Have you ever climbed a big hill? How did you feel when you reached the top? Were you out of breath? One day Jesus took Peter, James, and John on a long hike up a high mountain. We don’t know if they were out of breath when they reached the top, but we do know that they saw something awesome. Jesus was transfigured! That word means he was changed. But he wasn’t transformed from a robot into a semitruck or a caterpillar into a butterfly. Jesus wasn’t transformed into another thing. He stayed human; he just showed himself to be who he really was. Peter, James, and John saw Jesus in all his glory. He was human but he was more than just human. “He was transfigured,” Matthew writes, “and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light” (Matt. 17:2). Talk about a light show! This was a light show that showed Jesus is as pure and glorious as God. The transfiguration showed that Jesus is God’s very own Son.

But the light show wasn’t over. All of a sudden, out of nowhere, Moses and Elijah appeared and started talking with Jesus. But they didn’t look normal either. They also “appeared in glory” (Luke 9:31). Peter and his two friends were seeing a glimpse of what Jesus’s forever kingdom would look like. And Peter liked it. Remember, he wanted Jesus to get the crown without the cross. So, in a moment of confusion, he said, “This is great. I’ll set up a tent for each of you. We can make this last for a while” (see Matt. 17:4). But that was the wrong thing to say. Jesus had just told him how there could be no crown without the cross. No Glory Mountain without Mount Calvary. Peter needed to listen to Jesus. And that’s what led to the third glorious moment. Right after Peter spoke, a thick cloud rolled in. A talking cloud! God the Father himself was speaking. And here’s what he told Peter, James, and John: “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him” (Matt. 17:5). The disciples fell on their faces in fear. Jesus “touched them” and said, “Do not be afraid” (see Matt 17:7). When the disciples looked up, everything was back to normal. The “glory” was gone. And Jesus continued his trek to Mount Calvary.