Seeing the Glory of Christ
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The Transfiguration
The Transfiguration
People who have seen the glory of God, or glimpses of it:
Moses, Isaiah, Elijah, Abraham, the shepherds
In today’s passage, Peter, John and James get to see Jesus in a different way than anyone else saw him at that time. But we can look forward to seeing him in his glory if we are in him.
Big Idea: We are given mountaintop experiences to help us persevere through the valleys
Big Idea: We are given mountaintop experiences to help us persevere through the valleys
Recap from earlier in this chapter:
Chapter 9 is a long chapter:
Verses 1-6: Jesus sends out the twelve
They preached and healed
Verses 7-9: Herod is perplexed by Jesus
He was curious about Jesus, and perhaps fearful of him
His curiosity did not save him.
Saving faith is belief, submission, humility.
Herod had none of the marks of a person who has saving faith.
You can believe things about Jesus and even be curious about him and not be saved
Verses 10- 17: Jesus feeds the five thousands
He proved he was Lord of Creation and showed his compassion
Verses 18-20: Peter confesses Jesus as the Christ
People were talking about Jesus
John the Baptist
Elijah or another prophet
Jesus is only truly known to those whom God reveals him to
Verses 21-22: Jesus foretells his death
Verses 23-27: Take up your cross
Following Jesus comes with a cost in this life
We must die with him in order to be raised with him
“Whoever would save his life would lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it… Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed…”
Now between the time Jesus said these things and the next part is about 8 days, Luke tells us.
Now about eight days after these sayings he took with him Peter and John and James and went up on the mountain to pray.
And as he was praying, the appearance of his face was altered, and his clothing became dazzling white.
And behold, two men were talking with him, Moses and Elijah,
who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.
Now Peter and those who were with him were heavy with sleep, but when they became fully awake they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him.
And as the men were parting from him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah”—not knowing what he said.
As he was saying these things, a cloud came and overshadowed them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud.
And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him!”
And when the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and told no one in those days anything of what they had seen.
Now about eight days after these sayings he took with him Peter and John and James and went up on the mountain to pray.
After which sayings?
His foretelling of his death
Take up your cross
Peter and John and James had a week to think about these things. Surely they discussed among each other what it all meant. Luke doesn’t include what Mark and Matthew did in their gospels, that Peter had received a sharp rebuke from Jesus when he objected to Jesus’ statement about his death.
And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again.
And he said this plainly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.
But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”
Surely a good father causes temporary wounds when he disciplines. When Jesus rebuked Peter, this would have been painful. But now Peter has had a week to think over this, and now he is about to see something that will take that sting away: The transfiguration.
Let us remember what they were doing there. They went up the mountain to pray. It isn’t that being on a mountain brings you closer to God, at least in proximity. But he graciously helps us in our prayers. Many people have said they have felt it easier to pray when they have gotten out of their normal routine, either by going up a mountain or going into nature. You may enjoy going to the ocean or to the Wellington preserve and clearing your head for prayer. I encourage you to do this. It is sad that so many people spend their whole life rushing. It reminds me of the screwtape letters, one of the devices of Satan to keep you from prayer is to keep you busy.
And as he was praying, the appearance of his face was altered, and his clothing became dazzling white.
The Shekinah glory
For the cloud of the Lord was on the tabernacle by day, and fire was in it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel throughout all their journeys.
On the day that the tabernacle was set up, the cloud covered the tabernacle, the tent of the testimony. And at evening it was over the tabernacle like the appearance of fire until morning.
And when the priests came out of the Holy Place, a cloud filled the house of the Lord,
so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord.
And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear.
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
The appearance of his face was altered.
His clothing became dazzling white
“As I looked, thrones were placed, and the Ancient of Days took his seat; his clothing was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames; its wheels were burning fire.
The Bible Knowledge Commentary 9:28–31
1. Jesus’ face and clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. This would have immediately reminded those present of Moses’ face shining with a bright light when he received the tablets of the Law (Ex. 34:29–35).
This was quite a sight.
The text does not say if this was night or day
Some believe it was at night and that is why they were sleepy.
And behold, two men were talking with him, Moses and Elijah,
Two key figures in God’s redemptive history
Why these two? The text does not explicitly say.
Some say they represent the law and the prophets
Moses was both prophet and lawgiver
who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.
Matthew Henry:
here it is said that they appeared in glory, to teach us that saints departed are in glory, are in a glorious state; they shine in glory. He being in glory, they appeared with him in glory, as all the saints shall shortly do.
They spoke of his departure, literally “Exodus”. Certainly Moses had some knowledge of departures. The exodus from Egypt and his own departure.
