The Mount of Transfiguration

The account of the Mount of Transfiguration is a short section in Matthew’s Gospel but profound in so many ways. What a gift for the three disciples that got to witness the glory of Jesus and hear the voice of God the Father! When teaching through Matthew, I often get frustrated with the lack of understanding of the disciples and have to regularly stop and place myself in their shoes. They grew up believing that their coming Messiah would be like King David but greater, bringing about the new kingdom and glory. They likely expected to be placed in positions of honor and greatness when Jesus took His rightful place as King of Israel. I can understand Peter’s reaction, then, as he hears Jesus tell them that He will be killed by the very leadership that should have supported Jesus, presenting Him to the nation as the prophesied Messiah! We hear the resurrection as the major point when Jesus foretold the passion, but they couldn’t get past the death Jesus predicted. What a kindness for Jesus to bring them up that mountain and show them that He was who He said He was, with the witness support of their fellow disciples in addition to Moses and Elijah to boot. Hearing the voice of God sealed the deal, proving once and for all that Jesus is the One, the Messiah, regardless of the mixed up expectations they held. This was one of those moments that changed history forever and removed any lingering doubts. Their understanding was still incomplete, but they were completely assured of Jesus’ Messiahship. This would carry them through the hard times ahead.

When you struggle, remember that while we are given the gift of the Scriptures, our understanding is bound to be incomplete like theirs was. We can’t fully understand some of the mysteries of God and what He is working out in the world. We can, however, remember that God is sovereign, good, just, merciful, and loves His children deeply. How blessed we are to be loved by Him!