Amy C Walters

The Transfiguration | Luke 9:28-36

Initially, when the transfiguration happens, Peter has fallen asleep. But when he becomes fully awake and sees what’s happening, he begins to babble, suggesting that they build some tents so they can all stay there. But he’s rushing ahead. There’s tough work to do first, but glory is coming.

Let’s talk about these two other people that are on the mountaintop with Jesus and his disciples: Moses and Elijah. We’re told that as Jesus was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. And two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendor talking with him. 

Moses and Elijah were both vitally important prophets and figures in Israel’s history. And both had somewhat mysterious departures at the end of their lives. Elijah was taken up into heaven and didn’t die. Moses was buried by God (Deuteronomy 34:5-6). Nobody knows where Moses is buried because God did it. 

Now they both appear on this mountaintop talking with Jesus. This must have been a compelling moment, because as Moses and Elijah were leaving Jesus, Peter tried to stop them. He says, “Master, it’s good for us to be here. Let’s build three shelters, one for you, one for Moses, one for Elijah.” 

You could just hear Peter babbling, trying to keep everyone together, keep them from leaving. He wants to stay in this moment. There is something so magnetic about it that Peter does not want it to end. He’s going to build some houses for them, and they could all live forever on top of the mountain. 

But Peter doesn’t know what he’s saying. In that sense, he’s pretty relatable. We too know what it’s like to talk and not know what we’re saying. 

Peter can also be unpredictable. In the previous story, Peter confesses that Jesus is the chosen one of God. But Matthew records that later on, after Jesus has talked about how he would suffer and die, Peter pulls him aside and rebukes him. So stop talking that way, Jesus. This idea of Jesus suffering and dying did not fit with Peter’s vision of how things should go. Peter is thinking, we’re just getting started. We are going to take Israel by storm. 

But Jesus had other plans. And his plans involved some very difficult things. Yes, suffering, rejection, death. But in those plans is this vital seed of hope.

Yes, Jesus must suffer, be rejected by the religious leaders, and be killed. But that’s not the end. He would also be resurrected. Jesus’ story doesn’t end with his death. It leads to resurrection. 

Similarly, those who follow Jesus must also deny themselves. They have to take up their cross. But they will also experience resurrection! 

Take a look at what Jesus and Moses and Elijah were talking about on that mountain: Jesus’ “departure, which he was about to accomplish in Jerusalem.” Another word for departure is exodus. And bound up in that term is the picture of Israel coming out of Egypt, being delivered from slavery. Exodus and departure mean deliverance. The story doesn’t end in death, but in resurrection, in deliverance, in glory. 

Peter wanted to stay in that moment on top of the mountain, but that was not the time. It was just a preview of what was to come. 

There will come a time where we live with Jesus in our glorified bodies, with former saints like Moses and Elijah and Peter and the other disciples. And we are going to live in that forever. We will have to deny ourselves right now. We will have to struggle. We will have to stand with Jesus and not be ashamed of him and his words. But we can do that knowing our key truth for today: glory is coming. 

Our story doesn’t end in death. It ends in glory and resurrection and living one day with Jesus. 

I don’t know about you, but sometimes I do struggle with the idea of heaven. I know that I should look forward to it. I know that heaven is perfect. And yet I struggle to grasp the idea of eternity. So this story is so helpful to me, because when I see Peter and his enthusiasm for that place, I know that there must be something so powerful about it. And someday when I get to heaven and experience it, I am going to know just how incredible it is.

Today as you go, I want you to share this story with someone else. To be honest, they may not respond the way you want them to. There may even be some rejection. But take heart. Jesus has not rejected you. You are his follower. And as his follower, glory is coming.