Exodus….

I was reading Luke this morning - chapter 9 and I came to the account of the Transfiguration. 

Jesus talking with Moses and Elijah on the mountaintop and they were 'speaking of His departure that He was about to accomplish in Jerusalem'.

A few years ago I looked up the word departure and saw that it was 'exodus' in Greek and that was so interesting to me then and indeed now.......as we approach Passover.

Peter, John and James, up on the mountain with Jesus,  heard them talking. They had been taken up the mountain by the Lord after their recognition that 'You are the Christ of God'.

That recognition had come after they had walked with Jesus for a while, after they had been sent out in twos and given power and authority to heal the sick and cast out demons. It had come after they had seen Jesus feed over 5,000 people with five loaves of bread and two fish. Can you imagine how they must have been feeling when they had witnessed all of this? Of course 'You are the Christ' was their response to His question and I'm sure they were in no doubt - on cloud nine - their future looking so rosy.

But then He had told them - I will suffer many things, I will be rejected, then killed and raised up on the third day; and if you want to come after Me you must follow Me - walk My walk, pick up your cross daily, deny yourself..............

They must have been completely bewildered - up one moment then down the next - their ideas of grandeur completely dissolved - a stark and terrifying future before them. Then, just eight days later they go with Him up onto the mountain and they hear about His 'exodus'.

Jesus showed them His glory - He was transfigured before them - they saw His power and authority - heard that it would be He who accomplished it all - He, who would bring about His 'exodus' and in that moment showed them that as they followed Him, He would accomplish theirs too.

That is how all believers will ultimately go - He will accomplish our departure from this world.  He has already accomplished that spiritually for us, we have already been called out of darkness, already been led out of slavery, already made our exodus in Him. We have been given LIFE eternal and one day it will have its final fulfilment - we will physically be changed - in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye we will be transfigured as He was - we will be like Him. Hallelujah !

There, on that mountain, Jesus was calling them to a higher place - to an eternal place - to see beyond this world into the glorious light of eternity - He was showing them what lies beyond, around the corner, so much higher, so much brighter - so much more than this world.

He was calling them to a glory they had never seen and could only imagine and today - in the midst of this Covid-19 trial - He is calling us.....open the eyes of your faith and see Me, high and lifted up - see Me, the King of Glory and know that one day you will be with Me in that same glory.

The work has been done 'it is finished' you who have put your trust in the Lord Jesus have been made glorious - you were born (again) for glory and you are headed for glory.

And, like the Israelites led out of Egypt you have not been left here alone - God is with you and He is, right now, through this current difficulty, this pain, this sorrow - still leading you - out of the busyness of this world, out of the endless to and fro - showing you a peace that passes all understanding, a joy that will become your strength and a glory that is right now, this day being accomplished in you.

He is calling you to come up close -  up to His throne of grace and to cry out for those around you - to lift up the people of your community, your family, your nation and to ask for His mercy upon them. He is calling you to pray unceasingly - to ask for His will to be done, for all to come to repentance. He is calling you to pray for the church in this land - to strengthen and encourage believers and to proclaim the gospel of His marvellous grace.

This year, Passover and Easter celebrations meet - for those of us who have been saved by the blood of the Lamb - for those of us whose exodus has been brought about by the death and resurrection of Christ Jesus - let's decide to pray.........that there will be a mighty work of the Spirit of God, that people will be calling out to the Lord Jesus for salvation and that we might see, in these last days, a glorious revival around this world.

Colossians 3:4  When Christ, who is our life is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory !