Jesus As He Is
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Title: Jesus As He Is
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,
and his clothes became radiant, intensely white, as no one on earth could bleach them. And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus.
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.”
For he did not know what to say, for they were terrified. And a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, “This is my beloved Son; listen to him.”
And suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone with them but Jesus only.
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.
So they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what this rising from the dead might mean. And they asked him, “Why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?”
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?
But I tell you that Elijah has come, and they did to him whatever they pleased, as it is written of him.”
Thesis: When we get a glimpse of Jesus as He is, we’ll never want anything else.
Intro:
We’re going to unpack that statement, as well as the text this morning as we go, but before we dive into the text I want you to make sure you notice something powerful here: There are many allusions within this text to that of Moses receiving the Torah on Mt. Sinai.
The timing - after 6 days Exodus 24:16 “The glory of the Lord dwelt on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days.”
The witnesses - others present as in Exodus 24:1 “Then he said to Moses, “Come up to the Lord, you and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and worship from afar.”
The Heavenly signs like the clouds Exodus 24:16 “The glory of the Lord dwelt on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it...
and the Divine Voice - Exodus 24:16 “And on the seventh day he called to Moses out of the midst of the cloud.”
The fact there’s a transformation in someone’s appearance - Exodus 34:30 “Aaron and all the people of Israel saw Moses, and behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him.” Which also mentions the fearful reaction of those who saw it.
When Jesus speaks of the Old Testament testifying or giving witness about Him, this is the kind of stuff He’s talking about. The Old Testament speaks of Jesus, or leads us to Him, over and over and over again.
See, the prophets and the Patriarchs, the Psalmists, the Scribes, the Judges, the Rulers and the righteous all were looking toward the day of Christ, they all wished they could just get a glimpse of Him.
Peter, James and John do. They get what those men and women, in faith, what they lived for, these 3 fishermen get to see.
And their lives will never be the same. Because of what they witness, they will preach like no one else will ever preach, they’ll never want anything else but to see the glory of Christ as they saw Him on that mountain.
The same is true for us - when we get just a glimpse of His glory, we’ll never truly want anything else ever again, ever as much.
Because...
Jesus as He is will surprise us.
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,
We are not told which mountain this is, just the fact that it is a high mountain. There’s speculation, of course, as to which mountain it is - based on the timing, the fact Mark calls it a high mountain, etc.
But, as some theologians point out, some mountains are only referred to as “high mountains” sometimes is only considered a tall mountain because of its theological significance.
We see this specifically in Isaiah 2:2 “It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be lifted up above the hills; and all the nations shall flow to it,”
It’s not necessarily that the mountain grows, but it’s significance increases.
That’s not to say God can’t make a mountain grow, or become greater, but we just don’t want to read something into the text that’s not there.
The point Mark makes is that six days later (after the disciples confess who Jesus is), He gets alone with the core of his core group of disciples, 3 of the 12, and they go up a mountain together to get away.
Now, Matthew and Mark - in their accounts, make sure the reader understands it was 6 days, but Luke tells us it was 8 days after His famous discussion with the disciples. So which is it?
Well, the answer could be as simple as, “Who cares?” The point isn’t the timing - other than the fact both make it clear Jesus likely wasn’t travelling too much on a Sabbath - the 7th day. The point is Jesus went up a mountain with Peter, James, and John.
It could be, Mark getting his information from Peter was told 6 days, it could be Matthew remembered it as 6 days, and it could be by the time Luke interviewed other people about it, they all said “No, it was around 8 days”, so that’s why he differs.
It could be that Mark and Matthew are making a theological point, rather than a chronological one. Six days is the period of preparation for receiving revelation and witnessing a vision of divine glory - or a “theophany” in the Old Testament.
For example, we see this in Exodus 24:16 “The glory of the Lord dwelt on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days. And on the seventh day he called to Moses out of the midst of the cloud.”
We really should remember exact dates and timing of events - especially in Jewish literature of the day - did not matter nearly as much as the theme for which the person was writing. That’s why some events seem so jumbled between Matthew, Mark and Luke - their emphasis on things would vary depending on what they were trying to convey to their exact audience.
