Transfiguration to the Cross
I have always been fascinated with the account of the transfiguration of Christ on the mount. I have several thoughts about the why and how of the event, some doctrinal and others theoretical. I will lay out a case for each later.
Most people probably read the story and think it is a singular event that could only happen to Jesus because he is God’s son. Others may say that other biblical stories describe encounters with God that changed the appearance of individuals, such as Moses’ face shining when he came down from Mount Sinai. In the latter days, we know the story of Brigham Young appearing like Joseph Smith once as he spoke at a meeting following his martyrdom.
I will try to make the case that we will be transfigured as we emulate the Savior and become more like him. I am not saying that we will literally shine with the brightness of the sun or that our clothing will be exceedingly white. Still, I am saying that we can see and be seen differently as we come close to God. 2 Corinthians 18 describes it this way, “But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.” Remember that the glass is a mirror and that we will see the glory of God in ourselves.
In my experience, as I age, what I see in the mirror is a man losing muscle and gaining fat; if I use my physical eyes only. How disappointing! However, if I look at the kind of person I am slowly becoming using my spiritual eyes, I see someone very different from my youthful appearance; someone who is more thoughtful, kind, and patient. If I am truthful, I also see someone who has a long way to go. I see someone who is more genuine and compassionate and who thinks less about self and more about others. It is an excellent start to my transfiguration.
Christ admonished us to do the things we see him do. I do not accept the idea that there are exceptions to this statement. He wants us to perform miracles. He wants us to feed the 5000, help the blind to see, the deaf to hear, and the lame to walk. He wants us to teach and testify of the things his and our Father in Heaven has sent us to proclaim. He expects us to be obedient to the commandments of God. And he expects us to follow him, even to the cross.
This brings me to my next point. How do we take up our crosses and follow Christ? Each of us faces many challenges that range from trivial to life-altering. Any of these struggles, left unattended, result in our lives being less than optimal, while some may cause great suffering and death. In the case of Jesus Christ, the cross was his ultimate trial, and he carried it to his death on Golgotha. However, the crucifixion was not the finale of his mission; his glorious resurrection is what followed. This pattern holds true for each of us as well.
The phrase “take up your cross” means we must face our challenges with our eyes open and heads up. Many, if not all of us, avoid the unpleasantness of change, and we even resist changing bad habits for some reason. That is because habitual behaviors are embedded in parts of our brains that are hard to access; they have become automatic, unconscious actions. The only way to get rid of these behaviors is to replace them with new and better ones, which requires consistent, constant effort accompanied by the help of God. When we overcome difficult things, coming out the other side is a parallel to the resurrection of Christ.
Taking up our crosses also means we should shoulder as much responsibility as possible. As we stretch ourselves, we grow. Doing difficult things has its rewards. These benefits could mean more meaningful relationships, a better job, increased knowledge, and strength to overcome future challenges. The added responsibility is transformational. To use the language of the scripture, I quoted earlier, by voluntarily taking up our crosses and adding responsibilities, we change ‘into the same image from glory to glory’ with the help of the Spirit of the Lord.
All the words of Christ apply to us. Every type of event that happened to him can happen to us. The details may be different but the principles and patterns are the same. When we follow him, it includes all of the good things and all of the bad. In the end, if we endure it well, we will come out the other side of mortality clothed with the glory of God and obtain eternal life in the kingdom of God, and thus be transfigured.