Jesus invited three of His Apostles – Peter, James, and John – to take a climb with Him. Up the mountain, they went to a place where the Savior gave Himself to prayer.
Seems to me this would have been a time when I would want to keep my eyes wide open. I mean these guys had just gotten confirmation of the reality of Jesus. Peter was the one who got the revelation that this Leader of theirs was “the Christ, the Son of the living God” (see Matthew 16:16). With this fresh knowledge, we would expect a greater sense of awareness and attention to detail in the following of Him.
Again, we are allowed to see that these followers of Jesus were all too human. Sleep overcame these disciples. They napped almost to the point of missing a most remarkable episode that involved not just the Son, but two of the great faith heroes of Israel.
Jesus’ face began to glow and “His clothes became radiant, intensely white, as no one on earth could bleach them” (Luke 9:29). Next to Him, stood Moses and Elijah, who were also arrayed gloriously.
They had come to talk of the Savior’s road to the Cross through Jerusalem. These two men had been through tortuous times with the people of God.
God and Discipline
For Moses, this moment on the mountain had to be most welcome and significant. Remember, he failed to heed the command of God at the rock that gave water in Numbers 20. The Lord told Moses to speak to the rock in order to produce the water needed for the huge congregation that was trekking through the wilderness.
Instead, Moses raised his staff and hammered the rock – twice. God sent the water, but He also chastised His leaders: “And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, ‘Because you did not believe in Me, to uphold Me as holy in the eyes of the people of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land that I have given them’” (Numbers 20:12).
Later, in Deuteronomy 3, we read of how Moses pleaded with the Lord to relent and allow him to finish his course and enter the Promised Land. He wrote of how he had weathered 40 years with this stiff-necked, stubborn multitude. “Please let me go over and see the good land beyond the Jordan. …,” Moses said.
The Lord was having none of it. “… And the Lord said to me, ‘Enough from you; do not speak to Me of this matter again.’ Go up to the top of Pisgah … and look at it with your eyes …” (see Deuteronomy 3:23-28 for the whole story).
Moses was basically told to shut up about it. This says something to us about God and the leaders He chooses. These people are anointed for their roles in the purposes of the Lord. He deals with them in His way. Yes, these leaders are worthy of honor. They share things that God has given them to share. But let us never lose sight of this fact – all leaders are also responsible and accountable.
It is important to keep this Moses story in mind when a leader may cause us pain. Our temptation in such a situation is to start spreading the news and airing our grievances for everyone to hear. I don’t want to dismiss any hurt that someone may feel. It’s real and it’s tragic and it’s wrong. Still, God is in control and His vengeance goes deeper and farther than anything we could manufacture.
If you find yourself in such a wounded state, I pray that the God of all mercy will hear and comfort and shed His love abroad in you so that you live in the freedom of forgiveness. And this will likely take some time, especially if the offense is especially grievous. I expect you may express some truly angry feelings even toward the Lord Himself. Fear not. He will love you still and will allow you to vent and complain for as long as is necessary. See Psalm 13 for a brief example.
Made for Glory
Back to the mountain with Jesus – in Luke 9 and also in the accounts related in the gospels of Mark and Matthew, Moses has been allowed to set foot in Israel. He is aglow in the Land of Promise that he once pointed the multitude toward after their deliverance from Egypt.
This manner of glory was not new for Moses, as we can read in Exodus 34. Moses’ face shined after he came down from meeting with the Lord on Mount Sinai. The sight of him brought terror to the people. He veiled his face so that they could come near him.
Our human bodies were designed for glory it seems. Jesus, along with Moses and Elijah, were making this clear. Made in the image of God, we were to acquire this clothing as we walked and talked with Him. Sadly, this privilege was forfeited when Adam ate from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.
This moment of transfiguration represented an outward display of the holy heart of the Son. It burst forth on that moment because the revelation of His Person had been spoken forth by a man chosen to follow Him.
And so I think God always intended His glory in us to be something that works from the inside out. In fact, the word “hallelujah” means to “flash forth light for God.” As our hearts are filled with His Spirit, we reveal more and more of His Light.
This was true of Stephen, as he spoke of Christ just before His stoning. Those there described Stephen’s face as having the appearance as that of an angel (see Acts 6:15).
Glory, we are destined for it. We shall see Christ one day and we shall be like Him, as it says in 1 John 3:2: “Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when He appears we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him as He is.”
Rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, Peter blurted out an idea, a most religious idea that involved erecting something of a shrine, a site for pilgrimages. Shrines were common to the region where they were at the time. “’Master, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for You and one for Moses and one for Elijah’—not knowing what he said” (Luke 9:33).
Peter had spoken of the identity of Jesus under the influence of the Lord. He also tried to rebuke Jesus for mentioning His destiny of death upon the Cross. To that outburst, Jesus turned from Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan!” Now, this rambunctious Apostle seemed to suggest another path for the Son to gain the fame and renown due Him.
Just then, the cloud of The Presence of the Lord settled upon the mountain and engulfed the group.
“And a Voice came out of the cloud, saying, ‘This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him!’And when the Voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. …” (Luke 9:35-36).
Looking Ahead
When all was said and done, the Apostles were instructed to keep silent about it. This top of the mountain experience would have to be kept to themselves until after the Resurrection. Jesus wasn’t interested in creating a public relations or promotional storm. He worked deliberately in ways He often kept hidden.
Only true hearts are welcome in His Kingdom. Only true hearts really heard what He had to say and what was said about Him.
And true hearts given to Him can imagine what’s ahead. Jesus gave these three guys a taste and a sight of what our eternal existence will be like.
The here and the now are important. But we can better serve the present with a healthy view of the future.
Christ is alive, and He’s alive with a body that is perfect and redeemed, a body that shall bear the Light of God, a body that can stand in the full and forever cloud of His Presence.
The Apostles saw what they could be like in the transfiguration of Jesus. This is hope. Believe it and look to that day.
C.S. Lewis wrote, “If you read history you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were just those who thought most of the NEXT.” In other words, those who most think of things to come are the most useful and important in the present.
Jesus came, and Jesus is coming. Think on this. And hear Him. Know that we shall be like Him, all glorious and majestic, as His prized people.