The story of the Transfiguration tells of a marvelous act of God. Peter, John and James had the opportunity to see Jesus in His glory. It was a preview of His exaltation after the Resurrection. Jesus appeared in this way also to John in the first chapter of Revelation.
Our Old Testament lesson for today (Exodus 34:29-35) tells of the reflected glory of God. In chapter 33, Moses asked Jehovah if he could see Him face to face. But Jehovah answered: "No man may see My face and live." But, Moses was permitted to see God "from behind" after He had passed by. So the glory of God was reflected in the face of Moses, and even this terrified the people of Israel. The point of the story is that, without the intercession of Jesus Christ, the holiness and pure light of God, even in a reflection, is too much for us.
However, because of Jesus, we may see the face of God and live, because in Christ God has a human face. In the Transfiguration, the three apostles saw Jesus as a man, yet filled with the glory of God. And they saw much more.
Certainly the 12 apostle had many extraordinary experiences. According to John, Jesus performed many miracles that were not written down..
But, let's examine what Peter wrote about his experience on the holy mountain of Transfiguration. What does he say about the foundation of our faith?
At times we all have experiences in our lives that we cannot explain. Strange dreams, premonitions or other things that might possibly be a brush with the supernatural. At times we may have moments of clarity and joy when we feel sure that we know God's will and purpose for us. Or we may have moments of darkness, when we feel under spiritual attack. How should we evaluate these experiences?
Nowadays some people have a tendency to seek a natural explanation for everything. The strange dream was just a result of indigestion, for instance. On the other hand, some people too easily believe in fantastic theories, legends and myths.
But St. Peter says the one thing we can believe in is Jesus Christ as He is reveal in the Holy Scriptures. In a reference to the Transfiguration, Peter writes, "With our own eyes, we beheld His majesty." The proof of this vision's truth does not consist soely of Peter's character and personal authority. Roman Catholics claim Peter was the first Pope, but in this epistle Peter himself points to evidence greater than his own word.
First, the appearance of Moses and Elijah with Jesus confirmed the application of the messianic prophecies of the Old Testament to Jesus. That is, everyone who reads the Old Testament may understand the significance of the Transfiguration. All the promises made to Abraham and the prophets were fulfilled in Christ Jesus. Because of this, Peter wrote, "And we have something more sure, the prophetic word, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts," That prophetic word is the Old Testament.
Furthermore, God Himself gave testimony to Christ in the Transfiguration, saying, "This is My beloved Son in Whom I am well pleased; listen to Him." This is the most direct evidence of the identity of Jesus Christ.
For believers of that time, "the Scriptures" meant the Old Testament. Now we have books written by the Apostles or their close associates. As John said, all the books of the Old and New Testaments contain what we need to know for our salvation. Therefore, the Holy Scriptures, inspired by the Holy Spirit, are our standard for evaluating our own experiences.
For example, if we see the figure of a woman, claiming to be the Virgin Mary, but telling us to direct our prayers to her, we know this is contrary to the Word of God which says Jesus is the only mediator between ourselves and God.We should not believe in this kind of vision.
The Bible is our rule of faith and we have sufficient evidence of its historical accuracy, for example, the recent discovery of David's palace in Jerusalem. Also we have the testimony of the church, of the martyrs who sacrificed their lives to proclaim the truth.
What joy that our faith has a solid base, not simply based on our own opinions and ideas. Amen.
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