Sunday, June 12, 2011 am
THE LIFE OF JESUS (22)
The Transfiguration
a.
It came on the heels of
Peter’s confession – Matt. 16:16-18, Luke 9:18-20, warnings of His
impending death and resurrection, and the challenged to take up His
cross and follow Him. His
disciples have a good grasp of who He was.
Because of this, Jesus can now make preparations to go to
Jerusalem (see Luke 9:51 – our previous lesson).
He can begin to prepare His disciples for what is really ahead
for Him. The transfiguration
is the first of these events which will strengthen all involved.
b.
Jesus went upon a high
mountain – mountains were often scenes of great glory – Mt. Sinai, Mount
Moriah (Isaac offered), Mts. Gerazim and Ebal, Mount Carmel where Elijah
challenged the prophets of Baal, the Mount of Olives and Beatitudes,
etc. We are told that this
was a high mountain.
c.
He took with Him Peter,
James and John with Him.
These were His closest disciples and recorded as with Him more
than any others.
Luke tells us that Jesus went upon the mountain to pray (9:28-29).
d.
As He prayed, the
appearance of Jesus was altered.
Matthew 17:2 uses the term, “transfigured.”
The Greek word is the origin from which we get our English word
metamorphosis. It means to
change. (Exegetical Dictionary of the New Testament).
Thayer says that it means “to change into another form”.
Perhaps the most known example of this would be the caterpillar
that changes into a butterfly.
Our texts indicate the change that actually took place.
“The appearance of His face was altered, and His robe became
white and glistening.” Mark
9:3 tells us his clothes became shining, exceedingly white, like snow,
such as no launderer on earth could whiten them.
Matthew 17:2 says His face, shone like the sun.
We see here the glory of Jesus rendered to Him by His Father in
heaven.
e.
While in this form, we
are told that Moses and Elijah appeared and spoke with Him “of His
decease which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.” (Luke 9:31).
It is interesting that the word they used for “decease” was from
the Greek word “exodon” or exodus.
It was about His departure from this earth and the suffering
entailed in that. They were strengthening Him, much as the angel in the
Garden of Gethsemane.
f.
Only Luke records that
the disciples were asleep as this took place.
At some point they awoke and saw this great scene.
They recognized that Jesus was with Moses and Elijah.
An interesting question is to ask how they knew who these men were?
Was it the conversation they heard or were there features that
identified them. Perhaps
there is something here of what awaits us in heaven?
As they were about to leave, Peter said, “Master, it is good that we are
here; let us make three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one
for Elijah.”
Consider the event and how you would have responded.
If you miraculously saw Moses and Elijah, or Paul or Peter, would
you want to ask them questions?
Would you want others to know about it and have opportunity to
see them? Would you want to
make special preparations for such highly honored guests?
g.
Suddenly, as Peter
spoke, a cloud came and overshadowed them so that they were afraid.
Then a voice came from heaven saying, “This
is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.
Hear Him!” (Matthew 17:5).
h.
We are told that they
greatly feared. But then
Jesus touched them and said, “Do not be afraid.”
When they opened their eyes, only Jesus was there.
i.
They were instructed by
Jesus to tell no man about these things until after He arose from the
dead.
j.
Matthew & Mark’s account
continue with an inquiry about the coming of Elijah.
The final thought of the Old Testament foretold of the coming of
Elijah before the day of the Lord (Mal. 4:5-6).
When John the Baptist was to be born, this text was alluded to
(Luke 1:17). The disciples
ask about why Elijah must come first and Jesus responds that Elijah had
indeed come and as He explained it, they understood that He spoke of
John the Baptist.
k.
They come down from the
mountain and Jesus prepares to go to Jerusalem with His 3 disciples more
fully aware of who they were with – their Messiah.
a.
What was the purpose of
this event?
When you put it in
context with the events both before and after, it accomplished several
things.
i.
It helped to build up
Jesus as He prepared to go to Jerusalem to die.
While Jesus was Immanuel, (God with us – Matt. 1:22-23), He
became a man with all his frailties, emotions, temptations, etc.
(Phil. 2:5-8, Heb. 2:17-18, 4:15) sand as such needed
encouragement from above just as we do.
ii.
Peter, James and John
AND the other apostles needed this encouragement as well.
Recall that after the confession of Peter, Jesus begins to
specifically predict his death and resurrection coming soon (cf. Luke
9:21). While this was hard
for His apostles and disciples to grasp, their presence at the
transfiguration would have given them spiritual strength to believe and
endure. After all they
were seeing men, long since gone from the earth – BUT THEY LIVED ON!
iii.
Then there was the
message itself – a call to HEAR HIM!
There is a straight forward challenge to listen to Jesus and His
teachings and to follow Him.
We ALL need to remember that message.
b.
Why Moses and Elijah?
i.
