An Appearance of Christ in His Glory

Introduction

The Transfiguration

Our text begins and we are told that six days after Jesus taught his disciples about the cost of discipleship, and after he had told them that some there would not taste death until they saw Christ coming in his Kingdom, Jesus takes Peter, James, and John up a mountain. These three disciples are sometimes referred to as the inner circle; although Jesus had more than twelve followers, he had twelve Apostles and of these Apostles these three were the closest to him. Peter was the rock, the first one to make a definite confession of Jesus as the Son of God and future leader of the first church in Jerusalem, James the son of Zebedee and the first of the Apostles to be killed as a martyr, and his brother John the disciple whom Jesus loved and the last living Apostle in Church History.

While Matthew and Mark both say six days, Luke says about eight days. It may be that Luke is counting days differently, perhaps including the day Jesus spoke these last words and the day they ascended the mountain, but most likely these authors are not trying to be precise in a manner that we might be if we said about a week or be there in 5 minutes. This is meant to give us a rough time estimate, not an exact timing.

The actual mountain this refers to is not clarified in our text, and doesn’t seem important to the author. It may have been Mount Hermon close to Caesarea-Philippi, but it is not certain. That it is a mountain is important, however, as we will soon see.

Verse 2 tells us “and he was transfigured before them”. What exactly does this mean? The Greek word translated transfigured is actually where we get the word metamorphosis from. It refers to a transformation that is either purely visible or is an actual change in the person being transfigured. In this case, Jesus’ transformation is one in which his true, glorious self is made visible.

Jesus the New Moses

There are several details in this account that are very significant. At the root of these details are the two figures that appear with Jesus on the Mountain, Moses and Elijah.

Are these simply two random characters from the OT? Not at all. Their presence here illuminates the meaning of this glorious experience. Both men had extraordinary experiences with God on mountains. Both men were prophets. For now, we will focus on Moses.

Indeed, everything in this episode of Christ’s ministry is meant to remind us of Moses’ ministry. The six days are like the six days in which the cloud covered Mount Sinai before God spoke to Moses. The complexion of Jesus’ face is of shining glory, just as Moses face was when he came down from the mountain and had to hide that glory with a veil. The presence of God there was in a cloud which covered the mountain and the voice that called out for Moses then now calls out as a divine witness to who Jesus is. Clearly, this is more than simply a surprising spectical: for anyone familiar with the Torah, it has great significance. The transformation of Jesus sets him as a new and better Moses.

And why is a new and better Moses necessary? It is well known in the OT that Moses ministry, though greater than any other prophet, was marred by his sin in striking the rock which disqualified him from leading God’s people into the promised land. He died and was himself never able to enter because of his failure, even though he was a man so righteous that he talked to God face to face in the tent of meeting and was allowed to see the back of God’s glorious presence.

And yet, Moses had prophesied that another prophet like him would be raised up to lead God’s people. Deut 18:15

Deuteronomy 18:15 ESV

“The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers—it is to him you shall listen—

There was an expectation that a new Moses would come, and if a new than a better Moses, for he would be able to finally deliver God’s people into the promised land.

There is much in the NT that points to Jesus as a new and better Moses. Like Moses, Jesus narrowly escaped the grip of an infanticidal king. Like Moses, he went into the wilderness fasting just as Moses did on Mt Sinai for 40 days and nights. When tempted, Jesus quoted to Satan from the writings of Moses. He, like Moses, brought down God’s word on a mountain. Heb 3:3-6

Hebrews 3:3–6 ESV

For Jesus has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses—as much more glory as the builder of a house has more honor than the house itself. (For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.) Now Moses was faithful in all God’s house as a servant, to testify to the things that were to be spoken later, but Christ is faithful over God’s house as a son. And we are his house, if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope.

Moses is a very unique person in the OT. He was a prophet first and foremost, a man God used to reveal himself to his people. But beyond that, he also had the role of a king as he led God’s people in an authoritative role. He also acted as a priest. Not only was he a Levite, the tribe of Israel’s priests, but he played the part by often interceding on Israel’s behalf. If it were not for his prayers, Israel would have been destroyed for their disobedience. Moses is what we call a type of Christ. He fills a role that foreshadowed the role which Jesus fills for us spiritually. Jesus is our prophet, meaning he reveals God to us in the most perfect way. He is King, meaning he leads us out of the tyranny of sin and Satan and into His Kingdom. He is priest because he intercedes for us so that we may be forgiven and reconciled with God.

