Selie Visa
Dimapur
Scripture:
About eight days later Jesus took Peter, John, and James up on a mountain to pray. And as he was praying, the appearance of his face was transformed, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly, two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared and began talking with Jesus. They were glorious to see. And they were speaking about his exodus from this world, which was about to be fulfilled in Jerusalem. (Luke 9:28–31 NLT)
Many amazing events took place during the time Jesus walked our ground, breathed our air, healed our afflictions, and bore our sins. One of the most remarkable is recorded in Luke 9:28–36 (also Matthew 17:1–13 and Mark 9:2–13), an episode commonly referred to as the Transfiguration.
On that occasion, Jesus took Peter, John, and James up on a mountain to pray. We’re not told which mountain; it doesn’t really matter. What matters is that He went up that mountain with those three men, often seen as sort of His “inner circle,” and “as he was praying, the appearance of his face was transformed, and his clothes became dazzling white” (v. 29 NLT). That would be overwhelming enough. But there was more: Moses and Elijah appeared.
Can you imagine? Peter, John, and James had grown up hearing about and studying the writings of or about these men, and suddenly, here they were before them. It would be like an American citizen touring the White House and suddenly encountering George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, alive and well. He would be overcome, stunned, and perhaps impulsively blurt out something inane like Peter did (v. 33).
The transfiguration of Jesus on that mountain and the appearance of Moses and Elijah were not the most astounding events in the life of Jesus. Transfiguration confirmed for Jesus and the disciples Jesus’ identity and the future glory that awaited him. But for Peter, John, and James (and through their eyewitness account, the rest of us), it must be considered one of the most astonishing episodes in the most astonishing life ever lived.
With Jesus we go down the mountain and face the perplexities of life. We do this while on earth, until one day, our lives will become totally one with God and share in our future glory.
