The Transfiguration

This morning, we continue with the disciples on this journey of revelation that began with Peter’s declaration – “You are the Christ.” Since then, Jesus has revealed more of his purpose, explaining that the Christ must die and rise again. We saw how this disturbed the disciples, especially Peter, who was willing even to rebuke Jesus for saying such things. We’ve also faced, with the disciples, the real costs of discipleship, as Jesus gave the invitation to follow him by dying to self and taking up our crosses. All of this has, no doubt, been rough on the disciples. For one, they just don’t really understand what Jesus could mean – that he must die and rise again. Beyond that, it’s obvious that crucifixion is somehow involved, but why would the Messiah face such torture. And, Jesus does not promise health and wealth  for their allegiance, but rather persecution, suffering, and death. Where is the hope and assurance in this way of the cross? Jesus, knowing his disciples’ weaknesses (and our own), offers comfort by providing a preview of the final kingdom to the three disciples who made up his inner circle. This preview of the kingdom should give us all comfort and assurance today, so let’s begin by reading Mark 9:1-13. Let’s consider this passage in two points: the Nature of Jesus and the Necessity of the Cross.

First, from verses 1-3, Mark gives us an extraordinary experience that a few of the disciples had with Jesus. He tells us, in verse 2, that six days later, Jesus took Peter, James, and John (his trusted inner circle) up on a high mountain, away from the crowds, and even his other apostles. Then, it says that he was “transfigured” before them. This statement is underwhelming and sudden. The Greek word used for “transfigured” is metemorphothe, which means to transform. We use the English transliteration of this word (metamorphosis) to describe what happens to a caterpillar when it becomes a butterfly. It changes appearances completely. Jesus, in an instant, transforms in his appearance. Mark goes on to describe this transformation by saying that his clothes radiated (shone or gleamed) and were intensely white in a way that no human could create. In Matthew’s account from Matthew 17, he says that his face shone like the sun. This transfiguration is Jesus’s direct revelation to his closest disciples of who he truly is. He does not just tell them (because obviously, they weren’t going to get it). He shows them.

This direct revelation teaches us an important truth about the nature of the Son of God: Jesus of Nazareth is one person with two natures. This truth is what theologians call the Hypostatic union – that the person of Jesus Christ is both fully God and fully man, united without confusion or separation. This means two things that we must faithfully profess. First, the son of God eternally existed before Jesus of Nazareth was conceived of the virgin Mary. We often make the mistake of short handing our understanding of the Son of God by saying, “Jesus is the eternal son of God.” Well, no, not exactly. It would be better said – “The eternal son of God is Jesus.” From all eternity past, the Son of God has ruled and reigned with the Father. We find him in the OT, almost anywhere man comes face to face with God. Remember, God tells Moses, in Exodus 33, that no one can see God and live. And yet, we have numerous examples of men coming face to face with God and not dying. In Exodus 3:2, it says that the angel of the Lord appeared to Moses in a burning bush. But, this angel of the Lord speaks as God and commands Moses to take off his shoes because he is on holy ground. In Daniel 7:13-14, Daniel has a vision of a Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with the dominion and power of God. In Daniel 10:5-6, Daniel is terrified by a man “clothed in linen… his body was like beryl, his face like the appearance of lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and the sound of his words like the sound of a multitude.” In Ezekial 1:26, Ezekial has a vision of the throne of heaven and hear what he saw: “above [the throne] was a likeness with a human appearance” with a waist of gleaming metal and the appearance of fire enclosed all around. Ezekial goes on to say, “Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord.” All of these appearances and many more reveal to us the Preincarnate Son of God. The one whom John says was “in the beginning with God and was God.”

The second thing we need to understand about this hypostatic union is that the fullness of God (as Col. 1:19 says) was pleased to dwell in Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus is the ultimate theophany. A theophany is a physical manifestation of God to humanity (the burning bush, the cloud of fire and smoke, the smoke-filled tabernacle and temple). God the Son, through his supernatural power, took the egg of the virgin Mary and formed out of it a real, fully human baby that in every way, from pregnancy to birth to years of growth and maturity, experienced fully human life. No one can see God and live, so what does God do? He makes a body and comes to live with us. As John says, in John 1:14 and 18, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only son from the Father, full of grace and truth. No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.”

