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From Death to Abundant Life
Transfiguration As they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying, Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead.”—Matthew 17:9 Michael Nekora In the middle of Matthew 16 Jesus asked his disciples who others thought he was. Some said he’s Elijah, perhaps because Malachi spoke about the “sending of Elijah” (Malachi 4:5). Some thought he was one of the prophets, perhaps because he lived such a simple life. But when Jesus asked his disciples who they thought he was, it was Peter who immediately spoke up: “And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16). Suppose you were a part of that small group of disciples. If you really believed Jesus was the Son of God, what would you expect him to do? You’d probably expect him to take the first steps to throw off the Roman yoke of bondage, which would require raising an army or acquiring political power. But that was not what Jesus was doing. Might you not begin to have doubts about whether he really was the Son of God? John the Baptist seems to have had such doubts (Luke 7:19). His expectations did not agree with what Jesus was doing. What the disciples did not realize was that Jesus was going to suffer and soon die. When he tried to tell his disciples this in no uncertain terms, they could not accept it: “From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day. Then Peter took him and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee” (Matthew 16:21,22). Peter’s expectations about what Jesus should be doing with his life are so strong he dares argue with the Lord. But it is Peter who needs a clearer perspective about what is to happen in this life. This same conversation is recorded in Luke and it is there where we read: “And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away? … But I tell you of a truth, there be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the kingdom of God.” (Luke 9:23-25,27). A special miracle of “seeing” was necessary so they would truly understand that suffering in this life was not the end of it. The glory to follow would far exceed their expectations. Jesus’ statement that some would not die until they saw the kingdom of God was fulfilled a few days later. The event (called a vision in Matthew 17:9) was important enough to be recorded by three of the gospel writers. Here is Luke’s description of it: “And it came to pass about eight days after these sayings, he took Peter and John and James, and went up into a mountain to pray. And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glistering. And, behold, there talked with him two men, which were Moses and Elias [Elijah]: who appeared in glory, and spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem. But Peter and they that were with him were heavy with sleep: and when they were awake, they saw his glory, and the two men that stood with him. And it came to pass, as they departed from him, Peter said unto Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias: not knowing what he said. While he thus spake, there came a cloud, and overshadowed them: and they feared as they entered into the cloud. And there came a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him. And when the voice was past, Jesus was found alone.”—Luke 9:28-36 The Vision in Detail This was a vision, not a dream, and was probably similar to what John the Revelator experienced on the isle of Patmos. In some respects, it was similar to the vision Paul received on the road to Damascus. Of course neither Moses nor Elijah was actually there. It was a vision. Why was it these two instead of Noah, Daniel, and Job (Ezekiel 14:14)? Both were special people in Israel’s history, and both were mentioned in the last few verses of the Old Testament: “Remember ye the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments. Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD” (Malachi 4:4,5). Both these individuals had several experiences in common with Jesus. Each fasted for forty days in the wilderness and each had a special relationship with God. Each had an unusual death: God took Moses after allowing him to see the promised land from the top of Pisgah’s mountain, and Elijah was caught up in a whirlwind and was seen no more. When Moses gave laws and commandments to the people, he said something significant: “The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall harken” (Deuteronomy 18:15). We know Peter was familiar with these words because he quoted them when he preached to the people of Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost. He applied the words to Jesus (Acts 3:22). The experience of the transfiguration vision, seeing Jesus and Moses together, may have given him that insight. It is even possible that the Moses in vision said it as he conversed with Jesus. Moses and Elijah might also have been selected, because this was a vision of the kingdom in its glory. With the glorified Jesus are two who best represent the two phases of the kingdom: Moses represents the earthly phase, the one who was a faithful servant; Elijah represents the heavenly phase, those who are “caught up into heaven” if faithful. The account says that the three spoke about Jesus’ “decease.” The Greek word in Luke 9:31 is exodos. We could say that “exodus” is associated with Moses, because we usually associate it with Israel’s exit from Egypt. This is the subject that caused Peter to rebuke Jesus: “Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee.” Peter needed a special rebuke for his audacity and this was it. He needed to understand that it wasn’t suffering that culminated in death forever. It was suffering to learn appropriate lessons, culminating in death, and then would follow exaltation and glory. It was something best described as an “exodos” or exit from one condition to another. Peter never forgot that lesson. Peter speaks for the three of them. He realizes the importance of what they have seen