Jesus Is Transfigured

BY Abby Flynn

Growing up, Jesus wasn’t anyone special in the eyes of most people. Nothing about His appearance drew attention (Isaiah 53:2). He lived a normal life in a normal place. He didn’t come in glory and splendor. Instead, He came clothed in humble humanity. But in today’s reading, in this moment of His transfiguration, everything changed. No longer was He just the normal-looking guy from Nazareth. Now, He shone in glory, both fully man and fully God. 

The transfiguration in Mark 9 is a pretty unbelievable story. I mean, can you imagine standing there with Peter, James, and John, then suddenly seeing Jesus change right before your eyes? But here, on top of a mountain, Jesus became the physical representation of God’s glory—the same glory that radiated from Moses after spending time with God on Mount Sinai (Exodus 34:29–35).

They went up the mountain with the Jesus they thought they knew. Now they found themselves in front of the transfigured Son of the living God. Mark tells us Jesus’s clothes were “dazzling—extremely white as no launderer on earth could whiten them” (Mark 9:3). Can you imagine? And then Elijah and Moses himself appeared beside Jesus, talking to Him. That must’ve been a terrifying sight for these disciples! Not knowing what to do or how to respond, Peter decided it might be a good idea to set up shelters for them (v.6). But then God stepped in: 

“A cloud appeared, overshadowing them, and a voice came from the cloud: 
‘This is my beloved Son; listen to him!’” (v.7). 

In that incredible moment, God confirmed that Jesus is His Son, like He had announced at Jesus’s baptism (Mark 1:9–11). He was the Savior they had been waiting for! Then Moses and Elijah were gone, and the disciples were once again alone with Jesus. 

All too often, I respond like Peter did on that mountain. When I don’t understand what God is up to, I try to reason or take action to make life make sense. I know the power of God and what He can do, but it’s just so easy to doubt when I’m not the one in control. Rather than enjoying God’s presence and waiting for Him to reveal what’s next, I seek distraction.

How often do you act out of fear or confusion, instead of stopping to look for the presence of the living God around you? Take time to stop and notice God’s presence, how His power is at work. The hardest work has already been done. Sometimes our only task is to watch for Him, wait for Him, and enjoy Him. Peter, James, and John witnessed Jesus’s transfiguration and were no doubt changed. In His presence, we are changed too. May we open our eyes to truly see Him at work all around us.