"And when they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus himself alone." Matthew17:8
Three disciples--Peter, James and John--had just seen Jesus change into a being of dazzling light in the middle of a dark night on a mountain. To add to the otherworldly experience, they had just heard the voice of God saying, "This is my son, the Beloved. With him I am well pleased; listen to him!" That voice knocked them to the ground, prostrate and panicked, which is the typical response recorded in the Bible for people who actually hear the voice of God in their ears. It was a vivid, overwhelming experience. If you meditate on it, you get swept along in the dark of the mountain, the fright of the light and sound, and the sense that if you were there, you'd have had no idea what on earth was happening.
And then the gospel writer says, "When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus himself alone." Deep breath. Calm the nerves. Be still, you beating heart.
But what would it be like, on a dark mountain under the moon and twinkly stars, to see Jesus himself alone? This is not a tame person. This is not a character in a novel. It's not just a picture on a canvas. This is the maker of the world, standing on rock, breathing the air, hair and clothes riffled by the breezes, God in flesh and blood, wearing the skin He designed and enjoying the warmth of the night. Like the disciples, I find that picture of Jesus himself alone to be at once overwhelming, heart-filling and absolutely wonderful. And I want to follow.
They saw no one except Jesus himself alone. May that be the guide of your day today.
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