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FEBRUARY 22, 2009
And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became radiant, intensely white, as no one on earth could bleach them. And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus. And Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.” For he did not know what to say, for they were terrified. And a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, “This is my beloved Son; listen to him.” And suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone with them but Jesus only. And as they were coming down the mountain, he charged them to tell no one what they had seen, until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. (ESV)
Mark 9:2–9
In the very nature of things, we human beings are inherently skeptical. With respect to the Bible this is especially true. Our culture is not very friendly to miracles. You’ve probably noticed that. You’ve probably also noticed that celebrities, the media, liberal theologians, and secular university professors systematically teach us to believe that the Bible is nothing but a bunch of myths.
But with regard to the Transfiguration of Christ, the apostle Peter wants to tell us something quite important. He says,
For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For when he received honor and glory from God the Father ... we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain.”1
And surely St. John must have included the Transfiguration in his thoughts when he spoke of the glory of the Lord Jesus in these words: “And we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”2
It is essential to realize that Peter and John, as eyewitnesses of Christ’s glory, refuse to see the Transfiguration as a myth. But these two put their lives on the line to defend the Transfiguration — and Christ’s whole ministry of miracles — as events that really happened in human history. And all of the apostles with the exception of John died martyr’s deaths for vigorously preaching the truths of Christ’s life as recorded for us in the Gospels.
So, against all the naysayers of today, we must—and we shall—stand up for the truth.
So let us go to the mountaintop. And what we see is remarkable. We discover that the truth that sets us free from having to pay the wages of sin is revealed on this singularly great summit.
Our text gives an especially clear revelation of Jesus’ identity and work. On the Mt. of Transfiguration, Peter, James, and John are permitted to see in advance who he is whose blood flowed on Calvary. Three miraculous events (first, Christ's transfiguration itself; second, his conversation with Moses and Elijah; and third, the voice from heaven), each bear witness to Christ. If we have eyes to see and ears to hear, these events will enable us to see the truth that sets us free.
Let us look at the first miracle, the transfiguration itself, where we learn exactly who Jesus is. Not long before this, Peter made his great confession of faith when he said of Jesus, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”3 And now Peter and the other two disciples would see proof of this “up close and personal” if you will. On the mountaintop Jesus’ whole appearance was suddenly changed. His face now shined like the sun itself. And his garments became radiant and intensely white because they were not able to contain the majesty of our Lord's radiant and glorified human body.
The Greek word that Mark uses to describe Christ’s transfiguration is metamorphoō from which we get the English word metamorphosis.4 Although Christ’s transformation was greater than anything we can possibly imagine, his body underwent a true metamorphosis, a metamorphosis so great that the rays of his deity shined through his humanity.
Who could doubt it? Divine majesty and glory belonged to him! The Scriptures confirm this marvelous fact, for as St. Paul says, “In him dwells all the fullness of the deity in bodily form!”5 In this glimpse of glory, Peter and the others received confirmation that Jesus of Nazareth was much more than a mere man. He is here revealed to us as the man who is also God. That is to say, he is 100% God and 100% man. He is, therefore, neither a super man nor an inferior god. He is true God and true man in one singularly unique person.
Let us look at the second miracle. Our text reveals an amazing conversation. In full view of the three apostles, Moses and Elijah appeared. The two of them began conversing with the glorified Christ. What a striking scene! Here we see dramatic confirmation that there is life after this life. Moses lived 1500 years earlier and Elijah 800 years earlier. People sometimes ask, “Will I know my loved ones in heaven? Will I recognize them?” Most assuredly, you will. You see, just as Moses and Elijah were known to and recognized by Peter, James, and John, you will also know, recognize, and rejoice with your loved ones who have preceded you to heaven.6
On the mountaintop, Jesus, Moses, and Elijah were talking about the great purpose for which Christ’s had come. St. Luke alone records the substance of this conversation. He writes, “[They] spoke of his departure which he which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.”7 In the original, the Greek text literally reads, “They spoke of his exodus . . . at Jerusalem.”8 And remember that Moses had already led the “exodus” of God’s people out of Egypt. This present exodus which is Christ’s alone refers to his death, resurrection, and, his ascension back to heaven. This is the greatest and highest theme in heaven and on earth. These are the things that angels desire to look into.9 And Peter, James, and John got a remarkable preview of all of this on this holy mountain.
The cross was what our Lord's life was all about. That's what Moses and Elijah were talking about. That's what Peter and the other disciples were to understand. That, too, is what we must see.
