Barry Metz 10/28/18

The Transfiguration: A Preview of Future AttractionsMatthew 17:1-13

In order to help us mere mortals believe who Jesus is, God pulled out all the stops.

At Jesus’ birth, thousands of angels filled the night sky and gave praise to God.1 How’s that for a birth celebration for a special person?

When Jesus was just 40 days old, and the time came for Mary’s purification according to the Jewish Law, a devout and righteous man named Simeon, led by the Spirit, met the family in the temple, and pronounced what I would call a ‘drive by’ blessing on Jesus affirming that He, Jesus, was to bring salvation…

29 “Lord…this is Simeon speaking….now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word;

30 for my eyes have seen your salvation 31 that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, 32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles,

and for glory to your people Israel.”2

A pretty amazingly large calling for an itty bitty baby, don’t you think? And a prophetess named Anna came out of the shadows on that very day and began to speak of Jesus to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem3. Who is this baby?

Some thirty years later at the start of Jesus’ ministry, at his baptism, the heavens opened and (Jesus) saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him and behold a voice from heaven said, This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased. Did that happen at your baptism?

Throughout Jesus’ three year ministry, his identity was repeatedly authenticated by his teaching and by the miracles he performed. We’ve seen a host of miracles as we’ve walked through Matthew, haven’t we? How about the time Jesus calmed the Sea of Galilee during a raging storm? Do you remember how the disciples responded to that miracle? What sort of man is this that even winds and sea obey him? 4 And there was the time He came walking on the Sea of Galilee in the middle of the night?5 Let me say the obvious can’t it? I’m thinking that only somebody really special and unique could walk on water, don’t you agree?

1 Luke 2:132 Luke 2:29-323 Luke 2:384 Matthew 8:275 Matthew 14:25

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What about the time Jesus healed a woman with an issue of blood?6 Or gave sight to two blind men?7 Or exorcised two men with demons?8 Or healed a mute man?9 By the way, what did the crowds say when the mute man began to speak? “Never was anything like this seen in Israel.”10 The crowds were right about that!

Jesus healed Jews and Gentiles alike of every kind of disease imaginable. He fed a Jewish multitude with a little boy’s lunch. He then fed a Gentile multitude with seven fish and some bread. Haven’t we seen enough? Don’t we have enough data to affirm that Jesus is not just a man? Shouldn’t we cry out uncle and admit that He’s the long expected Son of David, that He’s God, that he’s the Son of God, that He’s the Christ, the Messiah, and that ‘he’s the divine king of glory?”11

Well as we come to Matthew 17 this morning, Matthew’s not done overwhelming us with the identity of Jesus. And as far as I’m concerned today’s story pushes us over the top. If we didn’t have enough information about Jesus before today, information that would cause us to be all in, after today’s story we are without excuse.12

If you have your Bible, let’s pick up with the last four verses of Matthew chapter 16 to get a running start on our text in Matthew 17 this morning. I’ll begin in verse 24. Matthew 16, verse 24

24 Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 26 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul? 27 For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done. 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.”

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Now in these last verses of Matthew 16, verses 24-28, Jesus has been speaking to his disciples about the need for them to deny themselves and take up their crosses and follow him. As the savior’s life must involve a cross before a crown, suffering before glory, so a disciple of Jesus’ life must involve a cross before a crown, suffering before glory. Why would we expect anything different?

6 Matthew 9:207 Matthew 9:308 Matthew 8:319 Matthew 9:3310 Matthew 9:3311 MacArthur12 Matthew is going to recount a very climactic identity revealing event for Jesus… I just made that term up….seems appropriate…Let me say it again… Matthew is going to recount a climactic identity revealing event for Jesus in the transfiguration. If ever there was an event that would dispel all doubts about Jesus’ identity it was the transfiguration.

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{So you wonder, why is life so hard now? It’s hard by design. Our lives by and large follow the template of Jesus’ life….there is a cross before the crown.}

In verse 27 Matthew transitions to a description of Jesus returning with his angels to bring judgment--yes God will one day make all things right-- and then in verse 28 he says there are some standing here (Who’s standing there? At least the twelve disciples) who will not taste death…in other words they’ll still be alive when they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom. Mark says, they will not taste death until they have seen the kingdom of God after it has come with power.13

Now Justin talked about these verses last week. Jesus’s words in verse 28 raise a question for us-- At what future event would some of Jesus’ disciples be alive and see the kingdom of God coming with power? Would it be the transfiguration that is the next event in Jesus’ story, the event we’ll look at in detail today? Or would it be the crucifixion? or the resurrection? or Jesus coming to receive the church in the rapture or second coming? As Justin pointed out, a case can be made for each of these options but I lean toward the simplest solution…Jesus has in mind the transfiguration that occurs some six days after these words in verse 28. But I’m also convinced that the transfiguration is a preview of a host of future attractions.

