They climbed up a very high mountain that day. The three men with the Lord Jesus were Peter, James and John. The Lord knew exactly what would happen on that mountaintop, but the three men who followed Him did not know. Jesus had said, “Follow Me” (Luke 9:23), and that was enough for the three men. They knew who had called them, and they followed.
It must have been a long climb that day, and the three men were so tired that they fell asleep after the climb. It was a wonderful surprise on the mountaintop, not like anything they had ever seen before, but they almost missed it. There was Jesus, shining like the sun! His face was bright as sunlight, and his clothing was white as the light. There were two men talking with Jesus — Moses and Elijah. I don’t think that Peter and James and John understood what the two visitors talked about with Jesus, but I do, and if you read Luke 9:31, you will understand too.
Seeing these two Old Testament men of God talking with Jesus was all so wonderful that Peter did not want it to come to an end. He wanted to make three tents of worship — one for Jesus, one for Moses and one for Elijah.
Wasn’t that a good plan? No, not at all! You can’t put Jesus on the same level with anybody else. Jesus is more than a good man; Jesus is truly the eternal Son of God!
A cloud came and overshadowed them. Then a voice came out of the cloud that said, “This is My beloved Son: hear Him” (Luke 9:35). And they fell on their faces and were afraid.
Now they knew it was God who had said those words, but our loving and kind Jesus did not want them to be afraid. He touched them and said, “Arise, and be not afraid” (Matthew 17:7). And there was Jesus alone with them.
Jesus had one more thing to tell them as they climbed down the mountain. He said, Don’t tell anybody what you saw. (Then if it’s a secret, how do we know?) They listened as Jesus added, Until the Son of Man is risen again from the dead.
Peter, James and John did not understand what Jesus told them, because when He was dead, they were totally sad, and when He rose from the dead, they were completely surprised.
But what Jesus had said was the truth. He DID rise from the dead, and then it was time to tell others what they had seen on the mountaintop.
Jesus said, “I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live” (John 11:25).
Think About God’s Word!
1. Who did Peter, James and John see talking with Jesus?
2. Why did Jesus want the secret in this story kept until He had risen from the dead? Not sure? Ask your mom, dad or Sunday school teacher. The answer is worth thinking about.
Project: Mysteries, like secrets, are pretty exciting for almost everyone. But God’s mysteries aren’t meant to be hidden from any of His children today. Pick up a concordance or use a Bible search program and look for the words “mystery” or “mysteries.” How many special secrets that used to be hidden have been shown to Christians since Jesus died and rose again?