Introduction:
A. What are the most glorious things you have ever seen?
1. The birth of a baby? A breathtaking sunset? The pounding ocean surf or the shear force of the water going over Niagara Falls?
2. As glorious as those things are, none of those things can even come close to the glorious sight that Peter, James and John experienced when Jesus was transfigured before them.
B. Centuries prior to the transfiguration event that we will explore today from the Gospel of Mark, we read about an event that took place in the book of Exodus when God came down on Mount Sinai in a cloud.
1. The voice of God spoke out of the cloud, and everyone was afraid.
2. Moses went to the top of the mountain and begged to see God’s glory: “Show me your glory – your infinite greatness and unimaginable beauty.”
3. And God responded, “When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by, but my face cannot be seen. No one may see me and live.” (Ex. 33:18-23)
4. Even though Moses was not able to see God’s glory directly, even getting that near to God was enough to make Moses’ face shine with the reflected glory of God.
C. And then, centuries after that event, we get to witness what occurred on a different mountain when the glory of God showed up and shined forth.
1. It was about a week since Peter had made his great declaration: “You are the Christ!”
2. A lot had happened since then, including Jesus’ teaching about suffering and rejection, and being killed and then coming back to life.
3. It was all a bit confusing for the apostles and yet Jesus’ demands were quite clear: to follow Jesus meant denying oneself and taking up the cross daily.
D. The day on which the transfiguration took place likely started like any other day.
1. Perhaps it was at breakfast that Jesus announced that He was going to take a walk up a nearby mountain and that Peter, James and John would accompany Him.
a. Perhaps the afternoon sun was high as they reached the top of the mountain and Peter, James and John collapsed on nearby rocks.
b. Perhaps they urged Jesus to sit down and rest with them, but He stood with His back to them staring into the heavens.
2. But then, as the three of them sat looking at Jesus, He turned around and was transfigured before them.
3. They sat there speechless as Jesus’ clothes became whiter and brighter than anything they had ever seen.
4. Then, suddenly, Moses and Elijah, two men of old appeared and were talking with Jesus.
5. Peter, James and John sat there frozen with fear, until Peter broke the silence by mumbling the words: “Rabbi, it’s good for us to be here. Let’s set up three shelters: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”
a. Mark tells us that Peter didn’t know what else to say because they were terrified.
6. Immediately, a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and a voice like none they had ever heard said: “This is My beloved Son; listen to Him.”
7. As the sound of the voice faded, they looked around and everything was back to normal.
a. Jesus’ clothes were no longer radiant, Moses and Elijah were nowhere to be found, and the cloud had disappeared as quickly as it had come.
8. As Peter, James and John were coming down the mountain with Jesus, He ordered them to tell no one what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead.
a. Mark tells us that they mulled His words over in their minds wondering what “rising from the dead” meant.
9. The journey down the mountain must have seemed short compared to the journey up and surely those three disciples were never the same because they had seen a glimpse of glory.
E. Let’s explore this important episode in the life and ministry of Jesus by looking at two things: first, the elements of the transfiguration; and, second, the significance of the transfiguration.
I. The Elements of the Transfiguration
A. The account of the transfiguration is given in 3 out of the four Gospels, being omitted only by John.
1. The event took place about one week after Peter’s confession of Jesus as the Messiah.
B. The mountain on which the Transfiguration occurred is not identified by name in the Gospels.
1. Although ancient tradition has favored Mount Hermon and Mount Tabor as likely candidates, numerous mountains throughout the Holy Land have been offered as potential locations.
2. Those who choose Mt. Tabor rely heavily on tradition, while those who chose Mt. Hermon rely more on Scripture.
3. Mt. Hermon is the mountain that is closest to Caesarea Philippi where Jesus had been a week before the transfiguration.
C. Many features about the transfiguration have Old Testament significance.
1. The first feature with OT significance is the appearance of Moses and Elijah.
a. It is interesting to note that Moses and Elijah had “mountain-top” experiences of their own.
b. Moses had his on Mt. Sinai (Ex. 24, 33) and Elijah had his on Mt. Carmel (1 Kgs. 18).
2. The second feature with OT significance is the discussion Moses and Elijah had with Jesus.
a. In Luke’s account, we are told that the subject of their conversation was the exodus Jesus was about to accomplish in Jerusalem.
b. This idea of exodus suggests that Jesus’ death and resurrection were to be the means of redemption for God’s people from slavery to sin, just like the exodus from Egypt was the redemption for God’s people from Egyptian slavery.