What’s most likely, is Luke is not concerned with the exact timing, or he is counting the 8th day as the day they come down the mountain - in fact he is the only one who notes it is on the next day after the transfiguration the disciples come down the mountain.
So likely, Luke it saying these events happened over a course of a couple of days - making the full event 8 days later, while Matthew and Mark are saying, “This whole thing started after 6 days.”
Why go into all that, Pastor Jeff? Why try to explain it? Because a pastor should. Plain and simple. The Scripture is infallible, inerrant, the very breath of God, Paul tells us. (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
God doesn’t make mistakes.
So when things don’t seem to add up, we need to ask why and spend some time trying to figure it all out. Don’t give up on study, look deeper.
I believe a pastor should approach Scripture like a detective examining evidence, or a doctor prescribing medicine - you wouldn’t want a doctor to prescribe you medicine without having a good knowledge of what it does and all its side-effects, right?
Wouldn’t want to prosecute someone without having all the information, all the facts, as best one can gather them, either.
Ultimately, though, Jesus takes Peter, James, and John up this “high mountain”, by themselves, And He was “transfigured” before them.
Now, Luke’s Gospel specifically tells us the purpose for going up this mountain together was to pray (Luke 9:28). But this happened as He was praying - yeah, your best friend and teaching being transfigured while you pray, that may surprise you!
Transfigured in the Greek is “metamorpho” - μετεμορφωθη - it means “changed in form”; it’s where we get our English word, “metamorphisis”. Most translations call this the “transfiguration”.
Luke does not use this word, instead he describes what it looked like:
And as he was praying, the appearance of his face was altered, and his clothing became dazzling white.
He doesn’t say “transfigured,” but still makes it clear his appearance changes.
Transfigure: It’s a word that is used only here, in Matthew’s account (Matthew 17:2) of the transfiguration, but the apostle Paul will use it twice. Once when he writes to the church of Rome
Romans 12:1-2 “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
And once more when writing to the church of Corinth,
2 Corinthians 3:18 “And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.”
The point Paul is making in his use of the word is that we are also to have a metamorphosis in our lives - if our Christian life looks like our life before Christ, we do not belong to Christ.
Christ died to free us from our sins, not died to make us free to continue to sin. And He is that anchor point for our metamorphisis - He changes us, that glimpse of His glory begins the transformation.
But back on track to the Transfiguration of Christ, Mark continues by describing His clothing:
and his clothes became radiant, intensely white, as no one on earth could bleach them. And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus.
So His physical features change, his clothing changes… What they are witnessing is Jesus the Christ as He is.
This is the same man, the same God, who ate with Abraham (Genesis 18:8).
This is the same man, the same God, who wrestled with Jacob in Genesis 31 (22-32).
This is the same man, the same God, who led Israel through the wilderness in Exodus 23 (20).
This is the same man, the same God, who would speak to Moses face to face in the tent of meeting in Exodus 33 (11).
This is the same man, the same God, who met with Joshua before the battle of Jericho (Joshua 5:13-14).
This is the same man, the same God, who watched Gideon beat out wheat in a winepress (Judges 6:11)
This is the same man, the same God, who promised a child to Manoah and his wife in Judges 13 (2-3)
This is Jesus as He is in eternity, the veil has been removed, His majesty is revealed, and these 3 men get to see what all men, all women, and all children will someday look upon - the face of the King.
His clothes, radiant and intensely white, only Mark says, “Whiter than anyone could bleach them.” They are supernaturally white. Some translations say they “dazzled”. The white was unearthly, it was as though His garments became the garments of Heaven.
Clothes promised to those who overcome - as in Revelation he promises the church of Sardis
The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels.
John wrote that, by the way, the same John who witnessed Jesus in such robes, who had, not long before the transfiguration hear Him promise
Mark 8:38 “For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.””
If we confess Him, He will confess our name before the Father. If we are ashamed of Him, He will be ashamed of us before the Father.
You understand, the disciples are not just getting a glimpse of Jesus as He is, they’re getting a preview of the eternity we are promised - not only will we be given similar robes, not only will we be transformed, we will get to be in the presence of His majesty, of His glory, as they were that day, for all days, forever and ever.
