A few days after he made his daring confession that Jesus is the Son of God, Peter, along with James and John was given a brief glimpse of Jesus' eternal glory.
There on a mountain top the brilliant, blinding glory that accompanied God's revelation of himself in the Old Testament shone out from Jesus. He was joined by Moses and Elijah and as he spoke with them a dense cloud hid them, and a voice spoke from within the cloud: 'This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him.' Then the cloud dispersed and the disciples saw only Jesus.
Why did Jesus take the three disciples up the mountain to witness this? Peter's thoughtless suggestion that they build shelters for Jesus, Moses and Elijah is instructive. The disciples had not yet understood the significance of Peter's confession that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God. Peter's suggestion ranked Jesus as equal with Moses and Elijah.
But the voice of God says 'This is my Son.' The voice of God says: 'Listen to him!' Do not listen any more to Moses, the Lawgiver. Do not listen any more to Elijah, the Prophet. This is my Son.
All that the Law has ever told you finds its fulfilment in my Son. All that the Prophets ever told you finds its fulfilment in my Son. All that in the Law and the Prophets is veiled in mystery is here in my Son revealed. All that they ever told you in symbol, in shadow, in expectation, is here in my Son out in the open, is here in my Son brought to fulfilment.
The cloud lifts. Jesus stands alone. The whole significance of the Law and the Prophets is all in this one man, Jesus, the Son whom God loves. In him all the treasures of the wisdom and the knowledge of God are revealed. Of him the prophet said: 'Here is your God.'
The dark cloud of ignorance of God is lifted. Light now shines an answer to the question: who is God? What is he like? Here, in this man, we see God. Here in this man we are robbed of our final excuse.
Scriptures: Luke 9:28-36; 24:27,44-45; 1 Corinthians 2:6-15; Colossians 1:25-26; 2:3; Isaiah 40:9; John 12:44-46.