INTRODUCTION THE TRANSFIGURATION AND THE CROSS (Deuteronomy 18:15-19; Luke 9:28-36) According to the Revised Common Lectionary today is Transfiguration Sunday. It is the last Sunday of the season of Epiphany and the first Sunday before Lent. It is a major event in the life of Christ. It is a miraculous event, but there is something different about this miracle. It is not one that Christ performs. It is one performed on Christ, by the Father! Christ is transfigured before the eyes of three of his disciples. The transfiguration is recorded in all three synoptic Gospels, i.e. Matthew, Mark, and Luke. What is the significance of this event? Why was Jesus transfigured before the disciples? How are we to appropriate this event into our lives? Let s look at this event in detail. THE IMMEDIATE CONTEX OF THIS EVENT About a week before the Transfiguration Jesus and the disciples were in Caesarea Philippi. This is where Peter gave his great confession of who Jesus was. He said, You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God. To which Jesus said that Peter was right and that the Father had revealed this to him. Then immediately Jesus made a startling announcement. Luke 9:21-22 NKJV And He strictly warned and commanded them to tell this to no one, (22) saying, "The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day." This was the first time Jesus explicitly predicted his heath and resurrection. The disciples were bewildered at this statement. How could the Messiah, die? Jesus then talked about those who follow him must deny themselves and take up their cross. Now we come to the Transfiguration account. Following the Transfiguration account and Jesus healing a demon possessed boy He again predicts his death. Luke 9:44 NKJV "Let these words sink down into your ears, for the Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men." And when they were almost to Jerusalem Jesus again predicted his death. March 3, 2019 Corntassel CP Church Page 1
Luke 18:31-33 NKJV Then He took the twelve aside and said to them, "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of Man will be accomplished. (32) For He will be delivered to the Gentiles and will be mocked and insulted and spit upon. (33) They will scourge Him and kill Him. And the third day He will rise again." It is obvious that that his death was foremost on his mind for Jesus knew why the cross was in his future. It was to to give His life a ransom for many." Mark 10:45 NKJV. Now let s see how this focus on the Cross relates to the Transfiguration account. MOSES AND ELIJAH TALK ABOUT CHRIST S DEATH Eight days after Peter s confession about the true identity of Christ, Jesus took his three inner circle disciples (Peter, James, and John) with him up a mountain to pray. While praying the appearance of his face changed and his clothes became dazzling white. And two Old Testament men appeared talking with him: Moses and Elijah. What were they talking about? Verse 31 says that they were speaking of His death, which he was ab out to accomplish in Jerusalem. This is fascinating to me. Moses and Elijah were talking about in Jesus death and what would be accomplished at Jerusalem! What does this tell us? It tells us for one thing that Moses the writer of the Pentateuch and the mediator of the Old Covenant between God and Israel knew of the centrality of the Cross in the mission of the Messiah. Moses knew that all those sacrifices were types of Christ s death. Moses was interested in how and when Jesus, God s Son, was going to accomplish this. Elijah also was interested in Christ s death. Although he wasn t a writing prophet, he stood in for all the prophets who brought the Word of God to Israel. They brought words of judgment for Israel s sins and turning away from God, but also words of restoration. They brought great promises of good things to come. Elijah, at least after he got to heaven, understood that all these promises hinged on what Christ was going to accomplish on the Cross at Jerusalem. He was interested in Jesus death. It should tell me that the Cross is central to understanding God s plan for mankind. The Cross is the only answer for man s sin. This is why Paul would say: 1 Corinthians 1:18 NKJV (18) For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. This is why he also wrote: March 3, 2019 Corntassel CP Church Page 2
