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Matthew 17:1-8 (The transfiguration)

INTRODUCTION: Our message series is called Miracles and Controversy, and today we look at the miracle of Jesus’ transfiguration, and then also at some of the controversy surrounding the final verse we looked at last week. Last week we ended on Matthew 16:28, and I promised we would come back this week and look at it more closely, especially in light of the verses that follow. (Read Matthew 17:1-8 and pray.)

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So, this account is what we call the transfiguration, and it was a pivotal moment in Jesus’ life as well as in the lives of Peter, James and John. Matthew, Mark and Luke all record it in their gospels. (Matthew 17:1-8; Mark 9:1-8; Luke 9:28-36) Peter refers to it in his second letter. (2 Peter 1:16-18) John does not record the actual incident in his gospel, but he does allude to it when he says, “We have seen his glory” (John 1:14), plus he gives us a full description of the glorified and transfigured Christ later on in the book of Revelation. (Revelation 1:13-16)

We know the transfiguration was both a miracle and a sign, but what exactly did it signify? What did it mean for Jesus, what did it mean for the disciples, and what does it mean for us today?

I. What do we make of Jesus’ prophecy in Matthew 16:28?

Those are some of the questions we want to answer this morning, but I want to start by going back to the verse we ended with last week. We looked at Jesus’ prophecy in Matthew 16:28 briefly last week, but I want to take a closer look at it now in light of the transfiguration.

“I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.” (Matthew 16:28)

This is a hard verse because when you first read it, it seems to be talking about Jesus’ second coming and seems to state that some of those there with Christ would still be alive when he returned. But obviously everyone who was with Christ that day has died by now, and Christ has still not returned. So, if Jesus was not talking about his second coming, what did Jesus mean by this prophecy? It really hinges on what Jesus means when by the phrase “see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.” There are a lot of views in the commentaries about this verse, but let me just share the three main ones with you.

1) Some believe this phrase refers to the glory of Jesus’ resurrection and ascension. This is a possibility. Jesus’ resurrection certainly was a demonstration of God’s kingdom and power. Of course, all the disciples except for Judas witnessed Jesus’ resurrection, so the word “some” is a little confusing with this view. If this were the meaning, you would expect Jesus to say “most” or “almost all of you” instead.

2) Some believe it refers to the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. This was an event that Jesus prophesied about elsewhere, and it certainly ties in with the kingdom of God and the power of God in judgment. But this has the opposite problem with the resurrection view in that most of the disciples had died by this time, and so we still have a problem with the word “some.” If this were the meaning, you would expect Jesus to say “only a few” or “hardly any of you” instead.

3) And then others believe it refers to the transfiguration. I think this is the most likely view for a number of reasons. First of all, in Matthew, Mark, and Luke, all three gospels immediately follow up this prophecy with the account of the transfiguration. The gospels don’t always record the same events in the same order, so this is significant. And secondly, it makes good sense of the word “some.” Only some of the disciples, in this case, Peter, James and John, saw a preview or a glimpse of the coming kingdom before they died.

Of course, that still doesn’t answer the question: why was Jesus so ambiguous about it? Why did he speak in terms that most naturally referred to his second coming? We will come back to that at the end of the message, because I believe we will understand it better after we have looked at the incident of the transfiguration as a whole.

II. What can we learn from the transfiguration? (17:1-8)

So, what can we learn from the transfiguration? I believe there are five things in particular we can learn, and we will look at each of them as we work our way through the account.

   A. God the Father has glorified Jesus (1-2)
      – Daniel 7:9; Matthew 16:27; Revelation 1:14-16

First of all, God the Father has glorified Jesus. Look at verses 1-2:

After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. 2 There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. (Matthew 17:1-2)

Jesus separates Peter, James and John from the rest of the disciples and takes them up the mountain with him. They are the “some” from Matthew 16:28 who will witness this preview of Jesus’ glory. Peter, James and John had a special place among the disciples. They formed an inner circle and often got to see things that the other disciples did not. The Bible says that “every matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses,” (Deuteronomy 19:15; 2 Corinthians 13:1) and so Peter, James and John will serve as eyewitnesses of Jesus’ glory on the mountain.

We are not told the name of the mountain they climbed. The traditional location is Mount Tabor in Galilee, but Mount Hermon is a more likely choice. What we do know is that in the Bible high mountains are often places where people meet with God. God appeared to Moses on the top of Mount Sinai, and God appeared to Elijah on the top of Mount Horeb. And now the disciples would have an encounter with God on the top of this mountain.

