Six days later Jesus took Peter, James, and John, and brought them to the top of a very high mountain where they were alone. He was transformed in front of them, and his clothes were amazingly bright, brighter than if they had been bleached white. Elijah and Moses appeared and were talking with Jesus.
Peter reacted to all of this by saying to Jesus, “Rabbi, it’s good that we’re here. Let’s make three shrines—one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” He said this because he didn’t know how to respond, for the three of them were terrified.
Then a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice spoke from the cloud, “This is my Son, whom I dearly love. Listen to him!” Suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus. (Common English Bible)
The transfiguration of Christ was a glorious experience on the mountain for those closest to Jesus. Yet, we are told that Peter, James, and John – the inner circle of Christ’s disciples – were terribly frightened.
Peter, always the extrovert of the group, and forever their mouthpiece, nervously babbled-on without making any sense because he was so nervous and afraid.
Have you ever wondered why Jesus would take three of his disciples with him to experience such an incredible vision? Why did Jesus show these men something so otherworldly that they nearly soiled themselves?
I will tell you why I think Jesus put his close disciples in such a glorious, yet frightening, position as this:
Because the only way to see Jesus as our only hope, we must face our fears, insecurities, and anxieties, squarely, without hiding from them.
Jesus did not relieve their anxiety. He let his disciples feel the full impact of their fear. The glory of Christ shone show brightly that Peter, James, and John could not hide from what was happening to them, and could not avoid what was in their minds and hearts.
Only through shining the light on the shadowy place of our fears and insecurities will we ever be able to accept that we need a savior. And that savior is Jesus, the light of the world, the Lord over fear, anxiety, and discouragement.
The invitation which Christ extends to us is to move further into our fears, face those fears, and sit awhile with our fears, so that we can see how desperately we need the Savior Jesus.
No one seeks a savior when they don’t even believe they need deliverance from anything. “I’m just fine, thank you very much!” says the independently self-sufficient person among us. To seek salvation, for such a person, is an intensely personal affair; they will look within, not without. It will take quite the desperate situation for them to consult someone who knows the ways of the soul.
But the one who sees what is truly inside of them, and is aware of their fear of connection; the scary prospect of confrontation; the anxiety of what will happen; or, the discouragement of failure; this is the one who is then able to hear the voice of God, and listen to Jesus give the answer to our most pressing life issues, worries, and concerns.
Jesus Christ wants to change us from the inside-out. He helps us by showing us not to avoid the fears which cause us to be beside ourselves, but instead, to face those fears and confront the anxieties within.
The bright light of God’s presence enables us to see very clearly all that is within us. And Christ’s intimate relationship with us assures us that change is possible. Then, the Holy Spirit comes and empowers us for transformation, so that we may shine, along with Jesus, and let the light help others, as well.
You and I are never alone; we always have the glorious presence of Christ with us as we walk through dark valleys and ascend high mountains.
It is the wonderful existence and omnipresence of God, in Christ, through the Spirit, which makes all the difference. We were created for connection with the divine, not for separation and loneliness in our fears.
Glorious Christ, you love me with a grace and mercy which always has my best interests in mind. Help me through my most pressing fears and failures so that I might see your glory, hear your voice, and know your constant presence. Amen.
The Transfiguration of Jesus, by Armando Alemdar Ara, 2004
After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them. His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus.
Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” (He did not know what to say, they were so frightened.)
Then a cloud appeared and covered them, and a voice came from the cloud: “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!”
Suddenly, when they looked around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus.
As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus gave them orders not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. (New International Version)
It may be that reading this account of Christ’s transfiguration (metamorphosis) seems a bit strange, even confusing. Perhaps you have no categories of thought to explain such an encounter.
In a Peanuts cartoon, Charlie Brown, Lucy, and Linus were lying on their backs looking at the sky. Lucy says, “If you use your imagination you can see lots of things in the cloud formations. What do you think you see, Linus?”
