After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.
Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.”
While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!” When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. But Jesus came and touched them.
“Get up,” he said. “Don’t be afraid.” When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus.
As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus instructed them, “Don’t tell anyone what you have seen, until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.” Matthew 17:1-9
When Jesus had asked Peter, James, and John to climb up a mountain with Him, they were not surprised. They knew how much He liked to pray in solitary places. This time, though, it was different.
Heaven itself seemed to come into the earth. With the glory of God streaming down on Him, the face of Jesus shone like the sun, and His clothes were dazzlingly brilliant. If this was not enough, Moses and Elijah even appeared, and began to talk to Jesus about His upcoming ordeal.
“Jesus!” Peter finally shouted. “It’s fortunate for You that we happen to be here, as well! If You’d like, I will build three tabernacles – one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah. It wouldn’t be any trouble at all.”
Feeling very pleased with himself after his magnanimous offer, Peter hardly realized that he was being enveloped in a dense, bright cloud. “This is My Son, Whom I love. With Him I am well pleased. Listen to Him!” the Father said.
When the disciples heard this frightening voice, they fell on their faces in terror. When Jesus finally helped them up, they looked around and saw that everyone but Jesus was gone.
Have you ever wondered why God did not want Peter to build three tabernacles on the mountain? Although there may be a number of reasons, I want to give you the two that I think are most critical.
The primary reason for the Father’s rebuke had to do with the divinity of Christ. Unlike Moses and Elijah, who were mere men, Jesus, as the Son of God, was divine. Therefore, if God had any desire for Peter to build a tabernacle, it would only be for His Son.
Second, I am convinced that God did not want Peter to build any tabernacles because He did not want the Mount of Transfiguration to become a permanent place of worship. In fact, the only thing the Father wanted built on the Mount was the faith of His Son’s disciples.
Their newfound faith would be desperately needed to deal with the tormented young demoniac with whom they would be confronted when they descended the mountain.
It is no different for you and me today. If we’re really honest with ourselves, all of us would admit that we would prefer to stay on the mountaintop with Christ if we had a choice.
Whether these spiritual mountaintops are glorious church services, dynamic conferences, or the poignant encounters we all have with Christ, all of us would like to live within these moments for the rest of our lives. Sadly, these mountaintop experiences are never meant to become permanent places of refuge for our souls.
As much as we all love the spiritual euphoria and escape from reality they provide, this is not their purpose. Like the disciples, they are meant to give us the fresh faith and power we need to meet the needs of our hurting world.
© Copyright 2005 by Jim Laffoon