While the disciples are alone with Jesus on the mountain, suddenly Jesus is transfigured before them. Matthew tells us: “His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light.” (Matthew 17:2) Jesus was transfigured and even his clothes became white in appearance as well. So, what is happening here? God is glorifying Jesus. God is giving the disciples a preview of Christ’s glory.

After Jesus returned to heaven, John saw Jesus’ glory in a vision and described him like this: “His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace…. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.” (Revelation 1:14-16) First, John saw the preview of Christ’s glory at the transfiguration. And then he saw Jesus in his fully glorified form in this vision recorded for us in Revelation.

This is the same glory that the prophet Daniel saw centuries before when he had a vision of God: “As I looked, thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took his seat. His clothing was as white as snow; the hair of his head was white like wool. His throne was flaming with fire, and its wheels were all ablaze.” (Daniel 7:9)

Jesus already told his disciples back in Matthew 16 that when he returned, he would “come in his Father’s glory with his angels.” (Matthew 16:27). Now God glorifies Jesus in their presence as a preview of what will come. Make no mistake. God the Father has glorified Jesus. For the disciples it was a preview, but for us it is present tense. Jesus is glorified in heaven right now. And when Jesus returns, everyone will see his glory. So, that is the first thing we can learn from the transfiguration. God the Father has glorified Jesus.

   B. God is the God of the living, not the dead (3)
      – Matthew 22:32; John 11:25

Secondly, we learn that God is the God of the living, not the dead. Look at verse 3:

Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus. (Matthew 17:3)

Well, that’s very odd. First of all, there was no one there on the mountain with Jesus except for Peter, James and John, so that means Moses and Elijah appeared out of nowhere. And if that’s not strange enough for you, Moses and Elijah are both supposed to be dead! Moses had died about fourteen hundred years earlier, and Elijah was taken to heaven about eight hundred years earlier. And now they both suddenly appear and begin talking with Jesus.

Have you ever wondered how the disciples knew it was Moses and Elijah? I have a theory.

                    

Okay, they probably weren’t wearing nametags, but somehow the disciples recognized these two key figures from Israel’s past, who were somehow alive and talking with Jesus on the top of the mountain.

You might also wonder about the significance of these two men. Out of all the people in the Old Testament, why these two particular men? Why not Abraham or David or Solomon or Job? Well, Moses more than any other Old Testament figure represented the Law, and Elijah more than any other Old Testament figure represented the prophets. So, together they represented the Law and the prophets which Jesus came to fulfill.

But what I really want us to grasp hold of here is that God is the God of the living, not the dead. As Jesus says of God in Matthew 22:32: “He is not the God of the dead but of the living.” (Matthew 22:32)

Yes, Moses died physically, but the transfiguration shows that he was still alive. His body was dead and buried, but he was alive spiritually in God’s presence. Now Elijah – technically he never died. He was brought straight from earth to heaven without dying. And yet here he was eight hundred years later still alive and talking with Jesus.

One of the great teachings of Christianity is that those who die in Christ are still alive. Jesus said in John 11:25: “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies.” (John 11:25)

We can take comfort in the fact that our loved ones who die in Christ are with the Lord and we will see them again. God is the God of the living, not the dead. And those who die in Christ are very much alive.

   C. The road to glory leads through the cross (4-5)
      – Mark 9:6

A third thing we can learn from the transfiguration is that the road to glory leads through the cross. Suffering comes before glory. When Jesus predicted his death, that was a preview of his suffering. When Jesus was transfigured on the mountain top, that was a preview of his glory. But it was only a preview. The cross still had to come first. And that becomes clear when we look at Peter’s reaction to all this. Look at verse 4 with me now:

Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” (Matthew 17:4)

I like what one Christian speaker said as he got up to speak at a gathering. “In the words of the apostle Peter at the Mount of Transfiguration, it’s good to be here!”

But poor Peter. He is still sticking his foot in his mouth. Remember back in chapter 16 he had his high point when he confessed Jesus as the Messiah. Then he had his low point when he tried to talk Jesus out of the cross and Jesus rebuked him as Satan. Well, this one is somewhere in between, but it is still toward the lower end.

Peter suggests putting up shelters for Jesus, Moses and Elijah. Basically, he wants to preserve the moment. He probably thinks the kingdom has come without the cross after all, and he is just fine with that. Notice also that he doesn’t really make any distinction between Jesus, Moses or Elijah. Three holy men, three prophets, three shelters – it’s all the same to Peter.

You might wonder, “Peter, what were you thinking?” And the answer is he wasn’t thinking at all! The parallel passage in the gospel of Mark tells us he was so frightened he didn’t know what to say (Mark 9:6), so he just blurted out the first thing that came to his mind. But once again, it shows that Peter wanted to go straight to glory apart from the cross.

And just as Jesus immediately corrected Peter in last week’s passage, God quickly corrects him here as well. Look at verse 5:

While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!” (Matthew 17:5)

In the Old Testament God often appeared to Israel in a cloud. It was a sign of his presence. Now the cloud appears on the mountain, completely enveloping Jesus, Moses and Elijah along with the disciples. And God speaks to them out of the cloud: “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!”

In other words, Peter – don’t put Jesus on the same level as Moses and Elijah. Yes, they were prophets of God, but Jesus is God’s Son. And Peter – stop trying to avoid the cross! Jesus must go to Jerusalem to suffer and die. Jesus had been trying to teach his disciples this, but they had been resisting his words. Now God speaks from the cloud: “This is my Son; listen to him.” The road to glory leads through the cross. It was true for Jesus, and it is true for his followers as well.

   D. Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God (5-8)
      – Matthew 3:17; Hebrews 1:1-2

And then a fourth thing we can learn from the transfiguration also comes from God’s words out of the cloud. Look at verse 5 again:

“This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” (Matthew 17:5)

Back in chapter 16, Peter affirmed Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the Living God. Now God also affirms Jesus as his Son. You may recall God affirmed Jesus as his Son at Jesus’ baptism as well. When Jesus came out of the water, God spoke from heaven saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:17) The words are pretty much identical to what God says here on the Mount of Transfiguration. If there is any difference, it’s that the words at Jesus’ baptism were probably more directed to Jesus, while the words at the transfiguration are more directed at the disciples.

And then we read in verses 6-8:

When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. 7 But Jesus came and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don’t be afraid.” 8 When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus. (Matthew 17:6-8)

I like the way the New American Standard version puts it: “And lifting up their eyes, they saw no one except Jesus Himself alone.” (Matthew 17:8, NASB) Jesus alone. Only Jesus. There is no one else. There is no other way.

Hebrews 1 says: “In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son.” (Hebrews 1:1-2) The cloud lifted, and Moses and Elijah were gone. Their time had passed. The Law and the Prophets all pointed to Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and now the Son had come. God spoke from the cloud, “This is my Son; listen to him.”

   E. We should be ready for Christ’s return in glory (whole passage)
      – Matthew 16:28

And then a final thing we can learn from the transfiguration is that we should be ready for Christ’s return in glory. Let’s go back to our original question now about Jesus’ prophecy back in Matthew 16:28:

“I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.” (Matthew 16:28)

Our question was this. If Jesus is referring to the transfiguration in this verse, why was he so ambiguous about it?

I believe he was intentionally ambiguous. I don’t think even the disciples were sure what he meant by it at first. Maybe they thought he was talking about his return. There was a widespread belief and hope among believers in the early church that Jesus would return within their lifetime. But I believe they also understood that Jesus may have been speaking about the transfiguration, especially when the transfiguration took place within days of Jesus’ words.

I think they just didn’t know. In some ways it was too early to know, because they hadn’t all died yet. They didn’t know, and I believe that is exactly the way Jesus wanted it. Jesus wanted the disciples to be ready for his return in their lifetime, because he wants all of us to be ready for his return in our lifetime.

And so, the disciples set the pattern for each generation to come. The transfiguration was just a preview. Christ will return in glory, and we need to be ready.

CONCLUSION: And so, as we close this morning, let me ask you. Are you ready for Christ’s return? If Christ were to come back this afternoon, would you be ready? The first step to being ready is to turn from your sin and trust Jesus as your Lord and Savior. If you haven’t done that, you are definitely not ready!

So, if you do not know Christ as your Savior this morning, let me encourage you to put your faith in him. God has never turned away anyone who has come to him through Jesus his Son. If you come to God believing in Christ, he will save you. He will forgive your sins, and he will welcome you into his family.

If you already know Christ as your Savior, let me ask you this morning. Are you ready for Christ’s return? Are you living a life that is pleasing to God? Christ could return at any time, and so the Scriptures say, “Watch and pray! Be alert! Be ready!”

The transfiguration was an affirmation of Christ’s Sonship and a preview of coming attractions. Christ will return in power and glory, and then we will share in the glorious resurrection to come. Our God is the God of the living who will transform our lowly bodies so they will be like Christ’s glorious body. Jesus is God’s Son. Listen to him.

© Ray Fowler

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