MANY OF US HAVE HAD THEM, THOSE TIMES WHEN WE FELT LIKE WE WERE ON TOP OF THE WORLD, REALLY HAPPY, CONFIDENT THAT WE KNEW ALL THE ANSWERS, COULD SOLVE ANY PROBLEM THAT CAME UP.
PROBABLY DURING THESE TIMES WE ALSO FELT REALLY CLOSE TO GOD, REALLY IN TUNE WITH GOD’S PLAN FOR US. IN THOSE MOMENTS WE WERE EXCITED AND ALIVE, AND EVERYTHING SEEMED NEW AND REFRESHING.
THESE MOMENTS SEEM TO ALWAYS COME AT SOME EXCITING EVENT IN OUR LIVES: GRADUATION, BAPTISM, THE FIRST DAY ON A NEW JOB, YOUR WEDDING, THE BIRTH OF A CHILD, EVEN CATCHING YOUR VERY FIRST FISH.
IT MIGHT HAVE EVEN BEEN SOMETHING REALLY SPIRITUAL, LIKE A WEEK AT CHURCH CAMP OR A CHURCH RETREAT. BUT IT CAN ALSO BE SOMETHING OF A SMALLER, QUIETER NATURE, LIKE A VERY INTIMATE CONVERSATION WITH YOUR FATHER OR MOTHER WHEN YOU FELT THAT THEY HONESTLY UNDERSTOOD WHAT YOU WERE SAYING AND WHY YOU FELT THE WAY YOU DID.
WE CALL THESE "MOUNTAIN TOP EXPERIENCES!" THE TYPE OF EXPERIENCES WE WISH WOULD LAST FOREVER SO WE WON’T HAVE TO COME DOWN OFF THAT MOUNTAIN! WE WANT TO DO EVERYTHING HUMANLY POSSIBLE TO HANG ON TO THAT MOMENT FOR AS LONG AS WE CAN.
"LET’S JUST STAY RIGHT HERE AND LET THE REST OF THE WORLD GO BY FOR A WHILE," WE MIGHT SAY. BUT TO FREEZE THAT ONE MOMENT IN TIME SHUTS OFF THE POSSIBILITY OF THE NEXT MOMENT.
IN OUR SCRIPTURE TEXT TODAY THE MOUNTAIN TOP EXPERIENCES WERE ONE OF REVELATION. FOR JESUS, HIS MOUNTAINTOP EXPERIENCE WAS A TIME OF CONFIRMATION AND AFFIRMATION OF HIS MINISTRY.
FOR PETER, JAMES, AND JOHN THE MOUNTAINTOP WAS A BRIEF GLIMPSE OF THE TRANSCENDENT, A PEEK AT THE REALITY THAT LIES JUST BEYOND EVERYDAY LIFE.
ON THIS PARTICULAR DAY, JESUS DOES NOT HAVE ALL HIS DISCIPLES WITH HIM. IN SECLUSION UP IN THE HEIGHTS OF MOUNT TABOR JESUS REVEALS HIMSELF TO PETER, JAMES AND JOHN IN WHAT IS KNOW TO US AS TRANSFIGURATION.
TRANSFIGURATION COMES FROM THE GREEK WORD "METEMORPHŌTHĒ" WHICH MEANS "TO BE CHANGED INTO ANOTHER FORM."
JESUS UNDERWENT TOTAL METAMORPHOSES. JESUS DID NOT CHANGE JUST ON THE OUTSIDE. HE CHANGED FROM THE INSIDE TO THE OUTSIDE.
FOR A BRIEF TIME, THE VEIL OF JESUS’ HUMANITY WAS LIFTED, TRANSFORMED AND GLORIFIED. IN THE BRILLIANCE OF "DAZZLING WHITE" THE DISCIPLES SAW HIM AS HE WILL BE WHEN HE RETURNS VISIBLY IN POWER AND GLORY TO ESTABLISH HIS KINGDOM ON EARTH.