Linus replied, “Well, those clouds up there look to me like the map of the British Honduras on the Caribbean… That cloud up there looks a little like the profile of Thomas Eakins, the famous painter and sculptor… And that group of clouds over there gives me the impression of the stoning of Stephen… I can see the Apostle Paul standing there to one side…”
Lucy responds, “Uh huh… that’s very good… what do you see in the clouds, Charlie Brown?”
To which Charlie Brown replied, “Well, I was going to say a ducky and a horsy, but I changed my mind.”
Maybe your spiritual life seems more like Charlie Brown than Linus. Compared to the experiences of others, you have not had any defining moments of ecstasy; no shining Jesus in front of you; or no spectacular vision of Christ.
Perhaps your life seems rather mundane and ordinary in light of the many stories we have in the Gospels of Jesus doing the miraculous.
Most of life is lived in the daily grind. In the monotony of life, we need some hope, an occasional mountain top experience that helps us glimpse into the future of what it will be like someday when the kingdom of God comes in its fullness.
Christ’s transfiguration came after a hard frank discussion Jesus had with the disciples about his impending death. Jesus was up front with them, saying that he must suffer, be rejected, and killed. But in three days he will rise again. The disciples did not want to hear that; Peter even rebuked Jesus for saying it. In response, Jesus said:
“If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it.”
Jesus (Mark 8:34-35, NIV)
Jesus identified himself as the Suffering Servant, the One who must suffer and die. Yet, he is also the One to be glorified. For Jesus, there has to be suffering before glory. And it is the same for us.
The Christian life includes walking through the valley of the shadow of death. But it is also punctuated with mountain top experiences that give us hope. The nature of the Christian journey is up and down, with both the mountain and the valley as spiritual realities of great importance.
We may have a lot of questions about Christ’s transfiguration. Jesus had a metamorphosis smack in front of the disciples’ eyes. Why? What’s the significance of this? Was it just a demonstration to get their attention? Why are Moses and Elijah there? What’s really going on?
Transfiguration, by Sadao Watanabe, 1971
Jesus intentionally took Peter, James, and John up the mountain to have this experience. Up to that point, a lot of rumors were circulating about Jesus – that maybe he was Elijah come back, or some other prophet, perhaps even Moses himself. But Moses and Elijah showing up next to Jesus, meant that Jesus is not them.
In the Old Testament, Moses was used by God to deliver the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt and to bring them to the Promised Land. Centuries later, Elijah was used by God to bring about a great repentance of the people from the false god Baal, and a mighty revival to the exclusive worship of the Lord.
As good as Moses and Elijah were, having them with Jesus on the mountain meant that it gets even better with Christ. Jesus is the Messiah, the True Deliverer, who saves people from their sins. What’s more, Jesus is the ultimate revivalist, bringing truth, grace, and the love of God to people, calling them from legalistic religion back to the true worship of God.
Deliverance and revival were integral to Christ’s earthly ministry. And Jesus expects his followers to do the same. In Christian ministry, there will be suffering, because we must take up our cross. There will also be glory, experiencing and seeing deliverance from sin that comes with revival.
When I was in college, a group of us Christians met each week for encouragement and prayer. For a two year period, at least one person a week was added to our group, having had a dramatic conversion to Christ. That was an incredible time of being on the mountain with Jesus, seeing him manifested in all his glory through changing people’s lives.
Yet, inevitably, we descend to the valley. What goes up must come down. And how we handle the valley is crucial. On the mountain, things seemed effortless; but in the valley, it’s all different.
Coming off the mountain may lead to various temptations, like wishing you were back on the mountain – looking back to some Golden Age where everything seemed so great, and people were enthused and excited about God and the group you were in. Yet, there are times when the revival fires wane, and the glory departs. Then what?…
God’s Word to us today, given by God the Father, is: “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!”
