I love it when a familiar scripture comes at you with a brand new insight. That’s what happened this week reading about the transfiguration. Luke 9: 28-36 is when Jesus takes three disciples up on the mountain and there they meet Moses and Elijah. I was reading out of the Message translation and it said, “At once two men were there talking with him. They turned out to be Moses and Elijah—and what a glorious appearance they made! They talked over his exodus, the one Jesus was about to complete in Jerusalem.”
I’ve preached sermons about the disciples wanting to build tents for the three. I’ve studied how Jesus was all glowing (transfigured). But this is what was new for me this time I read it. This was like the coach in the locker room at half time. Here’s the game so far and here’s how we can best finish the game and win. Jesus had two of the best coaches of the Old Testament show up in the locker room and suggest to Jesus how this “exodus” of Jesus would be best played out. How to finish and finish well. We all know the victory of Jesus over sin and death, over the cross and the tomb. And we know that there were some critical moments for Jesus [turning over the money changers tables in the temple and praying in the garden that this cup may pass]. It’s nice to know that when the disciples abandoned him, that the coaches Moses and Elijah had done their part to help plan Jesus’ “exodus”.
Do you suppose that when Jesus was being betrayed and denied and tried before Pontius Pilate and being nailed to the cross, that the game plan was in Jesus mind and heart and spirit? Did he hear again the wisdom and the encouragement from Moses and Elijah? I do believe that the cloud of witnesses from the Old Testament were holding up Jesus’ in those tense moments of his “exodus”. Just like the final moments of the game when the fans and the players and the trainers and coaches are anxious to see how the final second will bring an outcome. I have new eyes on the transfiguration, like a half time session preparing the key players for the final victory. Go, Jesus, Go!