Follow along as I read Matthew 17, verses 1-3….

17 And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. 2 And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. 3 And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. 4

Now Matthew does an interesting thing with verse 1. Present tense verbs vividly put us on the first row… let me show you… And after six days Jesus takes Peter and James and John his brother and brings them up into a very high mountain by themselves….14 We’re there, we’re drawn in, aren’t we?

We know that Peter, James, and John were Jesus’ privileged inner circle. They were with Jesus when he raised Jairus’ daughter15. And they were with him in the garden of Gethsemane, the night before he died. And there are some intriguing connections between the transfiguration

13 Mark 9:114 Translation by Morris15 Mark 5:37

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story here in Matthew 17 and the Gethsemane story several months down the road in Jesus’ life.

{At the Boy’s and Girl’s Club two Thursdays ago, Pat Ray taught the lesson about David with this TV remote illustration. I asked her if I could use it today and she gladly said, “Yes”.

Over a six week period in the Boys and Girls club we had talked about David. And the day that Pat used this illustration was a ‘review’ day. And as a way of reminding the kids of a previous part of David’s story, she would say, “Now let’s rewind…” … And one of the kids would be

invited up to touch the rewind button on the remote. OR if she wanted to move forward to a part of David’s story we had never even covered…the lesson called us to talk briefly about what happened years after the parts of the story we had told, she would say “Let’s fast forward.” And again one of the kids would come up and push the fast forward button and then sit down. At one point she was trying to make a connection between David and the descendant of his who would ultimately be king forever and she showed this picture (show picture). And she said, “Does anyone know who this is?” (The room was really quiet). And I said, “It rhymes with Mesus”… And one little girl said ‘Esus’ ….

Later Pat made a point that this king Jesus was born in the same town as David the king… and then she asked a question, “Does anybody know the town’s name? And it was really quiet so I launched with my best baritone voice “O Little Town of ___________” but nobody could fill in the blank in that famous Christmas song. It’s kind of sad isn’t it? But it’s a privilege to share these foundational stories with them.}

Now why did I bring that up? Well the story of the transfiguration becomes really rich when we rewind and make connections with some key Old Testament stories (and we’ll do that as we walk along through the passage) AND when we fast forward to future stories in the biblical story line. The comparing and contrasting of the stories causes certain details to stand out.

And so having introduced this illustration, let’s do that right now. Let’s take our remote and fast forward about six months in Jesus’ story to the night before he died, as he labors in agony in the Garden of Gethsemane. Who went him in the garden? His inner circle of three disciples. And what did Jesus and the three do in the garden? They went to pray. And what problem did the disciples struggle with? They couldn’t stay awake. Well if we were to read Luke’s version of the transfiguration story we’d see the same three details16. So I think we’re invited to compare and contrast the stories. And the contrasts are stunning: the Transfiguration…Jesus in stunning, eye popping, ‘Take a selfie please’ glory AND then Gethsemane maybe six months

16 Luke 9:28, 32

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later, Jesus in mortal agony, sweating drops of blood, it-doesn’t- get-any-worse-than-this-suffering.

I found myself wondering if the three disciples in the garden of Gethsemane were helped by the vision they experienced at the transfiguration those few months earlier? {It sure seems that they should have been helped by it}

Do you hear what Morgan is saying? What we need when difficulty and distress comes our way is a fresh vision of God. When we see him as he is, all else takes on a proper perspective and proportion. When we turn our eyes on Jesus, the things of earth….what?... will grow strangely dim.

Look again at verse 1 And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves.

And after six days…. Let’s hit the rewind button on our remote tentatively here…. In the words “and after six days”…. some think that Matthew is preserving an allusion to Moses’ receiving the law on Sinai after six days of preparation, Ex. 24:16.’17

What mountain did Jesus and his three disciples ascend? The traditional sight is Mt. Tabor in the middle of Galilee. But it’s not much of a mountain at 1900 feet and Josephus tells us that in the first century there was a walled fortress at its summit.18 Other suggestions are Mt. Hermon, northeast of Galilee (but at 9200 feet it would have been quite a hike) or Mt. Meron (4000 feet high) just northwest of the Sea of Galilee. Bottom line is we don’t know.

