January 29, 2026

Today's Reading: 2 Peter 1:16-21

Daily Lectionary: Zechariah 8:1-23; 2 Timothy 1:1-18

“And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place.” (2 Peter 1:19a)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

The Transfiguration of our Lord was certainly a spectacle. Literally, it was something that Peter, James, and John saw with their own eyes. Peter confirms this: “For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty” (2 Peter 1:16). And not only did they see with their own eyes, they also heard with their own ears: “For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, ‘This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,’ we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain” (2 Peter 1:17–18).

But only three people saw the spectacle of the divine majesty on the holy mountain and heard the voice borne from heaven. If God really wants the world to believe in Him and be saved, wouldn’t it make sense to show that majesty to everyone, to speak from heaven so that the whole world could hear? Why not let everyone see with their own eyes and hear with their own ears?

The irony is that, should God reveal His majestic glory and speak from heaven, it would not be for our good. Remember that Peter, James, and John fell down like dead men and were clueless at the time as to what the revelation meant. Further, God does not want to be known as blinding glory and a disembodied voice. He wants to be known in the flesh because He does not save the world by showing His glory; He saves the world by suffering death on a cross.

So, “we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone's own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:19-20). The light of Scripture isn’t the blinding majestic glory, but the Christ, crucified and risen as the morning star before the dawn of a new creation.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

God’s Word is our great heritage And shall be ours forever; To spread its light from age to age Shall be our chief endeavor. Through life it guides our way, In death it is our stay. Lord, grant, while worlds endure, We keep its teachings pure Throughout all generations. (LSB 581:1)

Author: Rev. Jacob Ehrhard, pastor of St. John's Lutheran Church and School in Chicago, IL.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Rev. Richard Heinz, pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Lowell, IN.

Better understand difficult and overlooked Old Testament passages in this new book by Authors R. Reed Lessing and Andrew E. Steinmann. Their conversational yet academic writing style makes learning about the Old Testament accessible to those at all points in their Bible reading journey. Discussion questions at the end of each chapter invite you to think more in-depth about what you just read and record your answers. To stretch your understanding, a list of resources for further reading is also included at the back of the book.