He Was Transfigured
Chapter Forty-Six
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Evening is drawing on as Jesus calls to His side three of His
disciples, Peter, James, and John, and leads them across the
fields, and far up a rugged path, to a lonely mountainside. The
Saviour and His disciples have spent the day in traveling and
teaching, and the mountain climb adds to their weariness. Christ
has lifted burdens from mind and body of many sufferers; He has
sent the thrill of life through their enfeebled frames; but He
also is compassed with humanity, and with His disciples He is
wearied with the ascent.
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The light of the setting sun still lingers on the mountain top,
and gilds with its fading glory the path they are traveling. But
soon the light dies out from hill as well as valley, the sun
disappears behind the western horizon, and the solitary travelers
are wrapped in the darkness of night. The gloom of their
surroundings seems in harmony with their sorrowful lives, around
which the clouds are gathering and thickening.
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The disciples do not venture to ask Christ whither He is going,
or for what purpose. He has often spent entire nights in the
mountains in prayer. He whose hand formed mountain and valley is
at home with nature, and enjoys its quietude. The disciples
follow where Christ leads the way; yet they wonder why their
Master should lead them up this toilsome ascent when they are
weary, and when He too is in need of rest.
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Presently Christ tells them that they are now to go no farther.
Stepping a little aside from them, the Man of Sorrows pours out
His supplications with strong crying and tears. He prays for
strength to endure the test in behalf of humanity. He must
Himself gain a fresh hold on Omnipotence, for only thus can He
contemplate the future. And He pours out His heart longings for
His disciples, that in the hour of the power of darkness their
faith may not fail. The dew is heavy upon His bowed form, but He
heeds it not. The shadows of night gather thickly about Him, but
He regards not their gloom. So the hours pass slowly by. At first
the disciples unite their prayers with His in sincere devotion;
but after a time they are overcome with weariness, and, even
while trying to retain their interest in the scene, they fall
asleep. Jesus has told them of His sufferings; He has taken them
with Him that they might unite with Him in prayer; even now He is
praying for them. The Saviour has seen the gloom of His
disciples, and has longed to lighten their grief by an assurance
that their faith has not been in vain. Not all, even of the
twelve, can receive the revelation He desires to give. Only the
three who are to witness His anguish in Gethsemane have been
chosen to be with Him on the mount. Now the burden of His prayer
is that they may be given a manifestation of the glory He had
with the Father before the world was, that His kingdom may be
revealed to human eyes, and that His disciples may be
strengthened to behold it. He pleads that they may witness a
manifestation of His divinity that will comfort them in the hour
of His supreme agony with the knowledge that He is of a surety
the Son of God and that His shameful death is a part of the plan
of redemption.
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His prayer is heard. While He is bowed in lowliness upon the
stony ground, suddenly the heavens open, the golden gates of the
city of God are thrown wide, and holy radiance descends upon the
mount, enshrouding the Saviour's form. Divinity from within
flashes through humanity, and meets the glory coming from above.
Arising from His prostrate position, Christ stands in godlike
majesty. The soul agony is gone. His countenance now shines
"as the sun," and His garments are "white as the
light."
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The disciples, awaking, behold the flood of glory that
illuminates the mount. In fear and amazement they gaze upon the
radiant form of their Master. As they become able to endure the
wondrous light, they see that Jesus is not alone. Beside Him are
two heavenly beings, in close converse with Him. They are Moses,
who upon Sinai had talked with God; and Elijah, to whom the high
privilege was given--granted to but one other of the sons of
Adam--never to come under the power of death.
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Upon Mount Pisgah fifteen centuries before, Moses had stood
gazing upon the Land of Promise. But because of his sin at
Meribah, it was not for him to enter there. Not for him was the
joy of leading the host of Israel into the inheritance of their
fathers. His agonized entreaty, "I pray Thee, let me go
over, and see the good land that is beyond Jordan, that goodly
mountain, and Lebanon" (Deut. 3:25), was refused. The hope
that for forty years had lighted up the darkness of the desert
wanderings must be denied. A wilderness grave was the goal of
those years of toil and heart-burdening care. But He who is
"able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or
think" (Eph. 3:20), had in this measure answered His
servant's prayer. Moses passed under the dominion of death, but
he was not to remain in the tomb. Christ Himself called him forth
to life. Satan the tempter had claimed the body of Moses because
of his sin; but Christ the Saviour brought him forth from the
grave. Jude 9.
