Introduction:
A. Have you ever had a “Mountain Top” Experience?
1. “Mountain Top” Experiences are those moments in our lives when we feel God’s presence in a glorious and powerful way - in a way we don’t experience every day.
2. Perhaps for you, one of those moments came when you were in a beautiful and inspiring place – like on a mountain top, or at the ocean, or at the Grand Canyon – And you felt God’s presence and glory.
3. Or maybe for you, the time came in a moment of crisis or desperation – perhaps in a hospital room, or on your knees in prayer, or not knowing how a bill would get paid or where you would find the next job or place to live – but then you felt God’s presence and glory, and a peace came over you, or God stepped in and miraculously provided what was needed.
4. Those moments are precious to us and are unforgettable.
5. We wish we could somehow hold on to them or bottle them up for a future time, but those kinds of experiences can’t be controlled or manufactured.
B. Today, as we return to our sermon series on the life of Peter, called “The Touch of the Master’s Hand,” we will witness Peter, James and John as they literally have a “mountain top” experience.
1. Today’s story from the life of Peter, happens about a week after the last episode where we watched Peter declare that Jesus was the Christ, but then watched as he had to be corrected by Jesus when Peter told Jesus that he would not be killed in Jerusalem.
2. Peter was still learning and growing, and we will see some more growing pains going on in today’s story.
3. Let’s see what Peter learned on the mountain top, and what we need to learn from his experience.
I. The Story
A. Although today’s story is told in Matthew and Mark’s Gospels, I want us to study from Luke’s version, because Luke adds some details that are not included by the other two writers.
1. The story begins: 28 Now about eight days after these sayings he took with him Peter and John and James and went up on the mountain to pray. (Luke 9:28)
2. So, what mountain was it that Jesus took them upon?
a. Over the years, some people have suggested that the mountain was Mt. Tabor, but later research has revealed the site of a Roman fort and garrison on Mt. Tabor, which would not have been favorable for a private place of prayer or for a transfiguration.
b. The mountain was most likely Mt. Hermon, which sits about 25 miles north of the Sea of Galilee in the region called Caesarea Philippi.
c. Matthew 16:13 tells us that Jesus was in the region of Caesarea Philippi when Peter had made the great confession in the story we looked at last time, and so we know that Jesus had been at the foot of Mt. Hermon in the previous days and so it makes sense that that is the mountain where this took place.
3. And what did Jesus initially go up on the mountain to do? To pray.
a. So here we see Jesus seeking out another opportunity to pray – Jesus was so committed to praying!
b. It is no surprise that some of the most significant experiences of Jesus’ earthly life occurred when He was praying – that ought to teach us something, don’t you think?
B. The story continues: 29 And as he was praying, the appearance of his face was altered, and his clothing became dazzling white. (Luke 9:29)
1. Both Matthew and Mark described what happened saying that Jesus was transfigured before them.
a. The Greek word for “transfigured” is the one we get our English word “metamorphosis” which means a change on the outside which comes from within.
b. Jesus was changed from an ordinary looking man into a figure of light with brilliant beams radiating from His body.
c. The reason His clothes became white was from the light emanating from within.
2. You can see how Luke was trying to describe this other-worldly experience, saying: “His face was altered, and His clothing became dazzling white.”
a. There is a big difference between the glory that emanated from Jesus and the glory that had emanated from Moses when he came down from Mt. Sinai.
b. Moses’ face had glowed from being exposed to the eternal light of God that he been in the presence of.
1. Kind of like something that has glow in the dark properties after it has been put under a lamp – it glows from the light it had been exposed to.
c. In contrast to that, the light that shone from Jesus emanated from within Him.
1. For most of Jesus’ 30 some years on earth, His human flesh obscured and veiled His Deity, but in this moment, His true divine nature was allowed to shine forth.
2. The Hebrew writer tells us that Jesus the Son of God is “the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His being…” (Heb. 1:3).
d. The word “glory” carries with it the idea of glowing brilliance.
1. When the angels visited the shepherds outside of Bethlehem the night when Jesus was born, the Bible says that the “glory of the Lord shone all around them.” (Lk. 2:9)
2. Brilliant light is associated with the character and nature of God.
3. The Bible tells us that God is holy, God is love, and God is light.
4. Sometimes people refer to the Shekinah glory of God – the word Shekinah is a Hebrew word that never appears in the Bible, but it does appear in other Jewish writings and it literally means ‘that which dwells.”
