And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light.
Matthew 17:1-2
This is Jesus in all of His glory. The earthly veil of His human appearance was briefly removed on the mountain of transfiguration and all the glory of God shone through -- quite literally according to this account. His face was a radiant burning star of God's glory and His clothing became light itself. That would mean that these three disciples saw what nobody on earth has yet seen. They alone of all the people on this planet saw the blinding radiance of the reality of complete glory of deity in Jesus.
Not only did Peter, James, and John see Jesus in His glory, but they heard God the Father directly speak to them in loud command to focus on Jesus and obey His beloved Son. And in that voice they fell in fear to the ground, quite overwhelmed by it all. They saw God's glory and were amazed. They heard God's Word though, and were very afraid.
I find it interesting that the really powerful moment during the transfiguration came at the Word of God spoken by the Father. We may long to see God's glory wth our eyes, but it is His Word coming to our hearts that will make us tremble. The power of God moves in the Word of God. It has been that way since the creation of the universe. And God's Word should be what brings awe to His people. The Word of the Father knocked Jesus' disciples to the ground in reverent awe (Matthew 17:5-8). And I can "hear" the Word of my God every day in the pages of scripture... do I let it sink in powerfully as I should?
O God,
Speak as You have already spoken. I will listen. I know Your Word is life and truth. I know Your voice in what You say in Your Holy Scriptures. I repent of my desire to "see" without listening. Oh my I listen to and obey the voice of Your Son!
Amen
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