The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1943-04-09
PETER AND JOHN WITNESS
CHRIST'S GLORY

PETER AND JOHN WITNESS
CHRIST'S GLORY
1:16-18
GOLDEN TExT-A voice came out of the
cloud. saying, This Is my beloved Son: hear
him.-Mark o:7.
Christ is God! The one who comes
to know that truth is ready to follow
Christ, and to make Him known to
others. The want of such true con-
ception of the Son of God weakens
our convictions and hinders our use
fitness.
''Where there is no vision, the
people PERISH" said the wise man
prov. 29:18). For want of true
vision of Christ as God, and the God
given constraint which makes men
give themselves in sacrifcial serv-
ice, the people perish in their sins. i
Peter and John saw our Lord in
His TRANSPORTATION, and the glow OF
that experience lighted their entire
life and ministry. The touch of the
supernatural was on these men and
their message-for they had seen
the glory of Christ.
1. The Amazing Glory Of the Son
mark $3.50.
The TRANSPORTATION of Christ is one
Of those wonderfully beautiful and
deeply spiritual experiences which
defy analysis or satisfactory de-
scription. Poetry and art have vain
ly tried to depict it only to become
in fact a confession of the impo-
tence Of the loftiest art to rise to
the level of the divine" ivan Dyke).
Peter was so dazzled that he could
only suggest that they remain there,
forgetting for the moment that down
in the valley was demon-ridden hui
manly waiting for the divine deliv-
erance of the Son of God (see Luke
9:37-42).
What took place on the mount can
possibly best be explained as the
outshining Of the inner glory of the
Christ. He had laid aside His glory
when He became flesh, but not His
divine attributes as very God. There
in the presence of God and the heav-
emily visitors that glory shone
through His humanity and His APP
pearance became dazzling in its
whiteness.
III. The Approving Word Of the
Father mark 9:7, 81.
A cloud, like the cloud which filed
the Temple of old Il Kings 8:10,1D,
covered them, and the Father spoke
out of it words of approval of His
Son. F
These words carry "both judg-
ment and command; judgment con-
corning Jesus, This is my beloved
Son. and command to the disci-
Piles, Hear We him'-that is, Listen
to him Lesson Commentary
John and Peter came to fuller
conviction that He was the Son of
God as they saw Him TRANSPORTED
and heard the words of the Father.
They learned more plainly the fact
that He was God manifest in the
flesh for the redemption of man. They
saw in the indescribable beauty of
that moment a foregleam of His
coming glory. What important truths
His deity, His redemption, His
coming kingdom. Have we learned
them as we have beheld His glory?
Hi. The Assured Faith Of the Dis
ciples (II Pet. 1:16-18).
These words were written by Pc
ter when he was nearly eighty years
of age-about thirty-five years after
the TRANSPORTATION. John wrote sixty
years after the event and said, eve
beheld his glory, the glory as Of the
only begotten of the Father" (John
1:14).
The one who follows these eye
witnesses in believing in Christ may
share their assurance expressed by
Peter that we do not follow cum
ningly devised fables in making
known to the world the power and
coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Our
faith is built on Gods Word, and
upon such testimony as this by eye
witnesses. Here is real ground for
assured belief in Christ.
Great experiences of spiritual re-
newing and power lead to effective
life and testimony for Christ. They
may not be in outward manifesto
tons, in fact they are most often in
the inner recesses of mans soul;
but they do transform men and send
them forth to magnificent living for
God. One wonders if much Of the
dearth of power in the Christian
Church is not to be attributed di-
rectly to the lack Of such expert
ences with God.
The disciples had an unforgettable
momtain-top experience. Even SO
have many others found the secret
OF power. It came to D. L. Moody
as he walked down a New York
street, praying in agony, Deliver
me from myself. Take absolute
sway" The story of what happened
to him and through him as sur
rendered instrument in Gods hand
il written large on the pages Of
history. Others have had similar
experiences.
Al-A 1871 --:--s