The Mount and the Message – Law Supplanted by Grace

Scripture:

“While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, ‘This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!’”

— Matthew 17:5b (NIV)

Reflection

Jesus led Peter, James, and John up the mountain to witness His transfiguration—a moment of divine unveiling. There appeared Moses (representing the Law), Elijah (the Prophets), and Jesus (the fullness of Grace and Truth). Overwhelmed, Peter suggested building shelters for all three, as if to preserve each voice equally.

But God intervened.

A bright cloud overshadowed them, and the Father’s voice thundered: “This is My Son... Listen to Him.” When the disciples looked up, Moses and Elijah were gone. Only Jesus remained.

This wasn’t a dismissal—it was a declaration.

The time of the Law and the Prophets had served their purpose—to testify of the Messiah (Luke 24:27). Now that He had come, the Father made it clear: the covenant had changed. Jesus, the Son, was now the one to follow.

“The law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” — John 1:17

“By calling this covenant ‘new,’ he has made the first one obsolete.”

— Hebrews 8:13

Jesus didn’t discard the Law—He fulfilled it. And now He writes its righteous requirements on our hearts by His Spirit.

Let’s be clear:

You can’t mix covenants—grace doesn’t coexist with the Law as a means of righteousness.

The ceremonial and sacrificial laws—temple rituals, feast days, and priesthood—were all fulfilled in Christ. But God’s eternal moral character, expressed through love, holiness, and justice, still guides us through the Spirit.

“...that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” — Romans 8:4

“Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.” — Romans 13:10

This is where the wineskin and garment parables become vital (Luke 5:36–38). Trying to blend the old covenant with the new creates spiritual confusion. You can’t patch grace onto Law. You need a new vessel—a new way to live.

Peter’s instinct to build shelters for all three voices mirrors our temptation to honor outdated systems alongside Christ. But the Father silenced every other voice but His Son’s. Not to dishonor the past—but to establish the new.

And here’s the mystery: Jesus doesn’t just dwell among us—He dwells in us.

That’s why He alone remained on the mountain.

He is the One who now writes the law—not on tablets of stone, but on hearts of flesh.

“I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts.”

— Jeremiah 31:33

“I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds.”

— Hebrews 10:16

The mountain wasn’t just about glory—it was about transition.

From shadow to substance. From Law to grace. From following commandments to following Christ.

Key Truth

Jesus fulfilled the Law and the Prophets—not so we could blend them with grace, but so we could walk in a new covenant. The Father didn’t say, “Honor all three.” He said, “Listen to Him.”

The Law and the Prophets still reveal God’s heart and point to Christ (Romans 15:4, Luke 24:27)—but they no longer govern us. Christ does.

Takeaway Thought

You don’t need the Law’s external demands to be holy—Christ in you fulfills its righteousness. His Spirit writes what the old covenant could only carve. He alone is enough. Let Him dwell in you, and He will do what the Law never could.

Let’s Pray

Father,

Thank You for sending Jesus to fulfill what I never could.

I don’t want to follow a system—I want to follow Your Son.

Help me release every old wineskin of performance, fear, and self-righteousness.

Train me to hear His voice.

Write Your law on my heart by Your Spirit.

Let Christ alone dwell within me—guiding, fulfilling, and transforming me from the inside out.

In Jesus’ name, through the Holy Spirit,

Amen.

Scriptures for Further Study

• Matthew 17:1–8 – The Transfiguration

• John 1:17 – Law through Moses, grace through Christ

• Luke 24:27 – The Law and Prophets point to Christ

• Hebrews 8:6–13 – The better covenant made new

• Luke 5:36–38 – Wineskins and new garments

• Romans 8:4 – Righteousness fulfilled by the Spirit

• Romans 13:10 – Love as the fulfillment of the law

• Jeremiah 31:33 – The law written on the heart

• Hebrews 10:16 – New covenant written within

• Galatians 3:24–25 – The Law as a guardian until Christ

• Matthew 5:17 – Jesus fulfilling the Law

• Romans 15:4 – The Old Testament written for our instruction

• Psalm 119:77 – The Law as delight

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