But they went up a mountain and that’s enough for us.

17 Blomberg18 Blomberg

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Now we pick up our remote and rewind, just the idea of ‘going up the mountain’ calls to mind both Moses and Elijah who received revelation on a mountain.19

Verse 2 And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light.

As you may know, the word transfigured is a translation of the Greek word “metamorphoo,” and it’s of course related to our English word metamorphosis. You and I use the term metamorphosis to describe the change that happens when a tadpole turns into a frog or when a caterpillar turns into a butterfly. The idea behind the word is a change (μετα- [meta-]) of form (μορφη [morphē]).20 The word suggests an inward change of nature that may be outwardly visible or it may be quite invisible21 …In other words you might see the change on the outside but you might not see it.

Now the picture of Jesus’ nature being changed on the inside is a preview of a future attraction in our life.22 In the sermon title I’ve said that the transfiguration is a preview of future attractions (plural). Well one of those future attractions has to do with our lives and the fact that one day we will be glorified. More on that later in the message.

Jesus was transfigured. His form was changed. And this is different than what happened to Moses back in Exodus 34:29. Hit the rewind button. In Exodus 34, Moses went up on the mountain to talk with God and his face shone, the skin of his face shown because he had been talking to God. And Moses covered his shining face with a veil. But what’s happening to Jesus is different. Here Jesus’ face was altered.23 His glory was so bright, “the inner glory of his godness, his deity was so bright that his clothes became white as light too.”24

You see in seeing Jesus’s face shining like the sun, the disciples were seeing God…

19 Carson, Exodus 19, 24 and I Kings 1920 Robertson, A. T. (1933). Word Pictures in the New Testament (Mt 17:2). Nashville, TN: Broadman Press.21 Carson22 Romans 12:2; 2 Cor. 3:1823 Luke 9:2924 Nancy Lee Demoss, “On Another Mountain: The God who points to His Son”

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In seeing Jesus’ face shining like he sun, the disciples were seeing the glory of the king.25 His true glory was breaking through.26

In seeing Jesus’ face shining like the sun, the disciples were seeing the glory that Jesus had before he became man (Phil. 2:6 who though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself by taking the form of a servant)…in other words rewind till you can’t rewind any more…and Jesus is God.

And finally in seeing Jesus’ face shining like the sun, the disciples were also getting a preview of his future exaltation27, fast forward on your remote until you can’t fast forward any more…. Revelation 1:14-16

Jesus’ disciples were previewing a future attraction. “In fact they were given a preview of his future return in power and glory, a foretaste of the day when the full glory of Christ would be eternally unveiled and his Messianic kingdom would be established.”28

25 Nancy Lee Demoss, “On Another Mountain: The God who points to His son”26 Mike Andrus27 ESV Study bible“Jesus’ physical transformation was a reminder of the glory he had before he became man (John 1:14; John 17:5; Phil. 2:6-7) and a preview of his future exaltation (2 Pet. 1:16-18; Rev. 1:16)”28 Nancy Lee Demoss

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Luke says Jesus’ clothing became dazzling white.29 Mark says his clothes were radiant, intensely white, as no one on earth could bleach them.30

One author suggests this, “Essentially this was not a new miracle, but the temporary cessation of an ongoing miracle. The real miracle was that Jesus most of the time could keep from displaying his glory.”31

Thirty years later Peter was still taken by this moment…

You get the impression that every detail of that special night was riveted in Peter’s memory, kind of like certain events are riveted in our memory… for those of us who are older, where we were when we got the news that Kennedy was shot, for those younger, where we were when we heard the news of 9/11.

And John, one of the other disciples there, was also eternally impacted by that night, John 1:14:

…and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only son from the father.32

Continuing in verse 33 And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him.

This is the first of three “beholds” in our passage. The other two are in verse 5 and one isn’t translated. It’s as if Matthew is saying “Look!”… “Sit up and take notice”... “Don’t miss this”….And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him.

29 Luke 9:2930 Mark 9:331 A Commentary quote by Nancy Lee Demoss32 John 1:14

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Moses and Elijah were glorified saints. Moses had been dead for some 1400 years. And Elijah had been taken away in a chariot a little more than 900 years earlier33. Just a little proof that life doesn’t end at death. Just a little proof at the immortality of the soul.

Why Moses and Elijah? Why not Abraham the father of the Hebrew people? Or why not David the one from whose throne Jesus would one day reign? Why not one of the other prophets? Isaiah? Or Jeremiah? 34 You can imagine there is a ton of sanctified speculation why Moses and Elijah were picked to meet with Jesus.