Moses’ presence on this mountain points us to the new Moses who has come, not in a basket, but in a manger. Not to save us from Egyptian slavery, but slavery from sin and Satan. Not through a desert, but through the world. Not into the land of Canaan, but into a better promised land; a new creation!

The Aftermath: The Coming of Elijah

But what about Elijah? Why is he important here? Luckily, we get an explanation at the end of the text. In verse 10 the disciples ask why the scribes say that Elijah must come before the Messiah. Jesus confirms this, and indeed they had a Biblical reason to believe this. Mal 4:5-6

Malachi 4:5–6 ESV

“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.”

In other words, Elijah would come before the Messiah to call the people to repentance, so that the coming of God’s King would not bring destructive judgement. Elijah was a prophet whose job it was to call Israel to repentance so that they wouldn’t be condemned at the coming of the Lord. Jesus tells the disciples that Elijah does come, and that he had already come but was persecuted, a precursor to what they would do to Jesus. DA Carson believes that the disciples question is connected with Jesus’ reminding them of his coming resurrection in verse 9. They are confused about this because isn’t Elijah supposed to restore Israel before the King arrives? Isn’t he supposed to turn people’s hearts to repentance, the fathers to the children and the children to the fathers, before God comes?

So Jesus answer confirms that Elijah had come, that is someone playing the prophetic role of Elijah. John the Baptist called Israel to repentance, just like Elijah, and he was killed for his ministry. The disciples expect that Elijah’s preaching would universally call people to repentance, but this isn’t the case. Although some would listen and repent, the religious leaders and the king were not among them. They killed John and they would kill Christ as well. The disciple’s and scribes expectation is not quite accurate. While they expected a sudden revival of all Israel, only those whose hearts were softened by the Holy Spirit and called from all the earth would come to know God in his Kingdom. Again, we see the disciples expecting a more visible introduction of the Christ rather than one which is hidden.

Why the Transfiguration Matters

Again, we are faced with the question: why does this event matter to us?

God works in exactly the way he promised: and yet completely unexpectedly. The glory of providence.

The glories of the OT all come together in a beautiful scene here. Peter asks about making tents, probably thinking about the feast of booths and the eschatological implications of it. The appearance of the cloud and the voice proclaims before the disciples the truth about Jesus. Just as the Israelites heard the voice from the mountain and knew God had chosen Moses, these disciples here the same voice and know that Jesus is indeed God’s Son.

Fear is the natural result of such an encounter with God, but Jesus dispells their fear and the vision. In this life they simply are not able to see Christ’s glory revealed so visibly. It is no wonder that at the coming of Christ the nations are said to mourn. The presence of God is fearful, but Jesus dispels those fears. In God’s presence is the expectation of judgement, but Jesus’ is the comforter. We can never love Christ until we have a fear of God. But when that fear is rooted in our hearts, the mercy of Christ is our one desire and it is freely given.

Our hope and expectation as Christians from these three witnesses, given to us in three gospels, is that this glory exists and that we shall see it ourselves. Acts 1:9-11

Acts 1:9–11 ESV

And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”

Not only this, but inwardly we are undergoing a transfiguration ourselves. Paul uses the same word when describing Christian sanctification and growth: 2 Cor 3:18

2 Corinthians 3:18 ESV

And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

Now we behold that glory by faith and are being transformed inwardly into his glorious likeness. Then we will behold him in sight and will be transformed bodily to be as he now is in heaven at the Father’s right hand.

Finally, in this text it is made clear how different it is what the world sees in Jesus and what the believer does. The Pharisees and Sadducees demanded signs, Jesus gave them none. Peter freely confessed Christ, and he was given this glorious sight. The eyes of faith see plainly what is hidden from the world because it is hidden from sight. Though it is hidden now, it will soon be revealed in his coming. Take courage, put your hand to the plow, labour while this age lasts. The time of things seen is passing away, and the unseen glories are about to be revealed. The Pharisees thought it would be obvious when the Christ came, but pride and self-righteousness hid his coming from their eyes.

We worship a God who is pleased to both hide himself and show himself. He hides himself in plain sight in the created world, in the Scriptures, and in the coming of Christ in human flesh. In these same things he reveals himself to those who believe. 1 Pet 1:8

1 Peter 1:8 ESV

Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory,

If you do not know Christ, come and seek him while he may be found. God is not stingy in revealing himself to those who truly seek him, but that search must be genuine. Seek Christ in the Scriptures, seek him in the lives of his saints, seek him in prayer. Seek the Lord while he hides himself from those who do not seek, for the day is coming when every eye will see him. Those who beheld him before by faith will rejoice, and those who kept their eyes blinded will mourn.