And here are Elijah and Moses, who were saved by faith in a Christ yet to come, standing with and conversing with their Savior, who had not yet completed the Salvation work. We have the gospel looking back to the cross. They had the gospel looking forward to it. Moses had been dead 1400 years, and Elijah about 900. And here they are, still looking forward to the work of Christ on the cross.
Now Peter and those who were with him were heavy with sleep, but when they became fully awake they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him.
This is why some say it happened at night. Not only would the brightness they saw in Christ be in greater contrast to the night, it also would explain why they were sleepy. However, it is also possible it was during the day, for Jesus outshines the sun in its glory, and people can be sleepy in the daytime also.
No Peter has a great idea:
And as the men were parting from him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah”—not knowing what he said.
Peter wants Moses and Elijah to stay. This may be hospitality, it may be impetuous. Maybe both. Peter always had something to say, even when he probably should have kept quiet.
He may also have been thinking of a military type encampment
Perhaps he believed that Jesus was going to begin a conquest with Moses and Elijah as his generals.
He did not know what he said. This could mean the others asked him later and he didn’t remember saying it
or that he didn’t know what to say so he blurted this out.
either way, he was not thinking clearly.
As he was saying these things, a cloud came and overshadowed them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud.
And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him!”
Hebrews tells us that Jesus is better or superior to Moses. The law of Moses and the prophetic writings were expressions of God’s will, but Jesus has the final word. Listen to him!. Heb1.1-2
Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets,
but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Listen to him!
On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink.
Listen to him!
Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
Listen to him!
Kent Hughes:
Luke, Vol. 1—That You May Know the Truth Closing Reflections
Some months later, toward the very end of Jesus’ life, as the cross loomed ever larger, he was in Jerusalem for the Feast of Tabernacles. It was the end of the festival, and the previous night an unforgettable ceremony, the illumination of the temple, had taken place before four massive golden candelabra topped with huge torches. The candelabra were as tall as the highest walls of the temple. At the top of these candelabra were mounted great bowls that held sixty-five liters of oil. There was a ladder for each candelabrum, and when evening came, healthy young priests would light the protruding wicks. Eyewitnesses said that the huge flames that leapt from these torches illuminated not only the temple but much of Jerusalem.
The Mishnah tells us: “Men of piety and good works used to dance before [the candelabra] with burning torches in their hands singing songs and praises and countless Levites played on harps, lyres, cymbals, and trumpets and instruments of music.”7 The exotic rite celebrated the great pillar of fire (the glorious cloud of God’s presence) that led the Israelites during their sojourn in the wilderness, spread its fiery billows over the tabernacle, and later engulfed the temple.
In the temple treasury the following morning, with the charred torches still in place, Jesus lifted his voice above the crowd and proclaimed, “I am the light of the world.” There could scarcely be a more emphatic way to announce one of the supreme truths of his existence. Christ was saying in effect, “The pillar of fire that came between you and the Egyptians, the cloud that guided you by day in the wilderness and illumined the night and enveloped the tabernacle, the glorious cloud that filled Solomon’s temple, was me! I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12).
Peter referred to this event:
For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.
For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,”
we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain.
Peter said this when he was making the case for the reality of scripture! He continued:
And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts,
knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation.
For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
These men had seen God, because Jesus was God in the flesh:
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.
For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.
And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.
Big Idea: We are given mountaintop experiences to help us persevere through the valleys
Big Idea: We are given mountaintop experiences to help us persevere through the valleys
As you can see, this experience was indeed something Peter reminded himself of
Though we were not eyewitnesses of this, their testimony is our witness, and it is reliable.
Jesus is the focus of all history, as Paul wrote. The image of the invisible God, yes. But also the firstborn of all creation. By him all things were created. He is before all things, all things were created through him and for him, in him all things hold together, and his is head of the church.
And his glory will be seen again! The chorus of heaven will sing!
“Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.”
And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth.
And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne.
And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.
And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation,
and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.”
Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands,
saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!”
And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!”
And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” and the elders fell down and worshiped.
If you are in a valley, remember the mountaintop.
If you have had the mountaintop, don’t forget it when you are in the valley!
Since Jesus is Lord of the mountaintop and of the valley, know that he is with you wherever you go if you are His.
He has graciously given us encouragement:
Through the written word
Through the preaching of the word
Through the testimonies of the saints
Through the mountaintop experiences
So when you are in the valleys, look up! And remember that no matter how dark things seem, for the one in Christ, the Lord will be seen in glory once again!
May God grant us the faith of Job, who in his darkest trial, had faith to see that Redeemer whose name he did not know, but you and I know! In one of the greatest seasons of trial in recorded history, Job looked up! He looked forward! He had concrete faith that a Redeemer would come.
“Oh that my words were written! Oh that they were inscribed in a book!
Oh that with an iron pen and lead they were engraved in the rock forever!
For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth.
And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God,
whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. My heart faints within me!