Peter and his companions were very sleepy, but when they became fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him. As the men were leaving Jesus, Peter said to him, “Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” (He did not know what he was saying.) While he was speaking, a cloud appeared and covered them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. A voice came from the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him.” When the voice had spoken, they found that Jesus was alone. The disciples kept this to themselves and did not tell anyone at that time what they had seen.

When I think about what these three disciples experienced, the transfiguration of Jesus, I would have been in a stupor or in shock as well. What would it be like to see Jesus in all of his glory, full of his heavenly authority and visually brilliant? And I think Peter’s reaction is a reaction we might all have in different ways. Peter was a works of service guy, that is how he showed his love. So he volunteered to serve, not knowing what else to do. All that was before him, there was no frame of reference for — Moses, Elijah, and Jesus transfigured. Some might have showered on words of praise, or tried to spend time with them, but Peter chose to serve. Finally, we see God impart wisdom directly from heaven to the disciples: “This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him.”

God the Father chose Jesus to be the one and only way to relationship with him for sinners. Jesus was the conduit through which we have access and he is the perfect conduit. Many times, a conduit reduces power or volume through a channel. Jesus gives us full access, in full power, all the time to the Almighty God! So God instructs these three men to listen to him. Listen to understand, listen to hear truth and change their hearts, listen to his actions and the model they lay out in life of following God and doing his will. And this message is for us too today. “Listen to the Chosen One!”

Lord, thank you that you loved Peter, James, and John so much that you let them experience this high honor. This was a massive faith marker for them. May I learn to listen more intently and more frequently to you and your word and your ways.