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- Oct 26, 2007
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As the men watched, Jesus' appearance was transformed so that his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as light. Suddenly, Moses and Elijah appeared and began talking with Jesus. Matthew 17:2-3 NLT
In his essay “Why I am Not a Christian,” Bertrand Russell claimed that Jesus’ words “some standing here right now will not die before they see the Son of Man coming in his Kingdom” (Matthew 16:28 NLT) demonstrate how wrong He was when He said His second coming would occur “before the death of all the people who were living at that time.” Russell could have benefitted from today’s reading.
Had Russell read the next paragraph, he would have noticed that when “some” of the disciples who had been “standing” with Jesus watched as He met with Moses and Elijah, they saw the Son of Man “coming in his Kingdom.”
Like the disciples, our experience of the “coming of the kingdom” is not any less real because it is still coming. We enjoy experiences from the kingdom’s influence every day through the indwelling of the Spirit: kindness, selfless love, peace, wisdom, and more.
As sad as it is that Russell saw today’s reading as a “defect” in Christ, it is sadder that he missed the human experience of all that the “coming of the kingdom” offers. Will you?
Prayer: Father, remind me to pray and live the way Jesus taught: “Your kingdom come, Your will be done.”
In his essay “Why I am Not a Christian,” Bertrand Russell claimed that Jesus’ words “some standing here right now will not die before they see the Son of Man coming in his Kingdom” (Matthew 16:28 NLT) demonstrate how wrong He was when He said His second coming would occur “before the death of all the people who were living at that time.” Russell could have benefitted from today’s reading.
Had Russell read the next paragraph, he would have noticed that when “some” of the disciples who had been “standing” with Jesus watched as He met with Moses and Elijah, they saw the Son of Man “coming in his Kingdom.”
Like the disciples, our experience of the “coming of the kingdom” is not any less real because it is still coming. We enjoy experiences from the kingdom’s influence every day through the indwelling of the Spirit: kindness, selfless love, peace, wisdom, and more.
As sad as it is that Russell saw today’s reading as a “defect” in Christ, it is sadder that he missed the human experience of all that the “coming of the kingdom” offers. Will you?
Prayer: Father, remind me to pray and live the way Jesus taught: “Your kingdom come, Your will be done.”
