Thursday, February 7, 2013
Mark 9:2-4 After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them. His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus.
JESUS' ETERNAL FACE: OUR GUARANTEE OF A LIFE THAT NEVER ENDS
There's another side to the face of Jesus we can see as we gather with Him in spirit on the transfiguration mountain: His eternal face. To fully appreciate this, consider your own face for a moment. If you have a photo album tucked away on the shelf with pictures from days gone by, what do you notice about your appearance now as compared to then? Isn't your face looking a bit different than it used to? It may have more wrinkles. It may look careworn. Eventually all of our faces will lie cold in the sleep of death.
This is why it's so comforting to look at Jesus and see how His is the face that never fundamentally changes. He is the eternal "I AM," the same yesterday, today, and forever. He promises: "Whoever hears my word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life" (John 5:24).
Notice also the presence of the two Old Testament prophets talking with Jesus. Moses lived on earth 15 centuries before Christ. He died on the top of Mount Nebo and was buried by the Lord. Elijah lived 9 centuries before Christ and was taken to heaven in a fiery chariot. Behold them now! They're alive and well, basking in glory! This, too, stands as a powerful testimony to the truth that all who see Jesus with eyes of faith as their Savior enjoy a loving relationship with Him that will never be destroyed, not even by death.
What a thought to contemplate! Our faces will one day disappear from the earth but it won't be the end for us any more than it was for those two prophets. The faces of loved ones who die trusting in Jesus disappear from our view for a time but we will see them again. Most wonderful of all: When the Lord returns we will be blessed to see His eternal face of love. "Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is" (1 John 3:2).
May this blessed spiritual reality fill your heart with good cheer, strengthen you for your walk down the mountain onto the plains of life, and inspire you to faithful service of Him who redeemed you to be His forever.