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Moses upon the mount of transfiguration was a witness to Christ's
victory over sin and death. He represented those who shall come
forth from the grave at the resurrection of the just. Elijah, who
had been translated to heaven without seeing death, represented
those who will be living upon the earth at Christ's second
coming, and who will be "changed, in a moment, in the
twinkling of an eye, at the last trump;" when "this
mortal must put on immortality," and "this corruptible
must put on incorruption." 1 Cor. 15:51-53. Jesus was
clothed with the light of heaven, as He will appear when He shall
come "the second time without sin unto salvation." For
He will come "in the glory of His Father with the holy
angels." Heb. 9:28; Mark 8:38. The Saviour's promise to the
disciples was now fulfilled. Upon the mount the future kingdom of
glory was represented in miniature,--Christ the King, Moses a
representative of the risen saints, and Elijah of the translated
ones.
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The disciples do not yet comprehend the scene; but they rejoice
that the patient Teacher, the meek and lowly One, who has
wandered to and fro a helpless stranger, is honored by the
favored ones of heaven. They believe that Elijah has come to
announce the Messiah's reign, and that the kingdom of Christ is
about to be set up on the earth. The memory of their fear and
disappointment they would banish forever. Here, where the glory
of God is revealed, they long to tarry. Peter exclaims,
"Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three
tabernacles; one for Thee, and one for Moses, and one for
Elias." The disciples are confident that Moses and Elijah
have been sent to protect their Master, and to establish His
authority as king.
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But before the crown must come the cross. Not the inauguration of
Christ as king, but the decease to be accomplished at Jerusalem,
is the subject of their conference with Jesus. Bearing the
weakness of humanity, and burdened with its sorrow and sin, Jesus
walked alone in the midst of men. As the darkness of the coming
trial pressed upon Him, He was in loneliness of spirit, in a
world that knew Him not. Even His loved disciples, absorbed in
their own doubt and sorrow and ambitious hopes, had not
comprehended the mystery of His mission. He had dwelt amid the
love and fellowship of heaven; but in the world that He had
created, He was in solitude. Now heaven had sent its messengers
to Jesus; not angels, but men who had endured suffering and
sorrow, and who could sympathize with the Saviour in the trial of
His earthly life. Moses and Elijah had been colaborers with
Christ. They had shared His longing for the salvation of men.
Moses had pleaded for Israel: "Yet now, if Thou wilt forgive
their sin--; and if not, blot me, I pray Thee, out of Thy book
which Thou hast written." Ex. 32:32. Elijah had known
loneliness of spirit, as for three years and a half of famine he
had borne the burden of the nation's hatred and its woe. Alone he
had stood for God upon Mount Carmel. Alone he had fled to the
desert in anguish and despair. These men, chosen above every
angel around the throne, had come to commune with Jesus
concerning the scenes of His suffering, and to comfort Him with
the assurance of the sympathy of heaven. The hope of the world,
the salvation of every human being, was the burden of their
interview.
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Through being overcome with sleep, the disciples heard little of
what passed between Christ and the heavenly messengers. Failing
to watch and pray, they had not received that which God desired
to give them,--a knowledge of the sufferings of Christ, and the
glory that should follow. They lost the blessing that might have
been theirs through sharing His self-sacrifice. Slow of heart to
believe were these disciples, little appreciative of the treasure
with which Heaven sought to enrich them.
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Yet they received great light. They were assured that all heaven
knew of the sin of the Jewish nation in rejecting Christ. They
were given a clearer insight into the work of the Redeemer. They
saw with their eyes and heard with their ears things that were
beyond the comprehension of man. They were "eyewitnesses of
His majesty" (2 Peter 1:16), and they realized that Jesus
was indeed the Messiah, to whom patriarchs and prophets had
witnessed, and that He was recognized as such by the heavenly
universe.
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While they were still gazing on the scene upon the mount, "a
bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the
cloud, which said, This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well
pleased; hear ye Him." As they beheld the cloud of glory,
brighter than that which went before the tribes of Israel in the
wilderness; as they heard the voice of God speak in awful majesty
that caused the mountain to tremble, the disciples fell smitten
to the earth. They remained prostrate, their faces hidden, till
Jesus came near, and touched them, dispelling their fears with
His well-known voice, "Arise, and be not afraid."
Venturing to lift up their eyes, they saw that the heavenly glory
had passed away, the forms of Moses and Elijah had disappeared.
They were upon the mount, alone with Jesus.
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