It seems to me . . .
Bob Beanblossom July 2015
OPENING THOUGHTS
I would like to have been with the Peter, James, and John when Jesus led them up into a high mountain where they watched in awe as Jesus was transfigured. As they watched, Moses and Elijah joined Jesus as His appearance was transformed into something bright and shining. The cross was drawing near. Salvation through the blood of our Savior, planned by God in eternity past, was on the horizon. Something very special happened in those moments as a cloud of God’s Shekinah glory covered the mountain top—something that forever changed man’s relationship with his God. In fact, he ordered his disciples to keep this unique event a secret.
And as they came down from the mountain, he charged them that they should tell no man what things they had seen, till the Son of man were risen from the dead. (Mark 9:9)
We are only told that Jesus, Moses, and Elijah discussed His upcoming death. The cross was drawing near.
TRANSFIGURED
Taking time out from teaching the crowds, healing the sick, and dealing with religious leaders intent on his destruction, Jesus selected three close disciples and took them up a mountain to spend some time with His Father. This was not unique—Jesus often got alone and talked with God, sometimes in the presence of His disciples and on other occasions would distance Himself from them for private prayer. He was always the obedient Son—equal in all respects to God the Father, yet always subservient to His will. This time was unique. He was joined by Moses and Elijah (Elias in Greek). God spoke from a cloud as he did at Jesus’ baptism. Jesus face and clothes were changed into what the scripture writers could only describe as shining and bright as the light. Words were simply not adequate to describe the change. Is your experience with our Savior like that?
Jesus’ transfiguration reminds us of another encounter with God centuries before this one. When Moses came down from the mountain after receiving God’s commandments, “his face shown:”
And it came to pass, when Moses came down from mount Sinai with the two tables of testimony in Moses’ hand, when he came down from the mount, that Moses wist not that the skin of his face shone while he talked with him. And when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone; and they were afraid to come nigh him. (Exodus 31:29-30)
An encounter with our Creator always changes us.
The Greek word translated here as transfigured is metamorphoo, familiar to us as metamorphosis: a major change in form or appearance according to Meriam-Webster. It is used four times in the New Testament, once as “changed,” and once as “transformed:”
Changed:
But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. (2 Corinthians 3:18)
Transformed:
And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. (Romans 12:2)
It gives us a glimpse, a view as in a glass, of the change in each of us upon receiving Jesus as our Savior. We somehow get a hint of the coming growth in our relationship with God that will result as we increasingly submit to the leadership and empowerment of the Holy Spirit.
It is used twice as transfigured, both regarding Jesus at this event:
And after six days Jesus taketh with him Peter, and James, and John, and leadeth them up into an high mountain apart by themselves: and he was transfigured before them. And his raiment became shining, exceeding white as snow; so as no fuller on earth can white them. (Mark 9:2-3)
And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart, and was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light. And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him. Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias. While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him. And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid. And Jesus came and touched them, and said, Arise, and be not afraid. And when they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no man, save Jesus only. (Matt 17:1-8)
Luke tell us that the topic of the day was Jesus imminent death on the cross at Jerusalem.
The Scripture does not tell us of any other business that Jesus had with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit on the mountain that day. His ministry had taken a new emphasis as He prepared for the cross. Jesus prepared His disciples for His coming death and resurrection, even though the disciples clearly did not understand. That understanding was unlocked at Pentecost.
For he taught his disciples, and said unto them, The Son of man is delivered into the hands of men, and they shall kill him; and after that he is killed, he shall rise the third day. But they understood not that saying, and were afraid to ask him. (Mark 9: 31-32)
GOD THE SON
Jesus, standing on that mountain, was all God and all man, unique in eternity. John, who describes himself as the disciple whom Jesus loved, opened his gospel describing the eternal relationship between God the Father and God the Son, named here as the WORD:
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. (John 1:1-2)
“En arche” John wrote in Greek: “In the beginning.” This was the eternity before God established time for man, even before Genesis 1. It speaks of beginnings before beginnings, and first estates, and principalities; of eternities before eternity. It is beyond our comprehension, yet firmly declared for our knowledge and to provide substance for our faith. Looking at those verses, God is clearly revealed as One with the WORD, with Jesus, in all aspects and in all eternity. Yet they are also clearly revealed as unique individuals: here and elsewhere in the Scriptures: God the Father, the policymaker; God the Son, the only Begotten of the Father, chosen to create, rule, and judge; and God the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, the nurturing one, the one who brings the salvation provided by the blood of Christ to each of us even as He convicts of sin.
