From the desk of Pastor Ben
Eyewitnesses of the Transfiguration

“Six days later, Jesus took with Him Peter, and  James and John his brother, and led them up on a high mountain by themselves.”         (Matthew 17:1)

Peter, James, and John were they most intimate disciples of Jesus, so it isn’t surprising that it was these three that Jesus took with Him. Four reasons seem likely for Jesus’ taking only these three men to witness His transfiguration. First, they would be reliable witnesses of His manifested glory, able to confirm the event to the other disciples and to the rest of the church. The Lord’s promised display of His kingdom glory (Matthew 16:27-28) would be confirmed by the testimony of these three trustworthy witnesses.

Second, these 3 men were probably chosen because of their intimacy with Jesus. They were with Him the most and understood Him the best, and they frequently accompanied Him when He went away for times of intense fellowship with His Heavenly Father (Mark 5:37; 14:33)

Third, as the acknowledged spokesmen among the 12 disciples, the ones whose word was most respected, these 3 men could most reliably and convincingly articulate what they witnessed on the mountain.

The fourth possible reason is negative. If all 12 disciples plus the crowds were to have seen Jesus transfigured, the entire region likely would have been in turmoil, with Jesus feeling more pressure to become the political and military deliverer the people expected the Messiah to be (see John 6:15; 12:12-19). That was a situation best avoided.

Ask Yourself:
We often focus merely on the facts of these accounts from Scripture, as well as in the ongoing, personal situations we face in life. Seeing that Jesus had specific purposes for doing what He did, what purposes of His could you see for some of your current circumstances?