When Light Dispels the Darkness, Listen for God’s Voice
Last Sunday of Epiphany
Light of Christ Anglican Church
Rev. Michael J. Moffitt, February 11, 2024
SCRIPTURE Matthew 17:1–3
Today is the last Sunday of Epiphany and it signals a change of seasons for the church. It’s customary to end Epiphany with the “Transfiguration of Christ.” The story is important in that it’s found in each of the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew 17:1–8; Mark 9:2–8; Luke 9:28–36) but is also hinted at in the Gospel of John 17:24, in Jesus’ High Priestly prayer.
“Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.”
Each of our passages that were read this morning has several common themes. The themes of light, glory, majesty and transformation are of course first seen in Jesus, but also in his disciples.
Today we’ll see that this is also promised to those who have become followers of Jesus due to the testimony handed down from the first disciples.
Jesus heard the voice of his Father in Heaven at his baptism and in the Transfiguration. These stories serve as bookends of Epiphany where the Father affirmed his love and delight for the Son. This theme of hearing the voice of God is combined with the effect the voice should have on our lives. We’ve seen examples of God speaking in supernatural ways that lead to the hearers proclaiming the Word of God to others. This is the function of the prophets who hear the word and pass it on so that others might know that the Living God has declared himself through word and Spirit. This is to be the path that God’s people walked, and it’s seen clearly in the Old Testament as well as the New.
This morning we’ll focus on the transfiguration of Christ from Matthew 17:1–8. First, I think it helpful to comment on our Old Testament passage from 1 Kings 19:9–19 as Elijah is a prominent figure in our gospel reading from Matthew 17.
In 1 Kings 18 Elijah confronts Ahab, the king of Israel and his Sidonian, pagan wife Jezebel. She turned the heart of Ahab and many within Israel away from their God. King Ahab allowed her to build places of worship to Baal, the god she worshipped.
This was a showdown between Elijah, the prophet of Israel and the 450 prophets of Baal. I encourage you to read 1 Kings 18 and 19 but suffice it to say that the God of Israel won the battle, and the 450 prophets of Baal were killed.
Needless to say Jezebel was unhappy with the outcome and threatened Elijah with death, so he ran for forty days and nights until he reached Sinai, the mountain of God and entered a cave there.
Charles Spurgeon made this observation,
Elijah failed in the very point at which he was strongest, and that is where most men fail. In Scripture, it is the wisest man who proves himself to be the greatest fool; just as the meekest man, Moses, spoke hasty and bitter words. Abraham failed in his faith, and Job in his patience; so, he who was the most courageous of all men, fled from an angry woman.
This mighty man of prayer, with faith mighty enough to pray the rain stop for three and a half years, and then mighty enough to make it start again at his prayer, now is so worn out and discouraged that he asked God to let him die. God is so kind and didn’t grant his request. In fact, Elijah was one of two men in the Bible to never die, the other being Enoch.
Elijah was exhausted and God asked him in verse 9, “What are you doing here Elijah?”
It’s not that God didn’t know the answer to the question but sometimes speaking the complaint to the Lord begins a healing process as the problem doesn’t seem quite as bad when said in the presence of God.
Elijah complains that in all of Israel he alone is left as a servant of the Lord. The Lord instructs him to go out and stand upon the mountain before Him as he was about to pass by. This was a similar event as Moses while on the same mountain asked God to show him his glory in Exodus 33, and God placed him in the cleft of a rock so that he wouldn’t behold God’s face and die.
As Elijah waited in the cave a strong hurricane-force wind passed by splitting boulders and tearing the mountain apart. Then a great earthquake followed by a fire, but the Lord was not to be found in any of these things.
Each of these manifestations of great power were indications of the activity and presence of God but He did not reveal himself in these spectacular signs of his power. I’m reminded of Zechariah 4:6 where God told the prophet to speak to Zerubbabel to not depend on the armies of men but on the power of God.
“This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts.”
A similar lesson is being taught to Elijah. After all the power and upheaval that was brought to bear on the mountain—then came a whisper and Elijah recognized the voice of the Lord and went out of the cave to meet him. Verse 13,
And when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And behold, there came a voice to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
I feel certain that Elijah wrapped his face with his cloak so he wouldn’t look directly in God’s face and die.
