A View from Above

This week we encounter Christ's glory revealed in the transfiguration. After Peter confesses that Jesus is the Christ, Jesus begins to share with the disciples about his coming death and resurrection. This would have come as a shock with 1st century expectations of a Messiah who establishes His kingdom in Jerusalem forever. A dying Messiah was a contradiction ​of terms. So, after sharing this news that would have likely discouraged his disciples, Jesus takes Peter, James, and John up on a mountain and the curtain is pulled back. Christ's true nature as the glorious Son is revealed. As the disciples are overshadowed by the cloud of God's glory and presence, they tremble in awe at the One who has been walking with them. Th​e scene of the transfiguration shows us ​that God's glory is our strength and refreshment in times of suffering and difficulty, as it was for the disciples.