D. Putting all this together, the transfiguration is therefore a focal point in the revelation of God’s Kingdom, for it looks back to the OT and shows how Jesus fulfills it, and it looks ahead to the great events of the cross, resurrection, ascension and second coming.
E. Now, let’s turn our attention to the significance of the transfiguration and spend the rest of our time talking about its significance.
II. The Significance of the Transfiguration
A. First of all, let’s consider how significant the transfiguration was for Jesus.
1. Surely, the transfiguration was a moment of precious confirmation for Jesus.
a. Just six days before this, Jesus had faced the difficult decision to make His Messiahship known and to clarify that His Messiahship included rejection, torture and death.
b. But then here on the mount of transfiguration, Jesus had received double approval of His decision.
2. The first approval He had received came from Moses and Elijah who met with Him.
a. Moses had been the supreme law-giver of Israel and Elijah was considered the greatest of the prophets.
b. What help could these two men of the OT give to Jesus?
1. Both men had passed through the dark shadows and were alive and well on the other side beyond earthly life and that had to be a comfort and encouragement to Jesus.
2. Moses had foretold of the coming of the Messiah (Dt. 18:18-19) and Elijah had been the symbol of the forerunner of the Messiah, and both men were now seeing the fulfillment of the things they had hoped for.
c. In some respects, their presence said to Jesus: “Go on with your mission. You’re on the right path, even though that path leads to a cross.”
3. The second approval Jesus received was from God the Father who made a verbal declaration.
a. God the Father had previously affirmed Jesus at His baptism which then launched Jesus’ ministry of service.
b. But now God the Father was preparing Jesus for His ministry of suffering.
c. At Jesus’ baptism, God the Father had said that He was pleased with His Son, but then at the transfiguration, God the Father said that He loved His Son.
d. In so many words, God was saying, “You are my Son, I love you. Proceed with Our plan and complete Your mission.”
4. And so, we can see how the transfiguration must have been significant for Jesus.
a. It affirmed that He had chosen the right way, because the way of the cross was the only way.
b. And it affirmed that Jesus was loved by His Heavenly Father.
B. Second, the transfiguration was significant for the disciples.
1. The disciples needed to be prepared by God for what was soon to take place to Jesus.
a. They had been shattered by Jesus’ statement that He was going to Jerusalem to die.
b. It baffled their minds how the Messiah could be one who suffered and died.
c. But it not only baffled their minds, it broke their hearts.
d. They had grown to love Jesus and the last thing they wanted for Him was to suffer and die.
2. But what they saw on the mount of transfiguration gave them something to hold on to even when they could not understand it all.
a. What had they been given to hold on to? A glimpse of glory.
3. What was the meaning and power of the glimpse of glory they saw in Jesus?
a. First, the disciples saw the glory of Jesus’ sinlessness.
1. Mark recorded that Jesus was transfigured in front of them.
a. The Greek word for transfigured is metamorphoo, from which we get the English word “metamorphosis.”
b. The Greek word metamorphoo indicaes a change on the outside that comes from the inside – Jesus’ glory came from the holiness and divinity inside of Him.
2. Mark recorded that His clothes became dazzling - extremely white – whiter than anyone could bleach them – which points to Jesus’ sinlessness and divinity.
3. In contrast to Jesus’ righteousness and sinlessness, Isaiah declared that “our righteousness is but filthy rags.” (Isa. 64:6)
4. The sinlessness of Jesus alone qualified Him alone to take on the sins of the world.
b. Second, the disciples saw the glory of Jesus’ sonship.
1. When Peter suggested that they build three shelters or tabernacles – one for Jesus, one for Moses, and one for Elijah, God spoke up and put the kibosh on that idea saying: “This is My Son!”
2. What God was clarifying was: “Moses and Elijah are great, but this is my Son, and there’s a big difference between them and Him – listen to Him!”
3. Never again would Peter or the other apostles wonder who Jesus was in relation to God the Father – Jesus is THE SON.
4. The Hebrew writer declared: “The Son (Jesus) is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being” (Heb. 1:3).
5. Moses had reflected the glory of God as the moon reflects the light of the sun, but Jesus doesn’t reflect God’s glory, rather God’s glory emanates from within Him.
c. Third, the disciples saw the glory of Jesus supremacy.
