THINK TOGETHER.
Have you ever seen a caterpillar change into a butterfly? Do you know what that’s called?
READ TOGETHER.
Matthew 17:1-5. 1 And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. 2And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. 3And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. 4And Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.” 5He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.”
There’s a story in the book of Exodus, where Moses goes up on the mountain to meet God in a cloud. While he is up there, Moses asks to see God’s glory, but God says, No, you can’t see my face and live. What God did next was pretty amazing though; he allowed Moses to see his back. God hid his face from Moses, but let him see his back. And guess what? Moses came down off the mountain glowing.
Our story from the gospel of Matthew today is a story commonly called The Transfiguration. Jesus, like Moses, goes up on top of a mountain with Peter, James, and John. And just like with Moses, God shows up in a cloud! But there’s something very different this time. Moses glowed because he saw part of God, but Jesus’ glowing came from himself – And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. This happened BEFORE God spoke to him. Jesus had the glory of God inside of himself because HE IS GOD.
Do you remember what God the Father said to Jesus? That’s right – This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.
Now that’s a pretty awesome day for Peter, James, and John, isn’t it?
But guess what? We can have an awesome day like that one every day. How?
Matthew says that Jesus was transfigured. This is the same word as metamorphosis – like a caterpillar to a butterfly. Have you learned about that in school yet? What happens when a caterpillar becomes a butterfly? Yep, it slowly changes from something kind of gross and ugly to something beautiful and amazing.
The Apostle Paul says that everyone that trusts in Jesus is also being transfigured, metamorphosized, changed, into the likeness of Jesus. For Jesus it happened instantly. For us it happens very slowly. For Jesus it meant glowing with bright light. For us it means glowing with God’s love and kindness. For Jesus it meant being called THE Son of God. For us it means being called A son or daughter of God.
Now every day can be the best day, because every day is a chance to become more like Jesus.
Because of Jesus we are able to change.
With Jesus we are being changed into his likeness by God.
DO SOMETHING TOGETHER
Watch videos of caterpillars changing into butterflies. What is happening? In what way is that happening to us when Jesus lives in our hearts?
PRAY TOGETHER
Jesus, help me to listen to you like God said because I want to be changed into your likeness. Amen.
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