The transfiguration points to our future for paper April 25
The transfiguration points to our future for paper April 25
Jesus often went off by himself to pray, but on one occasion he took Peter, John and James with him. As he was praying, he was transformed into his glorious state – the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared also in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus. Jesus took these three disciples with him so they could witness the event and it would be recorded in the gospel accounts. While there are a number of reasons Jesus wants us to read of the account of his transfiguration, for me on reason stands out.
After we die our spirit and soul leave our physical body and go to heaven where we rest from our labors waiting for the end of the age when Christ returns to earth. When Christ returns we who are in heaven come with him and we receive a resurrected physical body again. (Those Christians who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with the resurrected Christians in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.)
The transfiguration of Jesus gives a glimpse of what our resurrected bodies will be like.
The resurrected body of the believer will, in some ways, be like the resurrected body of Christ. “Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.” 1 John 3:2; “who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body”. Philippians 3: 21
Our resurrected bodies will shine like Jesus’ body at the transfiguration and will be glorious like Moses and Elijah were glorious at the transfiguration. “it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory” 1 Corinthians 15:43; “Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever”. Daniel 12:3
As the resurrected Jesus has a physical body, so will we. “Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.” Luke 24: 39
We will have additional capabilities; the resurrected Jesus entered locked rooms. “Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you!’” John 20: 26b
The resurrected body will be immortal and powerful. “So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power” 1 Corinthians 15: 42, 43
We will not marry and the bodies of believers will be angel-like. Jesus said. “At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven”.
The transfiguration shows what we will have after we live our lives here on earth. The glory Jesus has on the mountain is glory you will share. And when you realize that’s the glory he has waiting for you, you can now eagerly await all the Lord has in store for us in our glorious transformed future.
Blessings,