Now that we understand the nature of Jesus, let’s move on to my second point: the necessity of the cross. The glory of the Son of God was not the only thing that the disciples witnessed on that mountain. Mark says, in verse 4, that Elijah and Moses appeared with him, and then, even the Father appeared in a cloud in verse 7 and declared, “This is my beloved Son; listen to him.” These three visitors appear for two reasons. First, Elijah, Moses, and the Father make up three witnesses. In OT law, every case was confirmed by two or three witnesses that agree. Elijah’s appearance represents two points of authority. On the one hand, Elijah is the greatest of the prophets. Elijah and Elisha (who received a double portion of Elijah’s power) were the only two prophets to raise the dead. Elijah did extraordinary miracles, even calling down fire from heaven. To the first century Jews, Elijah was a stand-in for all of the prophets of the OT. On the other hand, as we see in verse 11, the Jews believed, based on the prophecies of Isaiah, that Elijah would prepare the way for the Messiah. The greatest of prophets was needed to confirm the Messiah. So here, Elijah stands with Jesus as a representative of all of the prophets to confirm the teachings of Jesus. Like Elijah, Moses was a stand-in for the Law of the OT. Moses was the great lawgiver, the deliverer of Israel, the founder of their national religion. The Jews often spoke of the whole OT Law as “The books of Moses.” These two men connect all of the OT with the ministry and teachings of Jesus. But, above all of that, the Father descends in the form of a cloud and announces, “This is my beloved Son; listen to him.” So, Peter, James, and John, if you aren’t convinced by the greatest of prophets and the lawgiver, then won’t you heed the words of the Father?

The second reason these three visitors appear is to confirm the necessity of the cross. Remember, the disciples refuse to accept that Jesus must suffer and die. Peter rebuked Jesus for saying it earlier. Now, when Jesus is transfigured and Elijah and Moses appear, what is his reaction? He says, “Hey, let’s just set up camp and stay here. No need to leave and face the cross. No need to suffer. You stay right here, and we will serve you.” And, even as they come down off the mountain, verse 10 tells us that they were questioning what he must mean by this rising from the dead. They refuse to believe that this could be a part of God’s plan. So, Jesus reveals his divine nature to show them, beyond a shadow of a doubt that he is the Messiah. Then, Elijah and Moses confirm that the cross is part of the plan. In Luke’s account of this, he says that Moses, Elijah, and Jesus discussed his “departure” to be accomplished in Jerusalem. All of Scripture confirms that the Messiah must die for the sins of the people. Genesis 3:15 says that the seed of the woman must be bruised by the serpent. The Passover lamb foreshadows a blameless sacrifice that would hide us from the death angel. The suffering servant of Isaiah 53 promised that the punishment we deserved would fall on the Messiah. Whether the disciples would accept it or not, this was the eternal will of God.

Yes, the cross was necessary. Yes, it was brutal and despairing. Yes, the way of self-denial and cross-bearing is a way of suffering for all who would follow Christ. But, in this transfiguration, Jesus offers comfort and assurance. This is what the power of the kingdom of God looks like – radiant, piercing glory. In Rev. 1:13-16, John has a vision of the resurrected and ascendent Christ, and this is how he describes him: “The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace… in his right hand he held seven stars… and his face was like the sun shining in full strength.” Jesus faced the humiliation and pain of the cross, but he rose again victorious and radiant, in the way that Peter, James, and John saw him on this mountain. This is the way he will return, in glory and power, and on his return, every knee will bow.

There is beautiful assurance in this. 1 Cor. 15:49 says, “Just as we have born the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven.” Through faith in Jesus Christ, we have a promise that one day, when Christ returns, he will make us new, and we will be like him, glorified, imperishable, eternal. There is also a wonderful comfort found in 2 Cor. 3:18: “And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.” Our comfort is not just that one day, after all this suffering and trial is done, we will be made new (though that is comfort enough). But, we can have the blessings of the kingdom right now because of the Spirit’s work through the Word of God. Paul says that when we behold Christ, when we worship him, when we study his word, and yes, even when we suffer for him, we are like Moses up on the mountain, with an unveiled face, beholding the glory of God. And like Moses, we are being transformed (that is the same Greek word, metemorphoo), into the image of Christ. As we deny ourselves and take up our cross, we are gradually transformed to be like Jesus. I know that I can say that in my own life (hopefully my wife will say that about me too!). I know I’ve seen it in others as they’ve grown in the word and faced the trials of life. Today, take comfort knowing that, as you take up your cross, you are becoming more like Jesus. And, rest assured that one day, we will behold him in all his glory and be changed.