Jn.1:1,14 – In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us; and we saw His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
I like to think of this passage in John while reflecting on the Transfiguration of Jesus. What an amazing scene – the shining cloud of glory, the voice of the Father speaking from the cloud, the glory shining out from Jesus illuminating His clothes, and the mysterious appearance of Moses and Elijah speaking of the death of Christ. What I think of in light of John’s revelation of Jesus being the word of God is the message we receive from the appearance of Moses and Elijah. These two represent the law and the prophets, the entire Old Testament is pointing to the Word who became flesh. Elijah, Moses, and the voice of the Father speaking from the cloud testify that Jesus is the very Son of God. Here is how Barclay describes this scene.
“Moses and Elijah met with him. Now Moses was the supreme law-giver of Israel. To him the nation owed the laws of God. Elijah was the first and the greatest of the prophets. People always looked back to him as the prophet who brought to them the very voice of God. When these two great figures met with Jesus, it meant that the greatest of the law-givers and the greatest of the prophets said to him, ‘Go on!’ It meant that they saw in Jesus the consummation of all that they had dreamed of in the past. It meant that they saw in him all that history had longed for and hoped for and looked forward to. It is as if at that moment Jesus was assured that he was on the right way because all history had been leading up to the cross.”
Today our message that we preach is Christ. The Word became a man, He suffered and died for our sin, He was raised from the dead defeating death for all time, He ascended into heaven where He is seated at the Father’s side. He is praying for us and pouring out His Spirit on all who call upon His name. The glory of the resurrection began to be put on display that day at the Transfiguration on Mount Hermon, today we have free access into this glorious resurrection life.