There are two things I would like to point out here.
Elijah was very tired and depressed, but God treated him with love. He gave Elijah something to do that would be about his master’s business.
The mistake that he made was judging what God was doing by what he observed, instead of being faithful to the call of God and letting him raise up the ones he wanted. He assured Elijah that he had 7,000 men who refused to bow their knees to Baal. He was not alone after all.
A very important point was being made here for Elijah and those who are Christ's followers. On Mt. Carmel God rained down fire from heaven to consume the sacrifice, but apparently Elijah expected the Lord to move in his terrible and mighty power in judgment of the sins of Ahab and Jezebel.
Perhaps he thought that the dramatic display of God’s power would change the hearts of Israel back to God. This is a powerful reminder for us today. The still small voice of God speaking to the human heart is actually more powerful than outward displays of power or displays of God’s judgment.
There are so many stories in God’s word where His power is revealed but there is no repentance by the people. This is why the children of Israel spent 40 years wandering in the wilderness. Elijah wanted God’s wrath to be the definitive answer to their godlessness and arrogance.
The mercy of God was on display because if God were to break out in his judgment on sin with everyone there, Elijah, also a sinner would be dealt with too. God’s ways are far better than ours.
Let’s now turn our attention to Matthew 17:1–8. It’s helpful to remember that the writers of the gospels were often not concerned with the chronological exactness of their writings. Some modern critics are bothered by this but ancient writers, not just biblical ones, were not concerned with the exact numbers of those present in the story or at what point it happened because they are often telling the stories by teaching through themes. Some stories are presented in different places within the gospel than others.
This is why it’s interesting that each of the synoptic writers places the story of the Transfiguration at the same time period. In each one, the disciples and Jesus have been in Caesarea Phillippi. There is an exactness as they each begin the story with “after 6 days” although Luke’s ‘about eight days after’ (Luke 9:28) is based on a Greek way of speaking and means ‘about a week later.’
In each gospel two things happened right before the Transfiguration.
Jesus asked the disciples, “Who do people say that I am” (Matthew 16:13–16; Mark 8:27–29; Luke 9:18–20) and then, “But who do you say that I am?” This is followed by Peter’s confession, “you are the Christ” or in Matthew, “You are Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Jesus tells the crowds, “If anyone would come after me he must take up his cross and follow me.”
In each account before the story of the Transfiguration Jesus began to reveal his identity as the Son of God in a deeper way. What he is teaching them is far more than they can comprehend at the moment. In Matthew 16:27; Mark 8:28; Luke 9:26 Jesus tells them what will happen at some point in the future. They will need the indwelling of the Holy Spirit to unwrap what they are hearing and will shortly experience.
I imagine that the next statement felt overwhelming but again it will make more sense later on after the Spirit is given in fullness.
“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.”
Which brings us to Matthew 17:1–2,
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 he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light.
The call for the disciples to take up their cross in the light of Jesus’ soon-coming glory is now made clear because three of them receive an unmistakable revelation of Jesus’ identity. This would mean there could be no holding back or delay in following Jesus with all one’s heart, soul and mind. After this revelation a full commitment to Jesus the Messiah is required from those who have witnessed his glory.
As I pointed out earlier the Synoptic Gospels recount the story that while Jesus is on the mountain with Peter, James and John, he is “transfigured.” Matthew and Mark use the passive verb “metamorphoo,” indicating that God is behind the transformation. There are only two other places in the New Testament where this word is used. Paul uses the same verb to describe the spiritual transformation that believers experience as a result of regeneration. In Romans 12:2,
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.
And then in 2 Corinthians 3:18,
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.
Here Jesus experiences a physical transformation visible to the disciples. It is a reminder of Jesus’ preincarnate, divine glory. As John writes his gospel he can remember that moment on the mountain where he along with Peter and James beheld the glory of the Lord.
He would later write in John 1:14,
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
We see a preview of his coming exaltation in 2 Peter 1:16–18, which we read this morning. That glory designates the royal presence, for in his person the kingdom of God is with his people. The inner circle of disciples witness this profound revelation of Jesus’ identity as well as his mission. Matthew 17:3, “And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him.”
