There are many things in this world we cannot explain. They come in all forms and are dependent upon our experience and knowledge. For example, most of us do not have a deep understanding of how a computer works. We do not know that every letter on the screen is a series of eight electrical impulses that are either turned on or turned off. We cannot explain how those electrical impulses are interpreted to be displayed so we can read them.
There are also mysteries of God. Science continues to strive to explain them. We continue to seek a better understanding, diving deeper into the mystery. There are also eyewitnesses to some of those mysteries who we fail to believe or at least are skeptical of. What they describe just doesn’t seem to be possible from our human point of view.
The Apostle Peter is such a witness and recounts an improbable, if not unbelievable, story. He first states that what he is writing about is not a myth. I’m sure he was referring to those Greek myths about false gods that were prevalent in the first century and continue to this day. No, he was speaking as an eyewitness to the event. He was with Jesus on the mountain when God made the statement about Him. He saw the appearance of Moses and Elijah.
What Peter is relating to his audience and to us is a mystery of God. It was an amazing revelation to him and continues to be amazing for us. We cannot explain it with science. We do not see it as an everyday normal experience. It isn’t normal by human standards. Because we cannot explain it, we call it a mystery and may struggle to believe it.
The transfiguration of Jesus on the mountain in front of Peter, James, and John reminds us of Moses’ face glowing after being in the presence of God. Moses and Elijah appearing may cause us to think of ghosts. But neither Moses nor Elijah was a ghost. They appeared to Jesus and had a conversation, though we do not know what was said. We do know that God the Father spoke so the apostles could hear and glorified his Son.
We have a choice to make. We can believe the eyewitness or not. We can believe God does mysterious things and acts in mysterious ways or cast it aside as foolishness. It is our faith that will cause us to believe the mystery. It is our faith that will allow us to stop trying to explain the mystery and accept it for what it is. It is our faith in God that will please him.
2 Peter 1:16-18 For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we had been eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received honor and glory from God the Father when that voice was conveyed to him by the Majestic Glory, saying, “This is my Son, my Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.” We ourselves heard this voice come from heaven, while we were with him on the holy mountain.
Marty Pressey 