And lifting up their eyes, they saw no one except Jesus Himself alone. – Matthew 17:8 NASB

The scene is the Mount of Transfiguration. The Bible doesn’t tell us exactly which mountain it was, and there are those who believe it was likely Mt. Tabor. I took this picture on my trip to the Holy Land this spring. This is Mt Tabor viewed from the precipice outside of Nazareth where they tried to push Jesus to His death.

Jesus grabbed Peter, John, and James and they went up on a high mountain (maybe this one, maybe not.) Let’s read it…

And He was transfigured before them; and His face shone like the sun, and His garments became as white as light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. – Matthew 17:2-3 NASB

You’re probably familiar with the story. Peter gets all excited. He goes to Jesus and basically says, let’s have a conference. We can let Moses speak in the morning sessions, and you can do the evenings. We’ll put Elijah on in the after-lunch sessions because he should be able to keep the crowds awake in the deep afternoon.

That’s when God stepped in and preached His only sermon…

While he was still speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold, a voice out of the cloud said, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him!” – Matthew 17:5 NASB

At this point the boys hit the dirt – burried their face in the dust in terror.

Jesus walked over and and touched them and told them not to be afraid.

Then we come to our core verse for the day.

And lifting up their eyes, they saw no one except Jesus Himself alone. – Matthew 17:8 NASB

Think on this with me for a minute.

Moses represents the Law, Elijah, the prophets. This was not a moment where Jesus got the honor of talking to the big wigs of the Old Covenant. This was a gift to Moses and Elijah, two of God’s favorites. They were given an opportunity to see Jesus. 

Hebrews 1 tells us:

God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world. – Hebrews 1:1-2 NASB

They saw through a glass darkly, and God allowed them to come and see with their own eyes the Word made Flesh, the fulfillment of everything promise they spoke as the voice of God.

God’s comentary on the day – “listen to Him.”

And in the end – the law and the prophets are not replaced by Jesus but fulfilled in Him. When we look at Jesus we see everything God has been trying to communicate to us. As Bill Johnson says, Jesus is perfect theology. 

The gospels are not an add on to the Old Testament. Jesus is all of it. He is the Word made flesh. He is God’s only sermon – His last Word. 

Jesus is the whole counsel of God.

Thanks for taking a few minutes with me.

Bless you guys,

Ben