? What does my life preach? Can people see that I am committed to being a Christ follower? To what degree? What about the risk of being misunderstood because I wouldn’t fit a stereotype? Do I display more relationship than regulation with my savior? Do people see freedom when they look at me? Do they even understand what freedom is and what it means to be free? If I am a believer, I should believe that every word of the bible is true. At the risk of being misunderstood, I don’t understand how others who claim to be believers don’t believe every word of the bible. If you don’t want to have a standard or measuring stick to which you want to compare your life too, which is Jesus. Don’t be a Christ follower. But if we are Christ’s followers, it is commanded of us to take our cross and follow Him. That means we know death is an option and not even how we would want to die. We give up our own lordship and for the Lord of Lords. We surrender our wants and desires to God. And as we walk through that, our wants and desires should start looking at the things Jesus wanted and desired. That means you can’t twist and contort scripture to fit what you want it to. This means you can’t justify a sexual preference for watching porn and getting a body count. From the beginning, it was one man and one woman. Marriage is a picture of the gospel and has been since Adam and Eve. Again, if you don’t want to live in this belief system, then don’t. No one makes us believe what we believe. It is a choice. We can choose not to believe. But what will we miss out on? Freedom. Grace. Hope.

What is my response?

Father, I believe. And when my beliefs don’t align with what You say, I need to change my beliefs. I get to have the words of eyewitnesses who physically walked with You on this earth. Ordinary men who saw and believed extraordinary things. I am an ordinary man who can walk with You spiritually and still see and believe extraordinary things. Let my life show that I believe. Amen.