Something Extraordinary
YAFI 2025 • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Have you ever had an extraordinary experience in your life? Maybe you’ve seen something or been a part of something that is truly amazing. We call it extraordinary because it is just that, extra ordinary. Far from the normal, these experiences blow our minds and leave us in awe. We’re going to talk about such an event today.
YAFI
Question: The transfiguration: What actually happened? What is the significance? Why is this important?
If you’re not familiar with this story today, this is an extra ordinary story. One that shows us something very important about Jesus. You can find accounts of this story in the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. Let’s turn to Mathew 17 and read it together.
And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves.
And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light.
And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him.
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.”
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.”
When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were terrified.
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.
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.”
And the disciples asked him, “Then why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?”
He answered, “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.”
Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist.
Big Idea: Jesus is Lord and Savior.
Today we are going to see two lessons the disciples learned about Jesus through this event. These show us that Jesus is our Lord and Savior, both in His glory, and in His sacrifice. These lessons were crucial to the disciples’ understanding of who Jesus was. They are equally needed for us today.
Lesson 1: Jesus as Lord 1-8
Lesson 1: Jesus as Lord 1-8
The Identity of Jesus
The Identity of Jesus
The first lesson that the disciples were going to learn through this experience centers around who Jesus really needs to be in these disciples’ lives.
Let’s get into the story.
Keep in mind what has just happened in Matthew’s gospel. In chapter 16, Peter confessed Jesus not just as a great prophet or good teacher, instead:
Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
What an amazing statement to make! And yet we then find that same Peter six verses later rebuking Jesus for saying he was going to have to die. Finally, we encounter Jesus’ teaching at the end of 16 about taking up one’s cross. Basically Jesus is saying, are you ready to give up everything to follow Me? Listen friends nothing in this life is worth passing up eternity with Jesus (Gotquestions).
So we come to chapter 17. “After 6 days.” The gospel of Mark notes the same, so why does Luke say 8 days? They all are picturing a week timeframe. After about a week, three of the disciples, Peter, John and James go with Jesus up a high mountain. Then something amazing happens:
And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light.
The word “Transfigured” comes from the Greek metamorphoō, which is where we get our word metamorphosis. So Jesus is transformed so that his face shines like the sun, and his clothes become white as light. Mark goes even further:
and his clothes became radiant, intensely white, as no one on earth could bleach them.
Wow, that’s very bright! It reminds us of when Moses in the OT went up on the mountain and was with God.
When Moses came down from Mount Sinai, with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand as he came down from the mountain, Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God.
This is a picture of great and amazing glory! We get a glimpse along with the disciples into Jesus as glorified. This is amazing, and it foreshadows Jesus’ triumphant ressurection and His triumphant return that we eagerly wait for!
But here’s where it gets even wilder: Moses and Elijah show up. We’re not told how the disciples knew it was Moses and Elijah, but what they represent is more clear. These two represent the law and the prophets.
If you don’t know the OT so well, no judgement. Let me give you a bit of insight into it. In the Old Testament we have the law - which was given to Moses for the people of Israel. This law showed God’s people live right before Him and maintain their relationship. It also included laws to help keep them safe and healthy. As sinners, all of us break the law, so God gave the sacrificial system as a means of making things right.
Then we have the prophets: these books (and people) warn God’s people about their straying from Him, about Israel’s (and the world’s) future, and about the Messiah - the Savior - to come. What is amazing is that the law and the prophets both point to Jesus, as does the entire OT! The transfiguration gives us a glimpse into Jesus’ glory before the cross. In doing so it shows us Jesus is greater than the Law or Prophets. Why?
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.”
Peter didn’t really get what he was saying. The way he’s putting this, he’s basically placing Moses and Elijah on the same level as God the Son, Jesus Christ. Here’s the difference: Jesus is God. Moses and Elijah are only servants of God. Peter’s word demonstrated that he hadn’t quite figured that out. But that’s when God the Father intervened:
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 closely follows another time the Father speaks to confirm Jesus’ identity: At His baptism with John the baptist:
and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”
Imagine for a minute that this is you. You’ve already seen Jesus now become bright, shining and seen these two massive figures in Israel’s history come join Him. Peter’s not sure what to say, so he spits out “let’s make some shelters and have you guys stay longer!” Then this great booming voice from a cloud basically says “listen to Him, He’s my Son!
The disciple’s response is to be terrified! Rightly so. Yet we read:
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.
Let’s pause for a minute in this story and ask: why give these three disciples this glimpse of Jesus’ glory to come? This shows them His identity: Jesus is the Savior, Jesus is the King! The greatness of our Lord is revealed here! And it confirms the testimony about Him. Later, the apostle Peter in one of his letters to the churches in Asia minor thinks back to this moment with Jesus:
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.
For the gospel writer Matthew - and for us in turn - the transfiguration serves to authenticate both the majesty of Jesus Christ, and God’s plan to break into the kingdom of this world and bring in His kingdom. Jesus will usher in the kingdom of God in its fullness when he returns. God the Father confirms: This is My Son, listen to Him! So there is a call: If Jesus really is the greatest - and we know He is - then we must listen to Him!
Church, we have a mission - to go into the world and make disciples. But guess what Jesus said when He gave the commission:
teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
We walk in the authority of Jesus, teaching others what we have heard from Him. Remember our big idea:
Big Idea: Jesus is Lord and Savior!
This first lesson shows us the identity of Jesus as Lord, King, and God.
Lesson 2: Jesus as Savior 9-13
Lesson 2: Jesus as Savior 9-13
The Mission of Jesus
The Mission of Jesus
Now we turn to the second lesson the disciples were about to learn as the walked back down the mountain:
The scene switches: They begin again to walk down the mountain, and Jesus says:
“Tell no one the vision, until the Son of Man is raised from the dead.”
Why would Jesus charge them with that? Because the time had not yet come for Jesus to be glorified. Instead, as we have seen prior to this story, Jesus had first to suffer and die, and nothing could get in the way of that.
It starts with a question from them, evidently brought on by Jesus’ command to not tell anyone until after his resurrection.
And the disciples asked him, “Then why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?”
If you were particularly a Jewish man way back when, you would have had at least a decent understanding of the Old Testament law and prophets. No wonder the disciples needed to see Jesus as greater than the Moses and Elijah - they were some of the foremost people in Israel history! Yet now one greater than these both had come.
Anyway, the disciples were aware of and now reference to some OT prophecy about the coming Messiah from the prophet Malachi:
“Remember the law of my servant Moses, the statutes and rules that I commanded him at Horeb for all Israel.
“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes.
Why are they asking this? There’s three possible reasons:
The religious leaders were saying. “Elijah has to come back first, and then the Messiah comes!” So logically then, if Jesus is the Messianic Son, why are the scribes and religious leaders still looking for Elijah?
Does this event we just witnesses count as fulfillment of that prophecy?
Why does Malachi say everything will be restored, but we haven’t seen that yet?
For the disciples, it still hadn’t clicked who this prophecy was talking about, and what this meant for Jesus.
If we flip back to Matthew 11 13-14 we read:
For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John,
and if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who is to come.
See the disciples should have known - and indeed did know - that John the baptist was the “Elijah” who was prophesied. He was the one to come, in the spirit and power of Elijah as a forerunner of the Messiah. He is the one who would be…
A voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
John was this guy! And that’s where Jesus goes with His answer. He cuts through the religious teachers’ blind teaching, and the confusion:
He answered, “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.”
Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist.
So, I don’t know about you, but I read that first sentence about Elijah coming and restoring and I get a bit confused. Honestly, as I consulted commentaries this week, they didn’t know either. Clearly we know Jesus will fully restore what is broken when He comes again. But could this have something to do with Revelation and end times? It’s possible, but not altogether clear.
What is clear is what is answered next: Elijah already has come but they didn’t recognize him. They certainly didn’t! By this time John had been beheaded after suffering in prison. by King Herod. The religious leaders were just as blind, still looking for someone who had already come. So he was not recognized, but suffered. In the same way - Jesus said - He Himself would have to suffer.
So we come to our second lesson: one that centers around OT prophecy and reveals the mission of Jesus. John the baptist - forerunner to the Messiah - had come. So the prophecy was fulfilled. Jesus really is the Messiah, and He has a mission. Go back to verse 9 for a minute:
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.”
Nothing was to hinder Jesus from reaching that cross. Maybe that sounds strange… why wouldn’t we want to hinder that? Why wouldn’t Jesus want to hinder the coming of His own death. Especially such a gruesome one?
This takes us to one of the most fundamental, “gospel in a nutshell” verses in Scripture:
but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Jesus came with a mission. At His first coming Christ came to usher in the kingdom of God. He came to pay the price and be the sacrifice in our place. His death made the way back to God possible. His ressurection guarantees our hope of life with Him in eternity. Even that name - Son of Man - used multiple times in Matthew’s gospel spoke to the suffering and humility of Jesus Christ. He had come to suffer and die. the disciples didn’t want to hear that. Just a chapter earlier in verse 22 we find Peter rebuking Jesus: “Jesus, don’t say stuff like that! It’s not going to happen to you!” Much as it is painful, we should rejoice that Jesus came and did die, because through Him we have life.
Thus Jesus really is Savior and Lord.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Big idea: Jesus is Savior and Lord.
We see this in two lessons: first, that Jesus is Lord. The transfiguration gives the disciples and the reader a glimpse into the glory of Jesus Christ, before He is resurrected. This show us that, beyond a shadow of a doubt, Jesus is God. Greater than Moses, greater than Elijah, Jesus Christ is Lord.
Yet we see Him as Savior as well. Matthew works hard to show Jesus as the One who fulfills the OT prophecy that pointed to the coming Messiah. Jesus is the one to come, with a mission: That mission? To suffer and die and be raised to life again to pay for the sins of the whole world. So that, anyone who believes will receive salvation and eternal life.
You know, there’s a lot of crazy false teaching out there right now that wants to discredit who Jesus really was. Some say He was a good man, but not really God. Others say that he only received God-ship after His death. This passage makes it clear: Jesus is Savior and Lord. He is both fully God and fully man.
So, how does this catch you? What if a voice from heaven came down right now and said “This is my Son, listen to Him!” Would you listen? Yet the true story is right in front of you. Will you listen? Something extraordinary happened that day on that mountain. It was a glimpse at the glory Jesus Christ holds and will bring when He comes again. It was also a stark reminder of the mission Jesus came to fulfill. The love and greatness of God are both on display here. Will you respond with belief, or rejection? The choice is yours now, yet make no mistake. When Jesus returns, this is how we will see Him:
Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen.
So, if you don’t know Jesus as Savior and Lord today, accept Him. Scripture tells you, witnesses tell you, even the voice of the Father testifies to who Jesus is. Will you listen?
If you have accepted Jesus here today, then take the words of the Father to heart: listen to Him. Is Jesus functional Lord in your life? Does He direct your steps, your plans, and your dreams? Spend time with God this week, and let Him speak to you on this. If Jesus is your God, then He needs to have your life - all of it.
Pray