1. Moses and Elijah had delivered God’s Word in the past, but Jesus was now the deliverer of God’s new covenant.
2. God made it quite clear that Jesus was to be listened to – that His words had authority.
3. That’s why Jesus could say, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.” (Mark 13:31).
4. The transfiguration was a transforming moment for those disciples – one that they would never forget – nor would anyone with whom they later shared the incident.
a. Toward the end of Peter’s life, when he wrote his second letter, we can still feel the impact the transfiguration had on him, he wrote: “For we did not follow cleverly contrived myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ; instead, we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased!” We ourselves heard this voice when it came from heaven while we were with him on the holy mountain. (2 Pt. 1:16-18)
b. It would be a while before those disciples understood it all, but they were trying to process what they had seen and heard.
c. On the way down the mountain, they asked Jesus, “Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”
1. It was a good question – they had just seen Elijah on the mountain and they knew that Malachi had prophesied that Elijah would come before the Messiah.
2. But they also knew that John the Baptizer was the Elijah to come, but all of this was confusing.
d. Jesus answered them: “Elijah does come first and restores all things. Why then is it written that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be treated with contempt? But I tell you that Elijah has come, and they did whatever they pleased to him, just as it is written about him.” (Mk. 9:12-13)
1. With these words, Jesus reinforced that what happened to John the Baptizer (the Elijah that was to come) is what was going to Him.
2. Just as Elijah’s coming was a herald of the Lord’s coming, so Elijah’s execution (John’s beheading by Herod) was a herald of the Lord’s execution.
3. God’s prophesies come true and the way of the cross will result in glory, as hard and as tragic as the way of cross is.
4. That’s true for John the Baptizer, Jesus, and all of Jesus’ disciples.
C. Third, and finally, the transfiguration is significant for us.
1. What meaning should the transfiguration have for you and for me?
2. First, the transfiguration reminds us of who Jesus is.
a. Jesus is God the Son – remember God’s thundering voice: “This is My Beloved Son.”
b. Jesus is the Lord – He is the One who speaks with authority: “Listen to Him!”
3. Second, the transfiguration reminds us to focus on the unseen rather than the seen.
a. This is so hard for us because as physical people, we tend to focus on physical things.
b. The Hebrew writer tells us that Jesus was able to look beyond the cross, with its shame and suffering, and see the glory and blessing the cross would bring for Him and for us. (Heb. 12:2)
c. The disciples needed that view of the future glory and so God gave them a glimpse of it on the mountain.
d. With that glimpse of glory, they were able to later endure the crucifixion of their Lord and endure the suffering that awaited them.
e. In one of Kierkeguard’s books, he tells a parable in which he compares a rich man in his carriage at night with a poor man in his own carriage at night.
1. The rich man felt safe because his lanterns lighted the darkness around him, and yet the same rich man feared the blackness beyond the rays of his lantern.
2. In contrast, the poor man in his wagon had no lanterns, but was unafraid because he fixed his eyes upon the stars and their glory led him forth through the darkness.
f. Through the transfiguration, God gave those three disciples a view of the “stars” that they would never forget in the dark days ahead.
g. If we, too, will learn to look beyond the physical and see the unseen, then we can walk through the dark days we face without fear.
h. The apostle Paul explained it this way: Therefore we do not give up. Even though our outer person is being destroyed, our inner person is being renewed day by day. For our momentary light affliction is producing for us an absolutely incomparable eternal weight of glory. So we do not focus on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. (2 Cor. 4:16-18)
i. If we are going to be faithful followers of Jesus, then we must learn to see beyond this world – to see God in all His glory – which enables us to endure whatever it takes to share in that glory.
4. Finally, the transfiguration reminds us that no one can stay on the mountain-top.
a. Peter’s attitude was: “Let’s build something and stay here.”
b. The transfiguration was a great moment and to see Jesus that way was incredible – who wouldn’t want to try to hold on to that and stay in it? Right?
c. Many of us have experienced “mountain-top” experiences with God – maybe it was at our baptism, or at a retreat, or in a special time of prayer or worship, or some time when God made His presence or provision so obvious.
d. It is natural to want to stay on that mountain-top and live forever with those strong feelings and spiritual high, but just like Jesus and those disciples, we can’t stay on the mountain-top, but we must come down the mountain and head for Jerusalem.
e. Mountain-top experiences are great and we should treasure them, and we should revisit the memory of them when we are empty or discouraged, but our lives have to be lived in the valley and not on the mountain-top.
f. But the good news is that even when we are in the valley, we can look toward the mountain-top and remember the glimpses of glory that we have seen and experienced there, and remember the future that awaits us when we will live in the presence of God’s glory forever.
Resources:
• Truth for Today Commentary: Mark 1-8 and 9-16, Martel Pace, Resources Communications.
• A Glimpse of Glory, Sermon by David Owens
• Jesus the King, Timothy Keller
