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2 Peter 1:16-21 – For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty. For when He received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to Him by the Majestic Glory, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,” we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with Him on the holy mountain. And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
Listen to how Peter describes what happened when Jesus was transfigured on the mountain. Peter was an eyewitness, and he can never forget what he saw and heard—and he uses words like “power,” “majesty,” and “honor and glory.” He is handing down the story to all of us who were not there to see for ourselves, so that we too can trust in Jesus, the Son of God who came to save us.
But Peter doesn’t stop there—he reminds us that there is another way we can learn about Jesus, and that is to turn to the Bible and listen to what it says. Peter is talking about the Old Testament, but also the New—he refers to Paul’s letters as Scripture in 2 Peter 3:16. And he reminds us that all of the Scripture is trustworthy and true—not something that people made up, but the words of the Holy Spirit.
I have good reason to know that the Bible is enough for anyone who wants to know Jesus—because reading the Bible is the way I came to know and trust in Him when I was growing up. I had very little contact with Christianity when I was a young child, but my mother did give me a Bible; and I read it in secret and became a believer. That was enough for the Holy Spirit to do His work—a Bible given to a seven-year-old bookworm at Christmas time!
And so now I know Him just as you do—Jesus, the Son of God who is also truly human, who came down from heaven to rescue us from the power of evil. He loves us so much He lay down His life for us so that we would be set free from guilt and shame; and He rose from the dead on the third day, and Peter and many others saw Him with their own eyes. And Jesus has promised that everyone who trusts in Him will become a child of God and live forever with Jesus in His kingdom, when He comes back to us at the end of the world. That’s what we have to look forward to!
WE PRAY: Dear Lord, thank You for giving us the Bible, so we can know and trust You. Amen.
This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Kari Vo.
Reflection Questions:
- How do you feel about the Bible—does it confuse you? Comfort you? Do you want to understand it better?
- If you want to understand it better, where could you find help for this?
- How did you come to know and trust in Jesus?
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