“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.”
Matthew does not often mention the time between events, so when he does, it is to specifically tie together the previous event and the current one. He mentions the gap of six days now, because Jesus’ last words in the Gospel were, “I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.” True to form, six days later Peter, James and John (some of the disciples) do see Jesus as He will be in His Kingdom. Well, not quite as He will be, but almost as He will be. The transfiguration was a partial re-glorification of Christ. Until after the resurrection He was not fully glorified as He was when He was with the Father before the creation of the world (see John 17:5). Nevertheless, Jesus was transfigured into a measure of His glory.
Peter, James and John saw the “Coming soon to everyone on earth!” Jesus, and that happened on the top of a high (the Greek means “very tall”) mountain.
The splendor that Jesus is transfigured into has many Scriptural parallels. Jesus face “shone like the sun.” Moses’s face was likewise radiant when he came down from his meeting with God on Mount Sinai (see Exodus 34:29). Daniel describes seeing God with similar clothing, “As I looked, thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took his seat. His clothing was as white as snow; the hair of his head was white like wool.” The glorified Jesus that John sees in the Revelation also wears white (see Revelation 3:4).
The transfiguration stands in stark contrast to Jesus’ temptation. Then, “the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor.” That was then. Now Jesus is again at the top of a very high mountain. One even wonders if it was the same peak. Except this time, it is Jesus who is shining in heavenly splendor, not the kingdoms of the world.
The two accounts detail the remarkable difference between what the devil can offer and what God offers. The devil can only offer the glory of the world. Gold, riches, political and military power are his tools of seduction, that we might bow the knee to him.
The Lord offers a glory that is quite apart from this world. It is the glory of God. It is unimaginable peace, joy and a love that surpasses all understanding, so that the Spirit of God shines out from within. Not just to the point where your face is radiant, but to the point when even your clothing is white! That glory is centered on Christ, and it is not found in the world, but in the Kingdom of God, where the one and only Jesus Christ – the King of Kings – rules! Amen.
The Holy Spirit is the earnest of our inheritance; he gives us “glory begun below.
Charles Spurgeon
APPLICATION: Intentionality
From an objective standpoint, what would an onlooker say has been the ‘glory’ of your life so far?