"The Transfiguration"_Matthew 17a June 5 2022

Introduction & Prayer

Hi friends

Today, we’re continuing our series:

God With Us - Discovering the Gospel of Matthew

And we are in the Gospel of Matthew

Please open your Bible to - Matt 17

I want to read the passage - and then pray - and then teach from this incredible story

Matthew 17:1–8 ESV

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.

(Prayer…)

Trying to Understand This Story

The Transfiguration

What does it mean?

Why do we have this story in the Bible?

And what does it mean for us?

You should know - it took me years to wrap my head around this story and what it means

At first glance, it seems kind of like a random story

The Gospel writers offer no comment as to the meaning of this story - so we need to look at it very carefully

For example

In Matthew 13, Jesus tells the Parable of the Sower - but then explains, very carefully, what it means

He did the same thing - later in chapt 13 - the meaning of the Parable of the Weeds

Not only did he explain the meaning of the parables, he tells us the purpose of why he used parables

It’s wonderful when the Bible comments on itself

But there’s no such explanation of the Transfiguration

Much of the narrative in the Bible - the stories, particularly the OT stories - have no commentary

Sometimes the Bible will pause and explain what’s happening - sometimes the Lord himself explain what is right and wrong

Sometimes it is obvious

But the Transfiguration is somewhat of a mystery story

I don’t see anywhere where Jesus comes out and says, “The reason I transfigured is...”

We are forced to use other clues

And we are forced to let the Bible interpret itself - oftentimes from other places in the Bible

This is a key to interpreting the Bible - that you always use the Bible to interpret the Bible

If there is a verse that is unclear about a subject - but is made clear in other parts of the Bible - then you need to rely on the clear parts

Not every verse in the Bible is crystal clear

We need to always allow the clarity of the Bible to be our light - where the Bible is clear, there is never confusion

So let’s dive right in

This story is in Matt, Mark, and Luke

In each account, it opens with this cryptic statement from Jesus:

Matthew 16:28 ESV

Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”

Some believe he’s talking about the Transfiguration, six days later

But I don’t want to get off on that today

I want to focus mainly on the Transfiguration

Jesus is in the middle of his ministry on Earth

And then he takes Peter, James, and John - mountain

It says he was “transfigured”

What does that mean?

Matthew says that his “face shone like the sun” - and that his clothes became “white as light”

Luke adds that he was praying when this happens

Then from out of nowhere

comes Moses and Elijah who start talking with Jesus

Peter: “Lord, this is awesome - In fact, I think I’ll make three tents!”

Then it says a “bright cloud” came and “overshadowed” them

Voice from the cloud, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased, listen to him”

The disciples freak out - and fall down, terrified!

It was so bad, Jesus had to go over to them and touch them and tell them to stand up and have no fear

I want to break down this event into three things we need to learn from this story

1.) The Transfiguration points to the truth about Jesus

2.) The Transfiguration points to our own transformation

3.) The Transfiguration causes us to set our gaze on Jesus

1.) The transfiguration points to the truth about Jesus

I want us to pause for a moment

Earlier, I said that this passage has no comment - that’s not entirely true

Peter wrote about it in 2 Peter - turn to 2 Peter...

2 Peter 1:16–21 ESV

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. 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.) The Transfiguration points to our own transformation

Okay, so what do I mean by that?

“I thought this was all about Jesus!”

It is

But look who is with him during all of this

Moses and Elijah

The glory of Jesus in this story is hint at the glory we will receive

The account of the Transfiguration in Luke 9 says that Moses and Elijah “appeared in glory” also

I don’t think we will ever be glorified like Jesus is glorified - but the Bible says we will be like him

Listen to

Romans 8:17 ESV

and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.

3.) The Transfiguration causes us to set our gaze on Jesus

Verse 8 is a key verse in understanding this passage

Matthew 17:8 ESV

And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.

The message to us of the Transfiguration is for us to focus our eyes on Jesus - and Jesus only

Jesus needs to be the object of our focus - our worship - and our adoration

We need to take our eyes off of the world - there’s nothing there for us

We need to take our eyes off of other people - I mean that they should never replace Jesus in our lives

We need to take our eyes off of ourselves -

A meaningless life is one that puts itself above all else, including God

The basis of all sin is focus on self - sin says it’s better than God, and better than anyone else

Focusing on yourself leads to anxiety, depression, loneliness - and a life without hope

We need to take our eyes off of our past - if God has taken his eyes off of our past, then we need to also

The more spiritually mature a Christian is - the more he/she is focused on Jesus only

And look at what happened right before they looked up and saw Jesus only

Look at verse 5

Matthew 17:5 ESV

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.”

It’s hard for us to imagine what this must have been like

Just imagine experiencing the actual voice of the Lord

Think of all the times in the Bible, when the Lord spoke in an audible voice

2 Sam 22 talks about the Lord thundering from heaven

Ps 29 talks about the voice of the Lord

The God of glory thunders

The voice of the Lord is powerful & full of majesty

His voice breaks the cedars of Lebanon!

Think of how awesome it was when he spoke to Moses

Or to Paul on the road to Damascus

And here in Matthew, it says that when the disciples heard the voice of God - they fell on their faces and were terrified

And notice, what did God say to them?

He made a declaration (2) - and he gave them (and gave us) a command

“This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him”

Interesting command: “Listen to him”

Some commentators have suggested that God was saying, “Listen to him more than the Law and the prophets”

In other words, “Don’t just listen to what Moses and Elijah had to say - focus your attention on Jesus now.”

I think it goes deeper than that

My wife has been trying for years to get me to listen to her!

It’s possible for me to hear her talking, but to not actually listen to what she’s saying

Well, we need to listen to the Lord

What is he saying to you?

Let me ask this - in your prayer life, do you ever allow him to speak to you?

(Do you have a prayer life?)

We need to be still before the Lord

How many things do you ask from the Lord vs. how often do you just praise him and listen to him?

Some of you are saying - “I haven’t heard from the Lord in a long time”

That’s because you never did what he told you to do a long time ago

If you’ve been ignoring his last command for you - then he aint gonna give you new orders until you do the thing he already told you

Do you listen to the Lord?

If he is your focus in life, you will stop and listen to him

In other words, if you are gazing at Jesus, you will also hear his voice

Just like: If you’re not gazing at your wife, you’re not able to listen to what she’s saying to you

In John 10 Jesus said, “I am the Good Shepherd”

Then he said if you believe in him, then you are among his sheep

And then he said, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.”

In verse 16 - listen to what he says about those of us who are Gentiles:

“And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice.”

In order to hear the Lord is to be one of his sheep - and in order to be one of his sheep, you have to believe in him

To be one of his sheep is to hear his voice - and to be known by him - and to follow him - John 10:27

John 10:27 ESV

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.

If you’re not listening to him - you’re not believing in him and trusting him

And if you’re not listening to him, you aint following him

What are you doing?

It’s time to listen to Jesus and follow him

Take a quick look at what’s going on in this country and in the world

There’s no more time to fool around in life - the time is now

Take your eyes off of the world, and your sin, and yourself, and your past, and all the other junk

We need to set our gaze on Jesus only - and we need to listen to him