The Mount of Counsel: "When Jesus Sought Wisdom Before the Cross"

How the Transfiguration Reveals Leadership Vulnerability, Divine Dialogue, and the Path to Purpose

Introduction:

I started this journey deeply intrigued by the dual names of the same mountain—Horeb and Sinai. Why would Scripture refer to it in two different ways? What was the significance behind each name? That question pulled me deeper, especially when I realized that two of the most pivotal leaders to encounter God on that mountain—Moses and Elijah—would later appear again.

But this time, they weren’t on Horeb or Sinai. They were standing on the Mount of Transfiguration, talking to Jesus.

That stopped me in my tracks.

It wasn’t the same mountain. It wasn’t the same moment in history. But the symbolism couldn’t be ignored. Why Moses? Why Elijah? And why then—right before Jesus begins His journey to the cross?

As I sat with those questions, I realized something I’ve often done in my own leadership journey: I seek counsel. I look for those who have navigated deep waters, those who’ve had to wrestle with calling, crisis, identity, and the pressure to lead. I search for insight from people who have experienced things before me—and I wonder how they maneuvered their challenges.

Then it hit me. I whispered: “Thank you, Holy Spirit.”

Because in that moment, I saw Jesus—not just as the Son of God, but as the Son of Man, stepping into the most sacrificial part of His assignment. And even He, in His humanity, paused to commune with two purpose-driven, anointed leaders who had walked before Him.

Jesus didn’t need their affirmation. He sought their presence, their counsel, their understanding of what it costs to obey. And in that, I saw a deeper truth about leadership—not just what it requires of us, but what it invites us into: sacred conversation, divine counsel, and holy vulnerability.

Mount of Transfiguration: Where Heaven Confirms Leadership and Destiny

The Mount of Transfiguration is one of the most spiritually charged and theologically rich moments in the life of Jesus. Recorded in the synoptic Gospels (Matthew 17:1–8, Mark 9:2–8, Luke 9:28–36), it captures Jesus in a pivotal transition—on the threshold of His suffering and death. It is here, on a high mountain traditionally identified as Mount Tabor, that Jesus is transfigured in radiant glory before three of His disciples: Peter, James, and John.

What makes this moment so profound is not only the revelation of Jesus’ divine nature, but the fact that Moses and Elijah appear and converse with Him. These two towering figures of the Old Testament—Moses, the lawgiver, and Elijah, the prophet—stand with Jesus, affirming Him as the fulfillment of both the Law and the Prophets. Yet there is more than affirmation here. There is fellowship, counsel, and a deeply human moment of divine solidarity.

Jesus Seeking Counsel: The Humanity of the Son of Man

While Jesus is fully divine, He is also fully human—the Son of Man. In this moment of luminous glory, we glimpse the vulnerable reality that Jesus is preparing to face betrayal, suffering, and crucifixion. The appearance of Moses and Elijah may not only symbolize Jesus fulfilling their legacy—it may also represent a moment of mentorship.

Both Moses and Elijah were men who encountered God on Mount Horeb in moments of exhaustion and uncertainty. Moses wrestled with his calling and bore the weight of leading a nation from slavery to covenant. Elijah fled to Horeb at the brink of despair, questioning his own significance. Each of them navigated a wilderness season, heard God’s voice, and returned with renewed resolve to carry out God’s plans.

In this light, Jesus is not simply receiving ceremonial affirmation—He is confiding in those who have walked the rugged terrain of transformative leadership. The conversation between Jesus, Moses, and Elijah becomes sacred space: the Son of Man, in His human vulnerability, seeks strength and clarity from those who know what it means to lead through fire, failure, wilderness, and obedience.

This theme of divine consultation and inner clarity continues throughout Jesus’ ministry—even when He was not physically on a mountain. In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus again seeks space away from the crowd. He confides in His Father, expressing anguish: "Not my will, but Yours be done" (Luke 22:42). This was not a mountaintop—but it was a spiritual summit. It was a moment of both surrender and solidarity with heaven’s will.

