On this day in history, June 20th in 1969, the United States Apollo 11 landed on the moon and Neil Armstrong said as he walked on that moon that it was “One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”
The Apollo mission launched from Kennedy Space Center in Florida four days earlier. After a grueling and competitive NASA astronaut program, three military pilots with extensive experience were chosen: Neil Armstrong, Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin, and Michael Collins.
On July 20th, the lunar module with Armstrong and Aldrin landed on the moon and flew onto the lunar surface. Due to the moon’s lack of atmosphere and tough terrain, Aldrin had the very difficult job of avoiding landing in a large crater. Aldrin joined him on walking on the moon for nearly twenty-one hours. They conducted scientific experiments, collected rock and soil samples, took photographs, and planted the American flag.
Meanwhile, Collins remained in orbit around the moon in the command module. After completing their lunar surface operations, Armstrong and Aldrin rejoined Collins in lunar orbit, which was another incredible feat. The Apollo 11 mission faced significant risks, including the unprecedented challenge of landing humans on the lunar surface and safely returning them to earth.
Apollo 11’s success was a truly remarkable achievement of space exploration involving thousands of scientists, engineers and manufacturers. (For more about the personal stories of the astronauts who have traveled to the men, I recommend: A Man on the Moon: The Voyages of the Apollo Astronauts by Andrew Chaikin.)
In reflection of this incredible moment in history, I am drawn to think about Michael Collins, the man that ensured that the team could arrive home safely, but did not get to walk on the moon. Didn’t he feel left out?
This feeling of being left out is a similar experience nine of Christ’s disciples had after a truly glorious experience that three other disciples had with Christ.
Jesus selected Peter, John and James to go with Him to a mountain to pray. Christ appeared in an “altered” state of “dazzling” (Luke 9:29) appearance and Moses and Elijah “appeared [with Christ] in glory and spoke of his [Christ’s] departure” (Luke 9:30). This experience awoke Peter, John and James out of their tiredness and Peter asked what the other two were also likely thinking: “‘It is good that we are here. Let us make three tents”’ (Luke 9:33). Yet as he was speaking a cloud came and a voice spoke through the cloud “‘This [Jesus] is my Chosen One; listen to him!”’ (Luke 9:39) and they left and did not speak of what they had experienced.
Although the other nine disciples did not know that Jesus was transfigured before the other three, and that God spoke directly to them, they could likely perceive that this ‘mountain-top’ experience transformed them. For Peter, James and John, this would be a life-altering experience; like walking on the moon.
How did the nine cope with being left out? And what lessons can we learn when we feel left out, even as Jesus’ disciples?
The truth is that the nine disciples were temporarily left out of experiencing His glory on that mountain, but they are not left out experiencing His glory for all eternity. If the nine, like Peter, thought that Christ’s glory was momentary, scarce or limited they would have felt left out. However, they realized fully in the Resurrection that the transfiguration was a foreshadow of the full glory in Christ that awaits all disciples in heaven.
Peter thought that experiencing Christ’s glory in the transfiguration was a one-off event where it seemed logical to make tents and dwell. Yet as Charles Spurgeon stated, the one-off event was that Christ restrained His glory in His humanity on earth [1].
Theologian Kent Hughes stated: “For a brief moment the veil of his [Jesus’] humanity was lifted, and his true essence was allowed to shine through [in the transfiguration]. The glory which was always in the depths of his being rose to the surface for that one time in his earthly life. Or put another way, he slipped back into eternity, to his pre-human glory. It was a glance back and a look forward into his future glory [2].
In our humanity we want to experience glory. Michael Collins experienced seeing earth from outer space as “a glorious sight” [3]. However true, lasting, “dazzling” (Luke 9:29), transforming glory is only in Christ. And through Christ’s death, all who believe will see the glory of God (John 11:40).
God’s grace in granting sinful humans like you and me access to His glory is gloriously out of this world.
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[1] Charles Spurgeon, “Christ’s Transfigured Face,” The Spurgeon Center, accessed July 20, 2024, https://www.spurgeon.org/resource-library/sermons/christs-transfigured-face/#flipbook/.
[2] R. Kent Hughes, Mark: Jesus, Servant and Savior (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 1989), 17.)
[3] “Michael Collins: Apollo 11 Command Module Pilot,” JFK Library, accessed July 20, 2024, https://www.jfklibrary.org/about-us/social-media-podcasts-and-apps/jfk35-podcast/season-25-apollo-11-at-50/michael-collins/transcript.