Four Men On A Mission

This morning I was reading this next passage and it was very fresh to me. I pictured four men on a road trip together. Perhaps like folks might pile into a vehicle and go on a fishing trip today. They met early and went on an adventure.

"And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became radiant, intensely white, as no one on earth could bleach them." - Mark 9:2-3 ESV

Jesus, Peter, James and John. Jesus was and is God himself. James would only have a few more years on Earth. He dies soon after the Church is formed. Peter becomes a big shot. John gets imprisoned on Patmos.

Jesus was why they went. He was the friend who 'organized' the trip and He was the man they got to see in a whole new 'light'.

Here is how this account is given to us in one of the other Gospels and I'll include what happened before the trip also...

"Now it happened that as he was praying alone, the disciples were with him. And he asked them, 'Who do the crowds say that I am?' And they answered, 'John the Baptist. But others say, Elijah, and others, that one of the prophets of old has risen.' Then he said to them, 'But who do you say that I am?' And Peter answered, 'The Christ of God.' And he strictly charged and commanded them to tell this to no one, saying, 'The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.' And he said to all, 'If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself? For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. But I tell you truly, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God.' Now about eight days after these sayings he took with him Peter and John and James and went up on the mountain to pray. And as he was praying, the appearance of his face was altered, and his clothing became dazzling white. And behold, two men were talking with him, Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem." - Luke 9:18-31 ESV

Peter knew who Jesus was on paper but on that trip He got to see something else about this Him... this God-man... this Messiah...

Missions is a road trip with God and with other people. There is nothing like it. We see an aspect of God we won't see any other way. We get to know people in ways you can only know someone if you have travelled with them.

Summer is coming. Maybe we could go somewhere together and talk to people about Jesus. Maybe we could pray and organize a trip. Is our Church going somewhere? Could that happen? Yes. It could. God would be there with us revealing Himself to us.

Isn't this the way it has been done for thousands of years?

I don't want to just know God on paper. I want to see Him glow in a place I have never been before.

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