The Transfiguration

Introduction

In the previous passage in Matthew’s gospel, we witnessed Jesus tell His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, be mistreated by the religious leaders, be killed, and be raised by the Father to life again.

We noted how difficult this was for the disciples to not only hear, but also to fully comprehend.

Yet, over the coming years, the disciples would not only fully understand - they would declare this good news to the nations, with some even giving their lives for the sake of the Gospel.

The three disciples who witnessed this transfiguration experienced something that is beyond our comprehension. 

Even the accounts that we have in the Gospels can only describe in human terms what actually happened.

Yet when John would later write his Gospel, as a first-hand witness, he penned, 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. (Jn 1:14)

Peter also wrote, 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. (2 Pe 1:16–18)

The testimony of James was that of his life, given as the first of the disciples to be martyred for his faith. About that time Herod the king laid violent hands on some who belonged to the church. He killed James the brother of John with the sword, and when he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. (Acts 12:1–3)

The account of the Transfiguration occurs after Jesus tells His disciples that He must suffer and die, and will then be glorified.

The three disciples then become witnesses to this remarkable event so that after the resurrection they could testify to the glory they saw, to the Father’s voice they heard, and to the validation they witnessed.

Jesus is the Messiah, as Peter has confessed, who would first suffer and then be glorified.

What these men witnessed is the veil being lifted from Jesus’ earthly body so that they might see the glorious reality that He is the Son of the Most High - Emanuel, God with us.

The encouragement for us is, as we saw last week from 2 Corinthians 3:18, is that as we behold the glory of God through His Word, we are being “transformed into the same image.”

And, when Jesus returns, John writes, “we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.” (1 John 3:2)

These incredible truths, in light of the Transfiguration, should give us deep and abiding encouragement in the Good News, that by faith in Jesus we are securely held and will follow Him in glory.

II.Transfiguration (1-8)

So looking at verse 1, we read, And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves.

This event moves Jesus and His disciples somewhere from Caesarea-Philippi to the place of this mountain.

Although there are speculations as to which mountain this is, none of the gospel accounts specify.

We only know they ascended a mountain that was within about a week’s journey from where they were.

Luke’s account tells us that the disciples “were heavy with sleep” before the Transfiguration, which may imply that this event occurred at night.

If that was the case, the experience would have been all the more pronounced in the dark.

Matthew only tells us that they were there “by themselves.” 

Jesus had selected Peter, James, and John - a group that we see from the other gospel accounts were especially close to Jesus (an inner circle).

The purpose, as far as the three understood, in going up was to pray, according to Luke’s gospel.

For Jesus, the purpose was something more.

(1)In part, the law in Deuteronomy 19:15 stated that a testimony could only stand on account of two or three witnesses.

(2)But maybe more importantly, Jesus was equipping His apostles to establish His Church.

(3)And as we have already recounted, each of these have given a testimony to us even in our day through the Scriptures of who Jesus is and what He has done.

Without any other detail or explanation, Matthew records in verse 2, And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light.

What happened in this moment is something that remains mysterious to us in that it is unique.

Yet there are things we can understand about this.

What happened, quite simply, is that the veil of Jesus’ human flesh was lifted for a moment in which the disciples witnessed His glory.

That may be a bit too simplistic - for Jesus is and remains fully God and fully man. 

(1)He didn’t stop being either in this moment.

(2)I think it might be better to see this through the lens of dimensions - that of the physical and spiritual.

(3)The disciples, who are in the physical with Jesus, had the curtain pulled back to see the spiritual.

(4)But I do not believe it was simply a vision either.

There are other examples in Scripture in which we can look to understand this happening:

(1)Moses hid in the cleft of the rock while God’s glory passed by (Ex 33)

(2)Saul on the road to Damascus when the blinding light brought him to his knees (Acts 9)

(a)In both cases, these men got a glimpse of the glory of God from the physical realm.

(b)Both occurred, not as visions, for there were physiological effects afterward.

The face of Moses remained shining when he descended the mountain so that he can to temporarily cover it with a veil

Saul was temporarily blinded from the light

In the same way, the Transfiguration was not a vision but an actual occurrence in the physical realm, so that Peter would even offer to make tents for Jesus, Moses, and Elijah.