5. The Shekinah glory came to be used to describe the glowing presence of the Lord that dwelt between the cherubim covering the Ark of the Covenant.
C. So as the glory of God was emanating from Jesus on the mountain, something else remarkable occurred, the Bible says: 30 And behold, two men were talking with him, Moses and Elijah, 31 who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. (Lk. 9:30-31)
1. The appearance of Moses and Elijah added greatly to the impressiveness of this spectacle.
a. Moses and Elijah were the representative leaders of the Jewish Religion – Moses was the embodiment of the law, and Elijah the prophets.
2. Interestingly enough, in both their cases, they had mountain top experiences and both had unique departures from the earth.
a. Moses’ mountain top experience occurred at Mt. Sinai with the receiving of the law, and Elijah’s mountain top experience came on Mt. Carmel when he had a showdown with the prophets of Baal.
b. With regard to the end of their lives, Moses had died and been buried on the lonely heights of Mt. Nebo, buried by God in an unknown grave.
c. Elijah, on the other hand, had not died, but had transitioned from this world on a chariot of fire.
3. But why had the two of them shown up on this occasion?
a. They had come to talk with Jesus about his departure which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.
b. The word “departure” is literally “exodus.”
4. Jesus had just begun talking with His disciples about His upcoming exodus – that He would go to Jerusalem and suffer many things and be killed and on the third day be raised to life.
a. Peter had tried to tell Him that that would never happen and Jesus had called him “Satan.”
5. But now these great leaders of the Jewish faith had showed up to talk with Jesus about these things.
a. I believe that they were there to tell Jesus that He was on the right path and to encourage Him to continue.
b. Later in the Garden of Gethsemane, an angel would be sent to strengthen Jesus in the moments before His arrest, but now it was Moses and Elijah who were the chosen emissaries of the eternal world who stood on Jesus’ left and right, assuring Him of the Father’s sustaining help and of the glory that would be accomplished through His sacrifice.
c. And along with Moses and Elijah, we can picture the great cloud of witnesses and their intense interest in the ministry of Jesus as He stepped into the stadium to run the last lap in His great race and to fight the last battle of His spiritual war – the cross.
D. Meanwhile, while all this was going on, what were Peter, James and John doing? They were asleep.
1. The Bible says: 32 Now Peter and those who were with him were heavy with sleep, but when they became fully awake they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. (Lk. 9:32)
2. So they had gone up the mountain to pray, and maybe it took them all day to climb the mountain, and when nighttime came, sleep overcame them.
a. This is a little foreshadowing of their future sleepy prayer time in Gethsemane.
3. And so, even though the Bible doesn’t say this occurred in at nighttime, it seems likely that it did, because when the entire episode is over the Bible says: 37 On the next day, when they had come down from the mountain, a great crowd met him. (Lk. 9:37).
4. But I can just imagine how much more impressive this whole scene would have been at night.
a. While they were praying in the dark, Peter, James and John fell into a deep sleep, but then they were suddenly awoken by the brilliant light, and the voices of Moses and Elijah talking with Jesus.
5. I have been startled from a deep sleep on several occasions by things like a thunderstorm, or the needs of our children, and there is often a cloudiness of thinking that has to clearn.
a. But I can’t imagine how it must have been for Peter, James and John to awake to this dazzling and miraculous scene.
b. And can you imagine the fogginess of their thinking, “Okay, where are we, oh yeah on the mountain praying with Jesus, and why is Jesus shining like a star, and who is Jesus talking with, oh, just Moses and Elijah…” What!?!?
E. It is not surprising that Peter, in his usual impetuous enthusiasm, and with the groggy fog of sleep, would say the wrong thing.
1. The Bible says: 33 And as the men were parting from him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah”—not knowing what he said. (Lk. 9:33)
2. So, Peter began with the obvious: “It is good that we are here!”
a. Yes it is good that they are there. I wish I had been there.
b. It’s no wonder that Peter wanted to stay there – We would have also!