A 12th century Mosaic of Christ’s Transfiguration
Here is what Jesus has said to us, as recorded by the Evangelist Mark:
“The time has come. The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!” (Mark 1:15)
“Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” (Mark 1:17)
“It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” (Mark 2:17)
“Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” (Mark 4:40)
“Everything is possible for him who believes.” (Mark 9:23)
“If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all.” (Mark 9:35)
“I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” (Mark 10:15)
“…the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles, who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him….” (Mark 10:33-34)
“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:45)
“I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.” (Mark 11:24-25)
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Mark 15:34)
“Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.” (Mark 16:15)
If you have had a mountain top experience with Jesus, let that encounter give you the drive and the hope to keep carrying the bucket through the valley, without living in the past.
If you have never been on the mountain, then today, listen to Jesus and follow what he says.
If you are vexed in your spirit, go to Jesus. Listen to him. Do what he says.
Know the word of the Lord, and bank on it. For our light and momentary sufferings will result in praise, honor, and glory when Jesus Christ is revealed. Amen.
Jesus took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray. As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus. They spoke about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem. Peter and his companions were very sleepy, but when they became fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him. As the men were leaving Jesus, Peter said to him, “Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” (He did not know what he was saying.)
While he was speaking, a cloud appeared and covered them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. A voice came from the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him.” When the voice had spoken, they found that Jesus was alone. The disciples kept this to themselves and did not tell anyone at that time what they had seen.
The next day, when they came down from the mountain, a large crowd met him. A man in the crowd called out, “Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, for he is my only child. A spirit seizes him, and he suddenly screams; it throws him into convulsions so that he foams at the mouth. It scarcely ever leaves him and is destroying him. I begged your disciples to drive it out, but they could not.”
“You unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you and put up with you? Bring your son here.”
Even while the boy was coming, the demon threw him to the ground in a convulsion. But Jesus rebuked the impure spirit, healed the boy and gave him back to his father. And they were all amazed at the greatness of God.(New International Version)
When Jesus is around, extraordinary things happen. And yet, sometimes we just don’t perceive it. The three disciples of Jesus – Peter, James, and John – experienced something incredible, yet they were not really aware of what it meant, at the time. The Transfiguration of Jesus on the mountain was unimaginable and awesome. The disciples, however, were confused, sleepy, and walked away silent about the whole affair.
Woodcut of the Transfiguration by Sister Mary Grace Thul
Coming down from the mountain, the other disciples were found scratching their heads about a boy in need of healing. Jesus seemed rather perturbed about the all-around lack of faith. After curing the boy, everyone was amazed, as if they did not expect such a thing to occur.
We are not always told in the Gospels why Christ’s disciples often did not understand or perceive the significance of the miraculous, supernatural, or extraordinary events that took place right in front of them. Maybe their minds were somewhere else.
It could be that Peter had ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) and was having trouble focusing.
Perhaps James trying to do some sort of ancient multi-tasking.
Maybe John had some road rage on his way to the meeting on the mountain and was having a hard time thinking straight.
It could be that the three disciples were caught up in the anxiety of wondering where their next shekel was coming from.
Perhaps they were just up too late the night before binge watching the fishermen on the lake. But whatever was going on with the disciples, they were distracted.
So, we actually have God the Father step into the scene at the Transfiguration of Jesus on the mountain and speak. God isn’t typically in the business of exhorting people to listen unless they are not paying attention. The heavenly Father is clear, succinct, and to the point:
“This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him.”
We are to listen to Jesus because he is God’s Son. Everything centers round him.
Jesus is the full bodily and human representation of God on earth. Jesus is Savior, Lord and Master, Teacher and Healer.
Jesus is the complete fulfillment of all the Old Testament promises, and the one who will come again to judge the living and the dead.
Jesus is the mid-point of history, the hinge upon which all the universe swings. Jesus is the one whom we must listen to when he speaks and acts.
Therefore, our identity is to be fully bent, molded, and shaped in Jesus Christ. This spiritual formation of our lives happens as we intentionally seek to be with Jesus, listen to him, and do what he says.
