The Mountain Top Experience

“Eight days later, Jesus took Peter, Jacob, and John and climbed a high mountain to pray. As he prayed, his face began to glow until it was a blinding glory streaming from him. His entire body was illuminated with a radiant glory. His brightness became so intense that it made his clothing blinding white, like multiple flashes of lightning.” -Luke 9:28-36 TPT

In Luke 9 we see the mount of transfiguration where Jesus takes his inner circle to a mountain with him and they experience a “God thing.”

It was something, unlike anything they had ever seen. Most of us have had a similar experience, maybe not as intense, but a “mountaintop” experience nonetheless. It may have been while worshipping, a prayer meeting, a missions trip or maybe even during a normal day.

A time when suddenly God moved in a way you had never experienced. What did you do with it when it was over?

On The Mountain Top

Luke 9:32-36 We read that all at once, two men appeared in glorious splendor: Moses and Elijah. They spoke with Jesus about his soon departure from this world and the things he was destined to accomplish in Jerusalem.

Peter and his companions had become very drowsy, but they became fully awake when they saw the glory and splendor of Jesus standing there and the two men with him.

As Moses and Elijah were about to return to heaven, Peter impetuously blurted out, “Master, this is amazing to see the three of you together! Why don’t we stay here and set up three shelters: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah?”

While Peter was still speaking, a radiant cloud of glory formed above them and overshadowed them. As the glory cloud enveloped them, they were struck with fear. Then the voice of God thundered from within the cloud, “This is my Son, my Beloved One. Listen carefully to all he has to say.” When the thunderous voice faded away and the cloud disappeared, Jesus was standing there alone. Peter, Jacob, and John were speechless and awestruck. But they didn’t say a word to anyone about what they had seen.

Peter’s response to the transfiguration is classic: “Hey, let’s stay up here! I’ll build some tents, and we can hang with Elijah and Moses and Jesus. That would be awesome.” Many people feel the same way after mission trips and retreats. We encounter God in new ways and want to preserve the spiritual momentum. But the disciples don’t stay on the mountain. In the next passage, they are back in town, and Jesus is healing once again.

After The Experience

Like Peter, after a mountaintop experience, you will be returning to everyday life. But that doesn’t mean that your experience “on the mountain” doesn’t matter. Through our mountain experiences, we grow closer to God. That changes our lives and our hearts. We learn how to better love our neighbors, and we deepen our commitment to loving and serving God.
Through our mountain experiences, we grow closer to God. That changes our lives and our hearts. Share on X

The Importance of Mountop Experiences

Mountaintop experiences are important. That’s the first point. But it’s not like you can pick them up at the store. And that’s the second point: Mountaintop experiences are a gift. You can’t manufacture them or conjured them up on demand. As often as not, they come about without warning, when you least expect them.

Mountaintop experiences are the catalysts for transformation. When you’ve been to the mountaintop, you never see things in quite the same way again.

Mountaintop experiences are best seen as fleeting moments in the time leading to a new chapter of sacrifice and service to the glory of God.

Mountaintop experiences are important; they’re a gift of God’s grace and love; they’re the catalyst of transformation; they’re not meant to last forever, for they inevitably lead to the valley below.

Look at what follows on the heels of Jesus’ transfiguration in the next verse in Luke 9:37-42 Jesus, Peter, James (Jacob) and John come down from the mountaintop only to meet a man with a son who has epilepsy begging for Jesus to heal him. You see even though they just came off a mountaintop experience there’s work to be done and not a moment to spare.

After your Mountain Top experience, EXPECT to be tried & tested as soon as you come down

Mountaintop experiences are the catalysts for transformation. When you’ve been to the mountaintop, you never see things in quite the same way again. Share on X