28 About eight days after Jesus said this, he took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray. 29 As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning.
Can you even imagine the scene? Jesus is in prayer along with Peter, John and James when suddenly the appearance of His face and clothes begin to change - His raiment becoming “dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach” (Mark 9:3) – amazing! What could those disciples have been thinking? All throughout Scripture, whenever humans would come into contact with angelic beings or glorified Deity the sight was so terrifying that they normally fell prostrate and were overcome by their own lack of holiness and their profuse depravity. I think that it would do us good to look at a couple of these examples – if nothing else, it will give us a clearer understanding of who we are not!Scene one – the prophet Isaiah:1 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. 3 And they were calling to one another: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory." 4 At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke. 5 "Woe to me!" I cried. "I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty." Isaiah 6:1-5 (NIV)
Appropriately, Isaiah’s response is one of “Woe to me!” “I am a sinner!” This is very natural and proper (I might add!). When pure Holiness confronts depraved flesh the response is always one of woe. Light always dispels darkness. Evil is made manifest by the light. I am reminded of the words in John chapter one regarding Jesus: 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it. 6 There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. 8 He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. 9 The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world. John 1:4-9 (NIV)
And again in John chapter three Jesus Himself states to Nicodemus:19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God." John 3:19-21 (NIV) And so it was, and so it will ever be – evil hates the light. It loves the darkness so that its deeds will not be made known.Scene two – Ezekiel:4 I looked, and I saw a windstorm coming out of the north--an immense cloud with flashing lightning and surrounded by brilliant light. The center of the fire looked like glowing metal, 5 and in the fire was what looked like four living creatures. In appearance their form was that of a man, 6 but each of them had four faces and four wings. 7 Their legs were straight; their feet were like those of a calf and gleamed like burnished bronze. 8 Under their wings on their four sides they had the hands of a man. All four of them had faces and wings, 9 and their wings touched one another. Each one went straight ahead; they did not turn as they moved. Ezek 1:4-9 (NIV) 25 Then there came a voice from above the expanse over their heads as they stood with lowered wings. 26 Above the expanse over their heads was what looked like a throne of sapphire, and high above on the throne was a figure like that of a man. 27 I saw that from what appeared to be his waist up he looked like glowing metal, as if full of fire, and that from there down he looked like fire; and brilliant light surrounded him. 28 Like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the radiance around him. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. When I saw it, I fell facedown, and I heard the voice of one speaking. Ezek 1:25-28 (NIV)
Ezekiel’s response of humility was also very appropriate. God loves and bestows grace to the humble of heart and for that I am very thankful! I love the verse in Micah which gives us our job descriptions: 8 He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. Micah 6:8 (NIV)