[Robinson dates these two books ’61-62′.] “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 had been eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received honor and glory from God the Father when that voice was conveyed to him by the Majestic Glory, saying ‘This is my Son, my Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.’ We ourselves heard this voice come from heaven, while we were with him on the holy mountain” (II Peter 1:16-18).

That’s how Peter emphasized the importance of the eyewitness character of his testimony. We were there. We saw the transfiguration of Jesus. We heard the voice of the Father (Matthew 17:5). And so that’s the basis on which we told you about Jesus: we declared to you what we knew to be true, rather than any fable or fairy tale that someone made up.

This tells us two important things. First, the words we read in the gospels come with this conviction that it is important to pay attention to eyewitness testimony. We may well recognize that eyewitnesses do sometimes see things a little differently, from their particular vantage point (this is probably the explanation for the minor differences in how the gospels tell the stories they hold in common). Yet even so, the message comes with this deliberate insistence: this is eyewitness testimony. We were there. This is what we saw.

Second, some of the most effective testimony we today can offer will speak of how we, also, have seen the power of Jesus manifested. We want to speak out with the words of scripture; but we also want to share the reality that we’ve seen the truth of the gospel established in contemporary human experience. We’ve been there when Jesus calmed the storm in people’s lives. We’ve watched as broken hearts were healed by the power of his love. We’ve seen Jesus transform people’s lives. And we can tell the truth about these things.

* * * * *

You are the beloved Son, full of the Father’s glory: we were not there to see your transfiguration on the mountain, but we have read the testimony of those who did see, and have come to believe the word they have given. And we have indeed seen your power to transfigure the hearts of your disciples, including ourselves. We offer you all our worship, blessed Savior!

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