Matthew
17:1-9 *
Dear
Friends in Christ,
Usually
we reserve the expression “mountaintop experience” for some great uplifting
personal event. Our wedding day or the
birth of a child or grandchild, for example, would qualify as a mountaintop
experience. Or maybe even a particularly
beautiful and meaningful worship service.
What
we’re trying to convey with this terminology is that there are some events that
raise us up and transport us to an emotional height far beyond the
routine. And while we soon forget other
things, mountaintop experiences remain with us for a long time.
Besides
the emotional high, another feature is the perspective and clarity they often
provide. Have you ever been on top of a
mountain or an observation deck and looked down? What did you see? You saw miles and miles of surrounding
territory in every direction. You saw
where everything was in relation to everything else…
So
it is with mountaintop experiences. From
a lofty emotional height we’re able to survey our lives and see more clearly
what’s behind and ahead of us. Our
sights are raised and, maybe just briefly, we see how things fit together, how
this relates to that in the big picture of our lives.
For
Jesus and three of His disciples – and through them, us –
THE
TRANSFIGURATION WAS A TRUE MOUNTAINTOP EXPERIENCE
not
only in the obvious physical sense (our text takes place on a mountain) or even
the emotional sense (this was a unique experience for all involved), but in the
way it provides us with clarity and perspective on
1. The depth of Christ’s love for us
2. The glory that will be ours
3. The path of discipleship until that time
After six days Jesus took
with Him Peter, James and John, the brother of James, and led them up a high
mountain by themselves. What was about to transpire
happened six days after Jesus plainly told His disciples that He was going to
Jerusalem. There, He told them, He would
suffer and die for the sins of the world.
Having spelled this out clearly, Jesus then privately took His inner circle
of disciples to a mountain.
This
is what happened next: There He was transfigured before them. In other words, He was changed. In what way?
His face shone like the sun, and
His clothes became as white as the light.
Even for disciples who had seen miracles happen on an almost routine
basis this was new material. They’d
never experienced anything quite like this. Here the disciples – and us – are
given a glimpse of the true glory of God.
We are given just a peek at the radiance which emanates from pure
holiness. But there was more. Two heavenly visitors arrive on the scene.
Just then there appeared
before them Moses and Elijah. Why did these two particular
Old Testament figures join the glorified Christ on the mountain? Why
not, say, Abraham and Isaac, or David and Isaiah?
We’re
not told, but the common speculation is that Moses, the “Law-giver” and
divinely inspired author of the first five books of the Bible (often referred
to as “the Law”) symbolized the Law; while Elijah, that powerful Old Testament
prophet and reformer, symbolized the Prophets.
Together they represent the “Law and the Prophets,” a Scriptural term used
to designate the entire Old Testament.
Their
presence underscores the fact that the entire Old Testament with its hundreds
of “Messianic prophecies” looks forward to Jesus and talks about His coming and
work. All those prophecies found their
fulfillment in Jesus Christ. And now the
ultimate prophecy – that God would provide the once-and-for-all sacrificial
Lamb to take away the sins of the world – was just about to play itself out.
An
early church father by the name of Chrysostum suggested another reason these
two appeared was primarily for the sake of the three disciples. Six days earlier Jesus had explained the
necessity of His impending suffering and death.
At that time He also spoke about what it means to be His disciple; how
true discipleship would call for sacrifice and a willingness to die, rather
than deny, Christ. Moses and Elijah were
sterling Old Testament examples of those who faced adversity in the name of
their God and remained strong, committed and steadfast. Soon the disciples would be called upon to do
the same...
At
any rate, in response to such an unearthly scene, we read: 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.”
If this seems a bit odd, or even silly – after all, why and for what
reason would heavenly beings need shelter? – Mark’s Gospel provides this added
information: He did not know what to say, they
were so frightened… What
happened next frightened them even more:
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!” When the disciples heard this, they fell
facedown on the ground, terrified. In the Old Testament God often
made His presence known in a cloud. And
so from a cloud, bright with His holiness, comes the approving voice of God the
Father. In words similar to those spoken
at the baptism of Jesus as He began His ministry, He speaks again to usher in
the last stage of that ministry.
