Special Saturday Edition
Ethan Barton, Pastoral Resident, Tallowood Baptist Church
My favorite feature of nature is waterfalls. Several years ago, my dad and I took a trip to Alberta, Canada to take in its natural beauty. On several occasions we found ourselves staring awestruck at a towering waterfall for hours on end. Waterfalls are overwhelming displays of fearsome power and beauty and glory. And yet, to realize that the glory of this feature of creation pales in comparison to the glory of its Creator! To imagine the unimaginable glory the disciples experienced in the transfiguration of the Son of God!
Jesus showed his disciples a taste of how glorious he is and how wonderfully complete his plan of redemption was. In fact, the entire Old Testament was represented before him, in Moses and Elijah. Moses had written the Law, which we call the first five books of the Bible—a set of instructions on how to be holy and attain a flourishing relationship with God. And Jesus came to fulfill the Law and make that relationship available through himself. Elijah and the other prophets had written about the kings who had reigned and failed and left God’s people in desperate need of a righteous king who would conquer sin and death. Jesus came to fulfill the prophets by being precisely the king they had anticipated. All is fulfilled through Jesus—imagine Moses’ and Elijah’s excitement to hear the Messiah tell them this good news!
Each day we are alive, the best thing we can do is be reminded of Jesus. He is unfathomably glorious and holy, and he has fulfilled all of the Scriptures that eagerly and desperately awaited him. This very same Jesus is our king, our savior, and our friend. We can never be awestruck enough! So what should our response be? After the transfiguration, the disciples heard the voice of the Father saying, “This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him.” Jesus, before whose glory and love we are awestruck, is worth listening to. His commandments are worth following. He’s the Son of God clothed in glory—how could we not follow?
