LLOYD Smale led the service at Crediton Methodist Church on Sunday, February 15, the title of which was “The Transfiguration – confirmation that God is in the rescue business and Jesus is the rescuer”.

We have moved from Incarnation to Transfiguration – in seven weeks – from baby to manhood. This gets us to the starting point of Lent so we can begin our preparation for Easter.

At the Incarnation God came in human form as baby Jesus and so declared His residency with us – God Incarnate, Immanuel (God with us) – an intervention into the history of the world like no other! Not God’s only intervention for there are numerous others recorded, not least being the Transfiguration.

At the Transfiguration we see the human Jesus caught up in the heavenly realm, sharing the company of Moses and Elijah. The Gospels tell us He shared in the glory of God as His face shone and His clothes became dazzling white!

Matthew, Mark and Luke all tell us Moses and Elijah met with Jesus in the midst of this God-filled light extravaganza and they were seen to be talking with Jesus, Luke reveals the weighty matters they discussed, speaking about His departure which was about to be brought to fulfilment at Jerusalem.

Why Moses and Elijah? They had a lot in common with Jesus and were two of the greatest servants of God the world had hitherto known. They were used to mountain-terrain, having had their own mountain-top encounters with God.

Moses – summoned by God to Mount Sinia, enveloped by God in a cloud, spent 40 days in God’s presence and eventually returned with the 10 Commandments.

Moses’s face shone so radiantly that people were afraid to go near him – proof of God’s favour on him and his closeness to God - a blessing for Moses and an encouragement to the people that Moses truly was their intercessor before God and bringer to them of God’s word. All this was the action of God for the benefit of the world, part of God’s rescue business.

Elijah – revered, as the greatest of the prophets, was concerned to recall the people of his day what Moses had set out as being what God required – to worship God alone and Him only and to abide by God’s standards of righteousness. He had his mountain-top experience on Mount Horeb – battered by wind, earthquake and fire, Elijah huddled in a cave, emerging only when he heard a whisper – the still small voice of God. His was the prophetic work that was spoken of as being revisited when God did a new thing – intervened in human history again. Elijah has a stand out role in God’s rescue business!

In the run-up to the Transfiguration Jesus asked the disciples who they thought He was. Some said John the Baptist, Elijah or Jeremiah or one of the prophets. Peter had greater clarity and said “You are the Christ, the Messiah, You are the Son of the Living God, the promised rescuer”.

Jesus told Peter to keep it quiet and explained what lay ahead for Him in Jerusalem – accusations, suffering, death, resurrection (the working out of God’s rescue plan).

About a week after these discussions Jesus took Peter, James and John with Him up a mountain to pray.

The journey to Jerusalem and all that awaited Him was coming into view and Jesus sought God’s counsel and confirmation that He was on the right track. Did Jesus know what would happen or did God surprise Him with an unexpected intervention?

What we know from the Gospels is that a significant event took place on that mountain. Jesus’s appearance was altered, His face shone and His clothes were as bright as could be.

The glory of the presence of God was changing things. Moses and Elijah were present who, according to prophecy, were both expected to appear at the coming of the Messianic age – both being accepted as being privy to the company of God and known as residents of Heaven.

The three were observed talking about the things Jesus had on His mind and had been sharing with the disciples earlier. They discussed God’s rescue plan for the whole of creation and offered Jesus comfort and confirmation He sought to ultimately make His departure from earth to Heaven at the Ascension.

God did not leave it there. He underscored this moment in history by enveloping them all with a sign of His presence (a cloud descends) and a voice “This is my Son whom I have chosen” – words that confirmed to Jesus that He had God’s approval for the journey to Jerusalem and words to all who have ears to hear that all God requires of us is to listen to Jesus not just at Transfiguration Sunday but each moment of every day.

Whoever we are, wherever we are, whatever our circumstances, God stands ready to rescue us from our restless souls in order to set us down in His way where we can be the “ourselves” God created us to be, all the while knowing the promise He makes to us - “never will I leave you, never will I forsake you”.

May our prayer be “Gracious God stir within us a hunger to be rescued from all that keeps us from listening to Jesus and from a closer walk with You.”

Bronwyn Nott

Crediton Methodist Church