Director’s Letter
Eyewitnesses of Jesus’ Majesty
Baptized into Christ’s death and resurrection, you are a continuing eyewitness to His active presence in the church’s ministry of Word and Sacrament.
“We were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 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. 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, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts” (2 Peter 1:16b–19).
Peter witnessed an iconic moment: Jesus in brilliant glory with Moses and Elijah, receiving the affirming word of His Father in heaven. The Transfiguration must have been imprinted on his memory, abiding in head and heart as a marker of Christ’s identity. After witnessing these events, the apostles then shared them with others. As John says, “These are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (John 20:31).
In the Son whom the Father sent, your transgressions are no more, and you have been restored to a life reconciled unto God. Jesus’ atoning blood has delivered peace that passes human understanding. This is truth that is to be remembered, grasped and proclaimed.
Baptized into Christ’s death and resurrection, you are a continuing eyewitness to His active presence in the church’s ministry of Word and Sacrament — the foundational means of mission. The kingdom of God grows through those who are drawn to the cross and then gathered together into a congregation, an assembly of fellow saints who live by faith on the divine gifts distributed there. It is all the work of an utterly gracious God.
In this issue of Lutherans Engage the World, you’ll find more eyewitness accounts of how the Gospel is changing lives around the world.
In His hands,
Rev. Kevin D. Robson
Chief Mission Officer, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
