Perhaps I've tended to think that the purpose of the transfiguration was to give the disciples further proof of the divine nature of Jesus, so that they were more firmly established in understanding who He really is. But perhaps the real reason Moses and Elijah came was to help and encourage Jesus Himself. Today as I read it, I was struck by the fact that these two men from the past were talking with Jesus about the way that He was going to die. Perhaps they were there to strengthen Him and remind Him that His difficult and painful death would purchase salvation for the whole world.
Have you ever wondered how Peter knew (in verse 33) that the other two men were Moses and Elijah? In those days there were no photographs to help you recognise people that you had never met. But somehow Peter knew who they were; perhaps he received a word of revelation from the Father. It was probably a little overwhelming, and in his enthusiasm and amazement, Peter wants to do something good, something great for Jesus in this situation.
"Master, it's good that we're here," he says. Good for whom? Does Peter mean that it's a privilege and a benefit for them (Peter, James and John) to witness this amazing sight? Or does he mean that their being there is fortuitous for Jesus, because they can do something special to commemorate this special moment for Him. In most English Bibles, it says something like, "It's wonderful for us to be here," which suggests the first option. But it's a bit more ambiguous in my Spanish Bible.
Either way, Peter - who's so awestruck he barely knows what he's saying - comes up with an idea of how they can respond appropriately to this amazing scene they've witnessed; how they can do something great for Jesus. "Let's build shelters, " he says. "We'll build three shelters for you, Moses and Elijah."
Sometimes you and I are like that. We catch a fresh glimpse of who Jesus is and our heart swells up with the desire to do something special for Him; we want to do something great so that we can be a blessing for Him and His kingdom. Peter's idea for "something great" was to build shelters that would let this special moment be remembered for ever.
But God had a different idea. As the cloud of His presence surrounded and enveloped them, they probably felt an even deeper sense of awe than before. As they trembled there in the haze of it all, they heard the voice of God, telling them the greatest thing they could possibly do:
"This is my Son, my Chosen One," said the Father. "Listen to Him."
Do you want to do something great for God? Do you long that your life will achieve something significant for His kingdom? Don't fall into the trap of coming up with your own ideas of what would be something great to do for God. It's really this simple: listen to Him; obey Him with all your heart. Only then will your life bring joy to His heart and make a lasting difference to the extension of His kingdom here on earth.
