HE PICKED UP THE BATON

And, behold, there talked with him two men, which were Moses and Elias: Who appeared in glory, and spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem. -Luke 9:30-31

Can you imagine what it was like to be there with some disciples witnessing Jesus being transfigured and speaking to Moses and Elijah? It was so powerful that Peter awoke and witnessed this experience and automatically began planning how to institutionalize his experience by building temples for not only Jesus, but Moses and Elijah also.

Now let us Christians sit down for a minute and just think about this.

The other disciples never saw Moses and Elijah before IN THEIR LIFE! They didn't know what they looked like. So how did Peter know who these other two men were? Perhaps Jesus mentioned them by name? Probably and probably not.

Moses represented the law and Elijah represented the prophets. Both have similar experiences both never finished the race into glory...waiting for Jesus to pick up the baton!

Moses and Elijah were men used of God, but neither one was the Messiah. They both experienced God's handle in their death or at least taking them off the scene from holy writ.

Moses died without entering into the promise land and God buried Him.

Elijah was taken in a whirl wind elsewhere, where others (sons of prophets nonetheless) were willing to look for him believing as those who knew the way of God that Elijah was still somewhere to be found, but Elisha forbade them. (Deuteronomy 34:6 & 2 King 2:15-16)

Joshua didn't tell the children of Israel Moses is in the heavens, neither did Elisha though he was there to witness the account of God transmitting him somewhere else, of coursing going into the heavens and landing somewhere.

Neither one of those men took a place in the heavens. Heaven was waiting for one worthy to sit at the mercy seat, waiting for the first high and greatest priest, Hebrews later mentions, waiting simply for Jesus to come and finish His race and be the first to cross Glory's finish line in full strength, stride and vigor!

And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.-John 3:13

So why then was Jesus speaking with those who represented different dynamics of God's Testimony throughout history?

It was because Jesus turned to the Word, the same Word that has POWER to illuminate and light you up and direct your steps, though Jesus is The Word!

David put it this way... Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. Psalm 119:105

However for us, we become the word (written epistles) when we take in the Word! Jesus however already was and is The Word since birth because sin was not found in Him! The Word in us keeps us from sin.

David also stated, Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee. Psalm 119:11

In other words, Jesus was fellow-shipping with what represented The Word concerning his leg in the journey of history and the redemption of man!

Also in other words, Moses and Elijah were just mirrors that reflected who Jesus was...the Word made flesh and about to be fulfilled!

For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. James 1:23-24

Jesus didn't forget who He was...the reflection of Moses and Elijah's representative appearance showed that to Him! It is safe to say Jesus wasn't just a hearer, but He heard from the voice of the reflection of God's Word and He did! (Romans 10:17)

Peter, like many of us just get caught up in the experience and wind up thinking it into other translations of scripture, without realizing the purpose as to why Jesus was communing as the Word, bearing witness to fulfill all the law and prophets proclaimed!

Peter saw, but didn't listen, until God spoke that Peter's attention for the fulfillment was all in Jesus and no one else. No one else ran the same race as Jesus. No one else was baptized yet in the same baptism of fire.

Only Jesus knew He must die before entering into the promise and only Jesus could first resurrect and take His place over the heavens and the earth!

If Jesus be the first fruits (1 Cor. 15:23) of a new creation of Glory, then we can say surely He is God. But if we think others got there before Him than we say Moses or Elisha was God.

And these all (including Moses and Elijah), having obtained a good report through faith, received NOT the promise: God having provided some better thing for us, that THEY without US should NOT be made perfect. -Hebrews 11:39-40

The Bible says, God IS the BEGINNING as well as the END (Rev. 1:8)! Jesus is the BEGINNING of a NEW CREATION that we shall follow Him to glory eternal, but also JESUS is the END!

Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith! Jesus picked up the baton and finished the race! (Heb. 12:2)

However He DID NOT pick it up from someone else, but rather from somewhere else and that was...in the beginning when a man named Adam dropped it.

How in the beginning?

Well because if Jesus is God (John 20:28) and God is the beginning (as in all thing begin by him), than that is where it starts and when you read the scriptures, Jesus always reverts back to the way of God's intent back in the beginning. (Matthew 19:8, John 8:44)

So Jesus did indeed pick up the baton of salvation. He both began and finished the race in full victory! Moses, Elijah and all that bore witness to His coming, were merely those who cheered Jesus on from the side lines through their obedience and apprehensive call to the ministry they possesed.

The good news is only Jesus first entered into the promise land of glory and only Jesus ascended straight the heavens and those who are found to follow in the race He already one shall be with Him in glory reigning with Him in what we will truly know as Heaven on earth! (2 Tim. 2:12, Rev. 12:1)

Now through Jesus we began the race and don't forget there is a promising finish, as we shall behold Him together in that glorious day when we hear again... BEHOLD THE LAMB WHICH TOOK AWAY THE SIN OF THE WORLD!!! (Rev. 14:1)