Today’s Reading:
2Peter 1:16-17
“He received honour and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the majestic glory saying, “this is my Son, whom I love, with him, I am well pleased”. (v. 17, NIV)
Honour means high respect, great esteem, special recognition, or admiration. To ‘honour’ then means to regard, or treat, or give great respect, or esteem, or admiration to someone. To be ‘pleased’ with one means, to feel happy and satisfied with him or her. Verse 17 of Today’s Reading recounts that: God spoke out from heaven, introducing Jesus Christ as His Son, and exerting to the hearers there (Peter, James, and John) that, He loved Him, and He was very happy and satisfied (pleased) with Him. This same statement is recorded in Luke3:22; Mark1:11; and Matt. 3:17; at Jesus’ baptism. John the Baptist and people around Him at the Jordan River were witnesses to the scene and voice.
The account in Today’s Reading by Apostle Peter was a recount of what happened on the Mount of Transfiguration recorded in Mk 9:2-7. Aside from the foregoing, scripture records in the old testament days point at a similar experience of Daniel’s, when in exile in Babylon. God gave him a vision, recorded in Daniel 7:13, Daniel saw someone like the Son of man, (Jesus Christ) coming with a cloud from heaven, approaching the Ancient of Days (God the Father), and was led into His presence. What excited Daniel in the vision was that the Son of man, when He appeared before God the Father, He was given honour (authority), glory, and sovereign power: and people of every language worshipped HIM (v. 14). Gladly enough, just as God the Father loves His Son Jesus Christ, he also loves us, especially as believers in His Son. Right from creation days, God created us in His image and likeness (Gen 1:26-27) and gave us dominion over all His creation. God did not stop there, He crowned us with glory, and honour (Ps 8:5), just like he did to His Son. Furthermore, God, apart from loving His Son, said He was well pleased with Him, that is, happy and satisfied with Him.
Having been honoured, and received glory on a platter of gold, from God, we as believers should endeavour to ensure that He is well pleased with us too. We need to ask ourselves the question - how did God become well pleased with his Son?
These are the answers:
Scriptures confirm that God’s Son – Jesus Christ was willing to pay the price for reconciliation of man back to God his Father, after the fall of man in Eden. He made the ultimate sacrifice(2 Cor. 5: 17)
Jesus Christ was obedient to the Father, and even up to death on the cross (Phil.2:8).
Jesus Christ was totally humble before his Father and among the people of his days.(Mk10:14: Matt 11:29).
For God to be well pleased with a believer, the following have to be observed as a lifestyle: a) sacrifices to God and mankind, (in our praise and worship), including soul winning; b) total surrender and dependence on God in every area of life; c) total obedience to God and His Word; d) services to God and mankind, in general. God already loves us and has honoured us, we in return ought to live our lives in such ways listed above, so that He would be pleased with us, as He is with His Son, Jesus Christ.
CHRISTY KUPOLUYI
Prayer:
Father, thank you for creating us in your image and likeness, in Jesus name.
Father, thank you for covering us with your honour and glory, in Jesus name.
Father, teach us how to live our lives so that you will be well pleased with us, in Jesus name.
O Lord, teach us to follow in your footsteps, so that the Father would be pleased with us, in Jesus name.
Father, move the world and our nation to please you, as an example to the world, in Jesus name.
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