Seeing Behind the Curtain – March 3, 2025

About eight days after Jesus said this, he took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray. As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus. They spoke about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem. Peter and his companions were very sleepy, but when they became fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him. 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.) While he was speaking, a cloud appeared and covered them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. A voice came from the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him.” 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.
Luke 9:28-36

Seeing Behind the Curtain

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Do you know the story of The Wizard of Oz? Dorothy, Tin Man, Scarecrow, and the Cowardly Lion were SO excited to meet the great and powerful Wizard! They thought he could fix all their problems. But—uh-oh! —when they peeked behind the curtain, they realized he wasn’t really a powerful wizard at all. He was just a regular guy using tricks and props!

Now, in Jesus’ time, people had lots of ideas about who he was, too. Some thought he was just a man from Nazareth. Others said he was a great teacher. But Jesus’ disciples knew the truth—he was the Savior! They saw his miracles and listened to his powerful words.

One day, Jesus gave three of his disciples—Peter, James, and John—a huge surprise. He took them up a mountain, and suddenly—BOOM! Jesus changed right before their eyes! His clothes shined as bright as lightning! And guess what? Moses and Elijah, two famous prophets from the Old Testament, showed up and talked with him. Then, a voice from heaven—God the Father—spoke: “This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him!” Wow! What an incredible moment!

Jesus didn’t always show his full power while he was on earth. Most of the time, he kept it hidden because he had a job to do—he had to suffer and die to take away our sins. But after three days, he showed his greatest power of all—he rose from the dead! And because of that, we can live forever in heaven with him.

Sometimes, we might wish we could see Jesus’ power like Peter, James, and John did. But guess what? We can! Every time we read the Bible, go to church, or hear about Jesus, we see his power at work in our hearts. His Word reminds us that he is our Savior, and through him, we have life forever!

Closing Prayer:

Dear Jesus, you are the Son of God! Thank you for suffering, dying, and rising again for us. Help us to listen to your Word and always remember how amazing you are. Amen.

The questions below are to help families discuss this devotion. The questions are divided by age group as suggestions, but anyone could reflect on any of the questions as they desire.

Questions for Younger Children

• What amazing things happened on the mountain in today’s devotion?
• Why did Jesus leave heaven and come to earth?

Questions for Elementary Age Children

• Name at least one way Jesus showed he was true man while on earth.
• Name at least one way Jesus showed he was true God while on earth.

Questions for Middle School and Above

• Why does it matter that Jesus is both fully God and fully human?
• When God the Father spoke on the mountain, he said, “Listen to him.” What are some ways you can make listening to Jesus a bigger part of your life?