In Mark 9:2, Jesus took his disciples “Peter, and James, and John, and leadeth them up into an high mountain apart by themselves: and he was transfigured before them.” Until now, these disciples have seen Jesus perform miracles. They know the power of Christ. However, what they are experiencing now is not just about what Jesus can do, but an encounter and revelation of His glory – of who He is! They see the transfiguration and transformation of Jesus who is not just someone in human body, but also a powerful manifestation of His divine nature, holiness and purity! Jesus is not just a reflection of light, but He is the very source and epitome of light!
Here, the disciples see Elijah and Moses talking with Jesus. We know that through Moses, God gave humankind the laws, which includes the Ten Commandments. As for Prophet Elijah, even though He lived during the time of the Old Testament, He represents grace and the new covenant. At the transfiguration of Christ, where He appeared with Moses and Elijah, it demonstrates a pivotal point in time in the mission of Jesus, where He came to fulfil the law and the prophets, and to establish the covenant of grace. Jesus was to fulfil the law by meeting all the demands and satisfying the curse of the law through His precious shed blood on the cross!
Here, Peter probably had good intentions to make three tabernacles – one for Jesus, one for Moses and one for Elijah. However, while Moses and Elijah were great men of God, Jesus alone was both God and Man. Jesus was fully divine and fully human. True, we need to honour and esteem those who are called and anointed of God. Yet, only Jesus Christ and Him alone deserves our worship! All others must fade into the background! No one has, is, and will ever be equal with Christ! We must never exalt any individual to be on par with Jesus – the King of kings and the Lord of lords!
In the awesome holy and righteous presence of God, these three disciples cannot but feel unworthy and undone. Not only did they stand in cloud of God’s Skekinah glory, which rested on the mercy seat in the Holy of Holies in the Tabernacle, the disciples heard the voice of God the Father declaring Jesus as the Beloved Son and the Messiah! It is a declaration of the deity and mission of Christ! This is not just an ordinary dream or even a vision, but a supernatural revelation that Jesus is preeminent and supreme! Jesus is not just a great teacher and prophet, but the very and only begotten Son of God! Here, even though these three disciples had witness the transfiguration, Jesus charged them to tell no one, until after the resurrection!
When we have a real encounter with God, we will be transformed. When we seek His face and behold His glory, we will never be the same again! Our hearts and spirits will be filled with awesome wonder and holy fear of God! We will not speak lightly of what we have experienced. Any spiritual and supernatural experience must not contradict what the Bible says. Otherwise, it must be rejected and renounced. We must not elevate spiritual experience above God’s Word. We are not to boast or be proud about such encounters within themselves, but rather to glory in the Lord and His finished work on the cross!
It is easy to be part of the crowd who admire Jesus for His miracles and what He can do. But for Peter, James and John, who witnessed the transfiguration of Jesus, they experienced Jesus for who He is! You and I may never have exactly the same encounter with Jesus as these disciples, but let’s press in, draw near to God, seek His face and let Him transform us! As Christians, it is wonderful to have mountaintop experiences. Let us behold the glory and grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. When we are filled with His Spirit in His presence, let us also go down to the valley, where we can minister to the lost and hurting!