Glorifying Father

This morning I read about the Transfiguration of Christ in Luke 9:28-26. Something stood out in this reading that I never really paid attention to before. In v. 30-31 it said, "And behold, two men talked with Him, who were Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of His decease which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem."

Moses and Elijah... came from heaven and talked with Jesus, but not about all the great miracles He had been performing, not about His victory in the wilderness, not about the crowds of people following His ministry. They came to speak with Him about His death!

Jesus had a destiny. Mark 10:45 says, "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” Jesus' destiny was the cross. He walked in the love of God while on the earth, performing miracles and proclaiming the Kingdom of God. But His destiny was the cross, His destiny was death.

"Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? 'Father, save Me from this hour?' But for this purpose I came to this hour (John 12:27)." Verse 28 quotes Jesus praying, "Father, glorify Your name." After the Transfiguration, Jesus "steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem (Luke 9:51)." To bring glory to Father's name. To die.

Just before the Transfiguration, Jesus taught what it is to be a follower of Christ: "then He said to them all, 'If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me' (Luke 9:23)." That means dying... giving up my rights, letting go of things, of people, of of priorities, of ideals. And for some it means actually giving up their literal life.

Am I a follower of Christ? Do I desire to glorify God? Then I must also set my face to go my "Jerusalem," the place where I receive my death sentence. I must take up my cross. I must say yes to Gethsemane. I must identify with Christ not only in His love, His provision, His miracles. I must identify with Christ in His death.

"A bundle of myrrh is my beloved to me (Song 1:13)..." O thank You, Jesus, that You are a bundle of myrrh! You abundantly cover the stench of death with beautiful perfume. I can do this... You made the way first! You did it! You are calling me to come and follow you, to take up my cross, to die. I will, Lord, I will.