It was no merely superficial thing that happened to Jesus on that ‘high mountain.’  He was ‘metamorphosed’ – his very ‘being’ was changed into something else.  Two great prophets, Moses and Elijah were also there, though not transformed as Jesus was.  He was the Christ, no less; they were only prophets.  God addressed the three men, ‘This is my beloved Son.  Obey him.’

This event is more important than we often think.

First, it was not for Jesus’ benefit but for the benefit of Peter, James and John.  He took them there, led them up the high mountain.  The Baptism event was for his benefit, assuring him of his Sonship; the Transfiguration event was for theirs, identifying him as the Son and instructing their obedience.

Imagine if Jesus had just disappeared after his resurrection and ascension.  They would not know of his glorious appearance, away from their physical sight in his ‘kingdom’ mode of existence.  But the ‘Transfiguration’ was a preview, informing and inspiring both their mission preaching and the ultimate appearance of the New Testament writings.

Second, this was no myth, invented later. The details are specific.  The time note is given (‘after six days’ – from the Caesarea Philippi confession).  The place is mentioned (‘a high mountain’ – Mt Hermon is clearly visible from Caesarea Philippi). There were three eyewitnesses.  Later, Peter would refer to this event:  ‘We did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty’ (2 Peter 1:16).  The Transfiguration was awesome, but it was no myth; it happened.

Third, the Transfiguration on the mountain is connected with and completes the event at Caesarea Philippi six days earlier. 

At Caesarea Philippi Peter confessed Jesus as no mere prophet but the very Christ.  On the high mountain the prophets Moses and Elijah are there, but ‘untransfigured’, as if in contrast with him.  They had been taken to heaven, as he would be, but they are there as foils to illuminate his glorious majesty.

At Caesarea Philippi the disciples heard Jesus speak of his coming glory; on the high mountain they saw it.  At Caesarea Philippi they heard Jesus speak of himself as Son of ‘his Father’; on the high mountain they heard God tell them, ‘this my Son.’ So: the Transfiguration on the high mountain is inseparable from but expands upon the Confession at Caesarea Philippi, six days earlier.

Fourth, Jesus explains that faithful suffering precedes glory.

Peter scarcely understood his own words, ‘You are the Christ.’  He thought Jesus was a David-like warrior, sent to cast out the Romans as that great king had expelled the Philistines years earlier.  For Peter ‘glory’ followed military victory, explaining his heated reaction to Jesus’ words that he must be humiliated and be killed.  Likewise, he was baffled by the resurrection of the Son of Man after ‘three days’; the only resurrection Peter knew about was the Great Resurrection at the End of Time.

We speak (rightly) of the conversion of Saul of Tarsus, from persecutor to proclaimer, from zealot to compassionate.  But no less was Peter a convert.  In his First Letter he speaks of the sufferings of the Messiah and the glories that would follow.  To a Jew of the first century like Peter this was unimaginable and unheard of.

Jesus knew that he was the Christ in fulfilment of David but that – and this was unheard of – he was equally the Servant of the Lord suffering for the sins of his people in fulfilment of Isaiah 53.  He is King Messiah crucified, suffering on account of and for the sins of Adam’s tribe; only then is he glorified in resurrection and ascension.

This is the way of God.  It had been the way of John the Baptist beforehand.  It would be the way of the disciples themselves afterwards.  They must drink Jesus’ cup, undergo his baptism.  It was the way of Jesus; he ‘must suffer many things’.  This opens the window on God himself, the Servant God, the Suffering God.  Glory follows victory in the thinking of man.  In the unexpected revelation of God, glory only follows faithful suffering.

Fifth, we must heed the voice of God directing us, ‘Obey him’. True, this is usually translated, ‘Hear him’.  But the words mean, ‘Obey him.  Do what he says, follow his example’.

It is likely no coincidence that Peter later makes so much of ‘obedience’ in his First Letter.  He speaks of those who ‘obey’ the word and of those who ‘disobey’ the word of the gospel.  Peter refers to his readers as ‘obedient children’, that is, of children of God through their obedience of that gospel, whose lives are shaped by obedience of Jesus.

By this Peter means obedience to follow Jesus’ example of faithfulness to God and to believe in his sufferings for our forgiveness.

Peter took God’s word seriously.  He recognised Jesus as the Son of God and he obeyed him – for the rest of his life.

That is the message still of the event we call the Transfiguration – ‘This is my beloved Son.  Obey him.’

We must fashion our lives by Jesus’ word and example. ‘This is my beloved Son.  Hear = obey him.’ We need to show obedience to the Gospel

We mustn’t be too hard on Peter. He was a creature of his culture (as we are).

• He didn’t grasp that the Christ must die
• He didn’t grasp that the Son of Man would be raised ahead of the Resurrection
• He did not grasp that John the Baptist was an Elijah figure.
• That Elijah had restored all things (Peter himself, as disciple first of John the Baptist)

Peter was a sword-carrying, triumphalist Jew. We speak of Paul’s radical conversion; from persecutor to preacher; from zealot to compassionate.

But Peter’s conversion is no less radical. He is a ‘witness to the sufferings of Christ and partaker in the glory to be revealed’.

The notion of ‘glory’ subsequent to ‘suffering’ was utterly unheard of for Peter. Glory followed battle!

• So why did Elijah (= John the Baptist) suffer?
For telling the truth to those who did not want to hear it (Herod + Herodias)

• So why did Jesus suffer?
For telling the truth to those who did not want to hear it (‘Repent and believe the gospel’)

• So why did Peter, James and John suffer?
For filling Jerusalem with the teaching that Jesus was the Messiah.

• So why do you and I suffer as Christians?
For telling people what they don’t want to hear; that Jesus is God’s Son, to be obeyed in life and turned to for the forgiveness of sins.

They did not like the Celestial Interferer then. They do not like him now.

So: Why The Transfiguration?
• For their benefit -> for us.
• To tie it all together

glory after faithful suffering
suffering in obedience to God

What is there for us to learn from the Transfiguration?

We see Jesus through the eyes of those who were there. We see the overshadowing cloud. We hear God’s word’s about Jesus: ‘This is my Son. Obey him.’

Dr Paul Barnett
August 2003

This sermon was delivered at Holy Trinity, Adelaide in August 2003.