Originally posted: 07/07/2019
There in the midst of miraculous marvel, surrounded by the supernatural sight of their Transfigured Savior, the mouth of the terrified speaks. And a Voice Overshadows the human voice of fear and ignorance, speaking counsel to the frightened, misguided disciples.
For he did not know what to answer; for they became terrified. Then a cloud formed, overshadowing them, and a voice came out of the cloud, “This is My beloved Son, listen to Him!” (9:6-7).
Consider Him Who Overshadows
- He Overshadows the prophets.
- All at once they looked around and saw no one with them anymore, except Jesus alone, (9:8).
- He Overshadows demonic forces.
- He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You deaf and mute spirit, I command you, come out of him and do not enter him again.” 26 After crying out and throwing him into terrible convulsions, it came out, (9:25-26).
- He Overshadows death.
- For He was teaching His disciples and telling them, “The Son of Man is to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill Him; and when He has been killed, He will rise three days later,” (9:31).
- He Overshadows erroneous and misguided beliefs.
- They came to Capernaum; and when He was in the house, He began to question them, “What were you discussing on the way?” 34 But they kept silent, for on the way they had discussed with one another which of them was the greatest. 35 Sitting down, He called the twelve and said to them, “If anyone wants to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all,” (9:33-35).
- He Overshadows conflict.
- John said to Him, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we tried to prevent him because he was not following us.” 39 But Jesus said, “Do not hinder him, for there is no one who will perform a miracle in My name, and be able soon afterward to speak evil of Me. 40 For he who is not against us is for us,” (9:38-40).
How do we respond to Him Who Overshadows?
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever (Hebrews 13:8), and He continues to Overshadow our human voice of fear and ignorance and to speak counsel to His frightened, misguided disciples.
Let us prayerfully seek Him in His Word, by the power of His Holy Spirit, that we would clearly see and hear Him Who Overshadows.
- He Overshadows the prophets: all of God’s promises and all of His Word is fulfilled in Jesus.
- For the Son of God, Christ Jesus, who was preached among you by us—by me and Silvanus and Timothy—was not yes and no, but is yes in Him. 20 For as many as are the promises of God, in Him they are yes; (2 Corinthians 1:19-20).
- God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, 2 in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world, (Hebrews 1:1-2).
- He Overshadows demonic forces: demonic forces are destroyed by Jesus.
- For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, (Colossians 1:13).
- …The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil, (1 John 3:8).
- He Overshadows death: death has no power over Jesus and all who are His by faith.
- “Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know— 23 this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death. 24 But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power,” (Acts 2:22-24).
- But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, “Death is swallowed up in victory. 55 O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; 57 but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ, (1 Corinthians 15:54-57).
- He Overshadows erroneous and misguided beliefs: Truth is revealed in Jesus.
- Jesus answered, “You say correctly that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice,” (John 18:37).
- that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him. 18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe, (Ephesians 1:17-19).
- He Overshadows conflict: He Himself is our peace.
- “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful,” (John 14:27).
- But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, (Ephesians 2:13-14).
Jesus, God’s Beloved Son, Overshadows everything: great and small, good and evil. When faced with fear, when we don’t know what to say, perhaps it would be wise to say nothing. Rather, let us listen to Him with ears of faith as He Overshadow our concerns, our questions, and our doubts. Let us listen to Him Who Overshadows and hear His heart for His own.
“All things are possible to him who believes,” (9:23).
And as we wait and listen for Him Who Overshadows, we too can honestly pray, as the desperate father in Mark 9, “We do believe; help our unbelief!”
By faith, let us trust Him to Overshadow our fears and doubts… and even our unbelief.