You’ve Been on the Mountain! Seeing Jesus in People

When Moses came down from the “mountain of God,” his face shined so brightly he had to wear a veil, and similarly, we can see Jesus in people’s faces!

Reflecting Jesus

When Moses came down from the “mountain of God,” the Scriptures say his face shined so brightly he had to wear a veil (Ex 34:29-35), and in the same way, we can often see Jesus in people’s faces! It’s as if Jesus radiates out from their smiles…they seem joyful, happy, content, and it shows! I know they’re human, but you can almost see Jesus through them. I know that it is Christ Who lives in us. As the Apostle Paul wrote, “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Gal 2:20). When I look at some believers, their face shines as if they’ve seen God, and it comes as close to seeing Jesus’ reflection in their faces that we can get in this world. And that’s as it should be! However, more often than not, the Christians smile is upside down…and that’s not how it should be.

Moses Radiating Face

God spoke to Moses like a friend, and when Moses came down from the mountain with the Law, there was something very special about Moses, and in particular, his face! The Scriptures say that “When Moses came down from Mount Sinai, with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand as he came down from the mountain, Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God” (Ex 34:29). How did the people react? It was when “Aaron and all the people of Israel saw Moses, and behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him” (Ex 34:30). It was as if God was in the camp. The fear of God came over them, even though it was Moses’ face that shone. If anything, it was not about Moses, but about Moses’ radiating the glory of God in his face.

The Mediator

We can now go to the mountain to meet God just like Moses! It is through our Mediator and High Priest, Jesus Christ, that we can have access to the Father. That is such an awesome privilege! After speaking with the elders, Moses had to “put a veil over his face” (Ex 34:33b) so as to not make Israel afraid. The veil had to stay on while Moses’ face while he was in the camp because “the people of Israel would see the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses’ face was shining. And Moses would put the veil over his face again, until he went in to speak with him” (Ex 34:35). People who have come near to God ought to have that same brilliant, radiating smile on their face. We should be all aglow being in Christ! Every time God spoke with Moses, his face would shine. Oh that our faces would shine like Moses’ face after encountering the Living God in prayer and in His Word. We should be the most joyful people on the planet. But the question is, “Do we look it?”

Radiating Jesus

There are people that I’ve met in public that standout to me. They are those who are always wearing a smile, even when there’s little to smile about. It seems their joy is unreachable by circumstances. Their joy doesn’t depend on things or circumstances but on Christ alone, and you can see it in their face. Maybe you know a Christian like that. They wear their faith on their sleeve and their face lights up a room with the presence of Christ. They live like Christ so much it’s as if people can know Him better just by hanging around that person. Their joy is almost infectious. They are so unlike the world which is why they stand out in the worlds as lights and salt to a dark and decaying world. It’s very refreshing to meet someone who is on the lookout for random acts of kindness (Eph 2:10).

Why So Joyful?

If you were to go up to some Christian you know (or don’t know) who has joy leaking out their ears, ask them why? Why are they so joyful? Why do they look like they’ve just seen Jesus…or won the lottery? For one thing, believers must realize and publically profess that it was even “while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly” (Rom 5:6), and that’s us. Amazing grace means “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom 5:8), and He didn’t wait for us to get our act together first, because we couldn’t. Lazarus had a better chance of resurrecting himself than we do in making ourselves right before God. Remember that “if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son” (Rom 5:10a), He gave us what we didn’t deserve (His grace) and withheld what we did deserve (His wrath).

Conclusion

We only love Him because He loved us first (1 John 4:19). Shouldn’t that make us want to stand out like a beacon on a hill and share such good news? The most joyful people on the planet are how we ought to be known…not a bunch of pouting Christians. That does not help your case for the gospel! I pray you have put your trust in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. If that has not happened yet, my friend, you are in real danger of hell fire. And I mean, in immediate danger. You’re one breath, one heartbeat…one accident away from eternity when it will be too late to repent. Today is the best day to believe (2 Cor 6:2) since tomorrow is no guarantee. If Jesus Christ came today, here is your fate (Matt 7:21-23). This is why I plead with you as you read this, repent today…and I mean right now. Put your trust in Jesus Christ. If you do not, you will face God’s judgment after death guaranteed (Heb 9:27) or at Jesus Christ’s appearance (Rev 20:12-15), which could happen at any moment.

Here is some related reading for you: How Can I Get My Joy Back?

Resource – Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version^® (ESV^®), Crossway Bibles. (2007). ESV: Study Bible: English standard version. Wheaton, Ill: Crossway Bibles. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Tagged as: Jesus, Moses, Moses' face, Mount Siani, Mountain of God