“And as they were coming down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, “Tell no one the vision, until the Son of Man is raised from the dead.” And the disciples asked him, “Then why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?” But I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they pleased. So also the Son of Man will certainly suffer at their hands.” Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist.”
Matthew 17:9, 10, 12, 13 ESV

There is a trick to understanding Jesus that many of us miss. Are you ready?
Here it is: -We must listen to Him.-

You may think I’m being smart here, but this is a solid fact. We can memorize what Jesus says, read His teachings every day, go and study with friends and family at church and still never listen to Him. Hearing what Jesus says and truly listening to Him is where all the difference comes through.

Here on the Mount of Transfiguration, the disciples bear witness to an amazing event. They are present for the revealing of Jesus in His glory. He stands before them revealed fully as God and man, and they are flabbergasted from the experience. When Peter finally speaks up and utters the brilliant statement that it’s good to be there, it’s already over, and they are left with a brain full of swirling questions and hearts full of super-charged emotions, and rightfully so…

But here’s where the rubber meets the road. So many times, the disciples hear what Jesus is saying, but in their hearts they are distracted and so they don’t really listen to what is being said. But here, now, in this amazing place and time, they are fully present with Christ, nothing else exists but that moment and that moment has locked their ears into the ‘ready to receive’ position.

Jesus shares that things are happening just as they were prophesied, and He reveals who God is using and the reality of His plan. And because they are listening, really listening, they hear what He is saying, they process it and they understand. Elijah has come, and John fulfilled that prophecy. The Messiah is here, and He is unequivocally the One standing before them.

Listening to Jesus means being present with Jesus. Those moments of clarity in faith don’t have to be moments, they can become a lifestyle, if we will just listen.

Is God going to ask us to do things that will stretch us and change our idea of what it means to be comfortable?
I hope so.

My God is much bigger and His desire for me is much more grand than what I can buy at Target or purchase on Amazon. That satisfaction does not come from another human being or from a title at work or a degree on our wall. The faith He builds in me, and all who come to Him through the blood of Christ, is a faith that demands that we listen in order to live in it…and the joy is, we will want to!