Transfiguration

1  Jesus has the glory of heaven

Shortly before the Transfiguration described in our text,

Jesus’ disciples had realized something most important.

When Jesus asked them who they believed He was, Peter said,

You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.

This was an important confession of faith,

because it was true, but not obvious.

Once the disciples confessed this faith,

Jesus began teaching them about something shocking:

From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.

Jesus told them He was about to die.

Peter objected to it strongly,

but Jesus would not be persuaded otherwise.

Instead, Jesus told them that every disciple of His

would have to suffer a cross and lose his own life.

Disturbing news — for them and us.

Six days later, Jesus took three of His disciples alone,

and was transfigured before them, so they saw His glory.

He was teaching them something else,

which they needed to know

in order to follow Him through death and the cross.

He was also teaching us, because we have it through His Word.

Jesus has the glory of heaven.

So that its light belongs to Him. So that He calls us out of darkness.

2  Matthew 17:1–9

Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him.

Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, let us make here three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”

While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!” And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces and were greatly afraid.

But Jesus came and touched them and said, “Arise, and do not be afraid.” When they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.

Now as they came down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, “Tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man is risen from the dead.”

2.1  So that its light belongs to Him.

Jesus has the glory of heaven,

so that its light belongs to Him.

You can’t find a sharper contrast than this:

The same Jesus who insists as God’s Son that He must die now demonstrates that He possesses the glory of heaven.

Consider what a surprise this is for the world of unbelief.

If you know how Christians like us are viewed

(when we’re noticed at all),

then you can appreciate the thoughts of Jesus’ disciples.

It’s not popular that we teach the Bible’s doctrine

concerning original sin, or that we all must repent and die to sin in order to live.

Likewise, it was disturbing to Jesus’ disciples

when He told them that He would soon suffer and die,

and that they too would have to bear a cross.

But only six days later,

Peter, James, and John received this glimpse of glory:

heavenly glory and power beyond our knowledge.

What do we learn from this?

The glory of heaven shown on the mountain belongs to Him.

The light belongs to Him.

So the cross He would soon bear,

and the death that He would suffer:

both must somehow harmonize with the glory of God’s Son.

We have a strong clue as to how that can be,

because Moses and Elijah appeared with Jesus on the mountain.

Moses and Elijah were already in heaven, even then,

but in the heavenly glory, Jesus was speaking with them.

You might wonder why they appeared,

and not Abraham or David.

Moses and Elijah represent something

both for the disciples who saw them, and for us.

Moses represents the Law or Torah,

the first part of the Bible.

Elijah represents the prophets,

which at the time included the rest of the Bible.

To the Pharisees and Scribes,

the Law and the Prophets were among

the most glorious and heavenly things on earth.

It’s in the Law of Moses

that God established the Temple and its practices, and separated the children of Israel from the nations.

It’s in the prophets

that God promised the deliverance of Israel,

and the future establishment of His kingdom.

Peter, James, and John were amazed to see such a thing,

and Peter wanted it to go on.

Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, let us make here three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.

Jesus did not answer Him, but another did.

While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!”

Instead of three tabernacles or shelters on the mountain,

a single bright cloud envelops them.

It’s as though the Father said, “Why, Peter, would you separate my Son from the Law and the Prophets?

Why would you put them in separate tabernacles, instead of keeping them together as they belong?”

The voice of the Father and the bright cloud confirm for us

where we should find the glory of our Lord Jesus:

Not by separating Him from the holy scriptures,

as though we could leave them behind,

but by finding Him in that bright cloud, including:

the Law of Moses, the Prophets and Writings of the Old Testament, and the Apostles, who also were with Him on the mountain.

In other words, the heavenly glory of Christ is found

in the Bible.

Jesus can’t be separated from His Word.

The Word of God tells us why Jesus,

would die in such poverty and shame,

though He had such great glory of His own: (2 Cor. 8:9)

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.

The reason for this great contrast between death and glory

is God’s mercy upon the whole world, including you.

Jesus did it all to save us.

Jesus has the glory of heaven,

so that its light belongs to Him.

2.2  So that He calls us out of darkness.

Jesus has the glory of heaven,

so that He calls us out of darkness.

What darkness?

The darkness of sin.

The apostle John, who was there on the mountain,

wrote in John 1:

In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

The light of heaven is not understood by the darkness on earth.

Those who believe God’s Word know that

being in the light of heaven is to have Jesus Christ,

who has all the glory of heaven.

the light of heaven is life: everlasting life,

and the darkness on the earth means death.

the light of heaven is righteousness in God’s sight,

while the darkness on earth is rightousness only in man’s sight.

the light of heaven means peace with God,

while the darkness on earth means opposition to God.

Who wouldn’t want

everlasting life, to be righteous in God’s sight, or to be at peace with God?

Some — or maybe all of us are Christians.

But when we all came into this world, we were born into darkness. Even for Christians,

the darkness of sin still clings to our hearts.

So we know what it’s like to be in that darkness:

All of sinful humanity does want

to receive everlasting life, for God to call us righteous, and to make peace with God.

But we want these things on our terms,

not on God’s terms.

Don’t you see it all the time when people argue with each other?

A child finally has no choice but to do his chores,

but by gum, he’s going to do them his way,

not mom’s way.

We don’t want to give others the satisfaction

of admitting that they were right, and we were wrong.

That’s how a heart of darkness

wants to receive everlasting life and peace with God,

so that when we arrive in heaven, we can say in God’s face:

I did it my way.

From the time we’re born into darkness,

there’s nothing we can really do about our sin.

Some people work harder, or find comfort that others are more sinful than they.

But the attitude of our hearts is still flawed.

Beside, the Ten Commandments don’t grade on effort. It’s not “Thou shalt try,” but “Thou shalt.”

There is only one answer,

one way for us to leave the darkness of our sin

and enter the light of God’s favor.

We have to follow our Savior,

through death, and under the cross, to the glory that He has prepared for us.

We have to hear, believe, and keep the Word of God.

That’s where we learn that Jesus did the impossible in our place:

He kept God’s commandments, even in His heart. Then He died for our guilt: yours, too.

So you have everlasting life, God calls you righteous, because He has made peace with you.

Now, some might say that’s not fair. Peter, James, and John got to see the light of His glory,

but we must be content to hear His Word!

But that’s just the point.

Those three apostles saw Jesus’ glory on the mountain,

but then had to return to the darkness of this world.

They were later sent out to bring God’s Word to us,

so that through it, we also might see His glory.

What really frustrates us

is that the glory of God is a matter of faith, not sight.

When we believe Moses, Elijah, and the Apostles

then we have Jesus, as surely as He was on the mountain.

But living here on earth is more like bearing a cross. We’d rather live in glory.

We’re tempted to disbelieve Him,

to abandon Him and seek glory elsewhere.

But Jesus has the glory of heaven,

and we will not find it outside His Word.

So let us be content with this brief glimpse today of Jesus’ glory.

For us, His glory in holy scripture is even better

though it’s not yet a visible glory, and though we still must live in a world of darkness.

Through God’s Word,

you may be certain of everlasting life, of your righteousness before God through faith, and of your peace with Him.

Amen.

Soli Deo Gloria!