Communion With the Christ:: Glory to Glory: Jesus Transfigured

“And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” 2Coth:3:18

We read the account of Jesus taking the three Disciples to the top of the Mount, where he would be seen in glory, that is Transfigured. After six days, that is after their conversation regarding "who do men say that I am? It is after this revealing conversation wherein St. Peter asserts, his confession that Jesus is “the Christ, the Son of the Living God”. Matt: 16:13-20

Seeing What is True

It is then, that Jesus took the disciples up to the Mountain top and while there they, and we, are given a glimpse of the very truth which St. Peter had revealed to him, that Jesus is the Christ the Son of the living God.

The Disciples there, upon the mountain top beheld the truth, what has and always will be true, that Jesus is the Christ the Son of the Living God.

Jesus is the one who has come out of eternity and joins himself to humanity so he might bring us “grace and truth" Jhn: 1:14.

This is an all new relationship with the great God through his Holy Son Jesus . The great God has sent us his Son to release us from "religion" and bring us into the relationship of Jesus’ own Sonship.

In Jesus' coming our works are set aside. As Jesus take his Disciples up "after six days" , that is after six days of our own work. Six days represent the time in our lives when we looked to and relied upon our own works. This principle is hinted at even in the Law, the Ten Commandments which was the centerpiece of the Old Covenant. Deut: 4:13

"Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work,"Ex:20:8-9

This speaks to us that before we have entered into the rest which we find in Jesus, we are doing our own works, but in Jesus, when we see him, for who he is, we can then rest in Jesus, that is we rely upon Jesus alone, and in him we rest.

Jesus, in taking the Disciples, and we, up to the mountain top and there revealing his glory, Jesus is there demonstrating that the time of our own works is now over; we can rest in him.

The Witness of Two

In the midst of the vision upon the mountain top, there with Jesus are seen Moses and Elijah both speaking with him.

" Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus”. Matt: 17:3

These two great Prophets and servants of God represent the full testimony of the Scriptures, the Law as represented by Moses and the Prophets represented by Elijah as being about our Lord.

This tells us that the Old Testament was the incarnation anticipated and the New Testament is the incarnation accomplished.

Jesus, after his glorious resurrection, tells the two Disciples on the road to Emmaus that all Scripture is about him and his work of salvation

"He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself." Lk: 24:25-27

All of the Bible looks to Jesus. The witness of Scripture is regarding our Lord Jesus Christ

Building Tabernacles

As the disciples witness the glorious Transfiguration of Jesus, St. Peter defaults to his own understanding as to how the great God is to be worshiped. Here the Disciples are in the presence of the one who is the perfect embodiment of "grace and truth”, St. Peter still defaults to his own understanding, and moves to act in accordance with the Old Covenant, as revealed in his offer to build Tabernacles.

Tabernacles, or booths, were the temporary dwellings used for the Feast of Tabernacles or "Sukkot" which was enjoined under the Old Covenant. This feast was associated with coming of the Messiah and his Kingdom due to being part of the prophecy found in Zechariah 14, where the Feast of Tabernacles became associated with the Messiah's Kingdom.

In St. Peter’s mind there would be little change in humanities relationship with God, that is, the Messiah would dwell in a Tabernacles, that is, the Lord God would be worshiped as the people of Israel had done in their past under the Old Covenant.

St. Peter also reveals the depths of his own heart, that St. Peter believed that his own "effort" could add to this moment of glory and revelation. St. Peter is still thinking under a works based "religiosity", specifically the Old Covenant.

The Jewish people understood that their election as the chosen people was an act of grace, however they believed that this status had to be worked at, thru "good works" and adherence to the Covenant which Israel made with the Lord.

This tell us that the Old Covenant was not just a set of laws or ceremonies but a posture of heart whereby it is believed that God wants us to approach him through some kind of works of our own, through "religion".

"Lord it is good for us to be here, if you wish I will put up three tabernacles, one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah"Matt:17:4

The Voice of God

Even as St. Peter speaks, a cloud envelops them is recalling the very cloud which led Israel thru the wilderness and filled the Tabernacle and again the Temple of Jerusalem which was looking ahead to the glory of God revealed in Jesus as the true living Temple of God.Ex:40:34 ,1Kigs:8:11 and Jhn:2:19-21

From the cloud the voice of God speaks regarding his Holy Son Jesus.

This is the great truth above all truths that the Transfiguration was meant to convey. That when Jesus takes the Disciples, and us, to the top of the mount Jesus does so that we might hear the voice of the Father in the Word of God and the Father's affirmation that Jesus is his Son.

"this is my Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased Listen to Him"(5).

This tells us that when we are in the presence of God, the Holy Spirit of God will always speak of Jesus the very Son upon whom the Father lavishes his great love and pleasure.

St. John records the words of Jesus regarding the Holy Spirit's testimony and ongoing reveling of our Lord.

" I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when the Spirit of Truth, comes, He will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on His own; He will speak only what He hears, and He will tell you what is to come. He will glorify Me because it is from Me that He will receive what He will make known to you" Jhn:16:12-14

The Transfiguration was the preview of Jesus of what was praying about in his High Priestly Prayer, just prior to his arrest and crucifixion. The Transfiguration gives the disciples, and all of us, a glimpse in to eternity, both past and future.

“Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began” Jhn:17:1-5

The Transfiguration is about who Jesus is. Jesus is the very Son of God, unique in that Jesus is fully God yet full humanity and it is God's Son whom we are to listen to.

The Transfiguration was and is to show us all the truth of St. Peter’s confession, that Jesus is "the Christ, the Son of the Living God". The Transfiguration was, and is, the validation of St. Peter’s confession.

Jesus supersedes the works based "religion”, and in Jesus we find everything that we could ever hope for, and all that our God wants for each of us. Jesus is the means of, and the perfect revelation about his Father.

“I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word" Jhn: 17:6

From Glory to Glory

When we focus upon Jesus in the view of his unique place as God’ one and only First-born Son, and we come to see Jesus as Fully God and Fully human and as well, all that Jesus, is and has, accomplished for us all, then in that moment, in whatever time in which we live, Jesus is then transfigured in our eyes, that is, we see his ever-increasing growing Glory to Glory, in that moment. We then ourselves are transfigured through our union with Jesus' by way of his humanity.

“And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” 2Coth:3:18

No other focus on anything else will bring us this transfiguration in our personal lives. This glory is not found within ourselves, but only in Jesus.

St. Paul is telling us, that we share in Jesus’ own Transfiguration; that his, is ours through our union with Jesus in his incarnation and the Holy Spirit’s indwelling in our lives. It is not earned or merited, but is granted to us through grace alone thru Jesus alone.

Glory to God

As we live in union with our Lord Jesus and trust in him, as we live this, his image is seen in us. We then “grow in grace and in knowledge", we "put on Christ". This is what the ancient Church called "Deification" that is, we are becoming like Christ, bearing the fruit of the Holy Spirit in our lives, putting on Christ.

"This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples." Jhn: 15:8

See Him as He is

The Transfiguration not only is a glorious a revelation about our Lord Jesus but, is also a revelation regarding God’s plan for ideal humanity. The glorified Jesus', in his glorified resurrection humanity, is what all of us were created to be, and is the destiny of all who will freely receive it, yet Jesus alone is both "deity and humanity", his deity we will never share it is Jesus' alone.

“Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is”.1Jhn:3:2

The Transfiguration is for us a well, revealing to us through Jesus, our place as the glorified Children of God. Through Jesus' Transfiguration there upon the mountain top we being are given a glimpse of what awaited those who will we looking ahead to

A Response of Worship

The glory of the revelation of the Transfiguration is overwhelming to the Disciples and under the sheer magnitude of the encounter and the Glory of God they fall prostrate to the ground.

"When they heard this they fell face down to the ground" Matt:17:6

These Disciples, caught up in overwhelming glory of the vision, this show us our proper response when we receive revelation as to the truth of Jesus through the Gospel, and we see Jesus Transfigured in our hearts, that is, all of our preconceived notion about Jesus are cast away and we see him for the Glorious eternal Son of the Living God.

When we see this truth regarding Jesus, we can have no response other than to worship him, to bow before Jesus and give him glory.

It is when we come to Jesus, and knowledge that he alone is God's true Son the very Christ. It is in our moments of worship Jesus will touch us even as he touched the three Disciples.

"When the disciples heard this, they fell face down to the ground and were terrified. And Jesus came to them and touched them ", Matt:17:6-7a

When we worship, Jesus touches our lives to remove all of our fears and tells us not to be afraid.

"Get up, do not be afraid"(7)

Jesus Alone

The calming words of admonition for them, not to fear, brings them to look and see Jesus alone there upon that mountain of Transfiguration. When we hear the words of our Lord, they will dispel all our fears.

"When They looked up and saw no one but Jesus" (8) that is, Jesus is all that, they or we could ever need in all things in relation to our God.

The old is gone and done away, that is "religion" of works, which is setting up Tabernacles. Through grace the great God reveals himself in Jesus to each and all who will but receive it.

After the Resurrection

After seeing the Glory of God in the Transfigured Jesus, our Lord charges the Disciples not to tell of the powerful vision that they had shared in until after Jesus' resurrection.

"As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus instructed them, “Don’t tell anyone what you have seen until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead" (9)

What the vision was, the Resurrection is. The vision of the Transfiguration looked ahead to the realty of the resurrection. It is conformation that Jesus is God's Son.

Telling others that Jesus is the Son of God is central to the proclamation of the Gospel. St. Paul confirms this in his Epistle to Roman Christians.

"Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God—the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures regarding his Son, who as to his earthly life was a descendant of David, and who through the Spirit of holiness was appointed the Son of God in power by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord. Through him we received grace and apostleship to call all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith for his name’s sake. And you also are among those Gentiles who are called to belong to Jesus Christ." Rom: 1:1-6

Jesus' resurrection is conformation that he is the Son of God, that Scripture is validated, that the power of sin is broken that we can have a relationship with the great God through his Son by grace, and that God loves us and wants us and includes us in his divine love and in his glory, this glory to glory ,we witness upon the Mount of Transfiguration.

Benediction: may we each and all ever focus upon Jesus and see and share his glory, today, tomorrow and forevermore. Amen