Week 6: Scared

During our Lenten journey, we have looked at the wilderness experiences of Moses, Elijah, and Jesus.

Each of their experiences revealed something in them as they persevered a way though.

At the Burning Bush, it was revealed who God is and the great power that was going to work through Moses to bring freedom. This wasn’t just the freedom of a nation, but a freedom within Moses himself regarding his own identity.

Elijah’s escape into the wilderness was both physical and mental. At the height of his ministry and on the edge of a holy mountain, he felt like giving up. But God’s voice spoke in a whisper to the distressed Prophet and gave direction and purpose.

Even Jesus had his moment in the wilderness before the start of his ministry.

The voice of Darkness presented him with the same temptation we experience: to take the easy way out. Jesus showed us that his Divinity was not needed to say “no”.  All that was needed was the word of God.

Transfiguration

Moses, Elijah, and Jesus all had transformative wilderness experiences. We all see them show up again in the Gospels.

There’s a moment right before Jesus heads to Jerusalem for Holy week. He takes three of his friends up to a mountain, but while they are praying Jesus begins to glow. Moses and Elijah appear next to Jesus talking with him. There is something deeply transformative about going through the wilderness. The energy generated by a pure realization of your purpose and worth is electric! You probably know it as “resurrection power”! This is the power to rise above what is attempting to hold you down. 

It’s interesting how resurrection bookends Jesus’s final week.  

Before he gets to Jerusalem, his glory is revealed in the Transfiguration. Moses and Elijah appear and behold Jesus’s Divinity. Right after this, a father comes to Jesus with a demon possessed son. Jesus casts out the demon, but the son appears dead and Jesus raises him back to life.Then, Jesus raises his friend Lazarus from the dead. Not without some hiccups in the plan. Jesus could have gotten there early but he was making a statement about his identity AS resurrection. 

Jesus gave some great moments to his followers to hold them through the week when things got bad. He gave them to you for when things get bad in your life too. 

The next time we see a miraculous event on this scale is Pentecost in Acts 2. The Disciples have been through the “wilderness” with Jesus’ passion and Death and have been transformed in his resurrection.