THE TRANSFIGURATION OF CHRIST

THE TRANSFIGURATION OF CHRIST Matthew 17:1-13 March 12, 2006 Given by: Pastor Rich Bersett [Index of Past Messages] Introduction When I was a six year old, there was a hill behind our house that at the time terrified me as a bike-rider. Paved in concrete, it was actually a driveway for the trucks of a local business. The first time I went down that hill it’s size, both in terms of height and length, kept me panting and shaking at the top for over half an hour. Finally I convinced myself that I had to do it—if I died, I died, that’s all there was to it. Down I went, and I remember gathering speed like I’d never experienced before and I successfully negotiated the mountain, not stopping until I crashed into the rear bumper of a car parked in a driveway across the street from the bottom of the hill. I live not far from that hill and occasionally take walks by it. Every time I see it I am amazed how much it has shrunk. I laugh as I think how daunting it was to me half a century ago. All our childhood experiences shrink with age. But it is a curious thing that our understanding of God does not shrink. He gets bigger the more we get to know Him. In his book Prince Caspian, which I hope will be made into a movie as well-made as The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, Lucy, the adorable little girl you loved in that first volume, sees Aslan the lion again after not seeing him for a long time. “‘Aslan,’ said Lucy, ‘you’re bigger.’ ‘That is because you are older, little one,’ answered he. ‘Not because you are?’ ‘I am not. But every year you grow, you will find me bigger.’” One day three disciples who might have thought they knew Jesus pretty well after two and a half years of traveling with Him got a mind-blowing glimpse of His real identity and majesty. Let’s read our text—Matthew 17:1-13. Text After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. Most Bible teachers smarter than I agree this was probably Mount Hermon, the tallest mountain in Palestine, snow-capped and overlooking Galilee. The other gospels inform us that they went to pray, these four: Jesus who hand-picked three of His most spiritually mature disciples. There was Peter, fresh from being rebuked by Jesus and implicated as Satan’s accomplice; and there was James, the reliable one who was history’s first martyred apostle; and there was John, the last apostle martyred, who was given a long life on this earth—long enough to write his from his sage wisdom and revelation to the churches of Asia Minor at the end of the first century. They made their way to a place of prayer part-way up the mountain—a spot where the view of Galilee was beautiful and the evening breezes blew cool. It was the perfect location for prayer. As they prayed something began to happen. A glow of what appeared as sunlight burst into their vision and kept growing in brightness. Verse two: There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. Matthew uses the word METAMORPHOO, metamorphosis, to describe what happened to the Lord in those unbelievable moments. Suddenly the man they knew morphed into something gloriously super-human. It was as if the divinity within Him broke through the veil of the flesh and shone out. Even His clothing was dazzlingly bright. As if that weren’t spectacle enough, once their eyes adjusted somewhat to the light the disciples then saw that Jesus was not alone. Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus. Moses the peerless patriarch of the earlier covenant, the Law-Giver, the deliverer, the charismatic leader of Israel is with them—back from history and death. Elijah, the Old Testament’s greatest prophet, rounds out the group. The New Testament is replete with references to the dual attestation to Jesus provided through the Law and the Prophets. These great men, revivified and very much alive, were carrying on a discussion with Jesus before their very eyes! How surreal! If the disciples had become familiar and at ease with Jesus, that all changes here. It reminds me of the other day—I was visiting with Ed Williams when his cell phone rang. Turns out it was President Bush calling to get his advice on the Dubai issue! I said to myself, “My word! I thought I knew this man!” There were three men on that mountainside whose opinion of Jesus was radically altered in a few moments of terrifying revelation. How do you respond to something so momentous as this? What would you say or do? Poor Peter. He’s at his impulsive best here. Verse four: Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” It’s been well said If you don’t have anything worthwhile to say, don’t open your mouth and prove it. What was he thinking? Was it that the Feast of Tabernacles was just days away they should get a head start on the celebration? After all, Moses led God’s people in the wilderness when the original tents were needed, right? Well, Peter had just enough time to think to himself, What did I just say? while the other two were looking at him like he’d just had a grand mal seizure, when the already bright light grew suddenly even brighter. Verse five: While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!” The same voice, the same message as was heard at the baptism of Jesus (Matthew 3:17). A bright light always symbolized the presence of the Lord. Likewise the cloud. Here we have them in combination and the cloud is enveloping them. Every conceivable ingredient present to emphatically endorse Jesus as God’s Son. Verses 6-8: When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. But Jesus came and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don’t be afraid.” When they looked up they saw no one but Jesus. They were terrified—the voice of God has that effect on you—even when the message is benevolent. Did you notice that the three disciples were unfazed by the presence of two men who had been dead two thousand and one thousand years respectively? Maybe it was the surreal circumstances of it all; maybe it felt like a vision or something. But when the voice of God the Father spoke, down they went onto their faces. Then, as quickly as it started, the whole scene was over. The light and the cloud were gone; no more voice from heaven; and no more patriarchal apparitions. Only Jesus. But what a comfort it was to them. Back to the familiar—just them and Jesus, and no glowing robes. I’m sure as they walked down the steep path they were thinking to themselves, That was wild! I’m sure one of them turned to another and asked quietly, did that really happen? Verse 9: As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus instructed them, “Don’t tell anyone what you have seen, until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.” I’m not sure I totally understand Jesus’ hesitancy here. It could have been to guard against jealousy or favoritism with the other disciples; it might have been out of concern that such a story would prompt an attempt at an uprising, a coup against the Romans; or it might just have been to forestall a premature move on the part of the Sadducees and Pharisees to have Him arrested. Among the questions stirring among the threesome was the issue of the traditional teaching about Elijah. The Rabbis taught an extra-biblical idea that Elijah was to arrive three days before the Messiah. According to the tradition, he was to stand on the hills of Israel and lament over the desolate land. Then at the point when all the world had heard him he would cry out, Peace and blessing come into the world! Salvation comes! In this he was supposed to turn the hearts of all Israel to the Messiah. Verses 10-12: The disciples asked him “Why then do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?” Jesus replied, “To be sure, Elijah comes and will restore all things. But I tell you, Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but have done to him everything they wished. In the same way the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands.” Then the disciples understood that he was talking to them about John the Baptist. The disciples were having trouble reconciling this teaching with the present circumstances. After all, Jesus has already been rejected by the leaders of Israel and deserted by most of the people. Jesus clarifies that Elijah was John the Baptist, and all that he was really supposed to do was done. John died an unjust death, a forerunner like Elijah for the Lord Jesus who would die a vicarious death for the sins of the world. Again Jesus drives home that He will suffer and die at the hands of sinful people, and He will rise again on the third day. Reflections on the Transfiguration This is a powerful passage and it is somewhat beyond ability to fully comprehend, just as it was for the disciples. I’m not sure we can completely appreciate it. Even the language of scripture cannot bring the full impact home for us. Spiritual things are often that way—much of their import remains in the realm of mystery. Not mystery beyond our understanding—but things that we understand in our spirits more than our minds. 1. The Transcendence of Experiencing God So much of what we experience in our relationship with God is done beyond the realm of rational thought. Be careful, I am not saying it is irrational nor that our minds are not important in matters of faith—that is heresy of the highest order. But our spirits are touched and impressed by God in ways that are difficult to express. In early Christian history no artist ever attempted to recreate the transfiguration of Christ. Not until the 16th century did anyone attempt to depict this event in art. That’s when Raphael painted this masterpiece—well, he started it. He died before he could finish it and his students finished it. What a difficult assignment—to try to capture all that this incredible event was saying about Jesus, His pre-existence, His ability to discourse in such deep realms of the Spirit, His divine nature reflected in the shekinah glory. Even a master like Raphael had to graft parts of other ministries of Jesus. Some things are just hard to express, especially in words. Under the influence of the Holy Spirit, Matthew used the word metamorphosis to describe what he saw. (Really it was a sort of “retro-morphosis”—Jesus reverting to something He was pre-incarnation.) But you know it was more than He was changed. How would you describe in words the moment you held your first child in your arms right after he was born? Can you describe a sneeze? Words fail us—in fact all forms of expression fail us—when we try to express our experience of God. And this is as God intended. He delights in the failure of mere human language to carry the full weight of His glory. He delights in the personal experience His children have with Him. Sometimes as I pray and study the Word I am positively carried away in the wonder of His truth. I soar and thrill at what He communicates to me—but it cannot be captured with mere words. And I wonder how can I ever communicate this in a sermon! So much of my prayer and preparation concerns a search for the right word pictures, stories, and other illustrations that might just begin to communicate the fullness of what God is saying. If you would pray for me, pray in accordance with Colossians 4:4 – Pray that I may proclaim it clearly as I should. Pray that all of us could squeeze the glory of the gospel of Christ into words. I’m sure you’ve been challenged more than once as you’ve tried to communicate to a non-Christian what it is like to be in this personal relationship with the living God. Things like worship, the experience of the Holy Spirit, deep prayer that joins you to the heart and will of God. It’s beyond words. The joy of the Lord, the fruit of the Spirit, the peace that passes understanding… 2. The Inadequacy of our “Doing” Not knowing what to do or say, Peter launched into his “I’ll build some shelters for you and Moses and Elijah, Jesus!” speech. Sometimes the only appropriate thing to do when you experience God is NOTHING. Sometimes the only right thing is to be still and listen. Luke 9:33 says, He did not know what he was saying. He, like we often do, loved the God moment so much that he wanted to keep it around. Let’s not send the patriarch and the prophet home—let’s keep them around—this is great! Let your hurt or grief just happen. Be still and stop complaining, especially to others. Let God, who knows everything and who loves you, do something wonderful for you even in the midst of pain. Never speak idly in others’ grief. When you go to comfort, just be there. Don’t ruin what God is doing with noisy speech. Sometimes in worship, when you experience the touch of God in a tender way, stop singing. Be still and know that He is God. And when God moves in some tender, meaningful way, live the moment, but don’t try to can some for later. Like the manna, it is meant for the time of its giving. It’s God’s serendipity. You don’t store it up for later. You don’t institutionalize it—Oh, God really seemed to move when we sang that song—let’s be sure to sing it again so He will move like that again! That’s not the glory of God—that’s superstitious juvenile self-serving. God knows what we need and He gives what and when we need it. I’ve learned something about parades. When it stops moving, the fun stops. Something inevitably slows down the progress of the parade, and that beautiful precision-marching band is standing in front of you and the wonder fades fast. It’s just a bunch of sweaty, smelly teenagers in polyester outfits! And I want to say, March already! Make music—I like it a lot more! Did you ever catch fireflies when you were a kid? We did. It was such a thrill to see those thousands of lights flashing wild in the night sky, and I always wanted to capture some of it for myself. I’d put those neon insects in my mayonnaise jar and think to myself now I’ve got some of that beauty in my jar! But they weren’t beautiful anymore, and they were all dead by morning. There I sit on the porch with a jar full of lethargic fireflies and do you know what I’m doing? I’m watching the fireflies in the sky—the ones I haven’t captured and quenched. When God moves, receive whatever he has for you in the moment, but don’t tie Moses and Elijah up so they can’t get away; don’t try to institutionalize or ritualize what He does—can it so you can enjoy it again. It’s going to die in the jar. He’s going to do something new next time, and if you’re busy trying to revive an old trick, you’re going to miss His next move. He longs for a dynamic relationship with you—new every morning, fresh and alive. Live in His moment! C.S. Lewis writes in the second volume of his space trilogy, Perelandra, about Ransom who has gone to be in the land of Perelandra, where the fruit hangs luscious and heavy from the trees. Ransom took a drink of the fruit, then, it says, he had not desire for more, for it was enough. Take what God gives you, accept it, praise Him for it, but don’t idolize it or turn it into a method or a talisman. If God sent it, it is enough. If you try to organize it, systematize it or get production from it, it will never be enough. Our “doing” is always inadequate to either honor God or bless us. Like Peter we need to learn to wait, listen, pray, and enjoy God’s serendipitous expressions of love and grace toward us. And we need to trust that what God gives us is enough. 3. The Awesomeness of Christ This is the sum of what I believe this passage teaches us: Christ is all we need. He is totally and utterly adequate for everything. We see clearly in this event His divinity. He is absolutely and unquestionably presented as God’s divine Son, fully vested with the divine nature. The passage illustrates His pre-existence—a familiar relationship with the Old Testament leaders, the ability to visit the deepest spiritual realms, and the testimony of Father God. God insists that we listen to Him and His word, but here He says, “Listen to Him.” Jesus was and is the divine Son of God. But Jesus is also human. Having sovereignly decided to lay aside for a time His divine privilege, He became a man in order to identify with us, suffer humanly, face every trial and temptation we face. Hebrews 2:14 says, he too shared in their [our] humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death, that is, the devil… Please don’t make the mistake of thinking that Jesus was anything less than fully human when He walked this earth. Hebrews 2:17-18 puts it this way: He had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are…tempted. This passage teaches not only that Jesus became fully human, but also that He was compassionate. It was for our sakes Jesus made the long journey from heaven to humanity. Even in this story we find Jesus showing compassion to His friends as He says Don’t be afraid. Did you catch that other simple detail? Verse 7 says he touched them. As they lay there overcome with fear He touched them and said don’t be afraid. Jesus never turned a needy person away, nor does He now. Proud people never admit their need and they rarely experience the compassion of the Lord. Lastly, this passage assures us that Jesus is adequate to meet any of our needs. Our sorrow, our pain, our worry, our insecurities—He knows them all, and He is able to heal and redeem our lives. Why? Because He is God and therefore omnipotent; because He fully experienced our humanity and therefore understands our weakness; because He is compassionate and is moved by our neediness. Our greatest need is to be forgiven of our sins—to have our guilt and condemnation removed. Because the Lamb of God lived sinlessly and died selflessly for you, you can be forgiven. Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous to bring you to God. (1 Peter 3:18) Those who will admit their need and repent, he will heal and redeem.   [Back to Top]