Most often it’s suggested that Moses represented the Law and Elijah the prophets. John MacArthur writes:

“As no others, Moses and Elijah represented the Old Testament, the law and the prophets. And as no others, they could give human testimony to Christ’s divine majesty and glory. By their presence together, they affirmed, in effect: “This is the One of whom we testified, the One in whose power we ministered, and the One in whom everything we said and did has meaning. Everything we spoke, accomplished, and hoped for is fulfilled in Him.”35

That’s good enough for me.

Matthew tells us that that Moses and Elijah were talking with Jesus. Luke tells us that they spoke of (Jesus’) departure which he was to accomplish at Jerusalem.

Moses and Elijah weren’t simply standing there reflecting on the Lord’s glory; they were talking with Jesus as we would talk with one another or with a friend. And what were they talking about? They were discussing Jesus’ ‘departure’ ...seems like an odd word doesn’t it? kind of a word you would use at the airport? …”So we heard you’re departing….tell us what flight.”

But it all becomes clear when we learn that the word “departure” is from the Greek term from which we get exodus. Moses, Elijah and Jesus were talking about Jesus’ exodus. Just as the Exodus out of Egypt under Moses led God’s people out of the bondage of slavery, the “exodus” of Jesus (his death and resurrection) would lead believers out of the bondage of sin.

Were they talking about how the Old Testament prophets anticipated his death?Were they talking about why he was going to die? Were they talking about what Jesus’ death would accomplish for the souls of men? Most assuredly they were talking about the cross and Jesus’ resurrection.

33 DeMoss34 MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1985). Matthew (Vol. 3, p. 64). Chicago: Moody Press.

35 MacArthur

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“Their conversation together pointed to the partnership of the three figures in the sweep of the purposes of God.”36

4And Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.”

Lord, no need for you all to sleep in the same tent! Peter wants to freeze this moment in time. “Jesus, it’s time for revival week”37--let’s put up tents! Lord, it’s really good that we’re here! Let’s forget that talk about the cross! Let’s make some tents so we can stay a while! Perhaps you’ve been asked, “If you could pick any three people to have for dinner, what three people would you choose?”38 Well this may have been the dinner party of Peter’s dreams! What a historic moment! I was reflecting on how people act when Prince Harry and Megan Markle enter the scene. Time seems to stop. What is she wearing? What is he wearing? Look at that smile! Oh look he’s holding her hand! She’s wearing Diana’s ring and on and on! In the presence of royalty we do that. And perhaps some of that was going on for Peter up on the mountain. What an experience he was having! What royalty he was in the presence of! Peter might have been overcome with a wondrous sense of wellbeing--Boy isn’t everything right with the world on this mountain top.

I’d a probably been taking selfies….

Here’s me with the three disciples in the foreground and Jesus, Moses, and Elijah in the background.

36 Nolland37 Michael Horton38 This idea from DeMoss

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Here’s me with a close up of the two heavenly visitors, Moses and Elijah and Jesus with his face shining like the sun!

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But why did Peter suggest that he make three tents anyway? Perhaps the best guess is that the word ‘tent’ appears in discussions about the Feast of Booths which was celebrated in the autumn. Scholars believe that the transfiguration took place in the Hebrew month Tishri (October) about six months before Jesus’ crucifixion. And the Feast of Booths took place then.39The feast, where everyone lived in tents for a week, recalled the Exodus. And there was an end times fulfillment of the feast that was anticipated--Hosea 12:9 and Zech. 14:16-20.40

Could Peter have been thinking?--“Surely this glorious moment is the end!”?

We really shouldn’t put too much effort trying to figure this out because the other accounts disparage Peter’s words. Mark says, “For he, Peter, did not know what to say, for they were terrified”41 and Luke says “…not knowing what he says”42… as if Peter was off the mark in his request….Peter it seems had mistaken foretaste for substance….. This was a “vision by which to be informed rather than an event in which to participate.”43

And quite frankly, at verse 5, God doesn’t wait to interrupt Peter…

39 MacArthur: New Testament chronologists have determined that the Jewish month in which the transfiguration took place was Tishri (October), the sixth month before Passover and therefore six months before Jesus’ crucifixion. During this month the Jews celebrated the feast of Tabernacles, or Booths, and it is possible that at this very time the feast was being observed In Jerusalem. During a period of seven days the people lived in small shelters, or booths, made of boughs, symbolizing the temporary dwellings of their forefathers in the wilderness. It was a memorial to God’s preserving His chosen and redeemed people (see Lev. 23:33–44).40 Nolland41 Mark 9:642 Luke 9:3343 Nolland

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5 He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them… Now the cloud symbolizes the very presence and protection of God.

