It’s a New Year, and recently, the Lord has been speaking to me through Scripture in a somewhat fresh and frequent way. Yesterday, I was looking at the passage of Scripture where Peter, James, and John are with Jesus, and Jesus transfigures before them. The full text is below for your review, but I focused on Peter’s immediate response to the situation.
He first made a declarative statement: “Lord, it is good that we are here” (v.4a). He saw something different in Jesus and was able to see and identify those with Jesus as Moses and Elijah. I’m not sure which impressed him more, seeing Jesus with the glory of God radiating or seeing two great and revered prophets from Jewish history present with Jesus. Either way, he recognized the truth that being in position to witness this scene was a good thing and that something momentous was happening. He may have even been mindful of Jesus’s words six days earlier about some of the disciples seeing the Son of Man prior to tasting death (Matt. 16:28).
Peter then made a second statement, saying, “If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.” (v.4b). This was a decent enough suggestion. It was as though Peter wanted to capture this moment and crystalize it, or perhaps he wanted a sort of Old Testament worship experience with proper accoutrements. Regardless, this statement from Peter reflected an error in judgment. By suggesting a tent for each person, he seemed to equate Jesus, Moses, and Elijah. However, there were two men of God who were pioneers in the faith, but there was one man who is God. Peter was witnessing a “greater than” Moses or Elijah. He was witnessing Emmanuel, God with us. These men were not the same.
How often do we see God’s goodness and have well-intentioned but misguided assessments of it? Or, how often do we get a portion of the things of God right but miss out on other things? Peter recognized being around for something this special was good. He recognized and wanted to help the situation by acting. Yet he failed to see the glory until the voice from heaven made it abundantly clear that one of these men was not like the others (v.5). Knowing our position of learning God without having mastered all things concerning God should spark humility in our efforts. This is not to diminish confidence in the Scriptures or things of God, but that we should seek certainty where it can be gained and resist dogma where things can be questionable. It is also wise to consult the Lord and ask for clarity whenever we have a good idea or a plan that seems noble but may warrant clear direction (Note, Peter did say, “If you wish” at the beginning of his suggestion, indicating he was at least seeking confirmation before acting). May your 2026 be filled with biblically-wise moves, God-ordained direction, and Spirit-led humility.
BIBLICAL TEXT (MATT. 16:28-17:5):
Matt. 16:28 Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.
Matt. 17:1 And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. 2 And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. 3 And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. 4 And Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.” 5 He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.”