AS THE THREE MEN GAZE UPON THE RADIANT LIGHT THEY SOON FIND THAT OTHERS HAD JOINED THEM. STANDING IN CONVERSATION WITH CHRIST IS MOSES AND ELIJAH.
WHAT AMAZES ME ABOUT THIS IS THAT THE DISCIPLES HAD NEVER MET ELIJAH OR MOSES. CAMERAS WERE NOT INVENTED SO THEY HAD NO PICTURES OF WHAT THEY LOOKED LIKED, BUT WITH THE VERY FIRST GLANCE THEY KNEW WHO THEY WERE AS THEY STOOD NEXT TO JESUS.
ELIJAH APPEARED AS A SYMBOLIC REPRESENTATION OF ALL THE WORDS SPOKEN BY THE OLD TESTAMENT PROPHETS. ELIJAH WAS HERE TO TESTIFY TO THE ULTIMATE IMPORTANCE OF THE IMPENDING EVENTS AS FORETOLD BY THE PROPHETS.
MOSES APPEARANCE WAS A REPRESENTATION OF THE OLD COVENANT AND THE PROMISE THAT WOULD SOON BE FULFILLED IN THE DEATH OF JESUS ON THE CROSS.
BECAUSE BOTH OF THESE MEN WERE PROMINENT MEDIATORS OF GOD’S RULE TO THE NATION OF ISRAEL THEIR PRESENCE ATTESTED TO JESUS’ ROLE AS THE MESSIAH AND THAT THE BEGINNING OF THE END WAS AT HAND.
THE MESSAGE CAME THROUGH LOUD AND CLEAR RIGHT? WRONG! THE DISCIPLES WERE STILL IN THE MODE OF "EARTH" AND "HUMANITY." THEY MISSED IT BY A MILE!
TRUE TO FORM, PETER RESPONDS AS HE ALWAYS DOES; IMPULSIVELY! HE CALLED OUT "RABBI" WHICH IS THE HEBREW TITLE FOR TEACHER. JESUS HAD JUST SHOWN HIMSELF AS THE MESSIAH AND PETER TURNS AROUND AND CALLS HIM "RABBI."
PETER JUST OPENED HIS MOUTH AND INSERTED HIS FOOT. BY ADDRESSING JESUS AS RABBI HE SHOWS THAT HE DID NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT THE TRANSFIGURATION WAS ALL ABOUT. HE WAS GREATLY MOVED BY IT, BUT HE JUST DIDN’T GET IT.
ALL PETER KNEW WAS THAT HE DIDN’T WANT THE MOMENT TO END SO HE SUGGESTED BUILDING SHELTERS. WHAT PETER DIDN’T REALIZE WAS THAT HE WAS ACTUALLY TRYING TO PREVENT JESUS FROM DOING WHAT HE CAME TO DO WHICH WAS TO SUFFER AND DIE.
I SOMETIMES WONDER JUST HOW MANY TIMES PETER HAD TO HEAR JESUS SAY TO HIM "GET BEHIND ME SATAN" BECAUSE OF HIS IMPULSIVE BEHAVIOR THAT INTERFERED WITH THE TRUE MISSION OF JESUS.
TIME AND TIME AGAIN, JESUS TAUGHT THESE MEN THAT BEFORE HE COULD ENTER PERMANENTLY INTO HIS GLORY AND ETERNAL REST HE HAD TO SUFFER AND DIE.
THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT JESUS, ALTHOUGH DISAPPOINTED IN HIS DISCIPLES’ BEHAVIOR, FULLY UNDERSTOOD THEIR REACTION.
IN LOVING PATIENCE JESUS KNEW THAT PETER’S NEARLY INCOHERENT BABBLING WAS DUE TO HIS FEAR. THE MEN WERE LITERALLY SCARED TO DEATH BECAUSE THEY HAD JUST WITNESSED A DAZZLING DISPLAY OF SUPERNATURAL GLORY!
