Hiking up a mountain is an exhilarating experience, and helps give us perspective. Jesus goes up a mountain with Peter, James, and John and is transfigured before them as his heavenly glory and splendor are revealed for a fleeting moment. Jesus goes up the mountain only to come back down again - back down to set his face toward Jerusalem, and go up another mountain, Mount Calvary, and to the cross where he would pay the price of his own life for our sin.. It's very tempting for us to stay up on the mount of transfiguration, but we follow Jesus back down to the valley, knowing that he leads us forth to new life.