Tabernacle, Truths & Timeless Testimony
Peter’s Dilemma and Heaven’s Declaration at the Transfiguration
Why do we keep elevating influencers, politicians, and celebrities to pedestals they cannot hold? Are we guilty, like Peter, of building “tabernacles” for human heroes instead of worshiping Christ alone? What voices drown out the clear command of heaven: “Hear Him”? Why do we tremble before cultural powers but not bow before the power of God? In an age of fear and anxiety, how can Jesus’ words, “Arise, do not be afraid,” reshape our response? When all the noise of culture fades, will we see “Jesus only,” or will our vision remain cluttered with idols?
The Transfiguration takes place shortly after Peter confesses Jesus as the Christ in Matthew 16:16 and after Jesus makes His first prediction of His suffering and death in verse 21. To prepare His closest disciples for what lies ahead, Jesus leads Peter, James, and John up a high mountain, traditionally identified as either Mount Tabor or Mount Hermon. There, His divine glory breaks through the veil of His humanity as His face shines like the sun and His garments become dazzling white, offering the disciples a glimpse of His true majesty.
Peter’s Dilemma
Peter, overwhelmed by the scene, suggests building three shelters, one for Jesus, one for Moses, and one for Elijah. His enthusiasm is commendable, but his understanding is flawed. By proposing three equal dwellings, Peter effectively places Jesus alongside the greatest figures of Israel’s history, rather than above them.
We are not unlike Peter. We acknowledge Christ’s importance, yet we often set Him beside other allegiances: our careers, our ideologies, our cultural icons, or even our personal ambitions. This is the problem of partitioned praise, a divided devotion that subtly diminishes Christ’s sovereignty.
Overwhelmed by Glory
Before Peter can finish, heaven interrupts. A bright cloud, echoing the presence of God in Israel’s wilderness wanderings, overshadows them. And a voice declares, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; listen to Him.”
The sequence is deliberate:
Affirmation. “This is my Son.” His identity is unique.
Approval. “In whom I am well pleased.” His life and mission are fully endorsed by the Father.
Admonition. “Listen to Him.” Not Moses, not Elijah, not any other voice, but Jesus alone.
In a world saturated with competing voices such as media pundits, political leaders, social theorists, and cultural commentators, the divine command remains clear: Hear Him. The disciples respond as humans always do when confronted by divine majesty. They fall facedown, gripped by fear. This is the reflex of fragile humanity in the presence of holy power.
Our age may not tremble at clouds and voices, but it trembles nonetheless. We are haunted by economic uncertainty, political instability, environmental crises, technological disruption, and personal inadequacy. Fear is the shared atmosphere of our time.
A Striking Mystery in the Heavenly Command
There is a striking mystery in the heavenly command, “Not Moses, not Elijah, not any other voice, but Jesus alone.” Moses, the giver of the Law, and Elijah, the great prophet, were towering figures in Israel’s history, revered as the very channels through which God had spoken. Their presence on the mountain affirmed their importance, yet heaven insists they must now step aside.
The paradox is that the very ones who embodied the authority of the Law and the Prophets must yield their place to the One who gave them their authority in the first place. Yet this does not mean Jesus came to negate their witness. Rather, He came to fulfill it. As He Himself declared, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them” (Matthew 5:17). Moses and Elijah fade from the scene not because their roles were meaningless, but because their roles were preparatory. The Law revealed God’s holiness, the Prophets pointed to God’s promises, and Jesus is the completion of both, the living Word in whom all Scripture finds its fulfillment. What the disciples witnessed was not the cancellation of Moses and Elijah, but the culmination of their message in Christ.
Courage in the Midst of Fear
Then comes a moment of profound grace, “Jesus came and touched them. ‘Get up,’ He said. ‘Do not be afraid.’” Notice the order. Fear is not dismissed; it is met. The disciples do not rise because their terror evaporates. They rise because Christ reaches toward them. His touch bridges the infinite gap between divine glory and human frailty. This remains His way. In every age of fear, He does not stand aloof. He comes near. He touches. He restores.
When the disciples lift their eyes, Moses and Elijah have disappeared. Jesus alone remains. This is not accidental. It is theological. The Law and the Prophets, embodied in Moses and Elijah, have served their role. But they give way to the One who fulfills them. Here lies the central message of the Transfiguration: Christ alone. All rival authorities, all cultural saviors, all human idols eventually fade. Only Jesus endures.
Glory Through the Cross
As they descend the mountain, the conversation turns toward Elijah and the suffering of the Son of Man. Jesus explains that Elijah has already come in the ministry of John the Baptist, and he was rejected. Likewise, the Messiah will suffer. The glory of the mountain cannot be separated from the agony of the cross. And herein lies the challenge for every generation. We long for glory without suffering, triumph without trial, and crowns without crosses. But the pattern of Christ is clear. Suffering precedes glory.
Tearing Down Today’s Tabernacles
Peter sought to build tabernacles. We build them too, though ours look less like tents and more like cultural shrines. We enshrine:
Celebrity Culture, where influence outweighs integrity.
Political Idolatry, where leaders are treated as saviors.
Technological Obsession, where innovation is mistaken for redemption.
Self-Idolatry, where personal identity becomes ultimate truth.
The invitation is not to balance Christ with other allegiances but to enthrone Him above them all.
The Transfiguration is not only a revelation of Christ’s majesty but also a pastoral word for fearful disciples in every age. When culture shakes, when idols collapse, and when fear takes hold, we are reminded to arise because we are not abandoned, to not be afraid because His presence is greater than our fear, and to see Jesus only, for He is not one among many but the One. The mountain vision calls us back to the sovereignty of Christ: the Law and the Prophets bear witness yet step aside, the cloud confirms it, the Father declares it, and the disciples experience it Christ alone remains.
