Seeing the King and his Kingdom

What Happens When You See the King? A Brief Reflection on the Transfiguration

Mountains offer perspective. John Muir put it simply: “The mountains are calling, and I must go.” There’s something about rising above the noise that clears your vision. That’s exactly what Jesus did when He led Peter, James, and John up a mountain in Matthew 17. He wasn’t just out for a hike—He was about to reveal the Kingdom.

Let’s be honest. When we think of kingdoms, we usually think of power, control, and maybe even ourselves at the center. Imagine replacing “God” with your name: “The Kingdom of [insert your name here].” You’re the one everyone praises. Your rules are law. Everything exists to serve your glory.

That’s not a kingdom. That’s a nightmare. A narcissist’s paradise—hell for everyone else.

Jesus had just been warning His disciples about this kind of self-focused living in the verses leading up to the Transfiguration. He told them to deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow Him. Then He shows them why it’s worth it.

A Flash of Glory

On that mountain, something remarkable happens. Jesus is transfigured. His face shines like the sun. His clothes are blazing white. This isn’t metaphor—it’s manifestation. The unfiltered glory of God, shining through the humanity of Jesus.

This is the same light described in 1 John 1:5: “God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.” Jesus said, “I am the light of the world” (John 8:12), and now the disciples see it with their own eyes. This isn’t a spiritual glow-in-the-dark moment. This is glory that shines even in full daylight. This is the Uncreated Light that is God shining through the suddenly translucent material of creation.

The Cloud and the Voice

Then the glory cloud descends—just like it did in the Old Testament when God showed up at the tabernacle. Moses and Elijah appear beside Jesus. The Law and the Prophets, standing next to the one who fulfills them both.

Then the voice: “This is my Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased. Listen to Him!”

It’s a Trinitarian moment. The Father speaks. The Son stands in glory. The Spirit envelops them in the cloud. And the instruction is simple: listen.

In our noisy world, that might be the hardest command. But it’s only in silence that we can hear the whisper clearly enough to have anything to shout from the housetops.

Falling Down and Rising Up

The disciples fall flat. Overwhelmed. That’s what happens when you actually see God for who He is. You don’t clap—you collapse. I think it was Sam Allberry who said, “When we catch sight of God, we don’t say ‘Wow!’ we say, ‘Woe!’” But Jesus doesn’t leave them there. He touches them. He lifts them. “Don’t be afraid,” He says.

Grace in action. Jesus reveals His glory, but He doesn’t weaponize it. He strengthens us with it.

From Tabor to Gethsemane

This wasn’t the last mountain these three would climb with Jesus. Not long after, they’d be with Him again—this time in Gethsemane, on the Mount of Olives. But instead of blinding glory, they’d see tears. Sweat like blood. The weight of the cross. They fell under the weight of glory and would see the Son of Man fall to the ground under the weight of bearing our sin and the battle with death.

The two moments are connected. Transfiguration and suffering. Glory and grief. Divinity and humanity. It’s all part of one gospel story. The One who did not cease to be who he’d always been when he became as we are to save us, has made his glory known - in splendor and in suffering.

The Table Before Us

And now we stand at another mountain of sorts: the communion table.

What do you see when you hold the bread and wine? A memory aid? Or something more?

Paul warns in 1 Corinthians 11 that taking communion without recognizing the body of Christ brings judgment. That’s how serious this moment is. This isn’t just symbolism. It’s a sign pointing to something—and someone—very real.

Gandhi once said that people can’t see God unless He comes in the form of bread. Maybe. But more often, we can’t see bread when it comes in the form of God. Jesus said, “I am the true bread from heaven.” That’s what He’s offering - himself. He is the daily bread of our souls, offered to us in word and sacrament.

The Invitation

So what do we do with all this?

Come. Look again. Don’t just see Jesus as a historical figure or wise teacher. See Him as the King in glory. The one who lifts you when you’re face-down and says, “Rise and fear no more.”

The mountains are calling—not for the scenery, but for the Savior. Oh taste and see that the Lord is good.