Our scripture this week is Matthew 17:1-9.
As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus instructed them, “Don’t tell anyone what you have seen, until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”
Matthew 17:9
Why would Jesus ask the disciples not to share what had happened to them? We would expect them to tell people that they had heard the voice of God confirming Jesus as His son and many would believe. Yet Jesus tells them not to talk about it. Why?
Didn’t the angels tell the shepherds at His birth? The scriptures record “When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them” (Luke 2:17-18). Somehow, it is different now that Jesus is in active ministry.
Jesus wants to be in a personal relationship with each of us. He wants us to know Him on our own, not just from other’s accounts. He also knows that many in Israel were looking for an earthly king, that this news might lead people to believe He is, and that is not why He has come. Some gifts we are given to share and some are just for our own personal growth to enable us to go and do as we are called.
Gracious God, we are grateful for the gift of our Savior and the call He makes on our lives. Help us to share with others in spirit and truth, telling how our lives have been changed by our connection to You. Amen.