Transfiguration by Macha Chmakoff
Jesus took Peter, James, and John up the mountain to experience his Transfiguration in a prayer meeting. Extraordinary things happen in prayer meetings. The early church gathered often in prayer meetings, following the example of their Lord Jesus. As the church listened to God and responded (in a rhythm of revelation and response) they saw Peter miraculously delivered from jail; ordinary people delivered from empty lives and demonic influence; and guidance in how to proceed as followers of Christ.
Prayer is as much or more about listening to God as it is talking to him. It is in listening to God that we are filled with God’s Spirit and empowered to come down from the mountain and engage in God’s mission.
Jesus wanted the disciples to learn and discern something on the mountain. Jesus was changed in front of them. Moses and Elijah showed up and talked with him about his “departure,” that is, his “exodus.”
Moses was the one who listened to God and led the people in a mass exodus from slavery in Egypt to the freedom of the Promised Land.
Elijah was a prophet who listened to God and led the people out of centuries of idol worship and dead religion into the freedom of spiritual and national revival in Israel.
And Jesus came to lead people in an exodus out of sin, death, and hell so that they can experience a new life of freedom, hope, peace, and joy.
Changed lives are God’s goal for us. And a changed life will occur when we listen to God’s Son, Jesus, learn from him, and lean into faith in him – all of which takes humility.
Eventually, Jesus and his disciples came down from the mountain. Prayer meetings are great, but there is a time to descend the mountain and engage in God’s mission.
We are to participate with God in seeing changed lives through the work of Jesus.
We must bear witness to the redemptive saving events of Jesus to a world which desperately needs him – his healing work of both body and spirit.
The glory of God is presently here among us. We need to perceive it and be aware of it. But to do so, we must listen well.
Erik Weihenmayer is blind, yet on May 25, 2001, he reached the peak of Mount Everest. Suffering from a degenerative eye disease, he lost his sight when he was thirteen years old. But that did not stop him from mountain climbing. On a mountain where 90% of climbers never make it to the top—and 165 have died trying since 1953—Erik succeeded in large measure because he listened well.
He listened to the little bell tied to the back of the climber in front of him, so he would know what direction to go. He listened to the voice of teammates who would shout back to him, “Death-fall two feet to your right!” so he would know what direction not to go. He listened to the sound of his pick jabbing the ice, so he would know whether the ice was safe to cross.
When we journey through this life, listening well makes all the difference. So, how might we listen well to Jesus? Here are some basic principles of active listening:
Stop talking. It was Mark Twain who said: “If we were supposed to talk more than we listen, we would have two tongues and one ear.” Proverbs 12:15 says, “The way of a fool seems right to him (therefore he has no need to listen) but a wise person listens to advice.”
Prepare yourself to listen to God. One of the ways I do this is by sitting in a quiet spot, free of distraction, and repeat several times to God, “Speak Lord, for your servant is listening” (1 Samuel 3:10). Then, I am quiet… and listen…. If this practice is way off your radar then I would recommend, at first, being quiet for only a few minutes. Then, after a few weeks, be quiet in longer stretches so that you can go 20-30 minutes or even an hour. We might even consider a silent retreat in which the sole purpose is to listen to what God is saying to us.
Slowly and carefully read God’s Word. Scripture is meant to be digested in small bites and thoroughly savored. Slow down and be quiet enough to hear God speak through the Word. A contemplative and meditative readings of Holy Scripture will always yield spiritual health and vitality.
Pray back to God what you hear him saying to you. This is active listening – a genuine dialogue between us and God. “Come, now, let us reason together,” the Lord has said (Isaiah 1:18). God wants a conversation with us.
God speaks, if we have ears to hear, through so much more than an audible voice.
