Evening star., 1919-11-15
SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
WITNESSES OF CHRIS
GLORY-Luke 9.28-36.
Golden text-This is my beloved
Son; hear We him. Mark 81.
By REV. HUGH t. STEVENSON.


Peters confession of Jesus as the
Christ revealed to the Master that the
apostles had spiritual power to un-
derstand His mission, message and
motive. The Lords revelation Of the
necessity of His coming death was
agonistic to all of their views of
a Messiah and called forth the Wig
orous protests from Peter. who did
not believe that Christ was called
upon to die openly at Jerusalem. 1t
was difficult for the apostolic band
to understand that the Lords glory
called for suffering. The masters
passion was the theme of the weeks
conversation as they faced the rap
idly approaching crisis in the ministry,
of Jesus. The manner and method
with which each Of the three synoptic
writer's of the Lords life unites the
record Of the TRANSPORTATION. an event
which is without parallel in the life
or the Lord, with the announcement
of His impending death reveals the
fundamental place that the spirit of
the cross ought to have in the life
of every Christian. --- ..---
Jesus selected, the three members
OF the apostolic band who were the
pest prepared spiritually to under
stand Him to join him in a season
OF prayer amid the solitude of Mount
nermon; He did not choose them to
IeEeal HIS glory unto them, hut for
tine purpose Of sharing with Him his
passion for prayer. The apostles
climbed the lofty mountain with
| neavy hearts, carrying their abbas.
or robes, that they would use as a
they reached some secluded place the
| Lord sought spiritual strength in
prayer 1t was while he was praying
that the marvellous change was
noticed. mott When he poured out His
| the inner glory of His spirit changed
| the character of the Masters face It
made His clothing to be radiant.
shining like "a white light "glisten-
can whiten them" They were con-
vinced that it would not be possible
! for any one to initiate the glory of
the Master. Every soul reflects at
times his spiritual life in his face, so
mat his friends have caught visions
but no man can deliberately lift the
veil of his spiritual life SO that others
can note it. The Master did not seek
| to reveal His glory to them. It was
While He prayed that He was trans
figured. It is when we are trying
to win men to Him that they see
the reality of our spiritual power.
1t was hallowed moment for the
Lord when he received the assurance
OF the Fathers nearness. ''the reality
OF Immortality. the unbreakahle unity
or life." They gave Him strength
FOR the coming days Of darkness,
disappointment and dificulties, that
would intervene before He would
complete His work for men on the
cross. The presence of Moses and
corning His coming departSe at Je-
rusalem. convinced the Lord that the
| hosts OF heaven were vitality interest
ed in His program, and that His earth
~ career was worth while. The Mas
ters own faith was Quickened by the
( revelation that heaven was prepar-
Glory -
Jesus had not found any encour-
agement among His followers in His
called for His suffering death. While
the disciples because Of their former
training could not comprehend such
q death was required, the presence Of
! Noses and Elijah served to grid
Christ Jesus with fresh power for
the coming conflict. Their conversa-
ton concerning His death furnished
Him evidence that He would triumph
over the grave and enter into glory.
While the three disciples. who had
frequently heard the Master con-
| demned as hereto, had their faith
| confirmed by the presence of Moses.
who had given the people the law,
and Elijah. whose glowing predic-
tions Jesus more than crowned. Both
of these representatives. one of the
had gone to glory without passing
through death. and were also expected
by the people to return to earth. If
Moses and Elijah held fellowship
with the Master. then there could be
no question eonSerning His sns standing
sees and others denied Him. It was
hallowed hour for them, and it IL
not strange that at the moment
Peter in his ecstasy failed to grasp
TRANSPORTATION and the heavenly con-
ference that took place upon the
mountain top.
It is difficult to understand how
Peter could be affected by sleep at
such an epoch-making hour. His
scene could be forgiven easier II he
had remained wide awake to observe
all that transpired. He was not re-
flecting the fact that it was good for
the apostles to be on that mount of
vision when he announced that lit is
good for you that we are here" In
effect he was declaring that because
the apostles were practical men they
could erect tents to furnish protec-
tion for the visitors whose presence
to be of practical service to the Mas
ter and His two guests when he pro-
posed to build the three tabernacles.
It is evident that Peter did not grasp
fully what had transpired. He would
have known that spirits did not dwell
in tents and that neither Moses nor
Elijah would leave the glories of
heaven to dwell among men:
The testimony that startled them
was the voice Of the Father, who not
went farther by commencing Him and
calling upon those present to listen to
Him. On two other occasions God
spoke audibly about Jesus at the
Masters baptism and on the occasion
Of the visit Of the Greeks to Jesus in
Jerusalem, after the triumphal entry
as recorded in Johns gospel. On this
| last occasion the Lord explained that
the Father spoke not on His account
| but for the sake Of the crowd that
Father. It was probably for the pur,-
pose of correcting the human niscon-
ceptions that God acknowledged Jesus
as His son and solemnly accredited
! Him as the supreme authority. In
pointing to Christ. as the Father did,
the three apostles were instructed
that Jesus, not Moses or Elijah, was
the final authority concerning God.
His kingdom, the cross and all coming
events.
I with the passing of the vision they
saw Jesus alone. They had come up
to- share with the Master the privi-
lege Of communion with the Father.
but they were privileged to be eye
witnesses Of His glory.
They had heard the commendation
that f7lIed them with awe and conf