Opening Prayer
The scripture reading for our meditation this morning is taken from our Gospel reading: "This is my beloved Son, listen to Him!"
Today, we see what I think is one of Jesus’ most glorious miracles. But Jesus didn’t perform it! God did! But we are getting ahead of our story.
Transfiguration Sunday marks the transition from the Christmas season to the Lent and Easter Season. Throughout the season of Epiphany, we have heard how Jesus was revealed as the Son of God and Messiah in His words and actions. The identity of Jesus as the Son of God is confirmed beyond a doubt in the Gospel reading today, how He was revealed in all His glory on the Mount of Transfiguration. From this time on, Jesus “set His face toward Jerusalem” where He will suffer and die on our behalf, and be raised to life again. Today we rejoice in the revelation of His glory, and we set our minds on that journey which He took for us, and in our place.
The Transfiguration story we heard today is related in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke. The verses before the Transfiguration narrative set the tone for today’s Gospel reading. Let’s try and put ourselves in the place of the disciples. In the weeks and months before this, His disciples had seen Him change water into wine, heal the sick, give sight to the blind, exorcise demons, feed thousands of people from a couple of loaves of bread and a few fish, and walk on water. Then Matthew relates the story as follows: Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, He asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Peter saw who Jesus really was… And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” Then He strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that He was the Christ.
Jesus was not a common man or even a prophet! He confirmed to them in plain words that He was the long awaited Messiah, the Christ, the Son of the Living God!
But He also told them not to tell anyone. Scripture says: From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. And Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, "Far be it from You, Lord! This shall never happen to You.” But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are a hindrance to Me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”
These were scary words. Jesus called Peter Satan! Do you think that He meant it? What do you suppose Peter thought when Jesus said this? I am sure that he was confused.
But Jesus did tell them, in plain words, that He would go to Jerusalem… that He would suffer many things from the religious leaders… that He would be killed and would be raised on the third day.
Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me.”
A cross? What was He saying? That’s like saying “take up your electric chair and follow me.” A cross was a means of capital punishment for criminals – it didn’t make any sense!
We have the benefit of hindsight – we know what happened. But, I am sure that they were definitely confused.
For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his life? Or what shall a man give in return for his life? For the Son of Man is going to come with His angels in the glory of His Father, and then He will repay each person according to what he has done. Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.”
This was a prophesy of His suffering, death and resurrection… and was hard medicine for His disciples to take… and very confusing.
Then six days later, Jesus took three of His disciples, Peter, James and John, with Him up to a high mountain… …Luke says that He went up to pray, as was His custom. Which mountain, we do not know – some think Mount Tabor, others think Mount Hermon. I don’t think it matters much – scripture is fulfilled either way. Psalm 89:12 says: Tabor and Hermon shall rejoice in Your name.
Then, right in front of the disciples, His appearance was changed… transformed… or as the Bible says, transfigured. Jesus became a bright, bright white. And not just Him but His clothing. There are two words here: bright and white. The various Gospels say bright like the sun and dazzling, glistening. One commentator painted this picture:
Think of a dark stormy night with large, strong, bright flashes of lightning that fill the sky – they hurt your eyes!
That bright! And whiter than the whitest white, intensely white…
This was the “God-Man”, transformed to His heavenly glory right before them.
And then…
Two men appeared and were talking with Jesus. They were bright and white, too. And they were Moses and Elijah. What a spectacular vision! And the disciples got a peek at it! They were totally awe struck! They didn’t know what to say! Peter babbled something about putting up three tents, one for Moses, one for Elijah and one for Jesus! They were scared!
Peter actually said “Lord… Rabbi… Master… it is good that we are here” And he meant it! They were in the middle of a glimpse of eternity… …Jesus in His eternal glory with these two men in their eternal glory, by the grace of God. Here, in person, was a perfect harmony – the law, the prophets and the Gospel.
We can ask, “Why did God do this?”, for Jesus did not perform this miracle. That is one of the reasons: to give the disciples… and us… a glimpse of eternal glory. And how much more glorious will the reality be when Christ Himself will be visible to all in eternal transfiguration, and not only Moses and Elijah, but all of the millions of God’s elect in their eternal likenesses will be with Him, talking with Him and praising Him eternally.
Another reason for the Transfiguration is demonstrated by what God did next. While Peter was speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them and Luke says that they were enveloped in it. And out of the cloud came the voice of the living God saying: “This is my beloved Son; listen to Him.”
Peter had confessed it with words… Jesus had verified it with words… and now God the Father confirmed it with action!
“This is my beloved Son; listen to Him.”
Jesus is the Son of the Living God… the Christ… the Messiah. In all of His glory, Jesus shows that He was doing this all voluntarily… He would suffer and die out of obedience to His Father and His love for us.
“This is my beloved Son; listen to Him.”
To all of the seemingly crazy things that Jesus was saying… the Father commanded the disciples… and us… to listen to Him. This was a reassurance that all of this was according to God’s plan and for God’s glory. While the disciples still did not know what was going to happen, they did have this reassurance tucked away until the proper time. And then Jesus told them not to say anything until the proper time.
Immediately, all was as it was before. The cloud was gone, the two men were gone, and Jesus looked just like He did a little while before. They could not stay there. They had work to do, Jesus especially. They had to go back down to the valley.
We have all had “mountaintop” experiences. I have had several incredible ones, many of which I have shared with you all. We feel close to God and close to His people. We don’t want these experiences to end. But they must. God gives us these tiny little pictures of what our eternal life will be like. Some of these for me have been: 12,000 men singing praises to God at a Promise Keepers conference; The funeral for my father, that was the most incredible praise service I have ever joined in; Praying on my knees together with my wife at a marriage conference; The worship service at Christ Memorial sending us here to start this mission.
These are the “mountaintop” experiences of our lives. Some are very simple. Jesus intends that each worship service, each Christian fellowship, be little mountaintop experiences. He promises that “Where two or three are gathered in My name, there am I among them.” He is with us… right here… right now. He has promised. We have a mountaintop experience right here and now, in this worship service
But we will always have to come down from the mountain… we will always have to leave this place… and go down to the valley, until we are united with Him eternally. Like Jesus and His disciples, we have work to do. God gives us a little glimpse of what it will be like in eternity with Him, through Jesus Christ. He gives us these glimpses so that we can hope and yearn for His eternity… …and so that we can share this message of hope with others.
We are called to listen to Jesus, as God commanded. Jesus said: “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him.”
And He said: “Follow Me”
And: “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.”
And: “Love one another… just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
And finally: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
These are Jesus’ words… Listen to Him. AMEN.
And now, may the peace of God, which surpasses all human understand, keep your hearts and your minds, through faith in Christ Jesus, until His triumphant return. AMEN.