Hallelujah! We could stop the message right there and just worship Him this morning. Praise God. The beauty that awaits those who have been purchased by the blood of Christ.
And the crown of that beauty is Jesus as He is.
But Jesus doesn’t stand alone. Mark says there are visitors now. People that haven’t set foot on planet earth for a long, long time. There appeared to them Elijah with Moses (Mark is the only one who puts them in that order, and he reverses it a couple verses later).
“and they were talking to Jesus.”
You ever stop and ask, “What were they talking about?”
Well, Luke tells us:
Luke 9:30-31 “And behold, two men were talking with him, Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.”
So, what’s the purpose of their being there? Just to make sure He’s ready? To encourage Him? It’s not like He’s taking a suitcase, or has an itinerary He needs to be reminded of.
There’s a lot of conjecture - some believe this is evidence of Moses and Elijah’s roles in the judgment to come upon the earth - that they’re in fact the two witnesses of Revelation (and there’s a good case to be made for that, perhaps).
Related to that, some believe their purpose is to signify that the end of humanity is near, that Christ’s death and resurrection will set us on the course for that “Last, Last day”.
Some believe that Moses, representing the Law, Elijah representing the Prophets, they were representing the Old Testament somehow, and that He is the New Testament - or covenant - which, a good case could be made for that, too, I guess.
Some believe it’s to establish once and for all the deity of Christ, as both Moses and Elijah met with God on mountain tops...
But notice Jesus does not explain their appearance, so much. Mark, Matthew, Luke - none of them go out of their way to give us some symbolic meaning here other than the two greatest prophets of Israel’s History come to talk to the greatest Prophet whoever lived, Jesus of Nazareth.
And if they are witnessing Jesus as He is, and getting a glimpse of eternity for those who follow after Christ, then it’s possible Chuck Swindoll is on to something when he writes:
“All three men appeared together and conversed as normally as people meeting at a coffee shop. It would be too much to suggest specific symbolism, but this glimpse of humanity’s glorious future helps us understand that God and all His people throughout the history of the earth will share easy company. God’s people will have bodies, but they will be luminous, incorruptible, otherworldly. Imagine that!”
This is so good, this glimpse, it’s so amazing, Peter wants it to last, so...
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.”
The tents, or shelters, he wants to make for Jesus, Moses and Elijah, relate to the Jewish custom of building booths, or shelters during the festival of booths, or “Festival of Shelters” which we see mentioned in Leviticus 23:39-43, which I won’t go into detail about.
The point is, Peter doesn’t want it to end. Now, our next verse is going to give us even more insight into his reasoning for speaking out, but Peter did know he didn’t want this glimpse of glory to stop.
When he gets a glimpse of Jesus as He is, Peter doesn’t want anything else.
Even though...
Jesus as He is will shake us.
For he did not know what to say, for they were terrified. And a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, “This is my beloved Son; listen to him.”
Commentators are pretty hard on Peter here. They’ll usually slip in something like, “Peter proves that when you don’t know what to say, it’s best to keep quiet.”
But the text does not tell us that what Peter said was wrong, that it was stupid, or rude, or offensive. It does tell us he didn’t know what to say, he was terrified - but what he said proves he wanted it to last.
You ever have a time of prayer, a time of worship, a time of study of the word, and you start and a few minutes seem to have passed, you look at your watch, or your phone, and you realize it’s been hours? But it could keep going and that’d be okay?
That’s what Peter is experiencing.
Some suggest Peter was thinking eternity was beginning in that moment, like Zechariah had prophesied, this is the beginning of the millennial kingdom, so Peter’s thinking of the feast of booths like that:
Then everyone who survives of all the nations that have come against Jerusalem shall go up year after year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Booths.
But if that were the case, they’d need 6 tents or booths, unless Peter was volunteering James and John to sleep on the ground under the stars with himself, which can be a fun way to camp until it rains.
One recent commentator suggested Peter was making the case for 3 separate tents like the Tent of Meeting - but Elijah wasn’t around for that era of Israel’s history, and if that were the case, wouldn’t they just need one?
