Mark 9:2-8 (NIV): After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them. His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus.
Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters–one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” (He did not know what to say, they were so frightened.)
Then a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and a voice came from the cloud: “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!”
Suddenly, when they looked around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus.
Jesus’ time was now short. It was time for Him to start heading south, and soon it would be the Passover, when His final journey would end in Jerusalem. Jesus often prayed alone, especially before the major transitions in His ministry, and this was definitely one of those times. He wanted to tag up with the Father to make sure what His next steps would be.
The transfiguration that the three disciples saw was for their benefit, not for the benefit of Jesus. And what they actually experienced was a brief look “behind the curtain,” a glimpse of Jesus’ glory that was ensconced in His human flesh. (John saw this glory even more clearly on Patmos – cf. Revelation 1:12-18.) Moses and Elijah were speaking to Jesus specifically about His departure (the Greek word Luke used is “exodus”) that He would shortly be undergoing in Jerusalem (cf. Luke 9:30-31). These two people had great symbolic significance to the disciples. Moses stood for the Old Testament, the Law that Jesus had come to fulfill through His life, death, and resurrection (Matthew 5:17). Elijah stood for the Prophets, and was also prophesied to come to usher in the Messiah (although this was fulfilled not in this limited appearance, but through the ministry of John the Baptist – Matthew 17:10-13.)
As wonderful as all of this was, and as privileged as these disciples were to be there to experience it, they were mostly just terrified. Peter was so overwhelmed by the glory of these three people that he felt that something should be done to honor them, but he had nothing to do it with. So he came up with the idea of at least building shelters for the three of them. That was where God the Father stepped in, covering them with a cloud of glory, and speaking directly to them. It was not important for them to DO anything. What was important was for them to see clearly and understand who Jesus was, the Messiah, the beloved Son of God, and to listen to Him. Their time with Him was coming quickly to an end, and events were just over the horizon that would make them doubt what they had so strongly expressed just a few days ago. Now was the time to drive the truth deep into their hearts.
Father, sometimes we get overconfident in what we think we know. Peter, James, and John knew that Jesus was the Messiah, but they really had no idea all that that meant. Even this small glimpse of His real glory terrified them. In the same way, all that we know of You, all that You have revealed of Yourself through Your word, is really just the edge of Your garment. We want to see Your glory, but even seeing a small bit of You as You truly would be enough to completely overwhelm us. Help us, Lord, to simply rest in what we do know of You, and of Jesus. Help us to hold Him up always as Your beloved Son, and to really listen to Him. Amen.