Jesus Only
And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. And Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.” He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were terrified. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Rise, and have no fear.” And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.
Matthew 17:1-8
The observation of the Transfiguration of our Lord comes on the eve of Lent. As we are about to enter a season in which the Lord is steadfastly making His way to the cross and we are invited to walk with Him in repentance and anticipation, we receive this remarkable glimpse of His glory.
We need to be reminded that all of the Christian life is a life with Christ, in His presence, radiant with the light that comes from Christ, fulfilled by Christ Himself. There is no boundary between Christ, His light and glory, and our Christian lives. All of heaven’s glory exists wherever He is, even if it’s concealed in an image of humility.
What happened on the Mount of Transfiguration? The disciples could see what they had a feeling they would see and what Peter eight days earlier confessed: that Jesus was the Son of God, and that all of God’s glory and power existed in His body. What the disciples had seen only through the eyes of faith now became apparent with blinding clarity. They were afraid and confused. They saw two men. They knew who they were. They realized that heaven had come to earth and they would’ve liked it to stay. Peter made the awkward yet well-intended suggestion that they build three shelters. Suddenly it all ended in a bright cloud of light, where a voice said they were right: This was the Son of God. They should listen to Him. Then everything was gone. Only Jesus was left.
Only? Now they knew that’s all that mattered. When they had Jesus, they had God. From now on they would follow Jesus, even down the mountain and to Jerusalem, the city that murdered the prophets.
All of this is a part of discipleship - ours too. Sometimes we are allowed to see the glory of God that shines in the face of Christ. Some of us get the chance to be on the Mount of Transfiguration, but only for a little while.
That’s the way it’s been for many who’ve been joining LM-A congregations. With thanks to God they have been experiencing new-found joy as they have gathered with people of the same confession and been refreshed in the glory of God’s presence for them in Christ. They have been able to return to what their hearts have longed for - Jesus only.
These days of glory are a good thing. A blessed gift from God at a time when we have all been struggling. But let’s remember that these glimpses of God’s glory on the Mount of Transfiguration don’t last forever - at least not this side of eternity.
Like the disciples before us, hardships will come. The shine will wear off and congregational life will be filled with the regular ups and downs that come when sinners gather around the throne of grace. And challenging relationships will be part and parcel of what it means to confess Jesus and Him alone. Yes, like the disciples we all have to return to everyday life where we don’t see the heavenly images and the blinding light. But when all of that was removed, the disciples saw Jesus only and that was enough.
In all the struggles we face as LM-A congregations are established let’s not lose sight of that. We have Jesus. And that’s all we need.
I thank You, Lord Jesus, for every glimpse of Your glory I’m allowed to see, and for all the joyous moments I’ve experienced in Your presence surrounded by Your light. You know I would gladly live there with You and build myself a shelter. However, because it’s not Your will, I thank You for sending me amid the heat and dust and anxiety and struggle among men. You wander with me all the way and I know that all Your glory is here encompassing me, even when I see only clouds and hard work and poor results. I thank You for the grace to be able to lift up my eyes and see only You, and know that where You are is where all God’s glory is. Amen.
Pastor Matt Anker
President, LM-A
Adapted from To Live with Christ, Bo Giertz, CPH, 2008