Down from the Mountaintop

<p>DOWN FROM THE MOUNTAINTOP </p> <p>Mark 9:2 Jesus took Peter, James, and John with him up onto a mountaintop to pray. And as he was praying, he was transfigured before them, his face began to shine, and his clothes became dazzling white and blazed with light. Then two men appeared and began talking with him—Moses and Elijah! They were splendid in appearance, glorious to see; and they were speaking of his death at Jerusalem, to be carried out in accordance with God’s plan. As Moses and Elijah were starting to leave, Peter, all confused and not even knowing what he was saying, blurted out, “Master, this is wonderful! We’ll put up three tents —one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah!” But even as he was saying this, a bright cloud formed above them; and they were in awe as it covered them. And a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son; listen to him.” Then, as the voice died away, Jesus was there alone with his disciples. He told them not to tell anyone what they had seen until after his resurrection from the dead, but they did not understand what he meant. </p> <p>The greatest show on earth The account of the transfiguration of Jesus on the top of a mountain depicts what could be called the most spectacular phenomenon to be described in the Bible. It was a time and a place where Heaven was seen to touch the earth, where Jesus shone in glory as a kind of preview of his glorified resurrected Heavenly self in the presence of the Heavenly forms of Moses and Elijah. The Heavenly Moses represented the Law and Commandments which speaks of God’s wisdom to his people, while the Heavenly prophet Elijah speaks of God’s word of purpose for his people. This was also an astonishing historical record of an event that confirms for all believers the truth of the word ‘Incarnation’ which means the joining of the Being of God with the being of humanity in the glorified person of Jesus Christ. To those standing by it affirmed that Jesus was from Heaven and that he was known by the prophet Elijah and by the la