The Trans-Eternal Highway

OPENING PRAYER:

Father God, you called me into being through your Spirit. I call on you today, confident that you listen and respond.

READ: MATTHEW 17:1-13

The Transfiguration

17 After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. 2 There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. 3 Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.

4 Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.”

5 While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!”

6 When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. 7 But Jesus came and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don’t be afraid.” 8 When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus.

9 As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus instructed them, “Don’t tell anyone what you have seen, until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”

10 The disciples asked him, “Why then do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?”

11 Jesus replied, “To be sure, Elijah comes and will restore all things. 12 But I tell you, Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but have done to him everything they wished. In the same way the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands.” 13 Then the disciples understood that he was talking to them about John the Baptist.

MATTHEW 17:1-13

REFLECT:

Reflect for a while on the idea of ‘the supernatural’. What comes to mind? Would you be keen to explore further, or perhaps you are someone who prefers to keep things down to earth?

Peter’s right. He didn’t know what he was talking about but, by God’s grace, he was absolutely spot on. This is the Christ: God incarnate. The transfiguration follows immediately from Peter’s affirmation in Matthew 16:16. There is a faith principle to be found here: it is more likely that the Lord will reveal himself to us once we have declared our trust in him.

Perhaps this is an example of a piece of Scripture that it is best simply to accept reverently. Personally, I find the trans-eternal involvement of Christ, God the Father, Moses and Elijah fairly incomprehensible, so I shall turn to Peter, the ordinary person. Note that Peter follows his Lord up the mountain, without apparently knowing why. Then, of course, we read the splendidly Peter-ish reaction to wondrous events: he makes irrelevant suggestions. Alas, I can identify myself with this need to just say something, however daft, instead of listening. The voice of God is terrifying to Peter but the comforting voice of his friend, Jesus, leads him to stand again. The disciples would have understood the allusion to Elijah (vs 10–13), referring here to John the Baptist, the forerunner of Christ himself.

APPLY:

Our role is to share the good news – Jesus has, indeed, risen from the dead! Pray that the Lord will show you how to do this.

CLOSING PRAYER:

Dear Lord, at times I do not handle hardship and difficulty very well. Remind me again that glory is awaiting in the future!

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