There is a third miracle on the mountaintop. A cloud suddenly formed and came upon them. And out of the cloud came the voice of the heavenly Father. He says of the transfigured Jesus, “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. Listen to him.”10 Yes, Jesus is the very Son of God. Moreover, the Father told the disciples to listen to his Son. Heretofore, Yahweh alone was to be explicitly heard and obeyed,11 but now the Father commands that his Son be heard and obeyed.
This can only mean that the Son of God is fully God as well. And in our text, St. Mark tells us how to get to heaven. He writes, “Jesus took with him Peter and James and John” to the Mt. of Transfiguration.12 Likewise, the only way to heaven is to be taken there by Christ. And Christ takes those who trust in him alone to get them there.
Let me repeat the command given to the disciples, namely, “Listen to [Jesus].” We are to do the same, for it is Jesus who tells us the truth that sets us free. He says, “If you remain in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”13 Notice, please, the connection between Christ’s Word and the truth. Jesus says that he is not only the truth, but also that his Word is the truth.
Simply said: Got Jesus? Got truth! Got anybody else? Got lies! Where, then, do you go to get the truth of Jesus? Answer: Not only in the Gospels but in the totality of the NT Scriptures. You see, the writings of the apostles are the teachings of our Lord.
Truth is not determined by a majority vote. It is, by definition, objectively true whether anyone believes it or not. The world was still round even when most of its inhabitants believed it was flat. God is still God, even when millions deny him. His Word is still his Word, notwithstanding all those who try to explain it away. The church is not a democracy—though many would have us believe it. No, the church is a divine monarchy. It is ruled over by Christ. And it is governed by a Constitution that cannot be amended.
One of the problems with the Church in these so–called enlightening times is that many congregations and church bodies are no longer standing on the truth of Scripture. They have jettisoned the Scriptures in favor of New Age theology, dispensational dementia, or in gutting the Scriptural teaching that salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in the merits of Christ alone. Thus, many have no confidence that heaven will be their home. They only hope it will be.
For example, on February 9th, WFAA TV ran a moving story about Sharla Butler. She was a member of Lancaster High’s track team. One day she was overcome with seizures. They only worsened and became more frequent. A few days before her death, she shared some precious minutes with her loving father who was at her bedside. In a soft voice she said to him, “Daddy, if I die, do you think I have a chance to make it to heaven?”14 Her father just didn’t say anything. I almost cried when I heard those words on the video clip because she appeared to be an active church member. “Do you think I have a chance to make it to heaven?” she said.
Beloved, we don’t have to hope we will be in heaven. We can be sure—because another man, Jesus, earned our way for us by his sinless life and substitutionary death on our behalf. Simple trust in him guarantees eternal life. For he is the truth. He is the truth that sets us free. He is the truth that sets us free the devil, the world and our flesh. Yes, he sets us free . . .
Yes, he sets us free from the condemnation of all of our sins. God has declared us “not guilty” of all of our sins in Christ. And if God has declared us “not guilty,” we are “not guilty,” indeed!
May God grant us this certainty both now and forevermore. In the name of Christ, the crucified, amen.
Soli Deo Gloria!
Endnotes
1 See 2Peter 1:16-18, ESV
2 See John 1:14, NKJV.
3 See Matthew 16:16.
4 In the BAGD lexicon, metamorpoō is defined as follows: “to change in a manner visible to others, be transfigured of Jesus, who took on the form of his heavenly glory Mt 17:2; Mk 9:2. From Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, Third Edition. Copyright © 2000 The University of Chicago Press. Revised and edited by Frederick William Danker based on the Walter Bauer's Griechisch-deutsches Wörterbuch zu den Schriften des Neuen Testaments und für frühchristlichen Literatur, sixth edition, ed. Kurt Aland and Barbara Aland, with Viktor Reichmann and on previous English Editions by W.F.Arndt, F.W.Gingrich, and F.W.Danker. Electronic version of the print edition published by the University of Chicago Press.
5 See Colossians 2:9.
6 The three apostles had never seen Moses or Elijah. Yet, they recognized the two of them on the mountain. It seems, then, that we will recognize and know the saints in heaven.
7 Luke 9:31.
9 See 1 Peter 1:12.
10 Matthew 17:5.
11 Consider Deuteronomy 13:4: “You shall walk after the LORD your God and fear him and keep his commandments and obey his voice, and you shall serve him and hold fast to him.” Also see Deuteronomy 26:17: “You have declared today that the LORD is your God, and that you will walk in his ways, and keep his statutes and his commandments and his rules, and will obey his voice.”
12 See Mark 9:2. Emphasis mine.
13 See (John 8:31-32, author’s translation)
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