2.23.20 Matthew 17:1-9
Six days later Jesus took with him Peter, James, and John the brother of James; and he led them up onto a high mountain by themselves. 2 There he was transfigured in front of them. His face was shining like the sun. His clothing became as white as the light. 3 Just then, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Jesus. 4 Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you want, I will make three shelters here: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” 5 While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them. Just then, a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him.” 6 When the disciples heard this, they fell face down and were terrified. 7 Jesus approached and as he touched them, he said, “Get up, and do not be afraid.” 8 When they opened their eyes, they saw no one except Jesus alone. 9 As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, “Do not tell anyone what you have seen until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”
Precious Lord, Take My Hand
A chameleon is known for its ability to change colors in order to adapt and blend into the background it is living in - so that it is less susceptible to attack. Their natural colors are usually brown, grey, or green. When a human being is said to show their “true colors” it means that they are being who they truly are. Usually we mean that in a bad sense, “He showed his true colors.” When Jesus became white on the top of the Mount of Transfiguration, we might say that he was showing his true colors, but in a good sense. His holiness and divinity beamed from within Him. He didn’t conceal His glory. He let it shine. It was a beautiful sight for Peter, James, and John, one they would never forget.
Jesus took them up a high mountain to reveal His glory. I love hiking into nature. It cleanses the mind and stresses the body, pushes you to the limit, gets you away from the business of life and helps you to reset. But this was more than a physical ploy used by Jesus to clear their minds. Moses went up Mt. Sinai into a cloud of fire to receive the Ten Commandments from God, and the elders also went up and ate and drank in the presence of God. (Exodus 24) When Elijah ran from his ministry in fear of Jezebel he too fled to Mt. Horeb, and there the LORD spoke to him with a gentle whisper. (1 Kings 19) So Jesus takes Peter, James, and John up a mountain, not only to reveal His glory to them, but also for them to see Moses and Elijah as well. These icons of the faith: Moses the lawgiver and Elijah the prophet: were not dead. They were alive and well, having a conversation with Jesus. What a glorious sight it was!
In some ways this was indescribable. Matthew says that Jesus’ clothes shone as bright as light and his face shone like the sun. Luke described his clothes like lightning. Mark mentions that they were brighter than anyone could bleach them. Different ways of describing what was really seemingly indescribable - the glory of God shining through the clothing of a man.
Jesus had done glorious things like calming a storm, walking on water, healing lame people and lepers, and raising the dead. But this was in another sense a completely different ball game. He wasn’t just showing His divinity through His ACTIONS, He was showing in His very BEING. He was in His very essence THE GLORIOUS GOD in the flesh, and the disciples got to see it with their very eyes. Think of a butterfly coming out of its cocoon for the first time. What an awesome thing it is to see it break forth, spread its colorful wings and fly. Peter, James, and John were witnesses to a beautiful view of Jesus. As they describe it to us, the Holy Spirit wants us to envision it with our eyes of faith as well, as if we were standing there with Peter, James, and John, staring at Jesus too.
But the conversation that Jesus was having with Moses and Elijah was not what they wanted to hear. They were talking about Jesus exodus, how Jesus was going to leave and finish out this ministry. When the Israelites left the slavery of Egypt, it had to happen at the death of the firstborn children of Egypt and the firstborn lambs of the Israelites. This exodus - in order to free us from sin and death - would happen at the death of Jesus. Moses and Elijah understood. They were able to discuss this with Jesus and not try to talk Him out of it. They would be able to speak on the same level as Jesus and encourage Him on the way to heaven. This is what they had prophesied about. They knew what had to be done. Jesus would have to suffer and die on the cross. This glorious God would have to reveal His glory once again and go down from the Mountain to go to the valley of the shadow of death.
The disciples didn’t know what to say, but that never seemed to stop Peter. He wanted to build three shelters, one each for Moses, Elijah, and Jesus. He wanted this moment to last forever. And who can blame him? I would too. There are occasional moments of happiness in life that you want to build a shelter around; you wish they would last forever. You wish you could build a bubble around your children and never send them off to college or away from home. You wish you could move off to a cabin and shut yourself off from the world, build your own little shelter. I wish as a pastor I could protect families from hurt and divorce and suffering and pain. I wish the devil didn’t exist. I wish that sickness and disease were eradicated. I wish there were no drug and alcohol problems in the world. But no matter how much I warn, and no matter how much I pray, the sickness, the sin, and the death eventually make it through.
There are no shelters big enough to keep people from the elements of this world. We have to understand this reality, even as we pray. God said He would walk us through the valley of the shadow of death, and there’s no going around it. We like to think that it happens to everyone else, until it happens to us. No matter how many shelters you try to put up, how many exercise programs, how many diets, how many safety locks you put on your doors, your time is coming. We live in the valley of the shadow of death, even when we’re up on the mountains. No shelters can protect us from it. That’s the reality of life.
For the disciples, this moment wasn’t supposed to last forever, it was only meant to give them and us a glimpse of who Jesus truly is, so that we would know WHO was going to the cross. This is God who is going to die for the sins of the world.
It wasn’t only what they saw, it was also what they heard. A voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him.” It seems so basic, the words of the Father. The Father is proud of His Son, His only begotten Son, the One and Only. Peter said that Jesus received “honor and glory from the Majestic Glory” when the Father spoke from heaven. The Father wanted the Son to be revered and respected and heard. It seems so simple. Listen to Him. But it’s interesting when you think of what just happened. Jesus just shone like the sun. He looked glorious. They were enamored with the SIGHT, but the disciples were supposed to LISTEN to Him, not stare at Him and look at Him. And that’s what Peter said in the epistle lesson for today as well,
19 We also have the completely reliable prophetic word. You do well to pay attention to it, as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the Morning Star rises in your hearts
Why listen? Remember what Jesus was talking about - His coming departure - and that’s the one thing they DIDN’T want to listen to. They wanted Jesus to rule powerfully over the world. They wanted His kingdom to come on earth so He would overthrow the governments. They didn’t want Jesus to die, so they weren’t getting it. But if they had listened that death wouldn’t come as a surprise, and neither would His resurrection. They would have saved themselves a lot of worry and heartache if they had only LISTENED and BELIEVED what they had heard.
The word takes us outside of ourselves and our problems, and it reminds us of the God who rules through it all and in it all, to bring people to heaven. He doesn’t shelter us FROM it, He strengthens us THROUGH it. So we need to listen carefully to what He has to say. We love it when God promises us protection. We love it when He says the hairs of our heads are numbered. But we don’t like it when He talks about pain and suffering and sacrifice. We’d rather ignore sin rather than confront it, because we don’t want the cross. We pray for success. We pray for health. We pray for no cross, all glory. We love the glorious visions of life. We don’t want to listen to the rest. Sometimes we need the Father to confront us with a firm and stern, “Listen to him.” We need to dive back into the Word and just let Him speak to us and tell us of His promises to get us THROUGH this valley, not AROUND this valley.
When the Father speaks, the disciples are overwhelmed. All they can do is fall on their faces. They are in the presence of holiness and majesty, and it is terrifying, just like it was for Adam and Eve. They have a profound sense of guilt and shame in His presence. No more foolish words or suggestions from Peter. Just sheer silence and terror. But this is where God’s holiness has to put us, on our faces in fear. Then we have no choice but to listen, because our eyes can’t look and our mouths have nothing to say. So we go back to the words of the Father, “Listen to him.” This is the center and focus of everything we hear in the Bible. It has to point us directly to Jesus and what He has to say.
Before Jesus says anything, Jesus approached and as he touched them. Isn’t that just such a neat and beautiful thing? Don’t overlook this simple gesture. A simple touch. People miss that in our society. They reach out for help on the internet, but it’s not the same as talking to someone in person and having them hug you or hold your hand. Teachers are told not to touch their students, because of all of the abusive touch that has happened. But in the same sense we are made physical creatures. We need to be touched from time to time. It isn’t anything perverted. Jesus doesn’t do anything but gently touch them. He doesn’t strike them. He doesn’t whack them on the head. He gently touches them saying to them with His hand, “It’s ok.”
So in the Lord’s Supper, Jesus touches us. It’s nothing profound. A little bit of bread and a little bit of wine. It’s so simple and yet beautiful. He touches us with His body and blood. He tells us, “You’re forgiven. All is well.” We crave this gentle touch from Jesus. We need it.
Then Jesus issues a wonderful command. “Get up, and do not be afraid.” God isn’t going to kill you. He’s come to kill Himself, for you, on the cross. And that’s not all. As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, “Do not tell anyone what you have seen until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.” It’s kind of funny that Jesus told Peter, James, and John not to say anything of what happened until AFTER the resurrection. He didn’t want people flocking to Him or trying to make Him king on earth. But here is ONE TIME at least that Peter kept his mouth SHUT! He didn’t say anything until after the resurrection. But what’s the final point? This will not end in failure. Jesus will rise! That’s why we need not fear. Jesus is going to win in the end. Death will be conquered. Sin will be paid for. Heaven will be yours, free of charge, through faith. Through the season of Lent, don’t forget the end. Jesus will say to you on Judgment Day, “Don’t be afraid! Get up! Come and be with me in heaven, where you will see my true color forever!”
Precious Lord, take my hand
Lead me on, let me stand
I am tired, I am weak, I am worn
Through the storm, through the night
Lead me on through the light
Take my hand, precious Lord
Lead me home. Amen.
