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1 Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; 2 and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light. 3 And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. 4 Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, let us make here three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." ~ Matthew 17:1-4
Today, we transition into Matthew 17 where we see the event the Lord Jesus had previously predicted that there would be certain disciples who would see the coming of the kingdom of God before they died. The disciples thought the Lord Jesus was saying that He was about to set up a political kingdom on earth immediately. Like us, they had eyes but they had difficulty seeing and they had ears but they had difficulty hearing. It is so hard to get beyond the old saying "seeing is believing." With God seeing with our hearts is believing. I love the words given to us by Kevin O’Brien who said, "If we persist on the journey, with its signposts in the form of questions, we might discover something remarkable: this God whom we seek and question is actually seeking us more."
Six days after the events in Caesarea Philippi the Lord Jesus took Peter, James and John up a mountain in elevation of 9,000 plus feet. The mountain presented practical lessons which are designed to yield sanctification in the life of the disciple. I'm reminded in the Bible the number six represents incompleteness. According to Luke's gospel they went up on the mountain to pray. There is no better answer to our incompleteness than prayer. At the bottom of the mountain it was sunny and predictable while at the top of the mountain it was snowy and most unpredictable. And, the Lord Jesus took three disciples up the mountain in order to pull the curtain back allowing them to see the really real. Such is the nature of our faith in the God of the Bible, and, these three saw the kingdom come.
In v.1-2 of today's passage we read, "1 Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; 2 and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light."
Six days after Simon Peter acknowledged the Lord Jesus to be the Son of God and the first time the Lord Jesus openly told His disciples that He would die in Jerusalem, this big event took place. It was on the highest mountain in Israel on Mount Hermon that the transformation of Christ took place. The Lord Jesus and His disciples had just departed from Caesarea Philippi, a place of much spiritual confusion. It was fitting that the promised transfiguration took place on Mount Hermon which is just above 9,000 feet sea level. Always triumphing over the kingdom of the evil one is the kingdom of the Christ.
In v.2 is used the Greek word from which we get our English word "metamorphosis." It is used to describe the transformation which was more than a change in the appearance of the Lord Jesus. Similar to a caterpillar that emanates from its cocoon and is changed into a butterfly so was the Lord Jesus changed. Peter, James and John saw Him that day on that mountain in His post-resurrected body which was a preview of His post-resurrected form. Peter, James and John had been asleep and were unaware of all that was going on. When they awakened they saw the glory of God rest upon the Son of God and their faith was informed quite a bit more. But, there is no such thing as a Master's degrees in faith. His glory came to them in glimpses. He revealed His glory in glimpses and not in details. And, we think the best revelation comes on the top of the mountain. No! No! No! The best revelation comes when we are in the valley. The faith of the mountain begins with the faith acquired in the valley.
The disciples did not belong in this context. The only way they were there was due to their relationship with the Lord Jesus. This is where faith in the Lord Jesus takes us. Faith in the Lord Jesus takes us to levels that we otherwise would not and do not belong. This is like that which God described of Himself in the Old Testament. He manifested Himself in the Old Testament as light. Throughout the Scriptures, light is synonymous with eternal life. The Lord Jesus said, "I am the light of the world." And, while on that mountain these three disciples were given an incredible glimpse of eternal life. This is what eternal life looks like when it is translated into light. And it permeated through His transfigured body so that literally He was ablaze like a flame from the sun at its peak. Throughout the Bible, light is used as a metaphor for purity, holiness, and divine truth. The purity of Christ was vividly illustrated through the imagery of light, emphasizing His sinlessness, moral perfection, and divine nature. This concept is woven throughout the Bible, highlighting Christ as the ultimate embodiment of purity and righteousness.
In v.3 of today's passage we read, "And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him."
On Mount Hermon that day, God provided for these three disciples an audio-visual to authenticate His Son in their eyes further. Moses was there representing the Law and Elijah represent the Prophets. The purpose of the audio-visual was to show that the Lord Jesus is the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets. In addition to many other things, Moses and Elijah represent the two ways by which people enter heaven. Moses entered through the normal, natural process of death while Elijah, on the other hand, was caught up to heaven without death. We will enter heaven through the means of death or by the rapture.
The Lord Jesus spoke with Moses and Elijah of how He would leave the earth by means of the cross and the resurrection. Moses perhaps spoke of how the Lord Jesus was the fulfillment of all the Old Testament sacrifices which the Law demanded, picturing His death that would follow. Elijah, perhaps spoke of how the Lord Jesus was the Promised Messiah who would free us from the penalty and power of our sin and ourselves.
This mountain top experience took place about six months before the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus. The crucifixion took place at Passover which means it was the springtime of the year. God's timing placed this event during the month of October, the very month that the Feast of Tabernacles takes place. The Feast of Tabernacles encouraged the Jews to look back to God's provision particularly for them while they were in the wilderness, and, it encouraged them to look forward to the Millennium when they will live in complete peace. During the Feast of Tabernacles, Israel celebrated what God did and they anticipated what God will do at the end of time as we know it. According to the Old Testament prophet Zechariah, during the Millennium, we will join the Jews in keeping the Feast of Tabernacles in Jerusalem annually.
In v.4 in today's passage we read, "Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, 'Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, let us make here three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.'"
Peter was so clued in to the really real that he lost sight of himself. He had no thought of himself and he wanted to make tents so that the Lord Jesus, Moses and Elijah could remain there for an indeterminate amount of time. But, that is not God's goal for His people to remain on the mountain top. Oh, we need the mountain top experiences! But, real reality is really discovered in the application of the mountain top to the valley. Peter's reaction highlights the fact that the Lord Jesus is the fulfillment that we have all longed for all of our lives, and, this is the point of our sanctification. The conversation the Lord Jesus has with Moses and Elijah was about His cross. It is only through the cross of the Lord Jesus that we have a correct understanding of who we really are and why we are here and where we are going.
God had used Moses as His instrument to introduce the whole sacrificial system to Israel. And, Elijah delivered the message of the prophets that the Messiah would provide salvation through His death for sinners. As we grow in our understanding of God's heart for us, He will transform us from within. His goal is in changing us is to save us from being conformed to the patterns of this world. As we behold Him in life through His Word, we will be transformed by His Spirit. This is sanctification, the process by which our minds, wills, and emotions are being defined more and more by the God of the transfiguration.
