Glory to Jesus Christ! (2 Peter 1.16-21)

Peter’s Message (1.16, 18)

Having his impending death strongly in his mind (1.14), Peter’s message looks forward to the Parousia, the final “coming of our Lord Jesus Christ”. In the context of suffering and persecution, his readers should never forget that ultimately Jesus has Dunamis/power and he is going to come again in sovereign glory. Their persecutors may seem to have power now and the Christians may seem hopelessly weak and defenceless, but in such a context it is good to remember Jesus’ power (in the sense of strength and might rather than authority) and his final victorious reign over all.

For Peter, the thought of Jesus’ ultimate glory immediately brings to mind his amazing experience at Jesus’ transfiguration (Matthew 17.1-13). When reading Peter’s letters, we should always remember that Peter knew the incarnate Jesus intimately and was present at all the key events in Jesus’ life and ministry. He actually heard the voice from heaven, “from the Majestic Glory” (1.17). No wonder Peter’s mind dwells on the glory to come! In writing about that glory, Peter also assures his readers that they “will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ” (1.11). What a prospect for them and also for us!

Peter’s hope of future glory lies behind his teaching on the need for strict self-disciplined godliness and ethical purity in preparation for eternal life with the all-holy Lord in glory. In his ministry he longs that his readers should “always be able to remember these things” (1.15). What does he mean by “these things”? In the preceding verses he refers several times to ‘these things’. Entry into the glorious kingdom is closely associated with ‘doing these things’ (1.10/11); in 1.9 people are said to be blind if they ‘don’t have these things’. And immediately after the list of virtues to be added to our faith (1.5-7), possessing ‘these things’ will prevent us from being ‘ineffective and fruitless’ (1.8). ‘These things’ clearly refers to that challenging godliness which must issue out from our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

God’s Message (1.17)

“This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased”. Peter could never  forget hearing God himself declaring these awesome words as Jesus was transfigured before his very eyes.

1. “My Son”. Jesus was much more than just an ordinary human person. He related in total oneness with his Father from all eternity. Except when he bore our sin on the cross and utter darkness separated him from his Father, Jesus was inseparably one with God the Father, so Jesus could assert with assurance that “I and the Father are one” (John 10.30). He shared the glory of the Father, being the perfect image of the Father.
2. “Whom I love”. Although Jesus laid aside his glory in coming into this world and becoming one with us, the Father’s perfect love never deserted him. Jesus lived on earth with the absolute confidence that his heavenly Father loved him. And if God himself has set his love on Jesus, how dare we as humans ignore or reject him!

I love my wife, my children and grandchildren. If anyone dared to say or do anything against them, my relationship with that person would have problems! Likewise, Peter longs for his readers (and us!) to love Jesus and live lives which please him.

• “With him I am well pleased”. Jesus lived out all the qualities listed in 1.5-7 in his life of absolute goodness and holiness. In spite of being fully human like us and perfectly identified with his first century Jewish cultural context, amazingly he remained totally unstained by sin. What a model for us as his followers in our lives and relationships! And what a privilege that we, like Jesus, can give pleasure to our Heavenly Father!

Scripture’s Message (1.19-21)

“Our authority lies in Scripture as the Word of the Lord and in the church as the Body of the Lord”, declared a Jesuit friend. When challenged as to which had the final authority, he asserted that the Body of Christ and the Word of Christ must surely agree. But on further consideration of the history of the church, he agreed that sometimes the church had fallen into error. Finally, knowing the significance of his words, he made a Reformation-like statement, “If the church and Scripture do not coincide, ultimately Scripture is our final authority and the church must be considered to be in error.” Church tradition, creeds, liturgies and rules must always stand under the correcting authority of Scripture as the word “from God . . . by the Holy Spirit” (1.21).

As we gradually emerge from under the scourge of Covid-19 with the closing down of our churches, we have a God-given opportunity of examining our traditional church patterns in the light of Scripture. Let us not just return again to our old ways! Let us be open to radical rethinking, new life and growth! God’s Word will come to us as a “light shining in a dark place” and like “the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts” (1.19). It stands above human interpretation (1.20) and does not issue out of the will of human beings (1.21). It is indeed God’s Word, flowing from God himself by inspiration of his Holy Spirit. Let us determine to study and teach Scripture with greater diligence! And let us be open to examine in every point our personal lives and the practices of our church in the light of God’s written Word!