As I begin to write this note I’m seized with mild panic. These verses are so rich, so deep, so glorious. Where to begin?

Glory, repeated 12 times, seems the obvious place. Glory is the self-revelation of God in all his brilliant splendour (Luke 9:29) and majestic power (Romans 6:4). That glory, veiled under Moses’ ministry, now under the new covenant (v 6), shines out in the face of Jesus. But here’s the thing. The glory of God on the face of Jesus is reflected on the faces of his disciples. You and me! Really? I don’t know about you, but I have a long way to go.

But mercifully this transformation is a lifetime process. Day by day, inch by inch, the glory spreads as we turn our faces to the Son. And this is not a private affair. We do it together as we see on the face of the person next to us in church a glimpse of God’s glory (v 18). It takes time and we must be purposeful. In the story of the transfiguration the disciples were asleep, and it was only when they woke up that they saw the glory (Luke 9:32). Rather more prosaically, my son says to me: ‘Dad, if you snooze you lose.’

On this Pentecost Sunday, continue to offer yourself up to the Spirit of God. Pray, ‘Come, Holy Spirit!’

Mention of ‘ministers of a new covenant’ (v 6) sets Paul off in a wonderful direction. Understanding the relationship between Old and New Testaments (or covenants) is crucial if we are to read the Bible aright. The New grows out of the Old and is unintelligible without it. It does not merely repeat it but takes it to a new level, that is ‘much more glorious’ (v 9). There is therefore both continuity and contrast in the way Christians read the Hebrew scriptures. The new covenant both renews the story of redemption that has begun in the history of Israel and introduces new and crucial elements. These are focused in the revelation that comes in Christ (vs 12–16) and in the gift and coming of God’s Spirit, through whom Christ’s presence and work continue in the world (vs 17,18). 

It is clear that Paul finds limitations in the old covenant given through Moses. Glorious though it was, it brings condemnation (v 9). It exposes the extent of human sin without providing the inner transformation needed to overcome it. The glory that was seen on Moses’ face after his encounter with the Lord on Mount Sinai was radiant and powerful, so much so that Moses had to wear a veil.¹ This glory faded, however, and Jewish believers themselves have a veil when reading the scriptures and so do not see where it leads. Only in Christ is this taken away (v 14). By contrast, in the new covenant the glory of Christ never fades. Gazing upon him as we do, we undergo a steady transformation into his image (vs 16–18).

This is an apt reading for Pentecost. Worship is about turning to the Father through Christ in the Spirit and being changed as we do so. Keep coming back till the work is done.

‘Turn your eyes upon Jesus; look full in his wonderful face.’²

¹ Exod 34:29–35  ² Helen H Lemmel, 1922