Sometimes Silence Speaks Volumes

Introduction

Have you ever been somewhere or seen something that caused you to just stop what you were doing and stand in silence and awe?

A moment where there was no need for words, just serine silence. A moment to just take in the beauty of the creator. A situation that no one or nothing could recreate except God Himself and that situation demanded a moment with no words.

As I was thinking about this question, many situations began to come to mind. As many of you know, I used to travel quite a bit and I’ve been very fortunate to see different places and be in many different situations.

A couple of memories that came to mind was the sunrises of Texas. I’m not sure what it was about Texas that caused it but the sunrises there were just magnificent!

Clear, crisp, and magnificent are best words I can use to describe them.

I was fortunate to have dinner on a dock at Chesapeake Bay one time and it was right at sunset. One of the most amazing serine sights I’ve ever witnessed. As the sun set, it reflected off the calm water and created a view like I’ve never seen before. I don’t even have words to describe how beautiful it was.

Then, there was Aruba, where me and my wife went on our honeymoon many years ago now.

I’ll never forget the waters in Aruba as we flew in. They were this turquoise color like I’ve never seen. So beautiful and clear everywhere!

I remember as we flew in just looking out the window at those waters and just thinking to my self how majestic they were!

Then, not too many years ago, it was when Harper was a baby I believe, Ciara and I went to the mountains for vacation and we stayed in a cabin.

The cabin we had sit way up on the side of this hill overlooking this valley below with mountains on both sides. And there was this one morning, we got up and made some coffee and went out on the balcony and the fog had settled in that valley below and all you could see were the mountains rising above the fog on each side with a blanket of fog below our cabin.

And the best part was, the sun was rising over the peaks of one of those mountains. It was one of the most amazing things I’ve ever witnessed!

It was a situation that simply demanded silence. There were no words needed. Just silence.

And in the silence, the creation before me said all it needed to say.

Sometimes, silence speaks volumes.

And the scripture we’re going to be looking at today was one such situation.

A situation that simply demanded silence for what was taking place before the eyes of Peter, James and John.

So, if you have your Bible’s with you and you’re turned to Matthew 17 we will be looking at Verses 1-13. If you have it would you say, Amen?

The Recap

Now, before we get too far into the scripture before us, we need to do a quick recap of the scripture behind us.

If you will remember, Chapters 15-16 were a defining moment in the ministry of Jesus.

Up to Chapter 15, we had seen Jesus disputing with the Pharisees on multiple occasions and healing and performing miracles on a very frequent basis.

But in Chapter 15 things began to seem to escalate.

It’s as if you were to hit the fast forward button on your DVR one click. Life in general seemed to speed up. The ministry of Jesus began to take a bit of different turn.

If you will remember, about middle way through Chapter 15, Jesus took His disciples to the coasts of Tyre and Sidon.

Gentile country. And there a woman from the land of Canaan came to Him asking Him to heal her daughter who was grievously vexed with a devil the Bible says.

This is where if you will remember, she wasn’t taking no for an answer. She cried after Jesus so much that even His disciples began to plead with Him to send her away!

The story ended with the proclamation of this little woman’s great faith!

Then, fast forward to Chapter 16. And in Chapter 16, if you will remember, Jesus asked the disciples who people said He was and then revealed to them His deity and told them of His plans to create the Church.

Then, immediately after this, He began to explain to them how He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things of the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed and raised again the third day.

This is when Peter rebuked the Lord if you will remember and then the Lord rebuked Peter.

And Jesus finished out Chapter 16 by telling the disciples that some of them would not die until they seen the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.

So just in the last Chapter and a half, we see Jesus stepping out of Jewish territory and going to the gentiles; revealing His deity and His plans for a Church; His death, burial and resurrection; and the foretelling of His coming kingdom.

That’s why I say it’s as if someone hit the fast forward button on the ministry and life of Christ.

And now, we pick up here in Chapter 17. It’s been six days since all the excitement of Chapter 16’s revelations.

John Phillips said — Six days had passed since Peter’s confession, time enough for the truth to sink in that there was to be a cross before there was to be a crown.

And we pick up here with the Bible telling us that Jesus takes Peter, James, and John and brings them up to a high mountain apart.

The Three Guests — (Vs. 1)

Now, I want to stop right here for just a second and speak to something that I’ve pondered on more than anything this week.

And it’s the fact that Jesus took Peter, James, and John with Him.

Only 3 out 12. And it’s that # that I’ve been stuck on and studying all week long. Why only 3?

And here’s where I landed. In...

2 Corinthians 13:1 KJV 1900

1 This is the third time I am coming to you. In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established.

Two is company but three’s a crowd.

Two people can consort and come up with a plan and testify but people might say well they just conjured that up. But if you got three people on the same page, telling the same thing, chances are better that it’s true.

In...

Ecclesiastes 4:12 KJV 1900

12 And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

A Pastor friend of mine turned me on some time ago to a little book written by E.W. Bullinger called Numbers in Scripture and E. W. Bullinger says this about the number 3.

Read Excerpt.

3, 3, 3! Everywhere you look there’s the number 3 in God’s word and even as we are going to see here in a second there’s three aspects to what’s about to take place here before our very eyes!

Any time you see the number 3 in Scripture stop and slow down to see it’s significance because you can rest assured there’s something divinely complete about it’s being there!

