June 22, 2025
Many jobs today depend on computers and the internet to function. Productivity drops when the Wi-Fi goes down. Having the right equipment makes all the difference. Christians have all the equipment they need for spiritual growth. Our challenge is to understand how to use that equipment for God’s glory.
As followers of Christ, we can develop a personal, intimate knowledge of God. God is not an “it.” God is not the “big man upstairs.” God is our Father and Savior.
We do not achieve godliness on our own — God has equipped us with what we need for spiritual growth through the knowledge of Jesus. The Greek word translated “knowledge” describes more than mental familiarity. It’s a full and personal understanding. I confess that the more I learn about Jesus, the more I want to grow closer to Him and obey Him.
God calls us by His great promises to be faithful, but God’s demands are also God’s empowerment. New Testament scholar Robert Mounce writes, “We have not been called to a task and denied the power to carry it through.” As believers we have a responsibility to live a life of holiness so that we will not defame the Christian faith. Furthermore, we are responsible for being useful and fruitful.
False teachers or scoffers had infiltrated the church, denying that Jesus had already or would again someday return in physical form.
As a father, it made me joyful when my sons obeyed my words. Similarly, God was pleased with the obedience of Jesus. Jesus’ glory was revealed in the saying, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased.” Peter and the other disciples heard the voice of God declaring this truth directly from heaven.
The apostles witnessed the events that occurred on the holy mountain after the Crucifixion. The glorious appearance of the transfigured Jesus is a foreshadowing of the events associated with His Second Coming. Jesus will return in power, receiving the honor and glory He deserves.
Peter could declare the truth of Jesus’ divinity with confidence because he had been an eyewitness to the events he describes. Discuss how the study of Scripture and time devoted to prayer help believers grow in their understanding of Jesus’ identity.
At the transfiguration, God speaks again the words spoken at Jesus’ baptism: “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased” (see also Matt. 17:5).
God’s chosen means of communication demands that we pay attention as the day of Christ’s return draws nearer. The biblical emphasis is not upon predicting when Jesus will come again.
Perhaps we can gauge the spiritual focus or lack of spirituality evident in our culture, but the timing of the Second Coming is set by God.
No interpretation derives from human beings because called men spoke from God as they were carried along or directed by the Holy Spirit. However, we can go to Scripture for affirmation and guidance until Jesus’ return.
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This lesson was written by Mark Rathel, pastor of Friendship Baptist Church in DeFuniak Springs, Fla., and originally published by The Baptist Paper. This study is based on the Explore the Bible curriculum from Lifeway Christian Resources. The Sunday School lesson outlines are provided by Lifeway.
