Matthew 16:28-17:13 - "The Transfiguration"

Peter, James, and John receive the honour of being eyewitnesses to one of the most glorious events in human history. Together, with Moses and Elijah, they have the profound and long anticipated blessing of seeing God the Son as He truly is, with unveiled faces, in all His refulgent glory. Towards the end of his life, Peter looks back to this day and tells us that what we have now is even better than that eyewitness experience was (2 Peter 1:16-21). The dissonance and tension and waiting of the ancients has found its resolution in Jesus Christ. He uses this mountain top Transfiguration experience to show how He is progressively ushering His eternal kingdom into our physical world. The early Church Father Augustine said of the Bible that "the New is in the Old concealed; the Old is in the New revealed". Today we sing in agreement with him "Amen! Amen! From beginning to end, Christ the story, His the glory. Alleluia! Amen!" Christ shines the light of meaning onto all history. He alone is holy. There is none beside Him. He is perfect in power, in love, and in purity. Kiss the Son. He is the final Word.