Presentation 28
Presentation 28
Introduction
Have you ever been at a loss for words? Have you ever
found it hard to adequately express some unusual event
in your life, perhaps a holiday of a lifetime or a surprise
anniversary party?
The gospel writers struggle in their attempt to adequately
describe the transfiguration. Luke speaks of Jesus’ clothes
becoming as ‘bright as a flash of lightning.’ Matthew tells
us his ‘face shone like the sun’. Mark describes his clothes
as ‘whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them’!
How do we find earthly words to describe heavenly glory
and splendour? It is very significant to note that this
event took place immediately after Jesus instruction
concerning his cross and his disciples’ cross-bearing.
And so we ask the question, ‘Why should this be?’
Presentation 28
The Transfiguration Event
Something quite unique in biblical history is taking
place on this mountain. This is the only event in
the Bible, where men of faith, who have left earth
and gone to heaven have once again returned to
earth. The fact that they have done so surely
makes the subject of their conversation to be of
particular importance.
Both Moses and Elijah had made spectacular exits
from this world – Moses body was never found
while Elijah left by a chariot of fire! In contrast,
Jesus’ death would be painful, and humiliating.
Crucifixion was viewed by the Jews as a cursed
death. But it is this death that forms the topic of
their conversation.
Presentation 28
The Transfiguration Event
Luke tells us that they spoke of Jesus’ departure lit. his "exodus” Lk.
9v31 . Luke intentionally uses this word because of its immediate
association for the Jew with their historic deliverance from
Egyptian bondage. A deliverance was particularly associated
with the sacrifice of a Passover lamb.
And now Jesus’ death was to lay the foundation for a new
Exodus that would be brought about by the sacrifice of
his life. He was the substantive ‘Passover Lamb, 1Cor 5v7’
and would die on the same day as the Jewish Passover!
People would be delivered, not from mere human
tyrants like Pharaoh, but from the tyranny and power
of sin and Satan. There is no greater subject for
conversation than this, and is what the theologian
John Owen described as ‘The death of deaths’.
Presentation 28
The Transfiguration Event
It is easy to miss one important circumstance that
paved the way for the transfiguration. Jesus was
transfigured as he prayed v29. What motivated
that prayer? Surely a combination of Jesus’ own
growing consciousness of the awful cost of the
cross and the great lack of enthusiasm with which
it was met by his disciples. But perhaps more
importantly it was their failure to grasp the great
kingdom principle - glory comes through suffering.
Failure to grasp this would mean that his disciples
would not take their own costly cross-bearing
seriously. Therefore it seems apparent that the
transfiguration was designed both to strengthen
Jesus and to instruct his disciples.
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Strengthening Jesus
How was Jesus strengthened for his task? First,
consider the significant change that took place in
his appearance. He had a foretaste of the glory
that would one day be his as the Redeemer of his
people.
The glory that he had laid aside to become man,
would be restored but now in his capacity as the
head of a new humanity cf Phil. 2v 5-11.
Ahead lay a cross of suffering and shame but
beyond that lay indescribable splendour and glory!
Do you see how this would have encouraged Jesus?
The reality and joy of glory with the redeemed lay
beyond the cross! Cf. Heb. 12v2.
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Strengthening Jesus
A wonderful parallel can be drawn between this and
Christian experience. In Pilgrim's Progress, Bunyan
describes how Christian and his friend Hopeful were
themselves dispirited after meeting with a succession
of discouragements. But then their path takes them
though a place called "Beaulah land” where they
experience a rapturous vision of heaven. And it is this
foretaste of heaven that encourages them to press on.
There are times when Christians are discouraged in their.
The path of obedient suffering begins to exact a significant
toll. It is then that God often provides a foretaste of glory
designed to encouragethem to press on thus viewing
their difficulties as no more than ‘light, momentary
afflictions’, 2Cor.4v17
Presentation 28
Strengthening Jesus
Secondly, the transfiguration should be understood
against the background of Peter's rebuke of Jesus in Mk.
8.32. Jesus’ disciples believed the cross was a big mistake.
Imagine how lonely and isolated Jesus must have felt. His
own co-workers were too spiritually insensitive to see the
importance of the cross. Indeed, the mystery of the cross
was more understood and appreciated by the saints in
heaven than by the dull saints on earth. And it is left to
Moses and Elijah to encourage Jesus to press on.
