Category: Studies in Luke

  Scripture : Luke 9:43-50 Speaker : John Johnstone Jesus has just been glorified on the mountain in his transfiguration, when for a time, his

We long to see men and women and boys and girls come to faith. We long to see people turning from living for money, pleasure and self, and turning to God in repentance and faith. We long to hear the joy of those who realise their sins have been forgiven and their past mistakes have been dealt with – it is as if they never happened.

Most of us would say that we have experienced a small number of events which we would describe as being life-changing. For Peter, James and John, the transfiguration was a life-changing event. What impact should the transfiguration have on us?

Becoming a Christian and living as a Christian involves a radical reorientation of our whole lives.

Perhaps we ought to be asking more people this question. I would argue that this question is the most important question that we will ever face.

Jesus’ identity is a theme we find throughout the gospels, and rightly so, because everything hinges on the answer.

Perhaps we need to recapture the urgent need our country has for the gospel. If we focus too much on our own home comforts, it’s doubtful that we grasp the serious need unbelievers have.

As long as we think we’re good people, and can deal with our problems on our own, we think we don’t need Jesus. But coming to the end of our own resources is the best possible thing that can happen to us, if it brings us to cast ourselves on Jesus for help.

Why aren’t there many manifestations of evil spirits in Scotland today? Perhaps it’s because Satan has us where he wants us, not taking him seriously, and believing we are ‘free agents’ when all the time so many are under unseen, supernatural and malevolent powers.

The storms of life reveal far more to us about where people are truly at than life’s calmer times.