Mountaintop Metamorphosis

May 1

(Luke 9:28-29 NIV) “About eight days after Jesus said this, he took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray. {29} As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning.

(Matthew 17:2 NIV) “There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light.”

(Romans 12:2 NIV) “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

(2 Corinthians 3:18 NIV) “And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.”

While on a mountaintop praying, Christ’s body took on the characteristics of his future glorified body. His clothes became as bright as lightning and His face began to shine like the sun. This event is called The Transfiguration. The Greek word used here, gives us our English word, “metamorphosis”. It describes a complete change, as when a caterpillar becomes a butterfly. It is the same creature, but in a different form. So it was with Jesus. He was transformed by the power of God. And so it will be with the obedient disciple: a metamorphosis takes place in us as we live for God’s glory. We are changed. We are being transformed by the “renewing of our mind”. With “ever increasing glory”, we take on the divine nature of Christ until that final day when we see Him face to face. Then our metamorphosis will be complete. -- Friar Tuck’s Word of the Day