There is only One

Mark 9:2 After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them. 3 His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. 4 And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus. 5 Peter said to Jesus, "Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters-- one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah." 6 (He did not know what to say, they were so frightened.) 7 Then a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and a voice came from the cloud: "This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!" 8 Suddenly, when they looked around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus.

There is only One you can count on. Only One who does not demand your life but gives you His life. Only One who does not lure you into sin but forgives your sin. Only one who does not wait for you to pull yourself up to Him, but who came down to you. Only One who does not demand a pound of flesh and sweat and blood from you but feeds you with His own. Only One who promised you rescue, and delivered. Only One who does not leave you in the dark, but is the Light of the world. Only One who does not leave you lost and confused, but sends His Spirit of wisdom and life. Only One who knows this life will always fall short, and so had provided you eternal life.

There is only One. Greater than Moses and Elijah. Greater than you and me. Greater than sin, Satan, and death. The One who offered Himself on the altar of the cross. The One who leads us in our exodus, through the waters not of the Red Sea, but the waters of baptism, and not into the Promised Land of Canaan, but the Promised Land of Heaven.

There is only One. The One who was the perfect sacrifice. As Elijah had the 450 prophets of Baal slaughtered on Mount Carmel, so the One crushed the Ancient Serpent’s head upon Mount Calvary.

There is only One. Who hung on the cross in your place and who died your death, that when He rose, that would be your resurrection too. The sacrifice complete. The exodus complete. The glory complete.

As we leave the glory of Epiphany and enter the solemnity of Lent, we look up to the One. Looking up to the One who was shining in all his glorious splendor upon the Mount of Transfiguration. And looking up to the One who was shining in all his glorious gore of the crucifixion upon Mount Calvary.