Yet it is unique in what happened with Jesus, because He was transfigured.

(1)The word Matthew (and Mark) uses is the Greek word from which we get our English: metamorphosis.

(2)Jesus changed before their very eyes.

(3)Yet we can’t even take our idea of metamorphosis too far, because this is simply the best human word Matthew could use.

(4)There is a mystery that remains.

Yet we know that what the three saw was brilliant light so that His face shown like the sun (the best metaphor they had) and his clothes like white light.

If it was nighttime, all of this would have been even more stunning.

It was an overwhelming experience. 

Then, they saw two more men, And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. (3)

How they knew it was Moses and Elijah, we are not told.

They could have simply been told by Jesus.

Some suggest that Moses may have been carrying stone tablets and Elijah sitting in a chariot - which seems theatrical but not impossible.

They may have known this from the conversation they had together.

We don’t know how - but what is important is that it was Moses and Elijah. 

The bigger question may be, “Why these two?”

Most commentators agree that Moses represented the Law and Elijah the prophets.

Jesus had come to fulfill both, something He explicitly stated, in Matthew 5:17, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.”

Here was a visual confirmation for the three to witness.

(1)To our ears, this may not sound like a big deal - Jesus fulfills the Law and prophets.

(2)But to the people of this day in Israel, this was tremendous.

(3)Their entire lives were built upon and extrapolated from the Law and prophets.

(4)Although they had come to love and trust Jesus, understanding that He would fulfill both, let alone how He would fulfill both, would have left them confounded.

So seeing these two with Jesus was a powerful component of this event.

Being so moved, Peter reacts without really thinking it through, And Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.” (4)

I say that he wasn’t really thinking in part because we understand Peter’s temperament and in part by what he said.

We can commend Peter:

(1)That he recognized this was a momentous thing - “Lord, it is good that we are here.”

(2)He submitted to Jesus, addressing Him as, “Lord,” and then saying, “If you wish…”

(3)That he recognized the honor belonged to others and didn’t think of making a tent for himself

But Peter didn’t understand the significance of what was happening and seems instead to want to prolong the event.

(1)Luke adds the commentary, “not knowing what he said.” (9:33)

(2)Mark tells us that because of fear, he didn’t know what to say. (9:6)

(3)So once again, Peter spoke before he thought.

And so it is notable that before he could even finish the words…

We read in verse 5, He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.”

This cloud is described as bright, meaning it was full of light - it was the shekinah glory of God.

God had manifest Himself throughout Israel’s history in this form.

(1)He used such a cloud to hide His people from the threat of Egypt’s army.

(2)In the desert, the cloud was a guide to the people to lead them during the day.

(3)The cloud appeared over the mercy seat in the tabernacle on the Day of Atonement.

So the cloud was the visual representation of the Father over this event.

If there was any question as to what the cloud represented, the voice that they all heard removed all doubt when the Father spoke.

He uttered the same affirming phrase that occurred at the baptism of Jesus. 

It declared who Jesus was as the Son, and the Father’s approval upon Him, which accomplished three things.

(1)First, it strengthened Jesus as He began preparing to fulfill what He had recently announced - that He must suffer and die.

(2)Second, it clarified to the three disciples who Jesus truly is.

(3)Third, it instructed the three to listen and trust everything Jesus would say.

This final exhortation to listen must have been especially meaningful to Peter who had just recently rebuked Jesus’ words.

This whole event, then, is especially powerful when we consider Peter’s writing later in his epistle, “we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.” (2 Pet 1:16)

Matthew continues in verse 6, When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were terrified.

The radiant light and the powerful voice brought them to an understandable position - they fell on their faces.

Their terror is not surprising, for they witnessed the glory of the Son, and although veiled, the glory of the Father.

Yet Jesus responds to their fear with great mercy, But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Rise, and have no fear.” And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only. (7–8)

Jesus approached them in their dread upon encountering the Holy One, calls them to rise up and encourages them not be afraid. 

