A Lamp in a
Matthew 17:1-9 II Peter 1:16-21
The reading in I Peter has to do with the second coming of Christ. It is an issue that some Christians are preoccupied with. They spend hours upon hours trying to figure out exactly when Jesus is going to come. Other Christians shy away from this discussion, at a loss to explain how it has been almost 2000 years and Jesus still has not returned. I would fall in the latter category. I take seriously Jesus teaching in the Gospel of Mark about the end time when he said, "Of that day or that hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father." I figure if the angels didn't know and Jesus didn't know, I don't need to spend a lot of time trying to figure it out. After studying II Peter John Calvin wrote, "We conclude from this that those who brashly leap into the pulpit to chatter about speculations of which they are ignorant do no service to Christ nor have anything in common with the apostles."
But it was an issue when II Peter was written. I think we sometimes forget that in the early days of the faith Christianity had to prove itself. It was a new religion and the apostles had to demonstrate that it wasn't just a figment of their imagination. One of the beliefs that Christians professed was that Jesus was going to come back some day. According to Peter things were being said about the second coming that were simply not true. People were spinning wild tales, trying to draw people away from Christianity and Peter wanted people to know the truth. The truth is that Jesus is coming again and I can prove it to you. Peter said I will give you three reasons how I know this is true.
First, I Peter am an eyewitness. I was there at the Transfiguration. And it was not just me, James and John were there too. What we experienced was a prophecy of the second coming, a demonstration of what the second coming is going to be like. We saw the glory of God.
Second, the Hebrew prophets talked about it. The Old Testament prophecies are like a lamp in the dark places. They are like luminarias, they give light to our path. They forecast Christ's return and they prepare listeners to respond. They are not handled properly by private interpreters. Interpretation is a function of the community as a whole, not just the community that we live in today but the community of faith down through the centuries. The Hebrew prophets are witnesses to the truth of the Gospel. These are not private opinions, these are a word from God.
Third, the prophecies, and that includes your favorite prophet, Jeremiah, came through the prompting of the Holy Spirit and that includes the Transfiguration. Remember, at the baptism of Jesus the heavens were opened and the Spirit of God descended like a dove. And a voice came from heaven saying "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased." That same voice spoke those same words at the Transfiguration. "This is my beloved Son with whom I am well pleased." With one addition, "Listen to him." This is the work of the Spirit of God, giving light to our path. The meaning of the prophesy is illuminated by the Spirit. John Calvin comments here that scripture is "only read with advantage when we put aside our carnal understanding and subject ourselves to the teaching of the Holy Spirit. The light that shines in Scripture comes only to the humble"
Why is it important to talk about the second coming? It is important for the moral and ethical life of Christians. Down through the centuries when the people of the church have downplayed the second coming, it has led to permissive and irresponsible behavior.
John Calvin wrote that "Jesus gave us in himself a sure pledge of our adoption, that by the grace of His Spirit He has cleansed us from the stains of our carnal iniquities and consecrated us to be temples to God. Who holds to this has rightly grasped the Gospel."
In other words, when we are permissive and irresponsible in our behavior we are acting as if the Transfiguration never happened, as if Peter and James and John were not eyewitnesses, as if the Hebrew prophets were not telling the truth, as if the Holy Spirit was not inspiring the writers of Scripture.
Yes, Jesus did say that no one knew the hour but he went on to say, "Take heed, watch." It is important that you are ready when that time comes. In the history of the church, when we lose sight of the second coming, we become lazy in our faith. We live as if Jesus is never coming back. If we are not paying attention to the prophets and the gospels we are walking around in darkness. And then we are in danger of not being ready. We have been given scripture to help guide us through the darkest and most difficult times of our lives, until the morning star rises in our hearts in all it fullness. The morning star is our Lord and Savior, Jesus.