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Transfiguration' means that Jesus was transformed,
from the Greek metamorphose. Transformed before the very eyes
of key witnesses, one of who was to write much later:
We did not follow cleverly invented stories
when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ,
but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty (1 Peter 1:16).
Transfigured from what? When Nazareth saw him they said, 'Isn't
this the carpenter? Isn't this Mary's son and the brother of James,
Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren't his sisters here with us?' (Mark 4:3).
His appearance was such that even in light of his miracles and growing
reputation people could easily conclude, 'He is a man, take him for
all in all'.
Transfigured into what? In his letter to believers at Philippi Paul wrote of Jesus:
Your attitude should be the same as that of
Christ:
Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something
to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a
servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance
as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death - even
death on a cross! (Philip.2:5-8)
He was transformed in such a way that his appearance as a man
was stripped away and his true nature shone through. This was the One
of whom John was to write:
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word
was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning…In
him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in
the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it...The Word became
flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory,
the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace
and truth (John 1:1-5,14).
This is the One before whom 'doubting' Thomas kneeled and declared:
My Lord and my God (John 20:28).
In light of the incredible events of the crucifixion, death, burial and resurrection of Jesus this wonderful event on a mountain top north east of Galilee surely humbled the disciples as they recalled and realised who had died for their sins and risen so they could know:
…new birth into a living hope through the resurrection
of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never
perish, spoil or fade - kept in heaven for you, who through faith are
shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready
to be revealed in the last time (1 Peter 1:3-5).
If you are of that number who can boast of such a hope consider who it was that died for you. Perhaps meditating this week on this wonderful truth can help us say, with Peter:
In this [we] greatly rejoice, though now for
a little while [we] may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.
May we rejoice this week, whatever our circumstances, in the knowledge that the One in whom was very life itself loved us so much that He died to save us. May we be renewed in our confidence that such a One can be trusted to keep His promises to those who trust Him. May we walk closer with Him and know more, much more, of His great love that gave to the uttermost.
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