If anything, it’s likely safe to say Peter was trying to be hospitable, he likely figured what Jesus had to say to Moses and Elijah was important and the conversation would need to last longer, so he wanted to make sure they all had a place to stay and do their business.
Regardless, he was speaking in fear, from a point of terror. The greek word used is ekphoboi - εκφοβοι - a very intense form of the word “phobos”, which normally gets translated fear, it’s where we get our word “Phobia”.
He’s scared, shaken. Peter doesn’t want the moment to end, so he tries to speak in kindness. “Hey, when in doubt, at least be nice.”
But Peter’s voice is soon drowned out by this voice that comes from the cloud saying, “This is my beloved Son; listen to him.”
This is not the first time the disciples have witnesses something like this? Remember, Andrew, Peter’s brother, was likely there the day Jesus was baptized, Mark 1:11 “And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.””
But there’s also Old Testament imagery at work, as well.
Exodus 19:9 (ESV)
And the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I am coming to you in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with you, and may also believe you forever.”
Here in Mark the cloud “overshadowed” them, or “enveloped” them (as some translators say). From the cloud comes that voice, again, whereas it previously spoke directly to Jesus, here it speaks to the disciples.
“This is My beloved Son, Listen to Him.”
The Jews may not listen to Him, the Romans may sentence Him to death, but if we are His disciples, if we have seen Jesus as He truly is, we must listen to Him.
He will be spit on, slapped, beaten, crucified, hated by the world around Him, but He is loved by the Father. We must listen to Him.
If we understand Biblical listening, we know that it is more than just hearing, but doing.
But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like.
So God the Father is not merely saying “hear what He has to say,” He is telling these 3 men, “Do what He tells you.”
And with that, everything stops. Everything goes back to the way it was...
And suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone with them but Jesus only.
A lot of people will take this and say “Peter just killed the mood.”
Some may even try and say “Peter quenched the Spirit.”
Peter is not that powerful. Peter is not able to change what God was so clearly doing in that moment. Sure, his timing wasn’t great, but he does not have the power to altar what God is accomplishing on that mountain.
In fact, if Moses and Elijah are gone, and all that is left is Jesus, there is more standing before them than they will ever want or need.
Not even Moses and Elijah can compare with Jesus, their gaze fell upon Christ and Christ alone.
And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
In a sense, you realize what verse 8 is basically saying? After all the sounds and lights and big name celebrities were gone, there was Christ.
At the end of our lives, that’s all that matters - Christ, and Christ alone, and our proximity to Him.
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.
Shows over. The shock has likely not wore off, but the disciples are left shaken. They begin to walk down the mountain, and what does Jesus tell them?
“Don’t tell anyone!”
Remember, in this chapter of Jesus’ life, he is trying to be more private. “Don’t tell anybody what you saw.”
He’d said the same thing - ironically, I guess - to a blind man back in chapter 8 - Mark 8:26 “And he sent him to his home, saying, “Do not even enter the village.””
The Pharisees wanted a sign, remember? This would have been a big sign, right here. This whole mountain top experience! Mark 8:11 “The Pharisees came and began to argue with him, seeking from him a sign from heaven to test him.”
Where were they? This is what they wanted! This is what they needed to believe in Him, right?
Wrong. They would have either hardened their hearts even more at Him or tried to take Him by force and make Him king - not the purpose He came for.
Peter, James, John. Don’t tell anyone what you saw or heard on the mountain today, okay? Yeah, sure, Jesus. Whatever you say. *like anybody would believe us anyway*
Those 3 men, they went up that mountain to pray. They’re coming down shaken to their core. They had confessed Him as Messiah, as the Christ, but they just got a glimpse of Him as God.
They saw Jesus as He is. Their lives will never be the same.
Jesus as He is will save us.
So they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what this rising from the dead might mean.
dogbarks
So these 3 men, Jesus’s “Inner Circle” still were confused as to this “rising from the dead” stuff He keeps talking about. He’d told them, about a week ago about it in Mark 8:31
And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again.
And they asked him, “Why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?”
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? But I tell you that Elijah has come, and they did to him whatever they pleased, as it is written of him.”
Conclusion: