Five mountains

“In the last days the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established as the highest of the mountains; it will be exalted above the hills, and all nations will stream to it.” (Isaiah 2:2)

In the Bible a mountain can symbolize two things. The first thing a mountain can be a symbol for is problems or difficulties that believers face during their lives. We see an example of this in Zechariah 4:7, “What are you, mighty mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become level ground…” Jesus also speaks about mountains as obstacles for the believer: “Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done.” (Matthew 21:21)

The other thing that mountains symbolize is the opposite of problems, difficulties, and obstacles, namely the high points that a believer has throughout life. The place where Abraham was supposed to offer Isaac was a mountain in the region of Moriah. The Lord revealed himself to Abraham there and gave him the greatest promises. (Genesis 22:1-18). Moses received the Ten Commandments on Mt. Sinai. (Exodus 19:20-25; 20:1-17). On Mount Carmel the Lord answered Elijah with fire when he dealt with the idol worshippers among the people. (1 Kings 18:17-40)

Just as mountains were the scenes of high points in the Old Testament, they are also spiritual high points for the believer in the New Testament.

When we study the life of our great role model, Jesus Christ, we see that he was on top of five mountains during his ministry. We should take to heart what these mountains stand for since the believer who follows Jesus will come to them during his or her life. We find all five of them in the Gospel of Matthew.


The first mountain

“Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor.” (4:8)

After fasting for 40 days, Jesus was hungry when the devil came to tempt him. He offered Jesus everything in the world if he would obey him.

The purpose of this temptation is to test us to see whom we will serve. On this mountain we either choose God or the devil. The devil will try as hard as he can to show us what kind of “advantages” we can have by following our desires and doing as he says. He came to Jesus while he was hungry, and he will come to us when we have unmet needs in our lives.

Jesus chose to submit himself to God. Who are you choosing to submit to?


The second mountain

“Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them. He said:” (5:1-2)

After we choose to submit to God, the next high point we come to is the mountain where Jesus teaches us.

We have to exert ourselves in order to get up to where Jesus is. Hiking uphill is not easy, but it is necessary to get to the top of a mountain. This is also what it is like to sit down and spend time with Jesus, letting him teach us through his word. We often read that there were many people around Jesus while he was on earth. However, only his disciples put in the effort to hike up the mountain to meet him. After they met him, they would sit down and Jesus “...began to teach them. He said..”

This is what characterizes those who have been on the second mountain. They choose to set aside time to go where Jesus is. They will hear from him there, and this fellowship will be a highlight of their lives.


The third mountain

“After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light.” (17:1-2)


This mountain is the place where new sides of Jesus are revealed to us. Those who go up this mountain have already been up the first two mountains. They have experienced what David describes: “Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him." (Psalm 34:8)


It is the longing for more of Jesus, not for more teaching, that is the motivating force for those who come to the third mountain. These are disciples who know how strenuous it is to go up the mountain. They know they will pay a high price for going so high. That is why we only see three disciples following Jesus up this high mountain. But when they got there they got to see something that no one else had seen.

Jesus was transfigured before their eyes and they saw his glory!

If our longing is to receive more revelation of Jesus, the Lord will reveal it to us if we are willing to go up on a high mountain where we will be alone with him.

We are the only ones who decide how near we want to be to Jesus: “Come near to God and he will come near to you.” (James 4:8a)


The fourth moutain

“They came to a place called Golgotha (which means “the place of the skull”). There they offered Jesus wine to drink, mixed with gall; but after tasting it, he refused to drink it.” (27:33-34)

Golgotha was a hill that was shaped like a skull. When you get to this place you know what it means to get there. Jesus was crucified and died on this mountain. He knew what was waiting for him and yet he still went there. This is total submission to the will of God.

The apostle Paul went to this mountain. He said, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” (Gal. 2:20)

The longing for Jesus to be glorified in your life is the power behind those who come to this mountain. Paul also said, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” (Phil. 1:21)


The fifth moutain

“Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go.” (28:16)

The fifth and final mountain is where the disciples met the resurrected Jesus Christ. After seeing his beauty and power, the disciples received the Great Commission with the mandate to go out to the entire world and make disciples of all nations. The one who gave them this command could give them this great task because he was the one with all power in heaven and on earth.

What an incredible mountain this is! This is where they got to see Jesus after he had won complete victory over the devil: “…The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.” (1 John 3:8)

When the disciples came back down from this mountain it was with the conviction that he who was in them was greater than he who is in the world. In obedience, they went out into a lost world with the message about Jesus Christ. And the Lord was with them and confirmed his word with signs and wonders.

The five mountains that Jesus was on are still there today, waiting for those who want to follow in Jesus’ footsteps. As time passes, those who follow will be able to turn around and look at the mountains as highlights of their lives.