1 Corinthians 2:2 NKJV For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. The cross was central in Jesus mind when he came to fulfill the Father s will. The cross was central in the apostle s teaching and preaching. The cross was central to the saints in heaven awaiting the accomplishment of the mission of the Messiah. The Cross is central to our salvation. The Cross is central to our worship of God. JESUS GLORY SHINES FORTH The main focus of the transfiguration was the change in Jesus appearance. As Jesus was praying His face and clothing changed. Different writers describe this change a little differently. Matthew 17:2 His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light. Mark 9:3 NKJV His clothes became shining, exceedingly white, like snow, such as no launderer on earth can whiten them. Luke 9:29 the appearance of His face was altered, and His robe became white and glistening. They were seeing the glory of Christ, the glory of the divine Son of God. The glory of God appears as light in the Old Testament. The glory of God was showing through the face and clothing of Christ. This was a foretaste of how we will see Jesus in heaven. He will be brilliant, words can t describe it. When the Apostle Paul first saw the glory of Christ on the road to Damascus, it [the Light] blinded him. He fell down and humbled himself before the Lord of heaven. When the Apostle John saw the glory of Christ in the book of Revelation, he fell down at his feet as a dead man (Rev. 1:17). John described his head and hair were white like wool white as snow.his face was shining like the sun at midday. (Rev. 1:14,16). In the New Jerusalem there will be no need for the sun or moon because God s glory will illuminate it, and its lamp is the Lamb. (Rev. 21:23) To see Jesus is to see His glory as reflected as light! In the Transfiguration the disciples got an early glimpse of true character of Jesus and what He will look like in heaven and in eternity. I was interested in Don Stewart s thoughts on this new vision of Christ. He writes: The Transfiguration was the glorification of the human body of Jesus. The Transfiguration scene of Jesus is a representation of His coming kingdom in its fullness. Jesus Himself said to His disciples. I tell you the March 3, 2019 Corntassel CP Church Page 3
truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom (Matthew 16:28). He will rule in His coming kingdom in His glorified body. That is interesting. This is how we will see King Jesus when he comes to rule in his kingdom on earth. He will be glowing in purity and bright light. We will daily see the glory of God through the face of Jesus! Now we see the glory of God in the face of Jesus through the Gospel. Then we will see his glory face to face! In talking about the Gospel Paul says: 2 Corinthians 4:6 NKJV For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. I want to see that glory face to face. Don t you. What a great future we have to look forward to. PETER S RESPONSE DID T KNOW WHAT TO DO Now let s see Peter s response. Luke tells us Luke 9:33 HCSB As the two men [Moses and Elijah] were departing from Him, Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it's good for us to be here! Let us make three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah" not knowing what he said. Peter didn t know what to say so his first thought was to build a small booth for each of them like they did during the Festival of Tabernacles. Maybe Moses and Elijah would stick around with Jesus longer. We really don t know what was in Peter s mind. Neither did Peter himself. Luke said that Peter didn t know what he was talking about. Peter should have done what Paul did when he saw the glory of Christ he fell to the ground and yielded his life to him. Peter should have done what John did fall down as a dead man and worshipped Jesus. We should do these acts also. Let s pray that we may see the glory of Christ and fall down and yield our life to him and worship Him. For we probably be like Peter and know what to say! THE FATHER S RESPONSE LISTEN TO HIM How did the Father tell Peter to respond? Verses 34-35 Luke 9:34-35 HCSB While he [Peter] was saying this, a cloud appeared and overshadowed them. They became afraid as they March 3, 2019 Corntassel CP Church Page 4
entered the cloud. (35) Then a voice came from the cloud, saying: This is My Son, the Chosen One; listen to Him! The Father clarifies how Peter was to respond and how we are to appropriate this event in our lives. We are to listen to Jesus and Jesus only. We are to listen to Him because Jesus is God s only Son. He is God s Chosen One. Jesus is the fulfillment of God s promise to Moses to send a prophet to give us God s Word. (Deut. 18:15, 18) Jesus is God s final authoritative Word according to Hebrews 1:1-2 Hebrews 1:1-2 HCSB Long ago God spoke to the fathers by the prophets at different times and in different ways. (2) In these last days, He has spoken to us by His Son. We are to listen to Jesus for He only has the words of eternal life. We are to listen to Jesus because what He is says about his death and resurrection is the heart of the Gospel. Without believing the Gospel we have no salvation. We are to listen to Him when He says we are to deny ourselves, take up our cross daily, and follow Him. We are to listen to Jesus when He invites us to come to Him. Jesus says: Matthew 11:28 HCSB "Come to Me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. CONCLUSION Finally don t overlook the mention of prayer. Jesus led the disciples up on the mountain to pray. When we pray we come into the presence of God. When we pray we can see the glory of Christ. When we pray, we can hear the Son speak to us. Listen to Him and follow Him. When you come to Jesus, follow Him, you will see His glory. Amen? Amen! March 3, 2019 Corntassel CP Church Page 5