Witnessed by Disciples
STATING THE SCRIPTURES (Matthew 17:1-12)
After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.
Peter said to Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.
While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him
When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. But Jesus came and touched them. Get up, he said. Don’t be afraid. When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus.
As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus instructed them, Don’t tell anyone what you have seen, until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead. The disciples asked him, Why then do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?
Jesus replied, To be sure, Elijah comes and will restore all things. But I tell you, Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but have done to him everything they wished. In the same way the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands. Then the disciples understood that he was talking to them about John the Baptist
SETTING THE STAGE
After a trip of 6 or so days and a very long day a small weary group of people stopped at the bottom of a mountain to make camp for the night.
Four men left this group and started walking up a small trail that lead to a beautiful spot high up on Mt. Tabor.
Two of the men were picking up small limb’s that were laying on the ground. The larger of the men maybe in his late twenties was starting a fire with leaves and small sticks.
These three men sit around the fire warming themselves from the chill of the night air. Setting so they can see their leader from the glow of the setting sun as day slowly turns to night.
They notice that their master had been standing quietly five or six feet from the edge of a cliff and about 25 feet from them. He had been there for what seemed to them a long time.
The way they were sitting they could see a beautiful view of the setting sun that was leaving behind a reddish blue sky.
The man that brought them to this place began to slowly lower his hands from praise to place them by his side.
Just then right before their eyes Peter, James and John saw the appearance of Jesus change from the inside out. The magnificent array of lights engulfed them.
Sunlight poured from his face. His clothes were filled with light that radiated out into the night in all directions.
They stood trying to block the light with their hands and peeped around their cloths that were hanging from their arms. Finally they looked directly into the bright light that seem to fill the night.
They realized by way of Gods Spirit that the men they saw through the bright light were Moses and Elijah. The three were in deep conversation with each other.
Peter, after a short time started slowly walking towards Jesus, Moses and Elijah. In Peters mind he couldn’t believe that his master was actually talking with Moses and Elijah. After all Moses was the giver of the law and Elijah was the greatest prophet of all time.
In his excitement he spoke to Jesus in a loud and nervous voice as the three continue to talk.
He said Master, what would you think if I built three monument right here. . Peter, in his exuberance about what was happening, kept talking barely aware that he was talking so much.
Suddenly a large cloud appeared over them. Deep within the cloud a terrifying voice said: This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.
Right then it was like every drop of strength left their bodies. They fell to the ground on their faces and couldn’t move until Jesus touched them.
Jesus said arise and don’t be afraid. When they arose and looked around the only person they saw was Jesus.
Over 40 years later Peter now in his early 70’s tells of this story again in his letter to the world. This time he says the prophets of old had foretold everything about Jesus.
That some were trying to change the story but not to listen to them. Keep focusing on the story of Jesus the Savior. No Scripture is of a private opinion but the very word of God. And if we truly believe then Jesus will come and live in our heart.
Jesus was fully human and fully God. God had sent Moses and Elijah to encourage Jesus as he continued in his human body. His human side needed encouragement and his Father in Heaven was providing it.
God the Father encouraged his son for his special calling. A calling that he willingly accept. God also encouraged the three Disciples of Jesus because of what was to come in Jesus’ life as well as their own lives.
The same way others are encouraged as we struggle with unholy powers and the world we live.
God allowed them to see how special Jesus is. He gave them something to remember, something to hold onto, something to tell others. God said this is my Son in a spectacular way.
By faith this experience enters our hearts unto encouragement, as it did with the apostles over 2,000 years ago; now, we walk by faith and not by sight -- for faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things unseen.
INTRODUCTION
The transfiguration of Christ is a most unusual experience, but Christ and the discples needed unusual strength to face the future. The future held the cross for both.
Christ had just entered the last stage of training for the disciples It was most important that they grasp God’s plan for the world: He was the Messiah and He was to save the world through death and not through earthly power and conquest. He was to bear the cross for the sins of the world (1 Peter 2:24), but they too were to bear the cross if they were to follow Him. For some days now He had been drilling this message into them. Soon He was to face the reality of the cross and they were going to fully understand the thrust of what He meant by their taking up the cross. They both needed a very special portion of strength to face what lay in front of them.
The transfiguration was God’s answer to their need. God used a number of things to strengthen Christ and the disciples. The same things are applicable to the great needs we face. God will use the same kinds of things to strengthen us.
OPENING THE TEXT
Jesus was on a high mountain. Note that this event took place six days after drilling His disciples with the fact of His coming death and resurrection. Christ needed to get all alone with God. He took three disciples, Peter, James and John, with Him and climbed a high mountain. The place chosen is important. It was an high mountain, an isolated place where they would not be interrupted. It was conducive, fitted for being alone with God.
JESUS AND THE DISCIPLES RECEIVED THE STRENGTH OF GOD’S GLORY. The word transformed ( Greek = metemorphôthç) means a change into another form; a transformation; a change of countenance; a complete change. Luke said, the fashion of His countenance was altered (Luke 9:29). Note how the gospel writers described what happened: His face did shine as the sun and His raiment was white as the light (Matthew 17:2). His raiment became shining, exceeding white as snow; so as no fuller on earth can white them (Mark 9:3). The fashion of His countenance was altered, and His raiment was white and glistening (Luke 9:29).
Apparently the glory of His Godly nature was allowed to shine through His body. The glory which [He] had with God before the world shone through His body right on through His clothes (John 17:5). Peter said, We were eyewitnesses of His majesty. In John’s vision of Christ in The Revelation, he described the glory of Christ as the sun which shineth in its strength (Rev. 1:16).
