The Overwhelming Cloud

Then a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, my Chosen One. Listen to him.”   Luke 9:35

Peter, James, and John followed Jesus up to the top of a mountain, where they saw his glory. Imagine standing on the mountaintop as a thunderous and terrifying cloud moves toward you and then envelops you. It is hardly surprising that the disciples were terrified.

When God came down to meet with Moses at Mount Sinai, he spoke in an audible voice. At the Transfiguration, the audible voice of God was heard again.

This invisible God, whose presence was hidden in the cloud, cannot be known directly. But he does want us to know him, and he tells us that we may know him by listening to his Son, whom he has chosen.

This takes us to the heart of the Bible story. The Father has made himself known through the Son: “No one has ever seen God. But the unique One, who is himself God, is near to the Father’s heart. He has revealed God to us” (John 1:18).

If we try to understand God directly, he will always be a mystery to us. I’ve met people who say they cannot understand God, and of course, they’re right! You can’t understand God, but you can come to know him if you will listen to what he says to you through his Son, Jesus Christ. This is how he makes himself known.

The disciples heard Jesus’ words about the cross and refused to listen. For eight days Peter resisted what God was showing him through Jesus, and now he was enveloped in the presence of the Almighty, who said, “This is my Son; listen to him.”

Peter tried to stand in the way of the cross, but now his resistance was overwhelmed as Moses and Elijah affirmed Jesus’ plan to go to Jerusalem. And then God himself told Peter to start listening to what the Son of God was saying.

There may be times in your own life when you find yourself resisting God’s purpose. In all your questions, doubts, and fears, God will point you to Jesus and say to you, “This is my Son; listen to him.”

For further reading, see John 1