3. But then Peter made a wrong suggestion: “Let’s build three tents or tabernacles – one for You, one for Moses and one for Elijah.”
a. I’m not sure if the purpose of those tents was a place of worship or a place to dwell, but either way, it was not the right suggestion.
b. If Peter was proposing a place to worship each of them, only one of them deserved to be worshiped.
c. And if Peter was proposing a place for each of them to live, staying up on that mountain was the last place that Jesus, Moses and Elijah needed to stay.
d. Jesus needed to go to Jerusalem to be crucified and resurrected, and Moses and Elijah needed to return to their blessed residence and ministry in heaven.
4. Matthew’s Gospel doesn’t make any evaluation or judgment on Peter’s suggestion, but both Luke’s and Mark’s Gospels do.
a. Luke’s basically says: “Peter didn’t know what he was saying.”
b. Mark’s says: “Peter did not know what to say, they were so frightened.”
c. And if Mark’s Gospel is really the Gospel according to Peter (Peter’s memories through Mark’s pen), then we have Peter’s explanation of why he said what he said.
F. Peter’s wrong suggestion didn’t need to be corrected by Jesus, Moses or Elijah, because God the Father stepped in and made the correction.
1. The Bible says: 34 As he was saying these things, a cloud came and overshadowed them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. 35 And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him!” (Lk. 9:34-35)
2. So God the Father showed up and enveloped them in a cloud.
a. This was probably that Shekinah cloud that led God’s people by day in the wilderness.
b. This was probably that Shekinah cloud that had filled Solomon’s temple on its dedication.
c. This was probably that Shekinah cloud that hid Jesus as He made His ascension to heaven.
3. And from the cloud came the voice saying, “This is my Son, listen to Him.”
a. In other words, the important person here is not Moses or Elijah, but the most important person is Jesus.
b. Jesus is the one you should listen to, not Moses and Elijah.
c. The words that matter most now are not the Law or the Prophets, but the words of Jesus.
G. And as quickly as all this had happened: the transfiguration of Jesus, the appearance of Moses, Elijah, the cloud and the voice, it all disappeared.
1. The Bible says: 36 And when the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and told no one in those days anything of what they had seen. (Lk. 9:36)
2. Mark’s accounts says: 8 And suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone with them but Jesus only. 9 And as they were coming down the mountain, he charged them to tell no one what they had seen, until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. 10 So they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what this rising from the dead might mean. (Mk. 9:8-10)
3. Matthew’s account says: 6 When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were terrified. 7 But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Rise, and have no fear.” 8 And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only. 9 And as they were coming down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, “Tell no one the vision, until the Son of Man is raised from the dead.” (Mt. 17:6-9)
4. What a terrifying and yet exhilarating experience this must have been!
5. Can you imagine seeing what they had seen and hearing what they had heard?
a. They saw Jesus glowing with the glory of God.
b. They saw Moses and Elijah raised from the dead.
c. They saw the cloud of God’s glory.
d. They had heard Moses and Elijah talking with Jesus about the crucifixion to come.
e. And they had heard the voice of God the Father declare that Jesus was His beloved Son, the Chosen One whom they must listen to and obey.
6. It is obvious why Jesus told them to keep this all to themselves until after the resurrection.
a. Just imagine the kind of chaos it would have caused both among the other disciples and among the crowd of followers and critics.
b. This powerful truth about the identity of Jesus needed to be shared at the right time, and prior to the crucifixion and resurrection was not the right time to share it.
II. The Application
A. So, what lessons can we learn and apply from today’s segment in Peter’s training as a disciple?
B. First of all, we learn not to fall asleep in our prayer time! Right? Just kidding.
C. Seriously, The first thing we learn is: to see God’s glory, we need to visit “the mountaintop” and worship.
1. And when I suggest visiting “the mountaintop” I am using that figuratively, not literally.
a. God is not found on a mountain only, although He might be found there.
2. What I am suggesting is that we do need to pull ourselves away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life in order to draw closer to God.
3. That was something that Jesus did regularly.
a. He would get up early and go to a solitary place to pray.
b. He would dismiss the crowds and find a place to pray.
c. In today’s story, He took Peter, James and John to a mountaintop to pray.
4. When we seek God in the quiet place of worship, prayer, meditation and Scripture study, we will find God and will experience the power of God’s presence.
a. But as we seek God in this way, we must be sure it is God whom we are truly seeking and finding.