Both Moses and Elijah were allowed to behold the glory of God on Mount Sinai. Both of them had unique endings—Elijah was taken in a whirlwind directly to heaven, while Moses’ grave was never found. Deuteronomy 34:5–6 reveals that God buried him and no one knows where. Both are mentioned together in Malachi 4:4–6, the giving of the Law through God’s servant Moses and the sending of the prophet Elijah before the coming Day of the Lord.
Their appearance on the mountain with Jesus indicates the greatness of Jesus, who transcends them both as the One who will be declared the Son of God. Essentially Moses, the one by whom the law was given and Elijah the great prophet who spoke God’s word and revealed the power of God against his enemies came to honor Jesus.
He was the one who they pointed to in the law and the prophets. He was the fulfillment of all their hope. Now they stood before the one who was the hope of Israel and all who have been called of God.
Jesus, the Father's answer to the separation between God and man.
Then Peter, certainly overwhelmed by such a sight wants to be helpful and suggests,
“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.”
Perhaps the best that can be made of Peter’s suggestion is that he, in trying to make sense of this overwhelming transfiguration of Jesus and the appearance of these great figures, wished to make some sort of appropriate gesture considering who they were. Surely this would be the ultimate moment in a Jewish heart. Moses and Elijah talking with Jesus. As the next verses indicate, Peter does not grasp fully the stature of Jesus, for he is not just another Old Testament figure like Moses and Elijah. Jesus is superior in every way, and his transfiguration confirms the promised realization of the kingdom of God in Heaven being joined with the kingdom of God on earth.
I doubt that the disciples were thinking about that at the time, but later on it would likely be foremost in their minds. I can only imagine that John remembered with great joy that moment of the transfiguration John as he wrote Revelation 21:1–5,
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.”
Peter’s moment was just that, a moment. The Father has something to say. Matthew 17:5,
He (Peter) was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were terrified. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Rise, and have no fear.”
The glorious scene continues, interrupting Peter’s feeble attempt to make sense of the situation. A “bright cloud” appears, reminiscent of the way that God appeared at different times in the Old Testament. The cloud of God’s presence appeared to Moses on Sinai, his Shekinah glory filled the tabernacle, the cloud of God’s presence guided the Israelites during their wandering in the desert, and the cloud of the glory of the Lord filled Solomon’s temple. Isaiah looks ahead to the day when the Branch of the Lord will bring restoration to Jerusalem, as the cloud of the glory of the Lord shelters Zion.
The voice of God the Father from the cloud gives the same public endorsement of Jesus that was given at his baptism, indicating that Jesus is both the Son of God and the fulfillment of both the Law and the Prophets. The Father made it clear that Jesus is superior to Moses and Elijah, and is the embodied Son of God, the ultimate Prophet who fulfills Moses’ prophetic expectation (Deuteronomy 18:15–22), so the disciples must listen to him to understand his messianic mission. The gloriously transfigured Jesus Messiah will be the divine sacrifice on the cross (17:12), but he will be raised from the dead (17:9) to live forever as their messianic deliverer.
At the sound of the voice of the Father coming from the cloud of his presence, the disciples “fell facedown to the ground, terrified” (17:6). An experience of the awesome reality of God’s presence commonly produced fear in the people of the Old Testament whether they observed the presence of God in a cloud or heard his voice. But Jesus tenderly touches his frightened disciples and tells them not to fear.
When the disciples look up, they see no one except Jesus. How fitting. Their focus is now exclusively on Jesus, the way Moses and Elijah would have desired, for their ultimate significance was in preparing the way for Messiah, the Son of God, and his redemptive mission. The disciples have received the most explicit revelation of Jesus’ identity, but they still do not comprehend fully what they have experienced and won’t for a while.
One last thing before I close. The memory of Jesus’ transfiguration and his resurrection will be invaluable as they experience persecution from the Jewish leaders and unbelievers around the known world at that time. They knew what they saw and heard. I love Peter’s proclamation as to why they kept going. Listen again to 2 Peter 1:16–21,
For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,” we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain. And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone's own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced from the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
Let’s pray.
