Who is the Real Jesus?
Walk deeply with me through the story of the transfiguration. Many of us have heard this passage often throughout our lives, but we can easily miss all the deep truths contained within it. First of all, Peter, John and James were taken upon the mountain with Jesus to pray. God’s presence appears when we pray. Prayer is such a powerful tool, but we often relegate it to the unimportant crevasses of our daily life. It has become an afterthought and a last attempt instead of our first line of defense, offense, and worship. Prayer changes everything. In today’s reading, it changed the way Jesus appeared. It is important for us to wrap our brains correctly around this transfiguration. Jesus was altered, but not into something new. Instead, the ‘new’ was temporarily put off. Jesus left his glory to become human when he was born. The miracle, as David Guzik explains, was not a new presentation of the appearance of Jesus (2022). Instead, we are here told of a momentary cease of the ongoing miracle which hid Jesus’ glory and deity while in earthly form.
The next awesome truth our reading reveals comes from verses 30 and 31. Moses and Elijah appeared to speak with Jesus. We are told they “spoke of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem”. We are not privy to any of the conversation, simply the subject matter they spoke of. However, even just this little bit of information provides us with a beautiful truth which can bring comfort to our lives. God does not hide the future from us (Amos 3:7, 1 Corinthians 2:10, Daniel 2:22…) He reveals the mysteries of life and sends us comfort, encouragement, support, and advice before we need it. Jesus was about to carry the sins of the world – past, present, and future – to the cross. If anyone needed encouragement, our Savior did in this moment.
The story of the transfiguration contains yet another instance of Peter missing the mark. I praise God that He chose a man like Peter to be one of the Christ’s closest friends and placed the weight of the new church upon his shoulders. Peter messed up with regularity. This account gives us three painful examples that I fear most of us can identify with more than we wish to admit. (That is why I love Peter. His weakness and God’s persistence in giving him opportunity after opportunity gives me hope for my own wobbly walk with the Lord.) First of all, Peter fell asleep when he should have been praying. Imagine what was missed because their eyes were closed! Then, true to form, Peter speaks without thinking first. Finally, Peter (as well as John and James) witnessed the most powerful proclamation of who Jesus was. As a terrifying cloud engulfs them, they hear the audible voice of God declaring Jesus to be His Son and ordering them to listen to him. Still, the man who experienced all these things would one day soon deny even knowing the Messiah.
This account gives me such hope and floods my heart with God’s love and patience. It was for you and me that Jesus shielded his deity from the world to be born a helpless baby in humanity’s arms. All power of the universe was restrained by his love for my constantly stumbling heart. And what reassurance I find in the fact that Peter never could get it quite right, but that didn’t stop God from using him and picking him up time and time again. Today’s reading is more than a simple example of the radiance of Christ. It shows us more than the fact that Moses and Elijah are not dead in their graves but alive with God. It encourages us to keep our eyes open and not fall spiritually asleep. It consoles us when we say the wrong thing or stumble in our walk. God still loves us. He still extends the offer to be used by Him. We are loved because of who He is and not because we deserve it. Take an honest look at your Savior. See past the mask of historical and artistic interpretations to who he truly is: Savior, King, and Son of God.
(Written by Keegan Harkins.)
Guzik, D. (6/2022). Study Guide for Luke 9 by David Guzik. Retrieved from https://www.blueletterbible.org/comm/guzik_david/study-guide/luke/luke-9.cfm
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