Transfigured

Our Father, our coach in life, repeats what is considered important for us to know. "Be ye trans
formed by the renewing of your minds" So it would be wise to pay a focus on what we read repeatedly in our play book for this life, in our bibles. The day that Jesus transfigured before witnesses was chosen to be repeated three times in the bible: "After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves." (Matthew, a Jewish tax collector wrote chapter 17:1-3) Again the truth is told in the book of Mark, by the author John Mark who was not one of the disciples, but he travelled with Paul on his first mission. "After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them." (Mark 9:2) Then a Greek doctor named Luke and a close friend of Paul transcribes this miraculous event which took place four months prior to the cruxificition of our perfect Savior. "About eight days after Jesus said this, he took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray." (Luke 9:28) Matthew, Mark, and Luke are the first three books of the new testament. WHAT purpose do these three seperate authors have in telling this story? "For the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." (Mark 10:45) Jesus, for the most part, led a life of humility and humiliation. He, being fully God, rarely showed His divinity, yet was steadfast to His mission to give His life for us. WHY did Jesus choose Peter, James and John? The true nature as the Son of God was clearly revealed at the Transfiguration, when these three completely different followers were allowed to catch a glimpse of God, in Jesus, in full divine glory. READ THE FULL CHAPTER of Matthew 17, Mark 9 and Luke 9 and ASK the Holy Spirit to reveal the importance of WHY this event was reported by three different authors. Consider HOW this might impact your FAITH, or transform your doubt to belief. All the apostles witnessed the almighty power of God as Jesus raised the dead, gave sight to the blind and restored deformities. Our Saviour did not come unannounced. He came as a servant so many did not recognize Jesus as the Messiah. Jesus was always so humble and the transfigued Jesus gave these three men a moment outside of their reality. For a moment all doubt in Peter collapsed. Just as God revealed Himself to Moses on Mount Sinai, God revealed His Kingdom and Glory powerfully in Jesus, in front of Peter who later would deny Jesus three times. James who stammered in his belief that Jesus was Lord, was chosen to witness this historical occurence, why? Jesus spectacularly used Peter’s testimony in previous passages to shine a glaring light of hope for what was in store for all of us who are subject to doubt. A small glimpse of the coming Kingdom was given to the inner circle of followers. They came face to face with the law (Moses), the Prophets (Elijah), the Father’s pronouncement of blessing, and the Son’s coming work, all converging to fulfill it before their eyes. For the moment, any doubts about who Jesus was, ceased during this supernatural proof. God chose to show Himself to regular people who struggled to believe without seeing. No longer was Jesus just a great teacher that they admired, He became their Lord.
Jesus represented the Law, the Prophets, and from what had already been written, He was the One to whom they were pointing. Why did'nt Jesus choose Paul? Remember on the road to Damascus, Paul was Saul who sought to kill Christians. Paul was also transformed and immediately began preaching the good news of Jesus. "After six days" Matthew was given this statement to make to connect to Peter’s confession found in the previous passage (Matthew 16 13-19). Which alludes to Exodus when God spoke to Moses (Ex. 24:15-18). Rarely is such a statement of time given in the Gospels or in Hebrew culture. They were “event oriented” people, whereas the Romans were “time oriented.” The usage of time meant this was preordained and important! This also meant a period of preparation. He was transfigured literally means to change in form. This was the revelation of Jesus’ divinity, as He prayed (Luke 9:29). This took place so the disciples could begin to fully comprehend who Jesus is and what was ahead for them (John 1:14; Heb. 1:1-4). God knew that their faith needed confirmation in order to enable them to recognize Jesus for who He was. This was necessary so as to remove any presumptions or false ideas they may have held. OUR all knowing Creator, knew them, and He knows our propensity to doubt. What patience, what understanding God shows us in HOW He helped the disciples come face to face with Jesus as God in such a reality show! God prepared them for Jerusalem, and the crisis of the confusing cruxifiction of our Lord. KNOWING THE FUTURE, the transfiguration gave them (us) a glimpse of Hope they (we) can use to carry them (us) through the troubled times ahead. How exciting for us to identify with the working of the Spirit in our "inner life" to transform us. (Rom. 8:11; 12:2; Col. 3:18). From a crawling, hungry catapillar, to the cocoon to withdraw and think, and to emerge as a butterfly that is free to believe! The transfiguration happens just before Jesus departs to Jerusalem and four months before His crucifixion. Doctor Luke gives all left brained analysts a chronological account. A “theophany” is a divine show of God to a person or people. "His face shone" refers to transformed glory, as in God’s glory. We are all GOING HOME, to the place that God has prepared for us. Our time here is temporary, eternity in glory awaits us as the Morning Star lights our way. In the account of Moses, his face also shone when he met with God (Ex. 34:29). Elijah was the greatest of the Prophets, and Moses was the law giver; both tie the old covenant into the new covenant of grace. Both communicated to God during a mountain top experience. Luke 9:31 records that they talked about the coming death of Jesus. When you doubt God exists remember Peter, and also remember that even Abraham doubted God's voice that said he would become a father in his old age. We all sin, we all doubt, and we are all transformed and renewed by the Holy Spirit in us. Let us praise Jesus for what He has done! AMEN