Exodus 34 v29-end & Luke 9 v28-43
What is the most beautiful thing you have ever seen? I wonder if you’d like to share one thing you’ve seen which has perhaps left you speechless, in awe, wide-mouthed in wonder – ‘wow!’ is the only thing you might have been able to say.
In both our readings, we see people left in awe and wonder as they encounter God’s glory – in the reading from Genesis it is seen in Moses’ appearance; in our reading from Luke, God’s glory is displayed in and through Jesus.
Moses’ face shone because he had spent time in God’s presence – 40 days and nights. It was so bright that Aaron and the Israelites didn’t want to come near him. He had to put a veil over his face in their presence. Moses was called by God to lead his people, the Israelites, out of slavery in Egypt and into the promised land. This he did, but of course, Moses could not rescue the people from slavery to sin and death. For that, we need a Saviour, Christ Jesus. The whole Old Testament points forward and prepares us for the coming of Christ to rescue and redeem his people.
And so, we’re going to be focussing on the transfiguration of Jesus. A moment recorded in all three synoptic Gospels when the veil is lifted and Jesus’ true identity and purpose is revealed to Peter, James and John on a mountaintop. This is the most wonderful sight these disciples would ever behold. The true significance of this encounter would only become clear after Jesus’ death and resurrection. But here on the mountain top, they behold the glory of God displayed in Christ Jesus - the godman, fully human and fully divine. The only one able to rescue humanity from the power of sin and death.
The word ‘transfiguration’ means a change in form. The Greek word used is metamorphoo from which we get our English word metamorphosis. The most obvious example of this is when a caterpillar metamorphoses into a beautiful butterfly.
It signifies a profound transformation or change in form. In the New Testament, it is used to describe both physical and spiritual transformations. The term implies a change that is not merely superficial but involves an essential alteration in nature or character.
And that’s what we see happening here. Luke tells us that Jesus took Peter, James and John and went up a mountain to pray. In the bible mountains are often places of encounter with God. Think of Abraham, Moses & Elijah. They had powerful moments of encounter with God on mountaintops. The disciples would have known about these. In a sense Luke is giving his readers a prompt saying something big is about to happen.
When Jesus and the three disciples get to the top, Jesus begins to pray. The disciples are exhausted. Their eyes are heavy with sleep. They can barely stay awake let alone pray. And Luke says that as Jesus prayed, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white. Soon Jesus is joined by two men – Moses and Elijah. They are talking about his departure and what’s about to happen in Jerusalem.
The disciples are watching this scene unfold with bleary eyes. They are in complete awe and wonder. And Luke says they saw the glory of God in Jesus – all this beauty and majesty, radiating out in the dazzling brilliance of light. And as if that wasn’t enough, a cloud descends and covers them. And from within the cloud, they hear this voice that said,
‘This is my Son, my Chosen (some translations say Beloved); listen to him!’
This is a holy moment for the disciples. A moment so powerful that they would never forget it – etched in their minds forever.
The transfiguration of Jesus Christ was a powerful demonstration of His divine nature and the manifestation of His glory. Jesus possessed all of this before his incarnation as a human being but he laid aside his majesty when he took on human flesh. As his earthly ministry draws to an end, Peter, James and John get a first-hand glimpse of Jesus’ eternal glory on that mountain top.
But the question we are left with is why was Jesus transfigured and what does that mean for us today?
Let’s consider the first - why was Jesus transfigured?
The whole purpose of Jesus was to rescue humanity from sin and death. That is why he came down to earth. There was no other way but for the Son of God to take on human flesh, become like one of us, in every way to be identified with fallen humanity. And yet, at the same time, he was fully divine. Or as St. Paul puts it, ‘in Christ all the fullness of Deity lives in bodily form’ (Colossians 2:9).
And because Jesus is fully God and fully man, he alone can rescue us from the power of sin and death. And this he accomplished through his death, resurrection and ascension. But the question remains – why was he transfigured?
Well, in the lead up to this point, Jesus has been teaching and preaching the kingdom of God. He has been calling people to repentance. He has been demonstrating God’s power over sickness, storms, evil spirits and even death as many are healed and restored. He has loved the unlovely and shown compassion and kindness to all who felt rejected and excluded by the religious leaders. The disciples have journeyed with him and seen first-hand his many miracles and in his name and authority have performed their own miracles. As we read these accounts in the gospels, we see how many people have their own ideas about who Jesus is – some say Elijah, some say John the Baptist, but Peter makes the wonderful declaration that Jesus is the Messiah earlier in this chapter (Luke 9: 18-20).
But as his time on earth draws near to an end – and that is what Moses and Elijah are talking to him about in the transfiguration – Jesus has been preparing his disciples for his departure. We don’t have time to go into it in detail, but Moses and Elijah represent the Law and the Prophets, all of whom pointed forward to Jesus and his saving work.
Just a few verses before the transfiguration Jesus predicts what is about to happen to him in Jerusalem. He tells his disciples how he will suffer many things, be rejected, killed and then raised on the third day. The disciples are rattled by this news. In the parallel accounts Matthew and Mark, we read how Peter takes Jesus aside and tells him off for saying such things! It’s the same Peter who has just declared Jesus as the Messiah! And Jesus has to rebuke Peter who does not have in mind the things of God, but of men (Mark 8:31-33).
Jesus’ transfiguration then is a demonstration of his divinity, his kingship – his complete authority and sovereignty over all that is about to unfold. Here we see his humanity completely transformed by the glory of God. The transfiguration takes place to give these three disciples a deeper understanding of who Jesus is and what he came to accomplish. It will forever be etched on their minds and in years to come will sustain, transform and inform their writings and their witness to the world about Jesus, the Messiah.
Let’s now briefly consider what the transfiguration means for us today?
We’ve just thought about the meaning of the transfiguration of Jesus and how this moment was pivotal to the writings and witness of the early disciples of Christ.
What it means for us today is that we can have complete confidence in the scriptures and what they say about Jesus and what he has done for us.
John begins his gospel by saying that they have seen the glory of Jesus - the word made flesh who was there from the beginning - who took on human flesh and dwelt among us. He was a witness to Jesus’ life and ministry. And again, he says that God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son Jesus so that everyone who believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Peter, so full of himself; so impulsive; who one moment is walking on water towards Jesus and the next is rebuking Jesus for talking about his death. Peter who declares Jesus to be the Messiah and later denies him three times. This same Peter who is broken and downcast and yet lovingly restored by Jesus, is used mightily by the Lord to build his church. Peter reflects on this transfiguration moment in his letter written to encourage and strengthen Jewish believers facing persecution in Asia Minor (modern day Turkey) and says they didn't devise clever stories about the coming of the Lord Jesus but they were eyewitnesses of his majesty (2 Peter 1:16-18). He encourages them to persevere and not lose hope in Jesus.
The transfiguration sustained and transformed the lives and witness of these early disciples. It demonstrated the power and presence of Jesus as Lord and Saviour. And today by faith in Christ and through the power of the Holy Spirit we can know and experience his transforming power in our lives.
We are just about to start the season of Lent. This is a good opportunity to draw closer to Jesus through our regular times of worship, through reading or listening to his Scriptures (there are various bible apps available), through prayer and silent reflection. One size doesn’t fit all, but we can be intentional and ask the Lord to reveal more of himself to us, to continue his transforming work in our lives and in the lives of our loved ones. We can have confidence that God who began a good work in us will carry it on to completion until the day Jesus returns.
Amen.