And from the cross, He utters the haunting and holy cry: "My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?" (Matthew 27:46). These are not just words of pain—they are the words of a leader who continues in purpose even when presence feels absent.

The Meaning Behind the Names: Mount Horeb, Mount Sinai, and the Mount of Transfiguration

Throughout Scripture, God meets His leaders on mountains. Mount Horeb (also known as Mount Sinai) is where Moses encounters God in the burning bush and later receives the Ten Commandments. It is also where Elijah hears the still small voice that renews his call. These moments are deeply personal, transformative, and directional.

Now, on the Mount of Transfiguration, all three leaders meet. Jesus is not being formed here as Moses and Elijah were—He is being counseled. The glory they glimpsed in fire and whisper is now shining in fullness in front of them. It is the moment where Horeb’s transformation and Sinai’s covenantal structure are brought into divine clarity through Jesus’ path to the cross.

Leadership Phases and Key Words

Why Moses and Elijah?

Moses represents the Law—God’s covenant with His people through commandments, governance, and structure. Elijah represents the Prophets—the call to repentance, truth-telling, and divine direction. Together, they encompass the heart of the Old Testament witness.

By appearing with Jesus, they are not only affirming Him but entering into sacred conversation with Him—offering wisdom from their wilderness journeys. Their presence speaks to the reality that even the Son of Man welcomes counsel. Jesus is not detached from the human experience of leadership burden; rather, He seeks community with those who understand the cost.

Why Peter, James, and John?

Jesus could have experienced this moment alone. Instead, He takes Peter, James, and John—His inner circle—to witness it. These three would later become pillars in the early church. Peter would preach boldly at Pentecost. James would lead the Jerusalem church. John would carry the message of divine love and revelation.

This moment is for them as much as it is for Jesus. They see His glory before they see His suffering. They behold His divinity before His crucifixion so they would understand His identity when everything else looked like defeat.

Jesus invites them into the mystery of leadership—not to dazzle them, but to prepare them. They are not only witnessing a transfiguration; they are observing what it means to seek wisdom in times of great cost.

The Word "Transfiguration" and Its Meaning

The word "transfiguration" comes from the Greek metamorphoō, which means "to be changed into another form." It is the same root as "metamorphosis," indicating not just external change but internal transformation.

This links back to Mount Horeb and Sinai. There, Moses’ face glowed after meeting with God. Elijah was renewed after hearing God’s whisper. But here, Jesus is not reflecting borrowed glory—He is the source. His transfiguration is the preview of the resurrection. It is the radiant unveiling of His divine nature, yet it does not erase His need for communion and counsel.

Reflection Questions for Leaders at Every Level

• Are you in a season where your identity as a leader is being confirmed, not just shaped?

• Who stands beside you in your most defining moments? Are they affirming your call or helping you discern it?

• Have you made space for sacred counsel—from those who have carried leadership burdens before you?

• Are you, like Jesus, willing to be vulnerable even as you walk in glory?

• Are you prepared to follow God's path not just to revelation, but to sacrifice?

• What does it look like for your leadership to be transfigured—to shift from pressure to purpose, from isolation to intimacy?

• Are you paying attention to the witnesses God places beside you in your most sacred moments?

Final Reflections: The Mountain as a Meeting Place

Throughout Scripture, mountains are not just scenic elevations. They are sacred intersections—places where God confirms callings, reaffirms covenants, and reveals Himself more deeply. The Mount of Transfiguration stands as the culmination of all the mountains that came before it. It is where the voices of the past offer insight for the steps ahead.

If Mount Horeb represents personal transformation, and Mount Sinai represents policy and promise, then the Mount of Transfiguration represents divine consultation and fulfillment. And even off the mountain, like in Gethsemane, Jesus demonstrates that leadership is marked by communion, counsel, and surrender.

Jesus' glory is not a spectacle. It is a sacred invitation into the depths of divine leadership—a space where even the Son of Man confides in those who walked before Him.

May we be leaders who, like Jesus, carry the glory and the cross. May we be witnesses, like Peter, James, and John, who stay awake to the mystery. And may we never forget that every mountain climbed is not just for revelation, but for communion, clarity, and transformation.