Sunday September 2, 2007 | Greg Boyd
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.
Jesus is both fully human and fully God. He is the beginning and fulfillment of God’s covenant with humanity. In Christ, God’s love and glory was revealed as he came and dwelt among us, serving, and ultimately suffering and dying to give us forgiveness and hope. It is the most amazing revelation in history!
Jesus is both fully human and fully God. He is the beginning and fulfillment of God’s covenant with humanity. In Christ, God’s love and glory was revealed as he came and dwelt among us, serving, and ultimately suffering and dying to give us forgiveness and hope. It is the most amazing revelation in history!
In Luke 9:28-36 Jesus’ identity and glory was revealed to his disciples. As Jesus was praying, his appearance changed as the glory of God radiated from him. The scene parallels Exodus 17-24, where God’s glory was revealed to Moses on Mount Sinai as he was given the 10 Commandments. Moses and Elijah appear and Jesus is seen talking to both of them.
The appearance of Moses and Elijah is very important in understanding the importance of Jesus. Moses was associated with the Law (10 Commandments) and the initial covenant with Israel. Elijah was associated with the prophets, those whom declared the future hope for Israel. The voice of God declares to the disciples that Jesus is the Son of God and that they are to listen to him. Jesus is revealed to his disciples as the fulfillment of both the law and the prophets (see Hebrews 1:1-3).
In Christ, we see who God is. He is a loving God, who desires a relationship with us. So much so, that he humbled himself and became one of us (see Philippians 2). Jesus came to reveal God’s love and glory and he did so not by declaring orders or by the use of force. Rather, Jesus manifested God’s glory by serving and suffering for us, even though we didn’t deserve it. Amazing love!
For us to reveal God’s glory, we can’t do this from a stance of looking down on others. Jesus did not stay on the mountain top revealing his glory for all to see. Instead, he humbled himself and showed his glory and power by serving and loving others. As followers of Christ, we are called to do the same. When we imitate Christ and sacrificially give of ourselves by serving others we are revealing God’s glory. That may mean helping at a local homeless shelter, befriending someone new to your neighborhood or by giving to an AIDS organization instead of buying new furniture. As we minister, we are glorifying God.