Luke 9:26, “If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory…” And He went on to say something else, in verse 27: “I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God.” Many have wondered what Jesus meant. Who was He referring to when He said some would not die without seeing the kingdom? He could not have been referring to His second coming for nearly two thousand years have passed and we have yet to see Him come in His glory and in the fullness of His kingdom.

          The next verse, I believe, gives us the clue to what Jesus was meaning. It says in verse 28: “About eight days later after Jesus said this, He took Peter, John and James with Him and went up onto a mountain to pray.” What Jesus said is, at least in part, linked to what was to unfold on the mountain when He was transfigured before them. The three disciples were to catch a glim of the true glory of Jesus. They were to experience something of the coming, the breaking in, of His kingdom. Of course Jesus may also have been referring to those who were to witness His resurrection and the ascension. In a broader sense still He may also have been referring to those who would take part in the spreading of the gospel after Pentecost. Certainly, however, He did have in mind the 3 disciples & what they were about to experience. Let us take a look then at what actually happened. Jesus went up to the mountain to pray. Prayer was very important for Jesus. At every opportunity, whether day or night, He took time to pray to His Father. How much more important it should be for us to pray! And it was while He was praying that something incredible took place.

          Let us look first then at what happened to Jesus. Verse 29 says, “As He was praying, the appearance of His face changed, and His clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning.” The face of Jesus began to shine. His clothes became sparkling white – whiter than any soap powder can wash! His whole body radiated glory. The brightness was dazzling! Clearly it was a supernatural event. For a moment it seems the curtain of heaven was drawn back to reveal something of the divine & eternal glory that belonged to Jesus. That glory shone out through His earthly body. The glory, which belonged to Jesus before creation, was revealed to the three disciples on that mountaintop.

          We’ve looked at what happened to Jesus. Secondly let us notice two others who were involved in this unusual event. Luke writes: “Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendour, talking with Jesus. They spoke about His departure, which He was about to bring to fulfilment at Jerusalem.” (verses 30 & 31) The appearance of these two famous characters from the Old Testament was also completely out of the ordinary. Moses & Elijah return from heaven to earth and begin to talk with Jesus. Interestingly, the disciples had no difficulty recognizing them. Jesus did not need to introduce them: “Peter, John and James, let me introduce you to Moses and Elijah.” No, there was no need for introductions. It seems that in glory, in heaven, we will all know each other instantly.

          Many have pointed out that Moses & Elijah were representatives of the Law and the Prophets, two important parts of the Old Testament Scriptures that point to the coming of the Messiah. Moses was the great lawgiver and Elijah was a famous prophet. Luke only very briefly mentions what Jesus & Moses & Elijah talked about on the mountain. He says in verse 30: “They spoke about His departure, which He was about to bring to fulfilment at Jerusalem.” In other words, they discussed what was up ahead for Jesus as He faced the cross and the resurrection. They possibly talked about how all the Law and all the Prophets were going to find their glorious fulfilment in the sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross. I am sure Moses & Elijah were encouraging Jesus as He faced the difficult days and months ahead. At any time, Jesus could have aborted His mission and returned to the glory that was rightfully His from all eternity. But He willingly went to the Cross for us to accomplish God’s great plan of salvation.

          We have considered Jesus & also Moses & Elijah. Thirdly let us think about the disciples. Verse 32 says: “Peter and his companions were very sleepy, but when they became fully awake, they saw His glory and the two men standing with Him.” It was possibly night time & the three disciples were exhausted. They were happy to let Jesus continue praying while they caught up on some sleep. You might feel, “Oh, I can identify with the three disciples – I also find it easier to sleep than to pray?” Maybe you find it easier to sleep than to read your Bible or to listen to sermons! Even Jesus’ disciples struggled to pray as they should. It was hard to take in all that Jesus was teaching them. But when the supernatural transfiguration of Jesus took place, the disciples very quickly woke up and as Luke says, “…they saw His glory…” It was an awesome & unforgettable sight. We are not sure how long they were dumb-struck watching the drama, but once they realized Moses & Elijah were leaving, guess who spoke up with a suggestion? Yes, it was Peter. Someone has said there are two kinds of people: those who have something to say and those who have to say something. Well, Peter was someone who always had to say something even if it didn’t make much sense. He blurted out: “Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters – one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” Luke adds politely that Peter “…did not know what he was saying.”

          But the amazing events on that mountain were not yet over. We have thought of what happened to Jesus. We have mentioned Moses & Elijah and we have spoken of the three disciples. Now fourthly, we notice God the Father speaking. Luke tells us in verses 34 & 35 that while Peter was still saying his bit, “…a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. A voice came from the cloud, saying, ‘This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to Him.”

          Brew All of a sudden, the disciples were overshadowed by a bright cloud and they heard a voice speaking out of the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, whom I have chosen. Listen to Him!” God the Father was telling them to listen to Jesus. The focus must not be on Moses or Elijah but on Jesus. He is the One who fulfilled both the Law and the prophets. He is God’s beloved Son. Like at His baptism at the start of His ministry, so now here as Jesus begins to move towards Jerusalem and the Cross, the Father speaks both to instruct the disciples and to reassure Jesus. We read in verse 36, “When the voice had spoken, they found that Jesus was alone. The disciples kept this to themselves, and told no one at that time what they had seen.” It was such an overwhelming and awesome experience they would never forget it but they could also not easily talk about it or describe it to others.

          Those of you who are new Christians or who have recently been baptised may have sensed God’s special presence. However, do not be surprised if sometimes you feel alone or struggling. We can’t live on the mountaintop all the time. We have to learn to walk in obedience and faith in the valley when those feelings of excitement and joy are not there. Remember, however you are feeling, that God has not left you. You can always call out to Him. Let us all remember God does loves to bless us. Our Christian walk need not simply be ordinary and routine, something merely intellectual, stuck in a rut with little surprise or excitement! We can ask God to reach down and give us a hug now and again? He will, if we ask Him. Those of you with young kids, do you love to hug your children? Do you enjoy spending time with them, watching them play? Of course we do! Do you love getting something special for them from time to time? Yes. Well, how much more will your Heavenly Father not delight to hug you, or spend time with you or do special things for you! He loves to surprise us with the wonder of His grace and the joy of His presence. We do not deserve anything from Him but nevertheless He just loves to bless us. So don’t live for those mountaintop experiences but don’t live without them either. May the special and precious times strengthen us for the everyday challenges in the valley!