SO, JESUS FULLY UNDERSTOOD WHY THEY REACTED THE WAY THEY DID. BUT, JESUS WAS THERE FOR A SPECIFIC PURPOSE AND THAT PURPOSE NEEDED TO BE FULFILLED.
ALMIGHTY GOD THE FATHER MAKES THE RESPONSE TO PETER’S SUGGESTION BY FORMING A CLOUD THAT ENVELOPE JESUS, MOSES AND ELIJAH.
THIS CLOUD WASN’T JUST SOME IMPRESSIVE SPECIAL EFFECT, BUT IT WAS A SYMBOL USED BY THE FATHER TO SIGNIFY HIS AWESOME PRESENCE AMONGST THEM.
THE CLOUD WAS GOD’S TABERNACLE, THE PAVILION WHICH BOTH REVEALS AND CONCEALS HIS GLORY. THE FATHER MAKES HIMSELF KNOWN THROUGH HIS COMMAND SAYING, "THIS IS MY SON, THE BELOVED; LISTEN TO HIM!"
JUST AS THE FATHER DID AT JESUS’ BAPTISM, GOD REAFFIRMS HIS APPROVAL OF HIS SON. THIS ONE STATEMENT DECLARES THAT JESUS CHRIST IS THE UNIQUE SON OF GOD WHO ENJOYS THE UNBROKEN PRESENCE AND APPROVAL OF THE HEAVENLY FATHER.
BUT THERE IS MORE! NOTICE THAT THE FATHER NOT ONLY RECOGNIZED HIS SON, BUT COMMANDED THAT WE LISTEN TO HIM! GOD IS LITERALLY SAYING "BE OBEDIENT TO HIM!" THIS ONE STATEMENT FULFILLS PROPHECY!
DEUTERONOMY 18:15, "THE LORD YOUR GOD WILL RAISE UP FOR YOU A PROPHET LIKE ME FROM AMONG YOUR OWN PEOPLE; YOU SHALL HEED SUCH A PROPHET."
THIS SERVES TO IDENTIFY JESUS AS THE NEW AND FINAL MEDIATOR OF GOD’S RULE IN ITS PRESENT AND FUTURE FORM. HE IS LITERALLY SAYING THAT JESUS IS NOW SUCCEEDING MOSES AND ELIJAH. UPON THIS DECLARATION BOTH ELIJAH AND MOSES DISAPPEAR LEAVING JESUS STANDING ALONE.
THE WORK OF ELIJAH AND MOSES HAS BEEN COMPLETED. THEIR WORK WAS DONE AND THEY HAVE BEEN SUPERSEDED. JESUS, NOT MOSES OR ELIJAH, IS NOW GOD’S AUTHORIZED RULER AND SPOKESMAN.
THIS IS THE GOOD NEWS FOR US TODAY THAT JESUS STILL MAINTAINS THIS POSITION AND CONTINUES TO REIGN AS THE ONLY ONE AND THE ONLY WAY TO THE FATHER. THERE ARE NO OTHERS AND THERE ARE NO OTHER WAYS.
JOHN 14:6, "JESUS SAID TO HIM, ’I AM THE WAY, AND THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE. NO ONE COMES TO THE FATHER EXCEPT THROUGH ME." CAN YOU PROCLAIM THE TRUTH OF THIS TODAY IN YOUR LIFE? CAN YOU REALLY SAY THAT YOUR LIFE HAS BEEN TRANSFIGURED BY JESUS?
CAN WE ASK OURSELVES THE QUESTION HAVE I TRULY ALLOWED JESUS TO TRANSFIGURE ME? HAVE I REALLY BEEN THROUGH A SPIRITUAL METAMORPHOSIS? A TOTAL TRANSFORMATION FROM THE INSIDE, OUT?
I’M NOT TALKING ABOUT CHANGING FROM THE OUTSIDE, IN, BUT INSIDE OUT! ONLY JESUS CAN TRANSFORM YOU FROM WITHIN TO CHANGE YOUR HEART AND TO CHANGE YOUR LIFE.
