Article for Feb 11, 2024
Mark 9:2–8 7And a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, “This is my beloved Son; listen to him.” 8And suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone with them but Jesus only.
This is Transfiguration Sunday. We see our Lord Jesus Christ standing with Moses and Elijah in our minds eye. A voice emanates from the clouds above and we hear, “This is my beloved Son; listen to him.” Our Father in heaven just gave us a command. Did you hear it? Do you or will you heed the Holy Father’s command?
We should listen for Jesus Christ’s voice. Not so much in sound as in meaning. Jesus says He came to save the sinner, we should love God, love one another, repent, and forgive. Learn (Matthew 9:13; 11:29) look these passages up, now. We as Christians, Jews, and the rest of the world seem to gravitate toward the law. However, Jesus teaches us to gravitate toward the gospel of repentance and forgiveness.
The law creates a veil over what is to be disposed of. What is too disposed is that we want justice through punishing others. In other words, our justice is based on revenge. But Jesus says He desires mercy. Mercy keeps punishment, in the form of revenge, from the one who deserves the punishment of revenge. Do you know and do you believe that when you sin you sin against God and God does not seek revenge on those who repent and listen to His Son Jesus Christ our Lord.
2 Corinthians 3:12–14 12Since we have such a hope, we are very bold, 13not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not gaze at the outcome of what was being brought to an end. 14But their minds were hardened. For to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away.
Remember this, when you demand the law, you demand it for yourself as well. You know, what goes around comes around. You heard Jesus say judge not less you be judged. What then is good for the goose is also good for the gander.
Those who were led out of Egypt knew the law they were under. They feared their new being outside the imprisonment they suffered so long in Egypt. Their suffering under the Egyptians was coming to an end.
A new law was coming, along with the grace of a new land, and a new culture molded by God. Moses went up mount Sinai and God was with Moses. The Glory of the Lord shown upon the face of Moses. But Moses chose to hide his face and not show what effect the glory of the Lord had upon Him.
What is hidden remains hidden until our Lord God reveals what is hidden. For the Jew the veil is the law, for the unbeliever the veil is over the gospel, but for the believer the veil of law over the gospel is lifted. For God wants all to see His love, mercy, grace, through forgiveness for all who love Him. Truthfully the veil of the unbeliever is of their own doing, however, this veil that covers the unbeliever will be lifted the minute they first believe. God directs His justice to all through His gospel.
2 Corinthians 3:15–18 15Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts. 16But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. 17Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.
It is hard enough for a Christian to not be enslaved by the law. Just think of how hard it is for the Jew to not be enslaved by the law. The law becomes a false comfort zone as it does not bring salvation. So, think; the gospel brings freedom, not to sin, but to free us from the demands of the law.
The gospel comes from Jesus, and Jesus is the light of the world. The Glory of God comes also from Jesus as He is God’s glory. So, too, is the gospel the glory of God as it transforms us in the image of the one who created us. We too become the glory of God through the grace, mercy, and love of God as this transforms us into His image. In His image we are being clothed in the righteousness of our Lord Jesus Christ. This tells us that we can only be transformed by Christ Jesus, and it is Christ Jesus who we can also praise and thank with the Father and the Holy Spirit for this transformation.
2 Corinthians 4:3–4 3And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled only to those who are perishing. 4In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
God made the cross a focal point of the gospel as Jesus hung there through suffering and pain for our sake and the Father’s. For our sake in that Jesus died for our sin. For the Father’s sake to save the Father’s creation of mankind who God created in His image.
We can look at the grave of Jesus and know the grave has no power. The grave cannot not hold us there as it could not hold Jesus there. We can look at the resurrection of our Lord as the victory over the evil one, the grave, and death itself. And we can look at the promise of joining our Lord in eternal life as the means of grace, mercy, and Godly love. Amen.
2 Corinthians 4:5–6 5For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. 6For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
Written by Pastor Curtis A. May