While we are not told
the specific reason, it is worthy of note that Moses was the giver of
the Old Law and Elijah was one of the great prophets.
ii.
Note also that both
experienced remarkable departures from this earth.
Elijah was carried away in a whirlwind (2 Kings 2) and Moses who
died on Mt. Nebo, the top of Pisgah, was buried by the Lord in a place
that no one knew (including Satan – Deut. 34, Jude 9).
iii.
It is also worthy of
consideration that both NEEDED Jesus to go through with this (even as we
do). Recall how Moses
rejected God’s instructions at Kadesh when he struck the rock to bring
forth water instead of speaking to it in the name of the Lord.
Elijah, while we do not have specifics about his sins, you might
recall how after his victory over the prophets of Baal at Mt. Carmel (1
Kings 18) that he ran for his life from Jezebel in 1 Kings 19:3 and thus
did not stand up to defend the Lord God.
This was when he “gave up” if you will.
iv.
Also, both had been
rejected, similar to Jesus.
Yes they had those who followed them, but many others who ought to have
known better, especially considering the works they did, rejected them.
So they could sympathize with what Jesus was about to endure.
v.
BUT perhaps the deeper
reason behind selecting Moses and Elijah was what they represented, as
mentioned above – the Law and the Prophets.
In Luke 24:44, as Jesus spoke of that which was fulfilled
concerning Him said “that all
things must be fulfilled which were written in
the Law of Moses and the prophets and the psalms concerning Me.”
Romans 3, where Paul is dealing with the righteousness of God and our
sins, we read, “But now the
righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by
the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God, through
faith in Jesus Christ to all and on all who believe.” (Rom.
3:21-22).
vi.
WHEN you accompany this
with the voice from heaven saying to Peter and those with him, “This
is my beloved Son…hear Him!”
It becomes clear that the message is that the teachings of Christ
would supersede the Law of Moses and the prophets.
vii.
As the church was established,
this becomes a major theme throughout the New Testament (Col. 2:14, Heb.
8:6, “But now He has obtained a
more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better
covenant, which was established on better promises.”; Gal. 3:24, “Therefore
the Law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified
by faith”, etc.).
c.
Behold the glory of Jesus –
i.
Do we truly appreciate
Him for who He is? Do we
envision Jesus in His majestic state?
It is not so much about appearance, but it is a clear reminder of
how He is in the presence of God and to be treated with due honor as
such.
ii.
The glory of God was
seen on Mt. Sinai when Moses, having been in His presence came down from
the mountain and his face shone so that the people could not look
directly upon him (Exodus 34:29-35, cf. 2 Cor. 3:7-9).
iii.
Of Jesus we are told, “And
the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the
glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”
(John 1:10)
2 Pet. 1:16-18 speaks specifically of the event we are discussing and
Peter says, “We were eyewitnesses
of His majesty. For He
received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to
Him from the Excellent Glory: ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well
pleased.”
iv.
Jesus has been “highly
exalted” by the Father (Phil. 2:9) and ought to be given that place of
honor in our lives that He so richly deserves.
Do we truly live to glorify Him in our lives?
d.
Hear Him!
i.
We cannot miss this
point! If we are to
have hope of a home in heaven it hinges upon us hearing His word.
And that hearing is much more that an audible response.
It is accepting and following it.
Matthew 28:20 emphasizes this.
Hebrews 1:1-2 says, “God, who at various times and in various ways spoke
in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days
spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things,
through whom also He made the worlds;”
Romans 1:16 speaks of “the gospel of Christ” as being “the power of God
unto salvation for everyone who
believes…”
ii.
This includes hearing
Him over the law and prophets – Jesus came to fulfill “the Law and the
Prophets” (Matt. 5:17-18); and He did!
This is why today, we do not establish our laws and conduct by
the Old Law. All that we do
is based upon the teachings of Jesus and the apostle’s doctrine.
e.
Will we be transformed?
i.
The word transfigured,
as already noted, indicates a change and is from the Greek word from
which we get our English word “metamorphosis”.
ii.
It is used only 4 times
in the New Testament. Twice
concerning the transfiguration (Matt. 17:2, Mark. 9:2)
iii.
In two other passages
with reference to us:
1.
Rom. 12:2 – “do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of
your mind…”
2.
2 Cor. 3:18, “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of
the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory,
just as by the Spirit of the Lord.”
iv.
Just as Jesus was
transformed, so we in Him need to change our lives.
And it needs to be a total transformation from our former
lifestyle into His image.
Are we doing a good job of this?
And
thus we see the transfiguration of Jesus and some lessons we can glean
from it. What about you?
Beholding His glory will you be changed in your conduct with the
hope of one day putting on that immortal body where for all of eternity
you will be in a glorified state? Rom. 8:16-17, “The
Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of
God, 17 and if children, then heirs — heirs of God and joint heirs with
Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified
together.”