The Transfiguration

This weekend we hear the familiar account of Jesus’ Transfiguration.  Jesus takes his three closest apostles, Peter, James and John, up the mountain with Him.  Going up the mountain is an important action throughout the Old Testament.  People went up the mountain to experience God in a powerful way.  Moses went up Mount Sinai to receive the 10 Commandments, Abraham went up the mountain to sacrifice his son Isaac, David captures land on Mount Zion, that would later become the location for King Solomon’s Temple, Elijah calls upon God to light a sacrifice on fire on Mount Carmel, proving to the prophets of Baal that the God of Israel is the one true God.  The list could go on and on.  Throughout the Old Testament, going up the mountain symbolized getting closer to God and experiencing Him in a special way. 

Jesus, as fulfillment of the Old Testament, continues that imagery throughout His life.  His most famous sermon, The Beatitudes, was given on a mountain, which is why it is called the Sermon on the Mount.   Jesus went to the Mount of Olives to pray after the Last Supper to ask His Father if there was any way this cup (His Crucifixion) could pass by Him.  After His Resurrection, Jesus went back to the Mount of Olives where He gave His Apostles the great commissioning and ascended into Heaven. 

When Peter, James and John were at the top of the mountain praying with Jesus, He was transformed and His face changed and He was dressed in dazzling white.  Suddenly, there were 2 other people on the mountain with them and the three of them conversed while the apostles watched, unsure of what was happening. But it wasn’t just two random prophets that joined Jesus on the mountain; it was Moses and Elijah, the two pillars of the Jewish faith.  Their being present with Jesus, further symbolizes Jesus’ authority and His fulfillment of the Old Law.

What I find most interesting about this account is how it ends; the apostles “fell silent and did not at that time tell anyone what they had seen.”  How different is that from our world and our culture today?  When was the last time you saw or heard something absolutely incredible and stayed silent about it?  We live in a world today where we want to “show off” the awesome thing we just saw or did and the media competes to be the first one to break the “big news” so they can get the most clicks or likes.  If you look around big events, you see thousands of cell phones out taking pictures and videos.  We don’t take time to just enjoy the beauty of special moment and be present. 

I would imagine that if this event took place today, at the end of if it, if Jesus asked the apostles not to share the event with anyone, the apostles would look at each other nervously and the conversation would go something like this:

Jesus “Please don’t tell anyone about this event until the time has come”

Peter, James and John: look at each other nervously

John: “Uh, Jesus…”

Jesus: “Yes John?”

John: “I may have already tweeted it out to all of my followers on twitter, you know #transfiguation #moses #elijah”

Peter: “Jesus, that’s not all…”

Jesus: “Peter, what did you do this time…”

Peter: “I may have broadcast everything live on my instagram account”

Jesus: “you did what?”

James: “If it makes you feel any better it already has over a million likes”

Jesus shakes his head and walks back down the mountain. 

This Lent, take some time to go “up the mountain” and enjoy some alone time with the Lord and experience Him in a new and powerful way.  How would you respond to seeing the glorified face of Christ?

Reflection By Matthew Bensman