While he was speaking, a cloud appeared and covered them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. A voice came from the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him”. When the voice had spoken, they found that Jesus was alone. The disciples kept this to themselves and did not tell anyone at that time what they had seen.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/ece-devotions/20250303ECME.mp3

I remember the time a preschool student interrupted a lesson with “Hey!” and then, glancing around the room, “Where’s your bed?” I had to tell him that teachers leave after school and sleep in a bed in their own home. Another time, I ran into a child and her mom at Target, and the girl whispered, “Why did they let you out?” Again, I had to explain that teachers buy groceries just like ordinary people.

Jesus was an ordinary guy. He began as an infant, learned to walk and talk, and was loved by his parents. He ate meals and felt pain and sadness. He saw friends get hurt and die. He felt frustration when he saw people living sinful lives. He was tempted by the devil, just as we are.

And yet Jesus was extraordinary. Unlike us, he resisted the devil’s temptations and sent the devil away. Unlike us, Jesus never sinned. We deserve punishment for the things we do in our life; Jesus lived the perfect life for us.

Jesus was extraordinary. He was God’s son. God chose him to come to earth to save us. He was not only a human, he was also God. He showed us his all-knowing, all-powerful strength when he performed miracles during his time on the earth. He showed love and grace to the many that he healed, not just healing the body but also forgiving them of their sins. He kept every promise, including the promise that all mankind would be rescued from our sins through his death and resurrection.

The glory of God was “hidden” in this ordinary man. In fact, Jesus had to be a human to save us from our sins. Jesus had to be human to live under the law and face all the temptation that comes with that life as a human. Yet, Jesus was the one person that could resist all the temptations of this world and live the perfect life that God demands. Sometimes, after he performed a miracle, Jesus even told the witnesses to keep it a secret because it was not yet time for his glory to be revealed.

But this was all part of God’s big plan of love for us. Jesus’ “hidden” glory would be given to us when he, as an ordinary man, and also God, kept God’s Word perfectly, suffered, and died in our place. Because of this “hidden glory”, we now have lasting glory! This lasting glory will be given to us when God fulfills his final promise to take us to heaven with him.

Prayer: