The Transfiguration

Introduction

So far - words & works - leading disciples upwards towards faith & understanding

Chiding about hardness of heart, blindness

Healing in stages - metaphor for them

Strange episode - raises as many questions as answers - takes 3 of them, the inner circle, literally up a high mountain - probably Hermon in the north - and they see and hear something remarkable

Some responses - eg post-resurrection appearance cut & pasted into his public ministry

Headings:

Timing

Dimensions

Perspectives

Purposes

Evaluations

Glory

Words

Application

Timing

After 6 days (evokes Moses’ 6 days on Sinai?)

Before journey south to the cross

Where would we have put it?

Beginning?

Arrest?

Trial?

Dimensions

Heaven & Earth

Perspectives

High mountain

Eden (Ez 28?) - Moriah - Sinai - Carmel - historical

Calvary - future

Purposes

For the disciples

For Jesus

Evaluations

Peter’s suggestion

3 on same level?

God’s evaluation & direction

Glory

Struggling for language

The intense white radiance

The overshadowing cloud — Sinai — the tabernacle — the temple — Mary at the conception

Short-lived; Moses & Elijah disappear, Jesus only

Compare with what was soon to happen...

The glory of the cross — thick darkness, his form mutilated, no accompanying word from heaven - ‘orphan cry’, nobody with him either from earth or heaven - contrast could hardly be greater

But: John 12:23 etc

Words

Repetition of words at baptism

God to Moses, Ex 4:22 Then you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the Lord, Israel is my firstborn son,

Listen to him!

Command not to tell - with a time limit this time

Application

Special experiences

The desire

The initiative - Jesus took them

The consequences

Ch 9: who is the greatest?

Ch 10: a blank cheque please

Ch 14:50 all forsook him

Ch 14 Peter’s denial

2 Peter 1:16-21

Just before martyrdom

Prominent thing is what he heard

Listen to Him!