At some point during the night while the disciples were asleep, Jesus" divine nature was displayed in a way that had been hidden until now. He was "transfigured," meaning, his outward appearance was changed and he exuded a brilliance like a great white light. Moses, the great law-giver, and Elijah, the renowned prophet of long ago, appeared with Jesus on the mountain. The three of them discussed our Lord's impending death.

You may ask, "Why did all this happen?" We can surmise that this incident gave Jesus, according to His human nature, much-needed strength as His bitter passion and death on the cross loomed on the horizon. However, there is more. Jesus wanted to reveal to Peter, James, and John that He is truly God. He has not only a human nature, but also a divine one.

This is also important for you and me today! Near the end of all this activity, God the Father spoke, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!" God was indeed"well pleased" with His Son. He sent His Son, Christ Jesus, to earth to take our sin upon Himself and to suffer death so that we could be set free from our sin and declared "not guilty." Because Christ would accomplish this saving work, God was well pleased with His Son.

Trust in Jesus who is true God and true man. He has taken your sin and you are declared "not guilty!" Thanks be to God!