and wants to stay there. But once again he was wrong. The correct viewpoint was expressed by the apostle in Hebrews: “Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach. For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come” (Hebrews 13:13, 14). The cloud was a symbol of God’s presence to ancient Israel. It was mentioned when Moses received God’s commandments: “And Moses went up into the mount, and a cloud covered the mount. And the glory of the Lord abode upon mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days: and the seventh day he called unto Moses out of the midst of the cloud” (Exodus 24:15,16). The voice, of course, was to be considered as the voice of God. This vision was meant to reassure these disciples. No matter how unexpected Jesus’ behavior might appear, he was doing his heavenly Father’s will. Note also the command: “Hear him.” Peter did not want to “hear him,” he wanted to argue with him! This was another rebuke and Peter got the point since he emphasized it in his first epistle: “Obtaining the issue of the faith,—even your salvation. Concerning which salvation those prophets, who prophesied concerning the favor towards you, sought out and investigated, examining closely to what things, or what kind of season, the spirit which was in them was pointing out, when it previously testified the sufferings for Christ, and after these the glories” (1 Peter 1:9-11, Emphatic Diaglott, emphasis added). When this mountain-top experience was over, they descended into the valley where they had to confront the world, the flesh, and the devil. Now they were completely sure a life of suffering was God’s will for his son and for them. They had received a glimpse of the coming kingdom’s glory. That is made abundantly clear in Peter’s second epistle, a letter written perhaps thirty-five years after Peter saw this vision. Here is what he wrote: “For we have not been following cunningly devised tales, in making known to you the power and appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were beholders of that greatness. For having received from God the Father honor and glory, a voice of this kind was brought to him by the magnificent glory—‘This is my son, the beloved, in whom I delight.’ And this voice which was brought from heaven we heard, being with him on the holy mountain” (2 Peter 1:16-18, Emphatic Diaglott). All of the things that had happened to Jesus had been prophesied beforehand. But Peter’s expectations, and probably those of all the other disciples as well, were wrong. The transfiguration vision put God’s stamp of approval on the life and ministry of Jesus. Peter went on to write: “So we have the word of prophecy confirmed; to which you do well to pay attention—as to a lamp shining in a dark place—until day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts” (2 Peter 1:19, Weymouth). Peter said he knew what he was talking about because of his first-hand experience. He wanted the followers of Christ to keep their faith strong because if they were faithful, their death would lead to glorification. It would be an exit, an exodos. In fact, Peter used this rare Greek word to describe his own death: “Moreover I will endeavour that ye may be able after my decease [Greek: exodos] to have these things always in remembrance” (2 Peter 1:15). There are other Greek words Peter could have used if he wanted to convey the simple thought of dying. But instead he chooses a seldom used Greek word, one Luke used to describe the conversation between Jesus and the two who were with him in vision. Death was an exit from this life of suffering into the glories to follow. It was real to Peter, and he wanted it to be real to all the footstep followers of Christ. Transfigured Both Matthew and Mark said that Jesus was “transfigured.” The Greek word is Strong’s #3339, metamorphoo, a word from which we derive the English word “metamorphosis.” It appears just four times in the New Testament, one of which is when Paul described something that should happen to us: “But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed [Greek: metamorphoo] into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord” (2 Corinthians 3:18). We know Paul was thinking about the face of Moses when he came down from the mount after communing with God, because he mentioned it in earlier verses. The phrase “open face” should be translated “unveiled face,” the kind of face Moses had when he talked with God. Because Moses “mirrored” the glory of God in his face, the people could not look upon him. Likewise, as we commune with the Lord, the glory we behold should have a transforming influence upon us as we become a copy of that glory. This is the Jerusalem Bible’s translation of the Greek: “And we, with our unveiled faces reflecting like mirrors the brightness of the Lord, all grow brighter and brighter as we are turned into the image that we reflect; this is the work of the Lord who is Spirit” (2 Corinthians 3:18, Jerusalem Bible). The transformation of our character is part of our consecrated walk. Consecration, characterized as a “living sacrifice,” is the subject of Romans 12:1. The next verse tells us what we are to do after we present ourselves as a sacrifice: “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed [Greek: metamorphoo] by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2). We are to be changed from the fashion of this world into the fashion of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is so serious that if this transformation does not occur in us, we will not be a part of the body of Christ, for we will not be acceptable to God. Our mountain-top experiences in this life are meant to increase our faith, so when we come down from the mountain, we may be able to continue walking in a narrow way of adversity with full assurance that this is God’s will for us. Let us, as Peter told us, “give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: for so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:10, 11). |