John 10:37-38, “Do not believe Me unless I do the works of my Father. But if I do them, even though You do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in Me, and I in the Father.”
Their perspective of who Christ was didn’t match up with who He really was. In Psalms 19:1, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” God wants us to see Him but from a proper perspective. Satan offered Jesus a way for the world to see God from a different perspective (Matthew 4; Luke 4), similar to how he offered a way to know God from a different perspective in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3). But God had revealed Himself to His creation in a way that fostered deep genuine faith in Him. He wants us to see Him as trustworthy and good.
What did Jesus want to show those disciples on the mountain? Whatever it was, God wanted them to see Him from the proper perspective. He wanted them to see how all that has been written about Him and all that has been prophesied about Him all point to the character and heart of God.
Moses has often been equated with the law. For instance in Luke 16:29 which tells the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, “Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.” It was on another mountain, Mt. Sinai, that Moses received the 10 Commandments, and it was there that God’s glory made Moses’ face become “transfigured” and shone. God had told him while he was on the mountain, “If you obey Me fully and keep My covenant, then out of all nations you will be My treasured possession. Although the whole earth is Mine, you will be for Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation." (Exodus 19:5-6)
Elijah, whose name means “The Lord is God,” was also synonymous with the prophets, those who proclaimed the will of God. Probably the best demonstration of Elijah revealing the power and will of God was on another mountain, Mt. Carmel in 1 Kings 18 during the contest between the prophets of Baal and God. In the end, the people saw the glory of God. “When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, “The Lord—He is God! The Lord—He is God!” (Notice the connection in the names!)
The apostles would write about this event and how it gave them the proper perspective of who God is. 1 Peter 1:16-18, “For we did not follow cleverly devised stories when we told you about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in power, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty. He received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to Him from the Majestic Glory, saying, 'This is My Son, whom I love; with Him, I am well pleased.' We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with Him on the sacred mountain.”
A proper perspective of the events in our lives often helps us see how God is working in our lives, usually much different than what we may have originally expected. This new perspective can allow us to have a mountaintop experience with God. Take time to reflect on your own changed perspective in your walk with God, or determine if now is the time to do something about the new perspective you are experiencing in your life today.
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