This Holiday Season, Be Transformed By This Message of Grace

How beautiful are the feet that bring Good News! Worshipping at the bottom of those nail-pierced feet that brought the news of the kingdom of God to earth is one of my favorite places to be. What good news He brought! Our beloved King did not send an angel; He Himself came. He came as a stranger to this world to save those who had no idea they needed saving! What wisdom, what beauty and what majesty He possesses. Listen to the latest episode of Revealing Jesus on the Charisma Podcast Network to be encouraged in your faith.

“How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who proclaims peace, who brings good news of happiness, who proclaims salvation, who says to Zion, ‘Your God reigns!'” (Isa. 52:7).

The feet that once stood on the mount of transfiguration were nailed to the cross so that the message of grace and the coming of His kingdom would be fulfilled.

I love the story of the mount of transfiguration; it is one of my favorite Scripture passages to teach. In it we see a biblical basis for the heart of the Father toward the message His Son brought and a clear depiction of the changing of covenants. Here Jesus takes Peter, James and John up a mountain to discover the glory of the New Covenant brought by the Son and its superiority to the Law and the Prophets.

“After six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother and brought them up to a high mountain alone, and was transfigured before them. His face shone as the sun, and His garments became white as the light. Suddenly Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him” (Matt. 17:1-3).

In the Bible people often represent covenants. We see a biblical basis for this when the apostle Paul describes Sarah as a depiction of the New Covenant of grace and Haggar as a depiction of the law:

For it is written that Abraham had two sons, the one by a slave woman, the other by a free woman. But he who was of the slave woman was born according to the flesh, but he of the free woman through the promise.

These things are an allegory, for these are the two covenants. The one is from Mount Sinai, which gives birth to bondage; she is Hagar. Now this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and represents the present Jerusalem, and is in bondage with her children. But the Jerusalem which is above is free, which is our mother. For it is written:

“Rejoice, barren woman who does not bear; break forth and shout, you who have no labor pains! For the desolate has many more children than she who has a husband.”

Now we, brothers, like Isaac, are the children of promise. But as it was then, he who was born after the flesh persecuted him who was born after the Spirit, so it is now also. Nevertheless what does the Scripture say? “Cast out the slave woman and her son, for the son of the slave woman shall not be heir with the son of the free woman.” So then, brothers, we are not children of the slave woman, but of the free woman (Gal. 4:22-31).

But here on the mountain top appear Moses and Elijah, representing the covenants of the Law and the Prophets. “Then Peter said to Jesus, ‘Lord, it is good for us to be here. If You wish, let us make three tabernacles here: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah: (Matt. 17:4).

However, the Father steps in and corrects Peter because he is missing the point. The supporters of the Law and of the Prophets have missed the point of the presence of the Son. The Son supersedes the Law and the Prophets in every way; in fact, the whole point of each covenant is to glorify the Son. The Law and Prophets were given in order that Israel might recognize the Son in his messianic appearance.

“While he was still speaking, suddenly 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'” (Matt. 17:5).

The Father, who loves the Son, sets the well-meaning disciples straight. He declares the change in covenants when He state, “This is My beloved Son; listen to Him.” Then we see Moses and Elijah disappear to leave our beloved Jesus standing alone.

Beloved, it is time to hear Jesus only and be transfigured by grace. It is in the hearing of the New Covenant only that we become like Jesus, with our minds, clothes, bodies and spirits glowing in the brightness of His light.

“But we all, seeing the glory of the Lord with unveiled faces, as in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory by the Spirit of the Lord” (2 Cor. 3:18).

Notice that the Old Covenant, brought to the people by Moses, a servant of God, not a son, came with a fading glory, but the glory of the New Covenant brought by the Son is ever increasing. What glory, what majesty the Son possesses, and we become like him, transfigured into a glorious, ever-increasing light through beholding Jesus only!

“The true Light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was created through Him, yet the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own people did not receive Him. Yet to all who received Him, He gave the power to become sons of God, to those who believed in His name, who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, the glory as the only Son of the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:9-14).

This is why my favorite place to be is worshipping at the feet of the one who loves with an endless love and an ever-increasing glory. He continually brings Good News of His mercy, news of His healing, news of His unearned and undeserved favor. I invite you today listen to Revealing Jesus to behold Jesus only and be transfigured by grace Himself! {eoa}