Peter finished climbing the mountain. He glanced at the other three with him: John, James, and Jesus. What will the Lord show us this time? he wondered.
All of a sudden, Jesus’ skin and hair and garments started to glow, shining
like the sun. He looked even more powerful than He usually did. Even His face glowed in royal glory, like a prince.
In a flash of light, two more men appeared at Jesus’ side and started to converse with Him, as though He shined so dazzlingly every day. Somehow, Peter knew they were the legendary Jewish prophets Moses and Elijah. The three talked with one another as though they were old friends, while the disciples cowered on the ground.
Peter had an idea. He stood up. “Lord,†he said, “it is a good thing that we are here! We shall build three tents for you, Moses, and Elijah to stay in!â€
Suddenly, a deep voice boomed from the sky: “This is my Son with whom I am pleased! Listen to Him!â€
Peter fell to the ground again, trembling with the other disciples. They stayed there for a moment, shaken. Then, Peter felt Jesus touch his shoulder. “Stand up, and do not be afraid,†He said. Although Peter was still terrified, he trusted the Lord and stood up. The first thing he noticed was that Jesus was no longer glowing—and, the second, that Moses and Elijah were gone.
The Lord had truly shown His glory and magnificence to the three disciples. Peter knew in that moment that Jesus was the long-prophesied Messiah and the fulfillment of every precious promise from God.
• In Matthew 16, Peter, one of Jesus’ disciples, acknowledges Jesus is the Son of God (a name pointing to His divinity) and the Messiah (or Christ), the promised Savior from sin and death. Then, Peter witnesses the event in today’s devotion, known as the Transfiguration. How do the events in today’s Bible passages show that Jesus is God and the promised Savior?
• Do you acknowledge Jesus is the Son of God and our Savior? To find out more about what this means, check out our “Know Jesus” page.
Simon Peter answered and said, “You [Jesus] are the Christ, the Son of the living God.†Matthew 16:16 (NKJV)
Read Verses:
Matthew 16:13-17; 17:1-8
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