Can you imagine...

seeing the Lord Jesus Christ transfigured before your very eyes? Peter, James, and John witnessed this event. Matthew recounts the story in his gospel letter.

After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James, and John the brother of James and led them up a high mountain by themselves. There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus. Mt. 17:1-3

I mean, wow! Wow! WOW!

This experience was so life impacting that later in his life, Peter described the event yet again in 2 Peter 1:16-17:

We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty. For He received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to Him from the Majestic Glory, saying, 'This is my Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased.' We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with Him on the sacred mountain.

Peter truly never forgot this very real, actually happened, mountaintop experience, and was probably a great encouragement to him through the many years of persecution and the work of building the New Testament church. But what's really more important to me in reading Peter's account in 2 Peter is what he then goes on to write in the next few verses, 19-21. Look.

And we have the word of the prophets made more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

Did you put that together? Peter had this amazing, and truly life-changing experience at the Transfiguration of the Lord Jesus. BUT, when he recounts the event, he says that the "word...made more certain" is Scripture! That's huge. That's huge in this day and age when the easier thing is to run after an emotional experience rather than have due diligence for the study of God's Word.

Peter had his physical eyes opened at the Transfiguration, and his physical body definitely experienced some sensations, particularly when he fell facedown terrified before the voice of the Lord God Almighty. But Peter had his spiritual eyes opened through the teaching of Jesus, the words of Jesus. And it was only the words of Jesus, THAT teaching, that sustained his physical body through the years following. Peter evaluated his experience by the Word of God, not the other way around.

The word made more certain is the Word of God. When God the Father commanded those disciples on the mountain to "Listen to Him!" He meant the teaching of Jesus. Those teachings are only found in the Bible, written by men inspired by the Holy Spirit. Peter, an eyewitness of the Lord's glory, sets our attention on the glory of His written word.

May it echo in hearts that we would do well to pay attention to this Word.