Of course, our sense of God’s glory is very much dependent upon our doing what Christ did: getting alone with God in an intensive session of prayer and devotion.
We are to be transformed into the image of Christ, transformed in all His moral excellence. But we must learn that the change is brought about only by the Spirit of God, and only as we seek His face in prayer and genuine trust.
JESUS AND THE DISCIPLES RECEIVED THE STRENGTH OF GREAT SAINTS. Why did Moses and Elijah appear with Jesus? There seem to be two reasons. First, to discuss Jesus’ death (Luke 17:31). Jesus needed to be strengthened to bear the weight and pressure of the cross. Secondly, Moses and Elijah appeared to show that Jesus was the true Messiah, the Son of God, the One who was superior to the Law and the prophets. Moses represented the law; and Elijah, who was considered the greatest of the prophets, represented the prophets. These two men were honoring and ministering to Christ. By such they were symbolizing that the law and the prophets found their fulfillment in Christ. Christ was soon to fulfill His prophetic and priestly offices. Moses and Elijah were symbolically transferring the old prophetic and priestly offices to Him.
SCRIPTURES TO PONDER
Then he took unto him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished (Luke 18:31).
Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow (1 Peter 1:10-11).
JESUS AND THE DISCIPLES RECEIVED THE STRENGTH OF A HEAVENLY EXPERIENCE. The three disciples were tasting glory. They were in the very presence of God Himself and were tasting some of heaven’s joy, peace, security, fulfillment, and perfection. They did not want to leave this hallowed ground. Note what Peter did. He offered to build three shelters for Jesus and the two prophets. By this act he hoped to extend the stay of the heavenly guests and the glorious experience. The shelters offered were the booths made of branches and grass which could be quickly built, the kind often built by travellers on their stops along the road night by night.
There is a great need to learn something: God knows exactly how to meet every believer’s need. He knows just what kind of experience is needed, and God will do whatever it takes to meet our need—if we truly seek Him. However, we must remember something: our experiences must conform to God’s Word. God will not go against His Word in order to give growth and experiences. The experiences that come from God are the experiences that conform to His Word. In fact, spiritual experiences and growth usually come about as a result of reading and studying God’s Word.
A deep spiritual experience with God is always a glorious time. Nothing can compare to a session of deep communion with Christ, and there is always the wish that we could remain in His presence. But such is not our calling, not now. Our present call is to bear the cross and its message, not to wallow around in deep spiritual experiences. Our spirits do occasionally need to be spiritually renewed, but they are always renewed for a purpose: to strengthen us for going out and bearing a much stronger witness for our Lord.
SCRIPTURES TO PONDER
Is it not [your purpose] to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh? (Isaiah 58:7).
I have showed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive (Acts 20:35).
We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves (Romans 15:1).
Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ (Galatians 6:2).
Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body (Hebrews 13:3).
Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world (James 1:27).
Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous (1 Peter 3:8).
JESUS AND THE DISCIPLES RECEIVED THE STRENGTH OF GOD’S PRESENCE.
The cloud also covered the disciples. It and the voice of God terrified the disciples and caused them to fall immediately upon their faces, prostrated and unable to look up. As mortal men they were crouched in fear and paralyzed in terror.
The cloud was a bright cloud. This was the Shekinah glory, the cloud that symbolized God’s presence. It was the cloud that guided Israel out of Egypt and that rested upon the tabernacle, and above the Mercy Seat in the Most Holy Place. God dwells in unapproachable light upon which no man can look. The Shekinah glory is a light so glorious and brilliant that there is no need for a sun. It is a light that radiates splendor (cp. Rev. 21:11, 23). Peter later called it the excellent glory (2 Peter 1:17).
The bright cloud overshadowing Christ was in contrast to the dark and threatening cloud that overshadowed the giving of the old covenant to Moses, that is, the law. There is a point to be made here. The law (old covenant) was dark and threatening.
The new covenant (the love of Christ) is bright and is given to save and bless, not to threaten and condemn (Hebrews 12:18-24. Cp. Hebrews 8:6-13.)
The voice speaking actually says in the Greek, This is My Son, the Beloved One. Note the two facts stressed: Christ is God’s Son and He is the Beloved One. The idea is that Christ is the only begotten Son who was to be given for the world (John 3:16).
The disciples experienced a clear, intense sense of God’s presence. They fell prostrate on their faces before the Lord. The Lord stood there alone. The representatives of the Old Testament and covenant (law) had faded away. The bondage and darkness and terror of the law were now gone. Christ now stood in the law’s place. The new covenant was soon to take effect; the new covenant of light, love, and liberty was now replacing the old covenant of darkness, fear, and bondage.
The disciples’ experience can be applied to the believer’s future, to his appearance before God in the great Day of Redemption. In fact, that is just what is happening to Peter, James, and John. They find themselves in God’s presence.
The believer’s experience when he meets Christ face to face will undoubtedly be very much like what they experienced. The believer will experience the Shekinah glory and see its full manifestation upon Christ. The believer will hear the voice of God proclaiming Christ to be His Son; expressing perfect approval of His redemptive work; and rejoicing that He has been heard and is to be heard throughout all eternity. The believer will fall upon his face, prostrating himself before Christ in awe and adoration and worship. The believer will experience the Lord’s intercessory work. He will feel the Lord’s hand reaching out to touch him and to lift him up, and the believer will stand in the Lord’s righteousness and perfection, living in a state of glory forever.
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CONCLUSION
How often God would grant a clear, intense sense of His presence—if we would only get alone with Him for long sessions of meditation and prayer How much power would be present in our lives and ministries if we often got alone with God for long periods
How much time have you spent with Him in prayer....today?