Along
with this pronouncement, He issues the disciples then – and all true disciples
of Christ now – this single command: “Listen to Him!” Meaning:
Listen to everything Jesus has to say about Himself. Hear the way of eternal salvation through
faith in Him. Believe in Him. Trust Him.
Obey Him.
The
extraordinary exposure to holiness came to an end for the disciples just as
quickly as it had begun. Our text
concludes: But Jesus came and touched them. “Get up,” He said, “Don’t be afraid.” When they looked up, they saw no one except
Jesus. Then, recognizing that the
world would not understand what had happened unless it was viewed in the light
of His resurrection, Jesus gave His disciples orders not to tell anyone what
they had heard or seen until He had risen from the dead.
Let’s
talk about the general overall effect that the Transfiguration had for all
involved. First of all, it was helpful
to Jesus. This event gave Him comfort,
strength and renewed resolve for the suffering and shameful death He would
shortly undergo in our behalf. Here on
this mountain He was given a token of the glory which had been and would again
be His eternally with the Father. And we
can surmise that at this point in His ministry, Jesus needed this special
encouragement.
From
His miracles, His claims about Himself and His glorious resurrection, we know
that Jesus is God. But we must never
forget that Jesus is also a true man. And
as a man, Jesus had no greater desire than you or I would have to be mocked,
ridiculed, beaten, and finally crucified.
Jesus was not a robot. There was
no switch to throw to disengage His humanity and place Him exclusively in
God-mode.
Recall
the anguish He went through in the Garden of Gethsemane as He asked His Father,
if at all possible, to spare Him the cup of suffering He was about to
endure. That suffering was real. It was, of course, necessary. It was God’s plan to offer His Son as the
substitute payment for our sins. But it
was not an easy road to walk. This
glimpse of glory and the encouraging company of Moses and Elijah strengthened
our Lord.
And
it clearly declares the depth of His love for us. Let us always remember that coming to planet
earth, living out thirty three years in a largely hostile environment,
suffering under Pontius Pilate and then dying on a cross was not
mandatory. It was voluntary. Jesus didn’t have to do this. He chose to do this. Because He loves us.
You
know, there are many mysteries of faith and challenges to our intellect in the
Bible. But no mystery is deeper or
harder to understand than Christ’s love for us.
Here, on the Mount of Transfiguration, we see Jesus choosing us over His
personal comfort and physical well-being.
Here we see Jesus resolving to go forward into a future He knew would
end up on a Roman cross. On the Mount of
Transfiguration, just like on
So
we might share in His glory forever.
When Jesus was transfigured on that mountain, Peter wanted to capture
the moment forever. That’s probably what
was behind his question and his offer to put up three shelters. There was fear in his voice, but there was also
desire; the desire to continue basking in the glory and standing in the
presence of God. He had tasted it, and
he didn’t want it to end.
And
someday it won’t. The glory they
experienced momentarily we will all enjoy eternally. Because of the choice Jesus made for us,
glory is our destination. Heaven is our
home. We know how the story of our lives
will end. And it’s a happy one.
But
in the meantime, like the disciples who eventually came down from the mountain
to the plain below, we now walk the path of discipleship. And for disciples of Christ, it won’t always
be easy. But knowing what lies ahead
certainly makes our pilgrimage through life easier...
What the Transfiguration
did for these disciples was to motivate them and encourage them in continued
service and perseverance. They knew what
they had seen. They knew they would
someday share in that glory. They knew what
had been momentary on that mountain would someday be theirs eternally. And that knowledge made a difference in their
lives.
It does in ours, too, when we
take the time to think of it. Viewing
our lives in light of the Transfiguration puts everything into its proper
perspective.
Are there going to be
hardships and disappointments in life?
Certainly. You don’t need me to
tell you that. And those hardships and
difficulties will come in various forms and for various causes. Although we live under the umbrella of Romans
But that’s not all there
is. Our lives are not defined by
hardship. On the contrary, there is a
Latin phrase that pretty well describes the life of every disciple of
Christ. “Per ardua ad astra” means
“Through trials to triumph.” The Apostle
Paul put it this way: “I consider that our present sufferings are
not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.”
In other words, the
present – as good or as bad as that may be – doesn’t compare with the
future. And the Transfiguration gives us
a glimpse of that future…
And that future, dear
friends, will be one eternal mountaintop experience. Amen.