Eyes too see and Ears to Hear

The Transfiguration of Jesus

Lk 9:28–36 28 Now about eight days after these sayings he took with him Peter and John and James and went up on the mountain to pray. 29 And as he was praying, the appearance of his face was altered, and his clothing became dazzling white. 30 And behold, two men were talking with him, Moses and Elijah, 31 who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. 32 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. 33 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. 34 As he was saying these things, a cloud came and overshadowed them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. 35 And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him!” 36 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.

Mt 17:1–13. 17 And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. 2 And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. 3 And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. 4 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.” 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.” 6 When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were terrified. 7 But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Rise, and have no fear.” 8 And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only. 9 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.” 10 And the disciples asked him, “Then why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?” 11 He answered, “Elijah does come, and he will restore all things. 12 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.” 13 Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist.

Mk 9:2–13 2 And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, 3 and his clothes became radiant, intensely white, as no one on earth could bleach them. 4 And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus. 5 And Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.” 6 For he did not know what to say, for they were terrified. 7 And a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, “This is my beloved Son; listen to him.” 8 And suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone with them but Jesus only. 9 And as they were coming down the mountain, he charged them to tell no one what they had seen, until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. 10 So they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what this rising from the dead might mean. 11 And they asked him, “Why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?” 12 And he said to them, “Elijah does come first to restore all things. And how is it written of the Son of Man that he should suffer many things and be treated with contempt? 13 But I tell you that Elijah has come, and they did to him whatever they pleased, as it is written of him.”

The Dispute

The dispute as to the location of Jesus transfiguration.. The location of the transfiguration is not expressly detailed in scripture. There are scholars who believe the location is of no importance. Those scholars believe if God wanted for us to know where it happened it would have been plainly detailed in the bible. I believe it is important, and that with some basic deductive reasoning we can come to a decision about its location. In fact, many of the truths of the bible are just below surface level waiting for Gods diligent followers to discover. The Events of the Transfiguration occur six days after Jesus teaches the disciples in Caesarea Philippi.

Mount Tabor… Had been the mountain of popular belief for the setting of the transfiguration for many years. Its’s 47 miles south of Caesarea Philippi. Mount Tabor is only 1800 feet tall. It’s hardly the “high mountain” of Matthew and Mark. After the transfiguration. In Mark 9:30 records “they passed through Galilee” and in 33 “they came to Capernaum”. If the disciples used the existing roads of the time they would have traveled through several cities, none of which are detailed by the 3 gospel writers. Even Mark who often detailed locations Jesus ministered in when the other gospel writers did not. For Jesus and the disciples to go to Capernaum after visiting Mount Tabor it would have 16 miles back the direction they came from, if you didn’t use the roads and went cross country instead. Capernaum would have out of their way. There was also a city on top of Mount Tabor during the time of Jesus. It would not have been an ideal place to be “by themselves” like scripture records.

The Mount of Olives… Is another mountain theorized to be the mountain of transfiguration. The mount of Olives is 120 miles away from Caesarea Philippi. Mark and Matthew record it was 6 days after His teaching in Caesarea Philippi before He led the disciples up a high mountain. It would have taken them 20 miles a day of walking for 6 days to get to the Mount of Olives. As if that wasn’t enough they would then have had to travel almost 100 miles back to reach Capernaum. The Mount of Olives is was also out of the way. This is particularly important when you are traveling by foot. The Mount of Olives is also a short another short mountain standing at 2700 feet tall.

Mount Hermon... But Mount Hermon is only 12 miles away from Caesarea Philippi. It stands at a height of 9200 feet above sea level. Its the tallest mountain in the range that begins in Caesarea Philippi. The crowd that Jesus and His disciples run into when they return is probably the result of people seeing Him leave His disciples in Caesarea Philippi before traveling to the mountain. On a side note, How concerned was Jesus about the gates of Hell being more than the disciples could handle? After all he left 9 of them there? Sounds to me like He really believes the stuff He preaches. Indeed the gates shall not prevail.

The evidence

This mountain range is visible from great distances.... It is 30 miles in length and 15 miles wide. Mount Hermon is located at the northeastern boundary of Israel, on the border between Syria and Lebanon. Melting snow and abundant rainfall on Mount Hermon, form large springs at the base of the mountain that make the main headwaters of the Jordan River.

Think about that for a moment… Out of the mountains flows the waters that feed the Jordan River. The river that travels through the heart of Israel to Galilee and then the Dead Sea. The river that supply's life giving water to so much of the country of Israel. And on the Highest Mountain in that Range, the source for the water that flows into the land of God’s people, Jesus the savior of Gods people, stands.

Lets take a trip back in the Bible to the Israelites as they exited Egypt....

Exodus 17:1-6 All the congregation of the people of Israel moved on from the wilderness of Sin by stages, according to the commandment of the Lord, and camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. 2 Therefore the people quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water to drink.” And Moses said to them, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the Lord?” 3 But the people thirsted there for water, and the people grumbled against Moses and said, “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?” 4 So Moses cried to the Lord, “What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me.” 5 And the Lord said to Moses, “Pass on before the people, taking with you some of the elders of Israel, and take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. 6 Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb, and you shall strike the rock, and water shall come out of it, and the people will drink.” And Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel.

Who church was standing on the rock the Moses struck? It was Jesus.

Who did Moses strike with the staff? It was Jesus.

One of Jesus’s old testament titles fits best here, Rock of our Salvation.

Who took the blow that resulted in the people of God receiving life giving water? Jesus

An now here on this mountain where the headwaters of the Jordan River flow from stands Jesus.

Lets think back to what Jesus tells the woman at the well?

John 4:10 10 Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.”

John 4:13 13 Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

Church I think the location of Jesus’s transfiguration is pretty significant. Peter calls it the Holy mountain later when He is testify about the event we are reading.

2 Peter 1:17-18 17 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,” 18 we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain.

There are no coincidences where God is concerned. The mountain Jesus chose to climb had great spiritual significance. Lets go a little deeper. We have been in the old testament and the new testament during Jesus’s time. Lets check the new testament writings after Jesus left the earth.

Re 22:1–2. 22 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

The lamb of God is none other than Jesus Christ, our source of life giving water. It was Jesus in the old testament. It was Jesus during the new testament and it will be Jesus in our future home in Heaven.

And in the words of Billy Mays… But wait there's more

During prayer… Luke tells us Jesus went up on the mountain to pray. And that during prayer Jesus appearance was altered.

Like the sun… Matthew tells us Jesus face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light.

Jesus is not only the our Rock of salvation, our source of Living Water, but the Light of our life.

Jn 8:12. 12 Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

A light in the darkness, Caesarea Philippi… Remember Jesus had just visited Caesarea Philippi before climbing this mountain. A place so spiritually dark it was believed to be the gates of Hell.

Jn 1:4–5.4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

The light of Jesus at the top… Picture this with me. At the base of that mountain chain lie the temples of false worship and gates of Hell that go with it. But above it on the highest mountain Jesus Christ stands. The light of the world, the Hope of Salvation shinning as bright as a star. Our savior was unafraid to walk into the very gates Hell. Because on the other side He would climb so much Higher, like the Son of Light He is. For the whole world to see.

Lets look at the second half of Revelation 22 that we read before.

Re 22:3–5. 223 No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. 4 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5 And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.

Isaiah 9:1–7.9 But there will be no gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations. 2 The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone. 3 You have multiplied the nation; you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as they are glad when they divide the spoil. 4 For the yoke of his burden, and the staff for his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Midian. 5 For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult and every garment rolled in blood will be burned as fuel for the fire. 6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

Cant you see it church. Jesus Christ was revealing His true nature as the Lamb of God. This is Jesus pointing to what’s to come.

The messengers of the Father

Moses and Elijah... And so two men come to speak with Jesus. These two men are significant.

All three of them ministered… Interestingly Mount Hermon is the one place that Moses, Elijah and Jesus each ministered at during their lifetimes.

Moses forbidden to enter, East of Jordan conquered… Remember that Moses was forbidden by God to enter the promise land. He never made it over the river Jordan to minister. All He could do was look at it from a mountain top. He did however conquer the lands east of the Jordan before Joshua took over and entered the promise land. One of those lands was where Mount Hermon is located.

Dt 3:7–9. 8 So we took the land at that time out of the hand of the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, from the Valley of the Arnon to Mount Hermon 9 (the Sidonians call Hermon Sirion, while the Amorites call it Senir),

Moses and Jesus have more than just that mountain in common… On another mountain, Mountain in Sinai, God came down and gave Moses the Law and the 10 commandments. God Himself spoke with Moses.

Jesus’s face wasn’t the only one to shine in scripture... Moses shares something else with Jesus. Moses’s used to meet with God in the tent of meeting and afterward his face reflected the glory of God. It shined so brightly he had to cover it around the Israelites.

More than a reflection, changed… If the disciples paid close enough attention to what happened to Jesus they would have noticed sometime. Jesus’s face changed. It was transformed. It wasn’t just a reflection of the glory of God. Because Jesus Christ is the glory of the Father seen.

The message of the feeding of the 5000… Before Jesus went to Caesarea Philippi and then the mountain He feed of the 5000. Jesus was demonstrating to the disciples and the crowds that He was the fulfillment of the Law and the commandments. He gave them the Law, the 5 loaves. He gave them the commandments, the tablets, the two fish, and everyone was satisfied. Over and over again Jesus revealed the truth about who He was through the miracles He preformed. The crowds missed it. The disciples missed it.

Moses promised God would raise up another Prophet after him… After Moses led the Isrealites to concur the lands east of the Jordan, including the very mountain Jesus is at, and before He died, He gave them a message from God. There will be another like me. One who speaks with God. One who will deliver God’s message to the people.

Deuteronomy 18:15–19 ““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— just as you desired of the Lord your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly, when you said, ‘Let me not hear again the voice of the Lord my God or see this great fire any more, lest I die.’ And the Lord said to me, ‘They are right in what they have spoken. I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. And I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. And whoever will not listen to my words that he shall speak in my name, I myself will require it of him.”

The messenger of God was delivering same message… The messenger of God, Jesus, was delivering the same message on the mountain that He had been when He feed the 5000. Jesus was the fulfillment of everything in the old testament and the law. All the miracles He preformed pointed to Him. All the scriptures pointed to Him. He was the promised one.

Elijah later fled to a mountain where He met with God the Father like Jesus and Moses... Elijah later fled to Mount Sinai. After Elijah’s confrontation with Ahab the King of Israel where he defeated of all the Prophets of Baal he fleed 40 days and 40 nights in fear of Jezebel. On mount Sinai God reveals Himself to Elijah in an act revelation mercy and encouragement.

The three messengers of God. .. Moses, Elijah and Jesus were unique. God the Father trusted each one of them as His messenger. Moses came with His message of the Law. Elijah came with his message to return to the Law of Moses. Jesus had an entirely new message.

There was a fourth messenger in the account… There was a fourth message delivered on the mountain. God the Father delivered His own message. “This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him!”. God Himself testified that the message Jesus carried. This was God the Fathers enduring message. Jesus’s message was simple. Peace on Earth and goodwill towards men. The law of God has been fulfilled. God and man are restored into right relationship.

They were now pointing to Jesus. ..Elijah was no longer pointing to the Law of Moses and Moses was no longer pointing to the Law given on Mount Sinai. Instead they were now both pointing to Jesus. The Father Himself was pointing to Jesus. The new law being revealed on Mount Hermon. The law of liberty and life.

Romans 8:2 “For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.”

when they became fully awake they saw his glory Lk 9:32… There are truths that only God can reveal. These men had to exit their own slumber to see the truth right in front of them. Jesus has transformed into being so bright that His clothes as Mark puts it “were as white as no one on earth could bleach them”. Let me tell you “no one on earth” is a clue. Jesus Christ may have walked the earth but He wasn't from this world.

As bright as the sun… Matthew says that “His face shone like the sun”. Jesus’s face was as bright as a star. Have you ever tried to look at the sun? It can be done but not for very long before you begin to lose your sight. This is the image Matthew used to describe Jesus display of glory.

Almost missed it… Yet the disciples almost missed it. Luke 9:32 records they were heavy with sleep and woke up only after it had begun. If they had not woke up the account would not even be in our bible. The disciples needed to wake up. This was Jesus’s innermost circle. Later when Jesus asks them to pray with Him before the crucifixion He has to wake them up three times. These same three men who almost missed it the first time fall right back into problem. Asleep to what God is doing.

Are we asleep… Let me ask you do you need to wake up. Are you asleep at the wheel. Is God calling you to deeper spiritual place. Are there revelations He is trying to give you only for you nod off as you grow tired or bored. Jesus was doing the miraculous within sight distance and the disciples could have missed the whole thing. Church God is still moving. God is still revealing. And if you will open your eyes and fix your gaze on Jesus there is no telling what you might see.

8 And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only. Mt 17:8… In the blink of an eye Jesus can reveal the most unimaginable things. If we take our eyes off Jesus by the time we make it back around to focusing on Him the moment may have passed. It may be too late to be a part of what He was trying to show us. In the garden of Gethsemane Jesus woke them up. But on the mountain they just happened to wake. Probably because it had become so bright. Scripture speaks of the faithful servant. The servant who diligently waits on the master. The servant who does well with the little God gives even more will be given. Each little treasure of Gods revelation is the beginning of the multiplication He wants to do in and through us.

“Rise, and have no fear.” Mt 17:7.…In Matthew 17:7 He tells the disciples to “Rise and have no fear”’. What a plain picture of truth we receive in Jesus. When your with Jesus you no longer have need to fear the wrath of God. The judgement of sins is not for those whom Jesus raises up. The humble God blesses but the proud He opposes. The disciples were with the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. WITH JESUS THEY BELONGED IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD.

Closing

So now what… Jesus has revealed Himself through the scriptures What does it mean for us?

There is an idea from Isaiah that Jesus picks up and often repeats during His ministry. The spiritually blind, who have ears and eyes but neither hear nor see, because they choose not to.

Matthew 13:10-17

10 Then the disciples came and said to him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” 11 And he answered them, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. 12 For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 13 This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. 14 Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says: “ ‘ “You will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive.” 15 For this people’s heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.’ 16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. 17 For truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.

Not a parable… Jesus is explaining in the passage we just read why He speaks in parables. Todays scripture was not a parable. But I submit you Jesus preformed miracles for much the same reason. To be a witness to God the Father for anyone who would receive the message. Jesus’s miracles were a message in themselves.

Unsaved… If today you would tell me, I have never followed Jesus. I repeat to you what Jesus Christ himself said “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of Heaven”. God has revealed Jesus Christ His son to you, the savior of the world. Jesus was the secret of God revealed when the time was right. Will you open your eyes and ears to His truth. You can begin a lifelong relationship with God today. All you need to do to begin is repent of yours sins and accept Jesus Christ as you savior. The rest you will figure out as you follow Jesus.

Those who follow Jesus… What does it mean for those of us who already know Jesus? Who have been following Him like the disciples on the mountain that day… . Let me ask you, you who have followed Jesus. Having eyes do you still see, and having ears do you still hear. Are you keeping your eyes focused on Jesus. Will you see what He has to reveal. And when He speaks will you hear Him. Do not grow dull to that voice.