Transfiguration Sunday // Matthew 17:4
Today is Transfiguration Sunday, the day we remember when Jesus took Peter, James, and John up on a mountain top to reveal something spectacular to them (Matthew 17:1-9). Jesus was transfigured into his glorified form and accompanied by Moses and Elijah.
The gist of what took place there was the disciples were able to see that Jesus’ existence was both natural and supernatural. The presence of Moses and Elijah revealed that Christ was the fulfillment of both the Law and the Prophets from the Old Testament. In that moment, Peter was swept up in a way many, if not most of us would have been, too. He wanted to build little dwellings to give Jesus, Moses, Elijah, and the rest of them a place to live. In other words, Peter wanted to stay in that moment in time. This is evidenced by how Matthew records Peter as saying, “Lord, it’s good for us to be here” (Matthew 17:4). That event was not for them in the moment, but for the moments to come. Jesus wanted the disciples to know that when the going got tough, Jesus would rise to the occasion and fulfill His heavenly purpose. But something else was happening, too.
Moses’ presence was to remind them that he led the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt. Elijah’s presence was to remind them that the prophet’s job was to call people away from their rebellion and back to the heart of God. This is what Jesus did when He transformed the meaning of the Passover meal during His Last Supper. Jesus was leading His people on a new exodus journey out of slavery to sin and death by leading us all back to the love of God. It was not a time when Jesus and the disciples could just stop and stay in that holy moment; no, it was a gift to sustain them as they embarked upon the horror to come.
Friends, we need those moments to help us hold on, too. There are times when the going will get tough, but Jesus wants us to keep going in faith. He gave us a model for serving and sacrifice and asks us to follow accordingly. We can’t just stop and stay in these unique moments in time but use them to help propel us when we feel paralyzed by fear or indecision. Yes, it might be good to be here — or there as it were — but just like in Jesus’ Transfiguration, that moment wasn’t for the mountain top, but what was to come in the valley below.