5. Ultimately, we must listen to God and to Him alone.
a. There are many other competing voices out there – our own inner voice, the voice of culture, the voice of friends – Satan can speak through any of these as we saw in our last sermon.
b. We must be careful to seek God in the kinds of places where He has told us to look for Him – In Scripture, in prayer, and in the body of Christ.
6. Unfortunately, many people seek God in the wrong places.
a. Like the woman in New Mexico who thought she found Jesus in a fried tortilla.
b. Or the man in Poland who thought he found the Virgin Mary in the bark of a tree.
c. Or the lady in Arkansas who thought she found Jesus in the kitchen light of her trailer.
7. If we want to see God’s glory, we don’t need to look at a tortilla, a tree, or a trailer, but we do need to look into God’s Word.
a. We can go to any of the Gospels, especially John 1, or we can go to Colossians 1, Hebrews 1, or Revelation 1 and see visions of Jesus like this one: 12 Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest. 14 The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, 15 his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters. 16 In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength. (Rev. 1:12-16)
8. And so, the first lesson we learn from today’s story in Peter’s life is: We need to visit “the mountaintop” and worship.
D. The second thing we learn is: to see God’s glory, we need to leave “the mountaintop” and serve.
1. Peter wanted to stay on the mountain, and that’s the danger of the mountaintop experience – we want to linger there…we don’t want to leave.
a. Just like when we are on vacation…who wants to go back to work or school after vacation? We wish we could be on vacation permanently.
2. Life is not lived on the mountaintop, but in the valley.
a. It is important for us to regularly go to “the mountaintop,” but we can’t stay there, we must return to the valley in service to God and to others.
3. A man once told evangelist D.L. Moody, “I’ve been on the mount of Transfiguration with Jesus for the past five years!”
a. Moody asked him, “During that time, how many people have you won to Christ?” “None,” the man answered.
b. Moody replied, “We don’t need that kind of mountaintop experience. When a man gets so high he can’t reach down and help sinners, there is something wrong!”
4. This is the classic Mary verses Martha conflict.
a. There are some folks who never leave the valley for the mountaintop.
1. Folks like that work, work, and work for Jesus, but they never visit the mountaintop and enjoy sweet intimacy with God.
2. To them worship, Bible study, spiritual retreat or quiet time are a waste of time.
3. They look with disdain at the mountaintop worshipers and wonder when they are going to come down and get to work – like Martha looked at Mary.
b. Then there are some people who only want to spend time in worship on the mountaintop.
1. Folks like that enjoy the feeling of security and serenity that comes from being alone with the Lord.
2. They look down on the “workers” who don’t see the value of communing with the Lord.
3. The mountain-toppers are like Mary sitting at Jesus’ feet, while the valley-workers are like Martha banging pots and pans in the kitchen.
5. What we need to learn is to value both parts of walking with God – worship and service.
a. We need a balance of both parts of walking with God in order to be spiritually strong and healthy.
b. Although Jesus and Moses and Elijah all had their mountaintop experiences, they didn’t stay there, but all of them returned to the valley to minister in God’s power.
c. Jesus and His disciples had to come off the mountain and get right to work with the healing of the demon-possessed boy.
d. Moses had to come off the mountain and correct the Israelites who were worshiping a golden calf.
e. Elijah had to come off the mountain and deal with the murderous treats of Queen Jezebel.
6. When our walk with God is balanced with worship and service, we will find that we experience God’s glory and power in both activities.
a. We can have wonderful spiritual “highs” of intimacy with God on “the mountaintop,” but we can also feel God’s glory and closeness when we are sharing our faith and serving others.
b. What an awesome feeling it is to know that we have been used by God to accomplish His good purposes.
c. And it is only in sharing and serving that we are stretched beyond our own power and wisdom and then truly rely on God’s wisdom and power.
Conclusion:
A. So let’s be sure we spend enough time on the mountaintop in worship and enough time in the valley in service so that we experience the glory of God and allow it to transform us and empower us to bring glory to God.
B. Have you seen His glory?
1. I hope so! God’s glory can be clearly seen and experienced in worshipping and in serving.
Resources:
The Life of Peter, F.B. Meyer, Edited by Lance Wubbels, Emerald Books, 1996
The Apostle Peter, James Houck, Xulon Press, 2009
Mt. of Transfiguration, Sermon by Fred Markes, SermonCentral.com
The Transfiguration of Jesus, Sermon by Christopher Holdsworth, SermonCentral.com
