Yesterday we posted the story of Jesus’ mountaintop transfiguration. Today, let’s follow up on the Bible’s account with a short essay about the significance of the Transfiguration. This devotional from Christian History Institute explains why the event was so important in the Gospel story:

The transfiguration is a key event in Christ’s life. It confirmed that Christ must die on the cross. Three gospel writers report it. Their simple statements have the ring of truth. Later, in one of his letters, Peter referred to the event, too, reminding his readers that he was an eyewitness to Christ’s glory that day.

The transfiguration confirmed that Jesus had God’s approval and was pure. It foreshadowed Christ’s entry (and eventually every Christian’s entry) into glory.

That essay is one of CHI’s daily stories from Christian history, which walk through the entire year’s worth of noteworthy events from Christian history.

Next week will see not one, but two separate conferences put on by members of the Gospel.com community!

First up is the Internet Ministry Conference, hosted by Gospel Communications (creators of Gospel.com, among other things). Over 200 people—representatives of internet ministries both large and small—will gather in Grand Rapids, Michigan for four days of workshops and networking, all focused on the challenge of doing effective online ministry. Registration for IMC is closed, but keep an eye on the conference blog for updates and reports during the conference.

The other conference next week is the Revival Conference, hosted by Sermon Index. Registration is still open, and it’s free—so if you can make it down to Atlanta, Georgia next week, consider attending! There will be a live webcast of the conference on the conference website starting on October 21, so if you can’t make it, you can still participate online.

That’s a busy week—hope you can attend one of these conferences!

This week on Gospel.com we’re looking at The Transfiguration, that awesome event in which Jesus shone like the sun, spoke with Elijah and Moses and was blessed by God. The apostles’ terror is understandable.

Read the story of the transfiguration from Matthew 17v1-9.

And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him.

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.”

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.” When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were terrified.

But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Rise, and have no fear.” And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only. And as they were coming down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, “Tell no one the vision, until the Son of Man is raised from the dead.”