Epiphany @ The Mountain Tops

*Mountain Tops* 

In the Bible we find different God seekers going through extremes to have an encounter with God. The storms of life rocked their boat and pushed them to take extreme measures to either walk on water or treck up dangerous narrow paths to eventually reach the mountain top. 

*Noah's  ark* landed safely on the mountain after the flood. 

*Abraham* trecked up the mountain with Isaac for the great sacrifice in humble obedience to God command to follow him. His faith was tested and he was tried by fire, and for this he was called *Friend of God* 

*Moses* too ran away from Egypt to escape capital punishment. Raised in the royal house, an Israliet by birth, he murdered an Egyptian official. He is found at the burning Bush now married, a broken person, a stammerer, a Shepheard, but God calls him to lead Israel, the first born nation of God out of slavery, to worship Him at the mountain. God wanted to forge family ties with the nation and adopt them as His first born son. But at the holy mountain only Moses is the meditator of the covenant. On hearing the voice of God the entire congregation trembled, fell on their face and worshipped God. Terrified by this experience they all agreed to let Moses continue as the meditator of the covenant. Whenever Moses is confronted and challenged by the Israliets he seeks refuge on the mountain top. He is found fasting and praying upon the mountain to pray and discern what God is saying through all this chaos. Only when God acts we find the chaos resolved. The God of Israel neither sleeps not slumbers, however He acts at the perfect time. When Moses discerns in prayer at the mountain top, and puts it in to practise we see God acting through him, punishing the unbeliever but saving the repentant sinner.

*Jesus on the Mountain* like wise we see Jesus praying and fasting before taking important decisions regarding his public ministry. He is found praying early morning, late in the night, in the evening alone on the mountain top before choosing the 12 deciples. Jesus is found with Peter, James and John up on the mountain to reveal to them his true identity as the son of God. We find Moses and Elijah both conversing about the Messiah on the mountain top. Peter, James and John are overwhelmed by this encounter, in their euphoria they want to pitch permanent tents on the mountain top as this experience happen around the time of the Feast of the tabernacle where the Israliet remembered what God has done for the them in the past through his servant Moses. 

Jesus is the new Moses, he is talking about the new exodus he's going to carry out.

But Jesus request the three privileged deciples to be silent about this till the appointed hour of his glorification. 

On the cross hung the saviour of the world, the King of the Jews, the long awaited Messiah of the world. No one recognised Jesus as the son of God. He was looked upon as the son of Man, the son of a carpenter, the son of Mary and Joseph. But on that cross hung Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews. What the chosen people of God, the Jews renounced and failed to recognise the pagan Romans recognized as the *Son of God* The Roman centurion finally confesses, *Truly this must be the son of God*

Let us keep our eyes on Jesus, the son of God, the King of the Jews, the Saviour of the world. Only when we recognise Christ the King, and call him the Saviour of the world, and repent of our sins, we will be one with him in paradise.