JESUS IS THE GLORIOUS SON OF GOD
The family noticed several cars stopped along the side of the road. It was the annual family trip, this year to Yellowstone. Figuring there must be some animal, dad pulled the car over so that they could take a look. But this time it wasn’t a wolf or an elk.
Perched on a stump about 50 yards away was an enormous bird white head, hooked beak. It was unmistakable: a bald eagle. The kids, who had not been impressed by the geysers (“too smelly”) or the canyons (“what’s next?”) were wowed!
“Let me use the binoculars!”
“Can I take another picture?”
They sat there saying, “That’s so cool!” over and over until the eagle eventually let out a high-pitched whistle, spread its wings, and took flight, disappearing over the trees.
They had seen eagles soaring on television, and they had seen close-ups in magazines and recognized the famous profile from the U.S. Postal Service logo. But this was different. To see that and hear that well, it was “so cool!”
It was so exciting because this was a real eagle in real life. Seeing that glorious bird with their own eyes made a difference. It was better than hearing about them, reading about them, or even seeing a video of them. For days, they couldn’t stop talking about its wingspan, size, power, and majesty and the surprise of seeing it up close.
This morning, I want you to imagine that you are seeing God “in real life.” It’s a hot, late summer day, and you see Jesus leaving the city and the crowds and heading up the mountainside with three of his friends. You hang back, but follow after them. When they stop, you duck behind some rocks and bushes and just watch.
You See It
Sometimes you just need to get away from things, right? Jesus was the same way (it was the truly human part of him). He needs to be away from all the preaching, teaching, encouraging, healing. He needs to pray. He’s not looking to be completely alone though not this time. Sometimes you just need a close friend or two, right? So did Jesus (it was the truly human part of him). Prayer on a mountain, high above it all with just the Bold One and the Sons of Thunder. No distractions; no interruptions. But it wasn’t just for prayer. There was something else.
As you peer out from behind your rock, you see something indescribable, really. You can’t quite find the words. The gospel writers tried: Matthew says, There he was transfigured in front of them. His face was shining like the sun. His clothing became as white as the light. Mark says, There he was transfigured in front of them. His clothes became radiant, dazzling white, whiter than anyone on earth could bleach them (9:2-3). Luke says, While he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothing became dazzling white (or like lightning) (9:29).
What do you say about that divine glory? “That’s so cool!” works for an eagle, but not so much for this! Is there a word for it? A phrase? Transfigure, change, shining, like light, dazzling, whiter than bleach, lightning… It seems impossible to adequately describe this glimpse of godly glory.
But more importantly, what does it mean? You know how a caterpillar turns into a butterfly? It’s the same little life, but it changes as it goes through its metamorphosis. It ends up looking entirely different. Jesus went through a metamorphosis there on the mountain. That’s literally the Greek word used for what happened—used only slightly different than we use it in English. Jesus didn’t become something else; he was and is truly God, truly human. The change was what the disciples could see, the way he appeared.
Jesus was always true God before this throughout eternity. He had told the disciples he was. He showed that sometimes with miracles. Who he was did not change, but what his Inner Circle of friends were able to see changed dramatically up there on the mountain. The brightness and brilliance of his glory hide his face for a bit and shine through his clothes, but it’s still Jesus. It’s clear. We’re seeing what they’re seeing— and it is amazing!
You Hear It
Do you happen to recall that time God gave Moses a glimpse of his glory? He had to set him down in the crevice of a rock, then put his hand over Moses as he passed by in front of him in order that he might survive being in his glorious presence. In the same way, Jesus’ divine brightness and brilliance, causes you to shrink back behind the rock. But you can still hear somehow, you cannot mistake the voice of God!
This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him! Those words emanated from a bright cloud that had descended upon them. And then…God speaks. God speaks about God! Specifically, it is our Father and Jesus’ Father who speaks. He says that he is well pleased with Jesus. Just as at Jesus’ baptism, the Heavenly Father puts his stamp of approval on his Son. And you are there to hear it! This is awesome! But…a little scary, too. When the disciples heard this, they fell face down and were terrified. Are you feeling that too?!
