“And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and “his garments became white as light.”
Matthew 17:2 (RSV)
This transfiguration was a mystical experience. It took place on a high mountain top, where two deceased men of God reappeared for a few moments with Jesus, as His face shone like the sun and His garments became like dazzling white light. Peter, James and John were the only ones with Him and witnessed Jesus conversing with Moses and Elijah.
(Matthew 17:3)
Moses had the honor of meeting and speaking with the eternal Passover lamb of God. Elijah, who raised the dead, called down fire from heaven, healed leprosy and performed many miracles, was honored to meet the incarnate God and Savior of the world. I wonder what they talked about on that mountain top.
Then a cloud hovered over the three disciples and a voice spoke from the cloud, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” Upon hearing the voice, they dropped to the ground, lying prostrate in fear. Can you imagine hearing an audible voice from a cloud that just descended over you? Jesus touched them saying, “Rise, do not be afraid.” Then the three looked up and saw only Jesus remaining, as Moses and Elijah disappeared.
This mystical experience wasn’t for the purpose of escaping reality, as some meditation practices do. Instead of an escape from reality, it was a verification of reality. The transfiguration revealed just who Jesus really is. The three disciples heard God speak from a cloud, and He made it clear that no one else is comparable to His son. It was to remind us to always keep our focus on Jesus.
In the world, we are distracted by pseudo transfigurations. They are emotion stirring causes that shine bright, but lure people away from Jesus and His truth. Although times change over the years, the devil’s tactics remain the same.
There have always been pseudo transfigurations, throughout history.
In the beginning of Stalin’s rule, the hammer and sickle commemorated the hard work and solidarity of working class people. Many who supported his policies were deceived, and what started as a radiant symbol of hope for fairness among workers, ended up as a loss of freedom and loss of lives, through Stalin’s brutal, tyrannical and oppressive regime of communism.
The hippie peace movement of the 60’s and 70’s, swept the world with a pretense of peace and love, but actually sent the world on a downward moral spiral, removing all moral barriers, resulting in increased sexually transmitted diseases, pornography, child sex trafficking, and a climbing rate of divorce and abortion. In spite of the images of flowers, peace and love, it was an era of moral decay. The peace symbol was the icon of those years, but closer examination reveals that a peace symbol is essentially an upside down, broken cross. ☮️
The Son of God is still the one and only true transfiguration. He is not an illusion or a form of escape from the real world. He is the real radiance of God’s glory and He sustains all things by his powerful word, and that includes sustaining our faith in discerning the false messiahs, deceptive causes and shiny distractions.
Jesus lays His hand on each of us as He did to the three on that mountain top, saying “Rise, do not be afraid.” Only through Him can we be purified from sin, comforted and receive true peace. That is the timeless, unchanging truth of the gospel message for the past two thousand years.
He alone is worthy of glory and praise. He is still radiant, now sitting at the right hand of God’s Majesty in heaven. (Hebrews 1:3)
By God’s grace, we will be saved through faith in His eternal covenant, through His son, by His blood, in His way, and not by any leader or a movement in this world.
Lord, help us to discern your true light, apart from the deceptive pseudo transfigurations that are in the world. Lay your hand on us and raise us up, without fear, seeking only your truth and love, to see the fulness of your radiance. Amen