Reflecting God's Glory

 

Today we study the Transfiguration. Jesus takes Peter, John, and James up to a mountain to pray. Now while they are praying, Jesus’ face and clothes become dazzling white.

Also appearing in glory is Elijah who was known for not dying but riding a chariot up into heaven. Then there is Moses that was known for having his face shine so bright after being with God making the Ten Commandments that he had to cover it with a veil to not make the Israelites afraid. But here the two of them, long gone, are seen in glory. Why did they return to earth? To discuss what Christ was going to achieve in Jerusalem – salvation for all.

Peter decides this is great and wants to preserve it by setting up three dwellings, but Christ’s time hadn’t come. In order for us to fully behold his glory he needed to go to Calvary to achieve salvation for all.

Paul in II Corinthians 3 tells how we are no longer under the old covenant – Moses’ Ten Commandments. Do you think this was what Moses was discussing with Jesus? We do not need a veil blinding us to God’s glory. We have the Holy Spirit who helps us to live a righteous life. We have freedom from the law and have the ability to transform ourselves to the image of Christ one degree at a time.

This is what the church calls sanctification – the maturing in our faith into perfection. Very few have reached this point in their lifetimes but we see Moses and Elijah, when their lives on earth were over, in full glory.

What do we see when we look in a mirror?  What did Jesus see? – a physical man of his time. But Jesus focused on a spiritual mirror concerned with his progression to accomplish his mission of salvation. We, too, need to consult our spiritual mirrors. Are we progressing to love and act more like the image of Christ?

May we strive each day to be a bit more transformed, reflecting more and more the glory of Christ.

 

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