I. Introduction

The following excerpt is from an article I wrote for our church newsletter, The Spire, in the March edition. "Experiencing the gentle glow of dawn or the bright sunlight in the middle of the day is truly a delightful blessing. Darkness can also be appealing, but it often symbolizes periods of struggle. Occasionally we have experiences of darkness in our own lives, and when we look around, we see it there too. At present, the world is going through a turbulent period of uncertainty, fear, loss, and despair, a period that leaves us with more questions than answers, with differences that are hard to resolve, and poverty and loss of human dignity that leaves many without hope..." I then went on to emphasize that these conditions do not align with the teachings of Christ; rather, the Son of God was born to bring light, peace, and joy into this world. I believe that the passage in Luke chapter 9 concerning the Transfiguration of Jesus underscores the significance of God's light for addressing our present-day challenges.

II. When God Enters with Power and Light

Our passage demonstrates the power and light of God entering the space on the mountain where Jesus and His disciples were gathered. The Son of God would be transfigured into a heavenly Being with the appearance of His face transformed, and His clothes turned bright as lightning. It is important to note that this happened while He was praying to God. We do not know the content of His prayer, but He was clearly in some serious communication with God when this extraordinary event occurred. At that moment He was visited by Moses and Elija, who had gone before Him and already had the experience of the heavenly existence. We do not know what they talked about, but their presence alone and Jesus' transfiguration were enough for the disciples to be in awe and led Peter to propose that they put up a tent for each one of them, so they could spend more time with them. In the previous passage, verses 18-27, Jesus heard from His disciples that the crowd believed He might be John the Baptist, the prophet Elijah, or some other prophet who came back to life. Peter then identified Jesus as the Christ, after which Jesus instructed them to refrain from disclosing this information to anyone. And, how wonderful to see this amazing encounter, about eight days after this conversation, here on the mountain, where Jesus received this visit from Moses, and the Prophet Elijah. According to David E. Garland and Clinton E. Arnold in their commentary on Luke, this visit by Moses and Elija refuted the notion by the crowd that Jesus would have been either of them, or some other prophet. Jesus knew He was the Son of God, and He knew that the disclosure of His identity would endanger Him before He departed from this earth.

It was the voice of God breaking through the clouds with power and light, that would reveal the truth about Jesus, that He is the Son of God, with whom God is pleased, and to whom they must listen. God's words brought this transfiguration experience to a climax for the disciples, confirming for them what they already knew, that they were with a very special person and that they were too eager to listen to Him and follow Him.

III. Conclusion

The disciples needed to witness the transfiguration, which demonstrated the light, truth, and change that God wanted to bring through the life of God's Son. God's light shines in all the dark places of suffering, conflict, poverty, oppression, and sickness. Wherever God is, love and light move to transform these conditions of darkness into enduring moments of relief, peace, abundance, health, and healing. They were to listen to the Son of God, carry forth His message, and be the light and change in a world that can be dark and troubled. And here we are, in a world that can be a wonderful place but is also plagued with darkness and many troubles. We are disciples of Christ charged with the same call the disciples were charged with, to bring light, peace, and relief where there is darkness, conflict, and need. May God help us to reflect on this message, and give us the courage to follow Christ, to listen to Him, and be the change and light God wants us to be in this world of ours. Amen.