Here we have Peter, James and John…three chosen vessels to witness something privy to only their eyes so that they in turn, when the time was right might witness to the deity of Christ that they are about to experience.

And the Bible tells us here that Jesus took these 3 men up on a high mountain apart.

There seems to be some disagreement from what I’ve studied on exactly where this mountain is.

Some claim it to be Mount Tabor which lies Southwest of the Sea of Galilee while others claim it to be Mount Hermon which lies Northeast of the Sea of Galilee closer to where the previous story took place in Caesarea Philippi.

I’ve got pictures of both here for you to look at this morning.

So Jesus takes three special guests up on the top of this mountain with Him for a very special purpose which takes place in the next verse.

The Transfiguration — (Vs. 2)

The Bible tells us here that Jesus was “transfigured” before them.

The word “transfigured” is the Greek word (metamorphoomai). It’s where we get our English word “metamorphosis” from.

The word means to change appearance or transform the essential nature of something.

Jesus here, the Bible says, simply began to shine!

His face, His clothes, the very air surrounding Him I personally believe…began to shine as the noonday sun!

Mark 9:3 KJV 1900

3 And his raiment became shining, exceeding white as snow; so as no fuller on earth can white them.

John Phillips — The Lord was changed so that the glorious magnificence of His perfect, sinless, holy humanity could be displayed.

Warren Wiersbe — A metamorphosis is a change on the outside that comes from the inside. When a caterpillar builds a cocoon and later emerges as a butterfly, it is due to the process of metamorphosis. Our Lord’s glory was not reflected but radiated from within. There was a change on the outside that came from within as He allowed His essential glory to shine forth.

Hebrews 1:3 KJV 1900

3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;

Many years later, John recalled this event as the Spirit guided him to write: “And we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).

Can you imagine the scene before these men?

All of a sudden, the man you have been following for a couple years now just begins to shine!

I can only imagine the radiance that began emanating from Christ was such as these men had no option but to shield their eyes.

Transfigured right before them and then, as if that weren’t amazing enough, something else happens that cannot be explained by mortal man.

Look down at Verse 3 at The Two Visitors.

The Two Visitors — (Vs. 3)

Not only do we have Jesus transformed into pure light, now we have two of the greatest men of the Old Testament standing here talking with Him!

Moses had been dead for around 1300-1400 years and Elijah had been dead for around 800-900 years or so and yet, here they stand alive as they’ve ever been speaking with Jesus who has been transformed into this amazing picture of light!

John Phillips — Seven persons were present on the mount. They were gathered in three groups: (1) Peter, James, and John; (2) Moses and Elijah; (3) Jesus and the Father. Two of the seven came out of the past (Moses and Elijah); three were from the present (Peter, James, and John); two came out of eternity (Jesus and the Father). The Old Testament was represented by Moses, who stood for the Law, and by Elijah, who stood for the Prophets. The New Testament was represented by Peter, James, and John. James, the first of the apostles to die, was the church’s martyr; John was the church’s mystic; Peter was the church’s messenger, commissioned to fling wide its gates to Jew and Gentile alike.

Now, I want you to put yourself there, in this very moment for just a second.

What would be running through your mind?

How would you react?

I can’t imagine what was running through the minds of the disciples but in the next verse we get a glimpse of their reaction.

The Foolish Talk of Peter — (Vs. 4)

Mark 9:6 NLT

6 He said this because he didn’t really know what else to say, for they were all terrified.

Luke 9:33 NLT

33 As Moses and Elijah were starting to leave, Peter, not even knowing what he was saying, blurted out, “Master, it’s wonderful for us to be here! Let’s make three shelters as memorials—one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”

Like...this is one of those instances where Peter would have been so much better off just keeping his mouth shut and just taking in the moment but poor Peter did what he does best…he opened his mouth and inserted his foot!

Now look at the Teaching Moment from Above that comes next in Verse 5.

The Teaching Moment from Above — (Vs. 5-8)

While Peter is spouting nonsense, all of a sudden a cloud covers the mountain where they are and a voice comes out of the cloud and says...

“This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased: hear ye Him.”

I can just see James and John as the voice comes from above… “oh Peter, you’ve done it now! Why can’t you just keep your big mouth shut! We’ve had it this time!”

As the voice comes from above, fear falls on the disciples and they all fall on their faces because of their fear.

I want to take a second here and say this is the same thing that happened to John when he encountered the risen Christ in the Book of Revelation.

He fell on his face as a dead man when he saw Christ in his Kingdom form!

And the Bible says that there’s coming a day dear friend when every knee will bow of things in heaven, and things in the earth and things under the earth and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father!

There’s no if’s, and’s or but’s about it so if you haven’t made that move yet, what are you waiting for?

Bow today! Bow right now and make Jesus Lord of your life!

Because the reality is, one way or another you’re going to bow. whether it’s on this side of eternity of your own choice or on that side by command.

You’re much better off to make Him Lord now than you be made to bow there for dear friend if you wait to be made to bow, eternity for you will not end so well.

You will be cast into a place of outer darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth!

A place where the fire is never quenched and the worm dieth not but you can escape that wrath this morning by simply believing upon the Lord Jesus Christ and making Him Lord of your life today!

At the end of the teaching lesson on the mountain, Jesus comes and touches Peter, James, and John and says, “come on boys, it’s time to go.”

The Teaching Continued — (9-13)

The Application for Today

A Time of Separation

A Time of Silence