The Transfiguration

The Transfiguration

Matthew 17:1-13

Four Movements in the Story:

    Jesus Altered (vv 1-4) 

    Jesus Affirmed (vv 5-6) 

    Jesus Alone (vv 7-9) 

    Jesus Answers (vv 10-13) 

• Jesus Altered (vv 1-4) 

Matthew 16:28 Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.

Luke 9:29 The appearance of His face was altered, and his clothing became dazzling white.

Mark 9:3 His clothes became radiant, intensely white, as no one on earth could bleach them

Daniel 7:9 As I looked, thrones were placed, and the Ancient of Days took his seat; his clothing was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames; its wheels were burning fire.

Moses reflected the glory of God as the moon reflects the light of the sun. But Jesus produces the unsurpassable glory of God; it emanates from him. Jesus does not point to the glory of God as Elijah, Moses and every other prophet has done; Jesus is the glory of God in human form. –Tim Keller 

Hebrews 1:3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature…

Deuteronomy 18:18 I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him

Malachi 4:5 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes.

Luke 9:31 ...his departure which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.

• Jesus Affirmed (vv 5-6)

Deuteronomy 18:15 The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers—it is to him you shall listen

This voice from heaven has made all the sayings of Christ as authentic as if they had been thus spoken out of a cloud. God does here, as it were, turn us over to Christ for all the revelations of his mind. --Matthew Henry

• Jesus Alone (vv 7-9)

The nude God, the God of the direct Voice from heaven, the God of demands, can be terrifying; but the clothes God, the God who came to be with us, the God of the gospel, the flesh-and-blood Jesus, is the God who picks up the pieces. Touch and Word are combined here, and together they put us back on our feet again. --Dale Bruner 

The OT and NT sing a duet, but the NT carries the melody. Moses, Elijah, and Jesus are in a conversation, but Jesus is Lord of Moses and Elijah. The Transfiguration draws clear lines of authority, and at the apex of authority stands Jesus, as the Transfiguration concludes, ‘all alone’…“Has the solus Christus not been the scarlet thread woven through the fabric of the whole Transfiguration? It is Jesus alone who is transfigured on the mountaintop, not the accompanying OT and NT dignitaries; the Voice honors Jesus exclusively; we are to hear only him. And now we are told that when the whole extraordinary incident ended there was only one reality left to see: Jesus alone…The Transfiguration seeks a church that is Jesus centered, attended to Jesus’ Word, centered on Jesus’ sufficiency. Such a church will never be tempted to look for other impressive persons, teachers, or saviors to make her equal to her responsibilities. --Dale Bruner

• Jesus Answers (vv 10-13)

Listening to Jesus involves: 

Posture: 

             -authority 

             -humility and teachability 

             -faith and trust

             -need and dependence

             -expectation 

Hebrews 11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

Positioning: 

              -reading the word and memorizing Scripture 

              -hearing preaching and teaching 

              -prayer and fasting 

              -silence and solitude 

Obedience: 

                -goal of listening 

                -involves action 

                -completes the process