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"And after six days Jesus took with Him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And He was transfigured before them, and His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became white as light. And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with Him. And Peter said to Jesus, 'Lord, it is good that we are here. If You wish, I will make three tents here...' " Matthew 17:1-4)
Yesterday was Transfiguration, a day when the church remembers the events recorded in Matthew 17:1-9. Jesus is seen on the mountain in a dazzling appearance. Moses and Elijah join Him. Peter, James, and John witness it all unfold.
Each time I read this account, I am struck by Peter's words and actions. "Lord, it is good that we are here. If You wish, I will make three tents here..." Peter recognizes something. Leading up to this, he has made a clear confession of who Christ is and then totally misses the point. Jesus has plainly told His disciples what is to come: suffering and death at the hands of the religious leaders. "Far be it from You, Lord!" Peter exclaims. Jesus, focused on His role as the Paschal Lamb, knows that the way of the cross is suffering before glory. Peter, though, cannot see this as salvation. So, when Jesus is joined by Moses and Elijah, Peter wants this mountaintop to have some permanence. "It is good that we are here." Do we really have to go back down?
What mountaintops have you found yourself on in your walk of faith? Perhaps it was a church retreat. As you stepped out of the flow of daily life and were immersed in the Word of God, your heart was moved. You thought, "It is good that we are here!" You didn't want to lose the feeling.
We find ourselves in moments like this in worship, Bible study, or other church events too. We think those same words: "It is good that we are here. Do we really have to go back down?" But Jesus wasn't transfigured so that Peter, James, and John could stay on that mountain. The display of His glory pointed to what was to come. Before a mountaintop reality would become permanent, there would be suffering. Not only suffering for Jesus, but also for those who take up their cross and follow Him.
The truth is that the way of the cross is filled with twists and turns that we don't always see coming. The way of the cross means that we follow Jesus into places that don't feel comfortable. The way of the cross is suffering before glory. This is antithetical to the way that we operate. We desire that things should be comfortable. Sometimes we are comfortable on the mountain, and in those times we should thank God for His provision. At other times, we are in discomfort in the valley, and in those times we should thank God for His salvation. "Every good and perfect gift is from above" (James 1:17). He gives us what we need, when we need it — whether it is on the mountain or in the valley.
As we walk the way of the cross, we do so with eyes fixed on Jesus, our crucified and risen Savior. We know that though, in the words of the psalmist, "Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning." We keep our eyes fixed on That Day when Christ returns in glory and, finally, the "mountaintop experience" becomes permanent.
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