About 40 miles north of the Sea of Galilee, the lower slopes of 9,000 ft Mt. Hermon begin to rise into the Anti-Lebanon mountain range. A small group of men are climbing one of the lower slopes and, as they approach its crest, they will stop, rest awhile, and then begin a time of prayer.

It is midway through Jesus’ ministry and the scene about to unfold is vivid, mystical, and astonishing in its purpose.

Passion Week has a sense of events moving swiftly. Suddenly, there is Good Friday with its violent abuse, crucifixion, and death. Then Saturday, where all creation waits with bated breath. Then glorious resurrection Sunday. However, this scene on what we call the Mount of Transfiguration reminds us that the spectre of suffering and death that awaited Jesus hovered over Him throughout His ministry.

Three of the four gospel accounts record this scene. Jesus takes Peter, John, and James with Him into the mountains to pray. As He stands praying, His face is suddenly “altered”, and His robe becomes white and glistening. He is transformed before them in holiness and beauty. Then, two figures appear, Moses and Elijah, and begin talking with Jesus. To this stunning scene Luke adds this detail:

They talked about all that Jesus’ death in Jerusalem would mean.

Luke 9:31 CEV

These two giants of the Old Testament are sent to Jesus specifically to talk about His death? Yes.

What awaits Jesus? Rejection, desertion, unspeakable suffering, and a death of unimaginable agony. He has already spoken to His disciples repeatedly about what is to come, but they simply have not comprehended, indeed, have not been able to believe His words. We should not think that the approaching execution was not much on Jesus’ mind. It wasn’t only in Gethsemane that His soul was “sorrowful even to death.” And here we see that these glorified spirits are sent to the Savior to minister to and strengthen Him.

As I sit and ponder this passage I think of my sin and the cost of its pardon. I think of Christ Jesus and that willingness, that resolute determination, that setting of His face like a flint toward Jerusalem. He would conquer, He would overcome. And on the way to that Ultimate Victory, when sorrow threatened to overwhelm, ministering spirits would be sent to strengthen and encourage, to remind Him that after He had endured the unendurable, it would be finished: Consummatum est! He would descend to the depths and take the keys of death, hell, and the grave. And His blood would – finally! – make possible man’s reconciliation to God. My reconciliation to God.

I hope you will take some time in these hours before Resurrection Sunday to meditate on its terrible cost – and give thanks to the Savior of the world for enduring and triumphing in order to reconcile us to Himself – the blessed, resurrected Redeemer.

Photo: View from the slopes of Mt. Hermon