2 Peter 1:17-18 17For 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,” 18we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain.
Jesus deserves our faith because his identity was confirmed by God’s voice from heaven. Jesus was honored by God with an audible voice at his baptism (Matthew 3:17; Mark 1:11; Luke 3:22; John 1:32-34) and transfiguration (Matthew 17:5, Mark 9:7, and Luke 9:35), and then through angelic messengers after his resurrection (Matthew 28:5-7; Mark 16:6-7; Luke 24:5-7).
Three significant descriptions of Jesus are given. First, the mention of God as Father highlights the divine description of Jesus as God’s Son. The voice from heaven confirmed this special and unique relationship. Jesus as the Son of God was confirmed through his miraculous birth and resurrection (Romans 1:3-4). The honor and glory Jesus received are emphasized further with the description Majestic Glory. Many modern translations capitalize these words as a reference to God. Jesus embodied in the flesh the awesome glory of God (John 1:14).
Second, Jesus was loved by his heavenly Father (John 15:9). Theologians note the perfect love within the Trinity. Third, God the Father was well pleased with Jesus because of his total faith and obedience. Jesus was without sin (Hebrews 4:15), which was confirmed by his victory over the devil and temptation (Matthew 4:1-11). All the fullness of God dwelt upon him in bodily form (Colossians 2:9). This person is the object of our faith and hope. Peter reminds his readers of one of the most fundamental aspects of our Christian faith. It is the goal of the knowledge of verse 3 and the faith in verse 5.
Peter recalls his personal experience on the holy mountain. Peter was an eyewitness to Jesus’ transfiguration, which adds authority to what he writes in this letter. With the emphatic we ourselves, Peter appeals to the added authority of the apostles James and John, who were also present. This memory should have confirmed the readers’ faith in Jesus by drawing their attention to the glory and honor he received from God the Father in verse 17.
As second-generation Christians, the readers only had the testimony of people like Peter. Peter connects their faith to the historical events of Jesus’ life. Peter did not make up this message of “good news.” If the readers trusted his words, they would grow in their faith. They had begun their journey of faith but now needed encouragement and confirmation. Like them, we have faith, but the world around us raises doubts in our minds. Our faith grows weak through the constant bombardment of skepticism. We need constant reminding of who Jesus is and what he has done for us.