The Transfiguration reminds believers that they are destined for resurrection and glory in Christ. It offers a moment of hope to prepare for life's challenges. The whole scene resonates with allusions to the Old Testament. It recalls Elijah's encounter with God on Mt Horeb. It brings to mind the revelation at Mt Sinai and the cloud of God's glory overshadowing both the mountain and the tent where Moses met with God. It is no wonder that the disciples are terrified by this theophany.

Jesus approaches His frightened followers, touches them, and tells them not to be afraid. Though they cannot bear to hear God speak from the cloud, they can listen to Jesus. The Word of God comes to them now, not as a thunderous voice from heaven or letters written on tablets of stone, but in the words and actions of Jesus. The Son of God speaks to them as one human speaks to another, and they rise and follow Him.

The story of the Transfiguration directs us away from trying to understand Jesus only as He is revealed in glory. It points us down the mountain and invites us to walk with Jesus into the suffering, hungry crowds. The divine voice commands us to listen to Jesus. But listening is more than hearing. As Jesus says in the Sermon on the Mount, building on the rock means not only hearing His words, but acting on them.