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The Transfiguration
A high mountain.
Traditionally, it’s been said that this was Mount Tabor.
But, Tabor at 1843 feet is not a “high mountain” as scripture says.
Mount Hermon, which is over 9000 feet high is a more probable place.
Mark has been recording events in Caesara Philippi, and Mount Hermon is near this area.
Jesus takes his disciples up this high mountain.
There, on this high mountain, Elijah and Moses appear with Jesus.
Interestingly, it is in high places where Elijah and Moses did many amazing things.
And their appearance in this story should not come as a shock.
Mark tells us it was six days later.
Six days after his prediction that some standing there would see the Kingdom of God coming with power before they died.
This event occurred on the seventh day after the prediction, reflecting fulfilment of Christ’s words and that God had a special revelation that he was making in this moment.
It reflected or was reminiscent of God’s revelation to Moses in Exodus 24.15-16.
Here, on this mountain, God is revealing something very, very important.
There are several questions we should examine before we get to what God is revealing.
But before we get to the questions, consider this:
He who knows not and knows not that he knows not, is a fool ... shun him.
He who knows not and knows that he knows not, is ignorant ... teach him.
He who knows and knows not that he knows, is asleep ... wake him.
He who knows and knows that he knows, is a wise man ... follow him.
I share that to say, what was Peter thinking?
Look at what he says!
In many respects, Peter represents the first three of these.
There was no way for Peter to fully understand what was going on.
It is revealed in his statement, “Let’s build three booths for each of you.”
He didn’t have a clear understanding of what he had just witnessed.
Here was Moses.
Here was Elijah.
Two of the great prophets of Israel’s past.
Both of them had disappeared from view rather than dying in the ordinary way.
Legends were told about both of them.
They were apparently spared proper death, and now here they are in relatively normalcy with Jesus shining with a brilliant light.
What could it mean?
Peter, frankly, whatever he had in mind… he didn’t get it right.
Mark tells us he was jibberjabbering because of his fright.
So, what could this possibly mean?
Jesus was completing the work of Elijah and Moses.
His work was to completely fulfil what they had begun.
Jesus was going to not only continue- but to bring to its completion the work that Moses and Elijah had begun.
Problem is, these disciples didn’t believe that even before they had this experience.
And that’s precisely the point.
Down there in Caesara Philippi, Jesus had just spoken to them about something they could never imagine- his own death.
Look at Mark 8:31-38
Sometimes, at the foot of the mountain that God wants us to climb, all we see are the clouds.
Did you ever think of that?
When there appears the impossible or the unthinkable… that that “impossible” or that “unthinkable” is all we can see- and that’s usually the clouds.
But there’s an interesting point to be made here today.
Throughout the old testament and here in the passage today- God’s in the clouds and he longs to see us at the top of the mountain.
He wants to meet us there, to give us a brighter, more fuller understanding of what He is up to.
Peter could not imagine, could not fathom- what God was talking about.
Jesus would suffer?
He would be rejected?
He would be killed by the religious aristocracy?
It was really an unthinkable thought.
And what was Jesus talking about raising again in three days?
What was that about?
All Jews believed in a “general resurrection”.
Yes, one day there would be a resurrection in Jewish thinking.
But the notion that there would be a singular specific resurrection for this teacher, Jesus?
A bit far fetched if you ask Peter.
And those things became the clouds for Peter.
He couldn’t see the top of Mount Tabor- how could he ever understand or view the top of Mount Hermon.
Comparatively, that’s the difference between what Peter could comprehend and what Christ was telling him was going to happen.
He couldn’t see clearly, and so God chose to reveal it in a new way.
Six days past.
Six days in which those disciples thought about, digested, discussed, and even forgot what Jesus had said to them.
We really don’t know what went on in their heads for that time.
But time ticked by, and now Jesus says, “Come up to the mountain and see.”
He takes Peter, James, and John.
And as they get to the top of the mountain, Jesus is transfigured before them.
Transfigured.
Changed.
He glowed, he shined, the glory of God was fully present in that instant.
The word used in this place for “transformed” is metamorphoo.
It means to change into another form.
It is only used here and in 3 other locations in the new testament.
Matthew uses the same term when he recounts this story.
But Paul uses it twice.
Describing the Christian’s progress into the image of Christ- he uses it to explain how our moral likeness should begin to look like Jesus
Why was Jesus changed , “transformed”?
A cloud descended on them.
And in the middle of that cloud the transfiguration takes place.
Moses and Elijah appear.
God was revealing something he wanted them to understand.
Whenever a cloud appeared in Moses’ time, 2 things were happening.
First, you were being ushered into the abode or dwellingplace of God.
Secondly, God spoke from the cloud.
Listen!
So here they are, the 6 of them.
Peter, James, and JOhn.
Christ, Moses and Elijah.
And Christ is talking with Moses and Elijah.
And what’s being said?
Then the voice of God indeed speaks from the cloud.
and what is the message?
“Listen”.
The fullest sense of the word, “Listen”, is what God intends.
Be obedient to him.
Obedient listening means that what he says we will do.
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