The transfiguration of Jesus

Friday, June 17, 2011

The Mountaintops of Life

Pastor Greg Laurie

As they went back down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, “Don’t tell anyone what you have seen until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.” —Matthew 17:9

Have you ever had one of those special moments in God’s presence? Maybe it was during a devotional time when you prayed and asked God to speak to you as you opened His Word and committed your day to Him. Maybe a certain Scripture passage or verse jumped off the page and right into your heart. It spoke to you so clearly, and it was exactly what you needed to hear. Or maybe it was at church as you were worshiping, and you sensed God’s presence in a tangible way. You thought to yourself, I want it to be this way always.

Now imagine if you were Peter, James, and John, and you were able to see what they saw at the Transfiguration: “Jesus’ appearance was transformed so that his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as light. Suddenly, Moses and Elijah appeared and began talking with Jesus” (Matthew 17:2–3). Jesus gave Peter, James, and John a glimpse of His glory, a preview of things to come. For a moment, they saw Jesus for who He really was.

The transfiguration of Jesus was a significant point in His life and ministry. It was the halfway mark on a very difficult journey. From the Transfiguration, Jesus looked backward to the cradle and forward to the cross.

But after witnessing this remarkable event, the disciples had to leave the mountain and return to the valley—the cold, hard reality of life and the problems that were waiting. The disciples were learning they could not always live on mountaintops.

When we are on the mountaintops of life, we should enjoy them. But we also should remember they are preparing us for life in the valley, for the challenges, hardships, and reality of living in the real world.

Summary sentence: Moments on the mountaintops of life prepare us for the valleys of hardships and challenges.

Copyright © 2011 by Harvest Ministries. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

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