All of the sudden Jesus appears in this almost indescribable way, a spectacular cloud envelopes everyone and the Holy God speaks! What’s to be afraid of?! This: like the rest of those men, you are a sinful human being, and you are faced with the divine glory of God himself. The difference between you and God has never been clearer the guilt, the unworthiness. You see the real position you’re in with God, and it is terrifying!
The next thing you know, Jesus is speaking words of comfort. He says to not be afraid. Those words carry more weight than they ever have because it could not be any more obvious now Jesus truly is God. If God says not to be afraid, you know there is no reason to fear. God the Father had just told them to Listen to him! so that they could trust every word of Jesus. They could truly put fear aside. And you can too.
You Share the Vision
What else do you see up there? Well, you followed four people up there, but now there are 6! From out of nowhere come two giants of faith Moses and Elijah! Okay, they didn’t come from out of nowhere—they actually came from heaven down to that isolated place. This is no dream. It is not an apparition. It is not vision. They are there.
This is nothing short of a preview of heaven. These two faithful servants of God have been gone from this earth for centuries, but here they are! The reality of a life beyond physical death becomes obvious You can hardly believe your eyes as you peek out from behind your rock.
You’re staring at Moses and Elijah and then you hear someone talking it’s Peter. What’s he saying? Lord, it is good for us to be here. Peter is usually the one who pipes up and says something. Sometimes it’s appropriate, sometimes not. He’s the most outspoken of the twelve, but here he sounds like the king of understatement! It’s good to be here? Good?! It’s great! It’s unbelievable! It’s fantastic! Wow! That’s what you’re thinking!
But wait, he’s saying something else to Jesus: If you want, I will make three shelters here: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah. Okay, that’s more like it. Now you know what’s going on in Peter’s mind. He’s so excited he wants to stay. He wants to make the moment last. Why? Because this is what heaven will be like. We will be with Jesus. We will see his glory. We will be with all those who died in faith.
Wouldn’t you take that right now! If you were told that you could be with Jesus in his glory and surrounded by his saints forever, wouldn’t you take that right now! Now, maybe you’re thinking, “I would kind of like to stay here for a while yet.” But I guarantee you that if you were sitting behind those rocks seeing and hearing all this, you’d want to make that moment last forever like Peter did! Because the presence of Jesus’ glory and the saints who have died in the Lord are a preview of heaven!
Then what Jesus says gets your attention. It’s a curious statement. Do not tell anyone what you have seen until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead. Does he not want any weird ideas about him spreading among the people? Is it because he still has 9 months before his date with death for sinners? Is this why the remote location and only a few close friends? But as you think about it, it’s really that last phrase: until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead. That’s the one that gets you. His glory makes it pretty obvious that he is capable of a resurrection.
If you could talk to those tag-along fishermen, they could tell you that about a week before this he had explained to them, in some detail, about his sufferings and death. And how Peter responded, This will never happen to you (Matthew 16:22)! He didn’t understand that Jesus really would rise from the dead. No doubt the others had trouble understanding this too. But on this mountain, he reassures Peter and his friends that he is also true God and perfectly capable of doing the things they needed—suffer and die for them, and then rise from death. How good it is to be there and hear that!
Staring wide-eyed with wonder and listening with eager ears, we have seen and heard glorious things!
If we weren’t sure before, we are now, that despite his human appearance, there is a divine nature in there. Jesus is both God and man for us. He is our Savior.
The Father’s voice reminds us of our lowly position before him as sinners undeserving, unworthy to stand or even be in his presence. But he also tells us to listen to Jesus, the one who says that he will rise from death.
The death Jesus endured for our sins provides forgiveness, and that resurrection he talks about will result in eternal life where we will be with Moses and Elijah and all those who died in faith—and Jesus himself.
Like the family who witnessed the majesty of that eagle, we have seen the glory of Jesus. They loved the sight and sound of that glorious bird and couldn’t stop talking about it. I pray that we love what we see in Jesus and hear about him, and that we never stop talking about his glory and majesty that we have witnessed today! Amen.
Now the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.