WE WOULD CALL THIS METAMORPHOSIS SALVATION! WHATEVER YOU WANT TO CALL IT, GETTING SAVED, ACCEPTING CHRIST, OR CONVERSION IT ALL BOILS DOWN TO LETTING JESUS CHRIST TAKE HIS RIGHTFUL PLACE IN YOUR HEART AS LORD AND PERSONAL SAVIOR.
SO WHAT DOES IT REALLY MEAN TO BE TRANSFIGURED? IT MEANS THAT BECAUSE OF GOD’S GRACE EVERY SINFUL MISTAKE, BAD DECISION OR WHATEVER SIN IT MAY BE THAT YOU HAVE EVER COMMITTED WILL NEVER COUNT AGAINST YOU. IT IS THAT SECOND CHANCE AT LIFE YOU’VE BEEN LOOKING FOR! IT ALSO CALLED FORGIVENESS!
ROMANS 7-8, "OH, WHAT JOY FOR THOSE WHOSE DISOBEDIENCE IS FORGIVEN, WHOSE SINS ARE PUT OUT OF SIGHT. YES, WHAT JOY FOR THOSE WHOSE SIN IS NO LONGER COUNTED AGAINST THEM BY THE LORD."
BEING TRANSFIGURED MEANS ALL MY SINS ARE REMOVED AND NEVER, EVER HELD AGAINST ME. IT MEANS THAT THE STAIN OF GUILT HAS BEEN WASHED COMPLETELY AWAY.
PSALM 103:12, "HE HAS REMOVED OUR REBELLIOUS ACTS AS FAR AWAY FROM US AS THE EAST IS FROM THE WEST."
NOTICE IN THE SCRIPTURES THAT I READ TO YOU ALL POINT TO GOD AS THE SOURCE OF THE GRACE, MERCY AND FORGIVENESS. IT ALL COMES FROM GOD AND IS DONE BY HIM.
THERE IS NOTHING YOU CAN DO TO TRANSFIGURE YOURSELF. THERE ISN’T ANY CURRENCY AVAILABLE TO BUY IT OR ANY MINISTRIES TO WORK AND EARN YOUR WAY TOWARDS IT.
TRANSFIGURATION COMES TO US AS AN ANSWER TO A QUESTION!
WE ASK THE QUESTION AND JESUS WILL ANSWER IT! THE QUESTION WE ASK IS "JESUS CHRIST, SON OF THE LIVING GOD, WILL YOU FORGIVE ME? I AM A SINNER AND I’VE MADE A MESS OF MY LIFE. I WANT YOU TO BE MY LORD AND PERSONAL SAVIOR. WILL YOU COME INTO MY HEART RIGHT NOW AND CHANGE ME?”
ROMANS 10:13, "FOR ANYONE WHO CALLS ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED." NOTICE IT DOESN’T SAY "GET YOUR LIFE STRAIGHTENED OUT FIRST" OR "GET YOUR ACT TOGETHER FIRST THEN COME SEE ME!" IT SIMPLY TELLS US TO CRY OUT TO JESUS CHRIST "AS IS."
DO YOU NEED TO BE TRANSFIGURED BECAUSE YOU’VE NEVER BEEN TOTALLY CHANGED BY JESUS?
FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE OUTER PROOF OF SALVATION, BUT NO INNER PROOF THAT CHRIST IS EVEN THERE, WOULD YOU LIKE TO MAKE SURE HE REALLY IS? IS THERE ANYONE WHO WANTS CHRIST, PERIOD?
THEN, JOIN ME TODAY BY CONFESSING WITH YOUR MOUTH THAT JESUS IS LORD.
JOIN ME TODAY IN BELIEVING IN YOUR HEARTS THAT GOD RAISED JESUS FROM THE DEAD.
CALL OUT TO AND ACCEPT JESUS CHRIST AND ALLOW HIM TO TRANSFIGURE YOU FROM THE INSIDE, OUT!
