“For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty” (2 Peter 1:16 ESV).
For those who were inclined to dismiss the report of Jesus’ transfiguration as a myth or legend, the Apostle Peter made certain to emphasize the historical nature of that event when he said, “…we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty” (NKJV).
Peter then reiterated his testimony in the following verse: “For example, we were eyewitnesses when he received honor and glory from God the Father and when the voice of our majestic God spoke these words to him: ‘This is my Son, whom I love and in whom I delight.’ We heard that voice speak to him from heaven when we were with him on the holy mountain” (2 Peter 1:17 GW).
It was that kind of testimony that prompted a contemporary law enforcement officer (now retired) to make the following observation…
“Growing up as a skeptic, I never thought of the biblical narrative as an eyewitness account. Instead, I saw it as something more akin to religious mythology -a series of stories designed to make a point. But when I read through the Gospels (and then the letters that followed them), it appeared clear that the writers of Scripture identified themselves as eyewitnesses and viewed their writings as testimony. Peter identified himself as a ‘witness of the sufferings of Christ’ (1Pet.5:1) and as one of many ‘eyewitnesses of His majesty’ (2 Pet. 1:16-17).” (1)
So this event was something that was clearly etched in Peter’s memory. You see, this vivid account of what took place on the mount of transfiguration reveals the profound impact of that experience upon Peter. He thus assured his readers that Jesus’ transfiguration was no story, myth, or legend. Peter was absolutely certain about what he saw and heard, and that led him to say in effect, “My statements regarding what happened are based on my personal experience, and I can attest to their accuracy.”
Much like Peter, James, and John on the mount of transfiguration, we may also discover that Jesus is greater than we expected. The miracle that Peter speaks of was not so much related to Jesus’ transfiguration. The real miracle lay in the fact that His power, glory, and majestic perfection had previously remained hidden from view.
(1) J Warner Wallace. Cold-Case Christianity : A Homicide Detective Investigates the Claims of the Gospels. Colorado Springs, Co, David C Cook, 2013. [pg. 80] https://coldcasechristianity.com/