Change We Must Believe In

 ...but we had been eyewitnesses of his majesty.

 - From 2 Peter 1

When Peter wanted to share a time that he had witnessed the majesty of the Son of God, he chose, from all of his memories, the Transfiguration.

Peter therefore becomes a witness, that the Transfiguration was a singular event in the life of Christ.

The On-line Oxford Dictionary defines "Transfigure" in this way:

"To transform into something more beautiful or elevated."

And the definition of "transform" is:

"To make a thorough or dramatic change in the form, appearance, or character of . . . "

Now think about these words: "thorough" and "dramatic."

Jesus was already sinless. He already had holiness, and a sort of glow about Him. He already was a compelling figure that drew people of all ages to Him.

The Transfiguration made Him something even more . . . more powerful, more beautiful, more holy, if that's possible. 

We know that "Christ the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow." We know that He never changes. But a Transfiguration is nothing if not a dramatic change. And it is a change on the positive side. Up on that mountain while chatting with Moses and Elijah, Jesus changed. 

We all want to be more, to be better, prettier, stronger, more athletic, more talented, more wealthy. Even our politics are infected with people's addictive yearning to be different, to be what they're not. 

But in this central event of the New Testament, Jesus did change. He did become better.

We always hear "She deserves to be happy," to justify this or that dramatic change in someone's life, or appearance. But only Jesus fundamentally changed. He was the only one in history that actually deserved to change, because He was already good.

Christ, always paving the way for us: the way to eternal life, the way to happiness, the way to God. But on the Holy Mountain of Transfiguration, He paved the way to our glorified, eternal bodies. Things were different from now on. We could become as Him  . . . but how?

Take the words of the Father of Jesus: Listen to Him.