We are all living on earth, and are not yet in heaven. Death confronts us, and distress and hatred besiege us. The disciples recognized this truth sorrowfully and painfully when they had seen the glory of God in Christ on the mountain. They would have come to the point of desperation if Christ were not with them. Christ is the greatest comfort to all believers. They are not separated, for Christ is with and in them through the guarantee of the Holy Spirit. A born-again Christian is never left alone, even in evil days, for the mighty God dwells in him. He stays with God and continues in his love.
Christ announced to his disciples the good news of his resurrection from the dead. He testified, before his death, his triumph over all evil powers in the world, and revealed to them his hidden life. However, the disciples did not understand the meaning of this miracle, and thought that Jesus, as the Son of God, would begin immediately to raise the dead, according to his promise, as a sign of his divinity. As such, the Jews also believed, and still believe that in his glorious advent, Christ will raise the dead, and set up the kingdom of his righteousness, whose capital is Jerusalem. The godly also knew, at that time, that a prophet in Elijah’s spirit would appear, and that he would prepare the way of Christ, and call down fire from heaven to consume the unjust.
When the three disciples saw Elijah the prophet in a revelation, they became confused, and thought that of the imminent coming of the kingdom of God, for they had not yet understood the necessity of the cross. This is why Jesus confirmed to them once and again that he should suffer much and be rejected, for the kingdom of God had not come in glory at the first time, but Jesus was prepared to give his life and die as a substitute for all criminals. No human mind can recognize this mystery except through the work of the Holy Spirit. The revolution of the kingdom of God does not begin with political weapons and results, but with justification and sanctification of the believers that the power of the Holy Spirit may dwell in them. Did you understand and experience this principle in your life?
The coming of John the Baptist was a clarification of this spiritual principle, for in his call to repentance he prepared the way of his Lord. However, the Baptist recognized through the Holy Spirit that Christ would neither baptize with fire nor consume the unjust, but he would bear the sin of the world silently as the Lamb of God. Finally, John had to recognize that his King Christ would not hurry to him to release him from prison, but would leave him to be killed. They beheaded him for the kingdom of God is not built on earthly gain and success, but is a spiritual life based on faith and trust, even at the hour of death, for he who abides in Christ will never die.