This timeless relationship was changed when He came to the earth:
And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. (John 1:14)
His conception as man was no ordinary event, but was the result of the Holy Ghost coming upon Mary, His mother:
Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. (Matthew 1:18)
The event was so significant in earth history that it split the calendar in two. In the western world the time before his birth is described as BC (Before Christ) and afterwards as AD (Anno Domini, Latin for “Year of our Lord.”). Sinful man, always running from Him, has created a number of euphemisms to mask the truth that the division commemorates, but the transition remains firm and fixed. God always prevails.
Scripture is clear that Jesus was at work with and in man from the beginning. Paul tells us that, by God’s Son
. . . were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: and he is before all things, and by him all things consist. (Colossians 1:16-17 excerpted)
John does the same. Following his magnificent description of the relationship between God the Father and God the Son (the WORD), he says:
All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. (John 1:3)
Paul shows us that the eternal Jesus was active in the affairs of man even before His human birth:
Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; and were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; and did all eat the same spiritual meat; and did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. (1 Corinthians 10:1-4)
Moses might not have known Jesus at that time, but Jesus knew Moses. The same is true with you and me. Even if you are not a Christian, you have not accepted Jesus as your personal Savior, He knows and loves you. He has sent the Holy Spirit to convict and woo you to Him. He came not to condemn you but to rescue you.
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God (John 3:16-18)
LAW AND GRACE
When Jesus met Moses and Elijah on the mountain where He was transfigured, they spoke of His coming death. It was a time of transition that would be marked by a series of world-changing events. The law that Moses received was a stern taskmaster. No man was able to keep all of the law. The demands of the law set standards of behavior that we still observe today, but it could not provide salvation. The law was given until Jesus came:
. . . because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; (Galatians 3:19 excerpted)
Jesus’ appearance as the man-god who walked among us, died on the cross, and was raised alive on the third day, fulfilled that law and brought salvation through belief on Him (faith). A new dispensation of grace began, not just for the chosen nation of Israel, but for all mankind:
Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. (Matthew 5:17-18)
For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith. And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: that the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. (Galatians 3:10-14)
TRANSFORMED
I do not think that the meeting on the mount of transfiguration was a pep talk for Jesus as He faced the cross. He was joined on the mount by two men who realized their own weakness and relied on God to fulfill His mission, becoming giants of the faith. Moses faced down Pharaoh, received the law from God, and led the new nation of Israel to the banks of the Promised Land. Elijah boldly proclaimed the one God in the face of rampant idolatry among God’s people, incurring the wrath of Queen Jezebel that ended in her own death, and the defeat of the false gods and the death of their priests. I like to think that Jesus told them that the time had come; the dispensation that they had ushered in and proclaimed would soon be replaced by the dispensation of God’s grace.
As Jesus stood on that mount, He advised His faithful servants that the law written in stone would soon be transformed it into a living law of grace, the law of love.
TRANSFORMING
The transformation would not only feature the love of God for his children in broad terms encompassing the world, but in concrete terms for the individual, the whosoever.
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. (John 3:16-17)
All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. (John 6:37)
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. 1For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. (Romans 1:16-17)
For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them. But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:) or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.) But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. (Romans 10:3:9)
The disciples never forgot what happened that day on the mountain and no doubt this was intended. John wrote in his gospel, “We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only” (John 1:14). Peter also wrote of it, “We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but 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 Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased.’ We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with Him on the sacred mountain” (2 Peter 1:16-18). Those who witnessed the transfiguration bore witness to it to the other disciples and to countless millions down through the centuries.
While entire civilizations have crumbled been lost to history, His Word continues unbroken and unadulterated. There is more to it than luck or persistence. There is truly something about it. It is the living Word of the living God.
Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away. (Mark 13:31)