Over and over in scripture, the people of God are called to “fear not” but “be of good courage.”

It is rightful and wise to fear God - something we are called to do as well. 

But for those who are is, we can fear (holy respect) without being afraid (scared), because Jesus has removed our condemnation. 

So then we take to heart the promise given to all who are trusting in faith, There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. (Rom 8:1)

H.The Transfiguration ends and the disciples are now with Jesus alone.

III.The Second Elijah (9-13)

After this, they returned to join the others, yet Jesus had further instructions for them. And as they were coming down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, “Tell no one the vision, until the Son of Man is raised from the dead.” (9)

Jesus tells them to keep the messianic secret in a unique way - not to speak of this event until after the resurrection.

By referring to the resurrection, He is pointing them to His ultimate triumph over sin and death.

For it will be then that any and all claims will be realized and proven.

The resurrection will be the validation that His suffering and death was according to the plan and purpose of the Triune God.

Although Jesus uses the word vision, it is referring to what they saw and heard - the particulars of the event which we have already discussed are more than enough proof that it wasn’t simply a mystical vision but an actual occurrence.

To this the disciples respond with what is a curious question. And the disciples asked him, “Then why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?” (10)

Why they asked this, of all the questions they could have asked is puzzling.

Yet they had just seen Elijah with their eyes.

And the scribes taught, in this case correctly, that Elijah would come first, according to the prophecy in Malachi. 

Jesus explained, “Elijah does come, and he will restore all things. But I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they pleased. So also the Son of Man will certainly suffer at their hands.” (11–12)

We have already witnessed the explanation of this prophecy that it is John the Baptist who fulfilled it, having come in the spirit of Elijah.

The restoration of all things that he brought about was through his work of preparing the way for the Messiah.

Jesus would, Himself, bring this about.

Yet, Jesus points them again to His own suffering by reminding them of what John endured.

The people did not recognize him for who he was.

They did to him whatever they pleased.

John suffered and died.

And so will Jesus “certainly suffer at their hands.”

(1)John struggled to believe this is how it would all come about, and even had movements of doubt concerning Jesus while he was in prison.

(2)Now the disciples had to understand the plan for suffering.

(3)They had always believed that the Messiah would come in glory.

(4)Now they were hearing again that He must suffer first.

Verse 13 closes the account with an encouraging turn for these apostles in training, Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist. 

They understood that because the prophecy concerning Elijah had been fulfilled in John, then the timing of Jesus’ arrival was correct.

The pieces of the puzzle were coming together.

IV.Conclusion

The Transfiguration of Jesus was a remarkable, mysterious, and an historic event in both His ministry and the lives of these three disciples.

It revealed to them an assuring experience that Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of God.

He is the One whom the Father calls “beloved” and with Him, He is well-pleased.

They are called to hear and listen to Jesus.

They aren’t to question or rebuke Him as Peter had done.

They are to trust Him and believe all that He tells them.

This includes the very hard things that He must suffer and die.

It also includes the glorious reality that He will be raised by the Father.

For us, we have something better than even this incredible experience that Peter, James, and John had.

For God has given us an even greater revelation in His Word, through which we see the Son in His glory.

What Peter and John would later write, we now have to read and hear again and again that we may know.

We are called to faith and strengthened in our faith because they saw “his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”(Jn 1:14)

I say it is greater than their experience, because after Peter records his testimony to this event in 2 Peter 1, he then adds, 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. (2 Pet 1:19–21)

That prophetic word more fully confirmed in all of Scripture is now on display before us in the Table of our Lord which we approach together today.

In it, Jesus reveals Himself as the One who suffered all that was foretold, died, and was raised by the Father to glory.

We see and taste the bread and wine that testify to His sacrifice for our sins. 

The Gospel is declared to us in this sacrament that we may eat and drink in faith, and be strengthened to step forward in faith.

Just as the Transfiguration calls us to worship Jesus for who He is, so the Table does as well.

The One, full of grace and truth, has come and has laid down His life for all who will trust in Him.

So for all who do trust Him, come to the Table, and taste and see, that the Lord is good and His love endures forever!