When others discourage you from taking cross-bearing
seriously, God will find an encourager. David had his
Jonathan and Esther her Mordecai. God will find you a
human encourager to help you press on. Thank God for
those who fulfil this task.
Presentation 28
Strengthening Jesus
The third and chief encouragement for Jesus was
surely that of the approving voice of his Father:
'This is my son whom I have love listen to him' v7 .
What did it matter what his disciples thought as
long as Jesus walked in obedience to God. At each
crucial stage in the ministry of Jesus the Father is
there to encourage him to press on in obedience.
Now, all who seek to walk in costly obedience to
God can expect to hear his encouraging voice
saying, "Press on, press on". Not necessarily
audibly as here, but God by his Spirit addresses the
mind and heart in order to bring about great heart
encouragement.
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Instruction For The Disciples
The transfiguration served not only to strengthen
Jesus but to instruct his slow disciples.
First, the immediate result of this experience was
to lay bare Peter's heart. His response to the
heavenly glory was that he wanted to continue to
revel in it. He wanted to have Jesus, Moses and
Elijah stay there in order to sustain this enriching
experience. Peter would have built them each a
shelter just to sustain this environment of glory.
But it would have been glory at the expense of a
life of conflict and service. Peter wanted a crown
without the cross, glory without suffering!
Presentation 28
Instruction For The Disciples
Peter failed to understand that he was being given a
glimpse of future glory in order to equip him to endure
a life of suffering and not in order to avoid or bypass it.
This incident has been captured, on canvas, by several
great masters. Raphael’s painting shows both the glory
of the transcendent Christ on the mount and a world
of darkness and need in the valley below. His
composition is designed to show that the purpose of
the mountaintop experience was to equip the disciples
to serve in the valley below. Christians often want to
cling onto their personal, intimate, glorious
experiences of God. Some are prepared to cut
themselves off from social contact in the exclusive
pursuit of the heady atmosphere of heaven.
Presentation 28
Instruction For The Disciples
One young Christian had a thrilling and rapturous
experience of God. And the pattern of his life for the
months to follow was to come home from work, eat
his evening meal and then retire to his room in order
to keep hold of this wonderful sense of God’s
presence.
But whenever that happens, as here, God invariably
withdraws the sense of his presence. Why? In order
to learn that mountaintop experiences with God are
not to be regarded as an end in themselves but part
of God’s preparation for serving a world of need.
After God had spoken the disciples found
themselves alone with Jesus. As in the experience of
the young man the glory of God was withdrawn.
Presentation 28
Instruction For The Disciples
A second lesson for the disciples is found in the
content of God’s words spoken at the scene.
Notice that God gave his seal of approval to
Jesus but also to the cross that he embraced
and so the disciples are told to "hear him".
This is to be understood as nothing less than
the Father's deliberate endorsement of Jesus’
earlier teaching on the necessity of the cross
which the disciples had been so reluctant to
take on board. They were to listen to Jesus
instruction in relation both to his cross and the
cross that they themselves were called upon
to bear.
Presentation 28
Instruction For The Disciples
The words "Hear him" are also addressed to all
who would follow Jesus. We too are being
encouraged to learn the important relationship
that exists between suffering and the glory that
follows. We too are to, ‘Hear him’ when Jesus
teaches that cross-bearing is the duty of
disciples.
This involves refusing to listen to the selfindulgent suggestions that rise from within our
hearts or to the temptations that are injected
into our minds by Satan that encourage us to
make self-interest and self-preservation our
chief goal and end.
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Conclusion
I believe that Peter's experience on the mount
shaped his whole attitude towards suffering for
Jesus’ sake in the days to come. Read through
Peter's epistles and you will discover regular
references to the relationship between suffering
and glory cf. 1Pet. 1v6-11 and 2Pet. 1v14.
The man who was once so appalled by the
thought of cross-bearing and who was so
attached to this world has changed. Now he is
found looking forward to entering into the glory
that he saw on the Mt. of Transfiguration, through
the pathway of suffering.
Presentation 28