Using our remote we could rewind to Exodus 13 where a pillar of cloud led the people by day when they came out of Egypt, or to Exodus 19 where a cloud covered the top of Mt. Sinai when God came there to meet with Moses, or to Exodus 24 when again a cloud covered Mt. Sinai, or to Exodus 34 when Moses was on the mountain, or to Exodus 40 where a cloud enveloped the tabernacle and God took his place between the cherubim in the Holy of Holies, or to I Kings 8 when a cloud filled the temple in Solomon’s time again representing the very presence and protection of God. Lots of places to rewind to see connections. But we could fast forward also

and make some connections with future biblical scenes. We could fast forward to Matthew 26:64 where Jesus is to come again on the clouds of heaven and then to Revelation 1:7 where again Jesus is said to come with the clouds and every eye will see him.

Continuing in verse 5… and (UNTRANSLATED BEHOLD) a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.”

I think we could wear out this remote in our story!

Let’s rewind to Jesus’ baptism where similar words were said…. Matthew 3:17 (ESV) and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”

{When we looked at Jesus’ baptism we suggested that God’s words out of heaven identified and introduced Jesus as the divine son and the triumphant Messianic king44 from Psalm 2 and the suffering servant from Isaiah 42. We won’t take time to prove that again but here at the transfiguration, God repeats that message and then adds these words…. Listen to Him.}

Moses is here. Elijah is here. And Jesus is here….Listen to Him! Jesus stands alone as the unique son of God. He’s one of a kind. In the presence of Jesus every forerunner grows strangely dim.

{Many think God’s words… Listen to Him, echo Moses’ words in Deuteronomy 18:15. Listen to Deuteronomy 18:15….

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— Moses, back in Deuteronomy was predicting a prophet that would follow him and, like handing off the baton says, “Listen to him.”

44 Wilkins, page 143

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6 When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were terrified. 7 But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Rise, and have no fear.” 8 And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only. 9 And as they were coming down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, “Tell no one the vision, until the Son of Man is raised from the dead.”

This is the fourth and final time that Jesus commands his disciples and others not to talk about his ministry--Matt. 8:4; Matt. 9:30; Matt. 12:16; Matt. 16:20.

10 And the disciples asked him, “Then why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?”

Having seen Elijah on the mountain with Jesus and knowing that the prophet Malachi had said that Elijah would appear before the great and awesome day of the Lord and restore all things---that’s Malachi 4:5-6 --the disciples were bumfuzzled. We could imagine them asking, “If you are the Messiah, as you have declared and we believe, why did Elijah not appear before you began your ministry?”

Jesus answered, “Elijah does come, and he will restore all things. 12 But I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they pleased. So also the Son of Man will certainly suffer at their hands.” 13 Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist.

Elijah did come in the person of John the Baptist.

As we close, why the transfiguration?

1. It’s a preview and a foretaste of Jesus’s second coming.45

Matthew 16:27 (ESV)--27 For the Son of Man (will) come with his angels in the glory of his Father.

Matthew 24:30 (ESV)-- they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

Matthew 25:31 (ESV) 31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him…

Clearly the transfiguration was a preview of future attractions!

2. It’s a preview of our transformation as believers.

45 MacArthur titles his commentary section on this passage “Preview of the Second Coming

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You’re probably aware that the metamorphosis word is used of us in two different places in the NT, yes?

Romans 12:2 (ESV) 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

2 Corinthians 3:18 (ESV) 18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

The reality is that you and I are being changed into the likeness of Christ. We have been justified--declared innocent by God. We are being sanctified--every day we are becoming more like Christ. And we will one day be glorified like the transfigured Christ.

The transfiguration gives us a preview of what God has in store for us as our physical bodies will be transformed, that which is lowly will be transformed.

Let’s say it again, clearly the transfiguration was a preview of future attractions!

3. It’s a vision of Christ’s glory meant to sustain us down in the valleys of life. “The vision of Christ’s glory on the mountain gives us perspective, and a vision and a context, and a hope for our lives as we live them not on the mountain but on the valley below.”46

The suffering of this season will give way to the glory God has prepared for us.All is well in heaven. One day all will be well on earth.47

G. Campbell Morgan’s quote again…

46 DeMoss47 Demoss quotes

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