Bible Study “A Cloud Descending”
Share: Your highs (something that made you happy) and lows (something that made you sad) this week with others around you or write them down.
Epiphany: Shimmering glimpses of the abundance of the Kingdom of God. Perhaps we, too, noticed a star and followed it. Or maybe someone led us to the gift of faith. Now we take the Light — the Good News — out into the world. Will others see the light shimmering in us? Will they risk taking a journey into faith with us?
The Season of Epiphany that began with a hint of the Trinity closes with yet another glimpse. Jesus takes three of his disciples with him to the mountain to pray. They hear a voice again! This time it is not a dove descending, but a cloud. And even Jesus' clothes become dazzling white. What must have been going on in the minds of the three disciples, as they kept silent about all that they had seen?
The statement: You know, we tend to start to look like what we spend the most time doing. For example: a little boy who loves baseball and is often striking the pose of a batter or a pitcher. What do you think people look like who are always in a bad mood, or those who are always hopeful.
Opening Prayer: Thank you, God, for sending Jesus to teach us who he was, by what he said and what he did. Amen.
Please open your Bibles to Luke 9:28-36 and read or read the scriptures below.
Luke 9:28-36
The Transfiguration
28 About eight days after Jesus said this, he took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray. 29 As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. 30 Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus. 31 They spoke about his departure,[a] which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem. 32 Peter and his companions were very sleepy, but when they became fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him. 33 As the men were leaving Jesus, Peter said to him, “Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” (He did not know what he was saying.)
34 While he was speaking, a cloud appeared and covered them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. 35 A voice came from the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him.” 36 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.
The Jews waited for a Messiah, a savior, from God. Because the Messiah was described in scripture as a King and a mighty savior, they were expecting a man who would take control of the country and make Israel great again. But the scriptures also described the Messiah as a sacrifice, a man of peace, rejected by his people. Jesus performed many miracles to prove that he was from God, even though he wasn't a physical King or powerful ruler. This was confusing to many, even the disciples.
When Peter, James and John saw Jesus shining brightly and speaking to two powerful prophets of old, they were amazed. They wanted to worship. That in itself is a natural reaction. But Peter proposed that all three men be worshipped equally. All three men, Moses, Elijah, and Jesus were messengers from God. But only one, Jesus, was the Chosen one, the Anointed, the Messiah. To make this clear, God Himself made Himself known. He spoke to the disciples and told them to listen to Jesus, because this Messiah was not just a man, He was the very son of God.
Reflection Questions:
- Who is the "voice" speaking to in today's passage from Luke 9? (To the disciples, and therefore also to us, to keep the faith after Jesus is no longer here in person.)
- If the Holy Spirit is represented by a dove in when Jesus was baptized in Matthew 3:16, in what way might the Holy Spirit be represented in today's passage? (The cloud, perhaps?)
- If you are curious about Moses and Elijah and want to give each a chance to "speak for himself" find Exodus 34:29-35 for Moses and II Kings 2: 1-12 for Elijah.
- In what ways did both Moses and Jesus "change" as they made time and space to listen to God? (Moses: Exodus 34:29b; Jesus (Luke 9: 29) What stands out for you in this reading?
- Peter wanted to worship those who he knew were great. In Jewish times worship involved building a special place to offer prayers and sacrifices. What does our worship entail? How do we worship Jesus in our lives?
Click here for the young learner’s lesson
Videos (Click on the words or url)
Transfiguration C Luke 9:28-36 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JxsfCZ-jy-k
Overview: Luke 1-9 – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIb_dCIxzr0
Song
Everyday with you Lord - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMY4DFJfNsM
Activities:
Transfiguration of Jesus Light Catcher Craft: https://eeparchy.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Yr-2-Transfiguration-stained-glass.pdf
“Write” a paragraph describing what happened and what this means. If you are feeling creative, you could write it as a “news release” or “story of the day” as if you were telling others about what happened or you can respond in art, in song, or in a poem, etc.
Mountain Top Experiences: take some black construction paper and some white and colored chalk to draw a tall mountain. Then draw a cross at the TOP of the Mountain and then write your own "Mountain Top Experiences" on the paper. At the bottom of the mountain, write in large letters - THE BEST IS YET TO COME!
Word Search: https://thewordsearch.com/puzzle/3346635/a-cloud-descending/
Lent Starts - Ash Wednesday March 2nd. Below are the 40 Day Lenten Calendars that can be used during Lent:
40 Day Lenten Calendar - Adult
40 Day Lenten Calendar - Children
Prayer: Thank you, God for showing us what you want us to do and for staying with us as we do it. Amen.