The Lord’s Supper is a tangible proclamation of the person and work of Jesus Christ. It speaks to us, and, so, we must listen well. The Table proclaims Christ’s identity as God’s Son, the one who came to live a holy life, teaches us the way to live, and how Jesus died a cruel death so that we might be born again and experience new life.
We Are All One in Jesus Christ by Soichi Watanabe, 2009
The Table proclaims our mission, that as often as we share in communion, we proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes again. That is, we witness to the reality of Christ’s redemption in our own lives. We share our own changed lives with others. We pray for them so that they will experience new life, as well.
The Table proclaims our spiritual formation in Christ. At the Table, we are lifted and joined with Christ through the Holy Spirit. It is a mysterious joining that defies description, just as the disciples had a mysterious encounter that they could not fully explain. Yet they experienced it, nonetheless.
May we listen well, without distraction, to God’s Son. May we know God’s purpose for our life. And may we encounter Jesus at the Table, and in all of life, so that we experience new life.
O God, teach us to listen to those nearest to us, our family, our friends, our co-workers. Caring God, teach us to listen to those far from us – the whisper of the hopeless, the plea of the forgotten, and the cry of the anguished. Holy Spirit of God, teach us to listen for your voice — in busyness and in boredom, in certainty and doubt, in noise and in silence. Gracious God, teach us to listen well to the message of your Table. May you change and transform us to be like Jesus. Teach us, Lord, to listen. Amen.
“Six days later Jesus took Peter, James, and John with him. They went up on a high mountain, where they could be alone. There in front of the disciples, Jesus was completely changed. And his clothes became much whiter than any bleach on earth could make them. Then Moses and Elijah were there talking with Jesus.
Peter said to Jesus, ‘Teacher, it is good for us to be here! Let us make three shelters, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.’ But Peter and the others were terribly frightened, and he did not know what he was talking about.
The shadow of a cloud passed over and covered them. From the cloud a voice said, ‘This is my Son, and I love him. Listen to what he says!’ At once the disciples looked around, but they saw only Jesus.” (Contemporary English Version)
The transfiguration of Christ was a glorious experience on the mountain. But we are told that Peter, James, and John, the inner circle of Christ’s disciples, were terribly frightened. Peter, always the extrovert of the group, nervously babbled-on without making any sense because he was so nervous and afraid.
Have you ever wondered why Jesus would take three of his disciples with him to experience such an incredible vision? Why did Jesus show these men something so otherworldly that they nearly soiled themselves? I will tell you why I think Jesus put his close disciples in such a position as this:
Because the way to see Jesus as our only hope, we must face our fears, insecurities, and anxieties squarely without hiding.
Jesus did not relieve their anxiety. He let them feel the full impact of their fear. His glory shone show brightly that they couldn’t hide from what was happening to them and what was in their minds and hearts. Only through shining the light on the shadowy place of our fears and insecurities will we accept that we need a savior. That savior is Jesus, the light of the world, the Lord over fear, anxiety, and discouragement.
The invitation which Jesus extends to us is to move further into our fears so that we can see how desperately we need him. Nobody seeks a savior when they don’t believe they need deliverance from anything. But the one who sees what is truly inside of them – the fear of connection; the scary prospect of confrontation; the anxiety of what will happen; or, the discouragement of failure – is the one who is then able to hear the voice of God and listen to Jesus give the answer to our most pressing life issues.
Jesus Christ wants to change us from the inside-out. He helps us by showing us not to avoid the fears which cause us to be beside ourselves, but through confronting those anxieties with him. You and I are never alone; we always have the glorious presence of Christ with us as we walk through dark valleys and ascend high mountains. It is the wonderful existence and omnipresence of God in Christ through the Spirit which makes all the difference. We were created for connection with the divine, not for separation and loneliness in our fears.
Glorious Christ, you love me with a grace and mercy which always has my best interests in mind. Help me through my most pressing fears and failures so that I might see your glory, hear your voice, and know your constant presence. Amen.
Rev. Tim Ehrhardt 
