Generically
speaking the word, transfiguration, means a change in form or appearance. It
also means an exalting, glorifying or spiritual change. Harry Potter diehards define
transfiguration as a core subject taught at Hogwarts, the art and science of
changing an object’s form and appearance. That is not what we understand and
observe today.
I
want you to understand why we observe Transfiguration today, that is, why the
church places it on the Sunday immediately prior to Ash Wednesday, why Mark
placed it in chapter 9, and what practical application the Transfiguration
plays in our lives.
The
church places the Transfiguration on the Sunday immediately prior to Ash
Wednesday.[i] As a Christian feast, the
Transfiguration commemorates Christ’s transfiguration or metamorphis on a
mountaintop in the presence of three disciples. It makes a great deal of sense
to observe it today, because when we look at the church’s liturgical year beginning
with Advent, we see Epiphany framed by the Baptism of Jesus and the
Transfiguration. On these Sundays, God the Father proclaims, “You
are my Beloved Son” and “This is my Beloved Son.”[ii]
The
Season of Epiphany reveals who the child Jesus is, and emphasizes that He is God’s
Son. We hear this at the beginning of his ministry and as Jesus turns his face
to go to Jerusalem, which happens right after the Transfiguration. After this
Sunday, the church observes Ash Wednesday, which plunges us down into the
valley of Lent, which precedes Easter.
Today,
we look over the valley of Lent to Easter, where in the Transfiguration we glimpse
the glory of God, which He reveals fully in the Resurrection of our Lord. Imagine
looking from one mountaintop to another, knowing that there is a deep valley
between the place where you stand and the next peak. So, liturgically, today, we
say good-bye to Alleluia and anticipate its return at Easter. This is how our feast
fits into our liturgical year.
Mark
placed the Transfiguration in chapter 9, and when we expand the text beyond vv.
2 and 9, depressing news precedes it. After Jesus’ multiplication miracle, the Pharisees
demanded a sign, Jesus restored sight to the blind, and Peter confessed him the
Christ. Jesus predicted his passion, death and resurrection, and after Peter
and Jesus exchanged rebukes, the Lord stated the cost of discipleship. Depressing
indeed.
As a
striking counterbalance, the Transfiguration reveals heavenly glory vis-à-vis
the humiliation just predicted in 8:31, in which Jesus said, “that
the Son of Man must suffer many things, be rejected by the elders, chief
priests and scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again.”
Chapter 9 begins with Jesus saying, “Truly,
I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they
see the kingdom of God after it has come with power.”[iii]
Jesus meant the Resurrection, which all standing there, with the exception of
Judas, witnessed on Easter. Mark closed the Transfiguration passage with, “As
they were coming down the mountain, he charged them to tell no one what they
had seen, until the Son of Man had risen from the dead.”[iv] In other words, the
Resurrection frames the passage.
If
we expand the passage to include the whole Bible, we see that the Old Testament
clearly underlies Mark’s Transfiguration account. He opens by telling us that Jesus
took Peter, James and John – the disciples who witnessed Jesus’ agony at
Gethsemane[v] – up a high mountain. Moses took Aaron,
Nadab, and Abihu up Mount Sinai to meet God.[vi] So, from the outset, Jesus’
ascent triggered thoughts of a new Sinai experience.
As
it was for Moses and Elijah, the mountain was a special place in Mark for
prayer, contemplation, apostolic commissioning, and, as shown in the
Transfiguration, extraordinary revelation.[vii] Elsewhere in Mark, we
read, “After he took leave of them, he went up on the mountain to pray.”
In chapter three, Jesus “went up on the mountain and called to him
those whom he desired, and they came to him.”[viii]
As I
explained earlier, transfiguration means a glorifying or spiritual change.
There are several Old Testament references regarding this change. In Exodus, after
Moses met God, his skin glowed.[ix] Later, the Psalmist wrote
of God, “You are clothed with splendor and majesty, covering yourself with
light as with a garment.”[x] And Daniel described God’s
clothing as white as snow.[xi] So, we see the glorifying
or spiritual change when man meets God.
In their
transfiguration accounts, Matthew described the change in Jesus’ face, and Luke
Jesus’ face and clothing. Mark described only His clothes as “radiant,
intensely white, as no one on earth could bleach them.”[xii] Mark’s point was the
disciples could not account for what they witnessed, but identified Jesus
through his clothing. This way of identifying Jesus prepared them for the message
from the voice in the cloud.
Next,
two Old Testament figures appear. Verse 4 states, “there appeared to them Elijah
with Moses.” Luke used the word ‘appeared’
in the Resurrection account after Cleopas and his companion returned from
Emmaus. He wrote, “The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!”[xiii] Likewise, Paul used the
word when he wrote of the Resurrection to the Corinthians. Christ “appeared
to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred
brothers at one time … He appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of
all … he appeared also to me.”[xiv] The word ‘appear’
conveyed the presence of God in Jesus, the Second Person of the Trinity.
Onto
the Old Testament figures. Unlike Matthew and Luke, Mark reversed the order
when he wrote that Elijah and Moses appeared to the disciples. We quickly think
they represented the Prophets and the Law, but the text begs us to dig deeper.
Note
that Mark mentioned Elijah twice already – immediately prior to John the
Baptist’s death and Peter’s confession.[xv] This indicated that in
the minds of Jews during Jesus’ time, Elijah’s appearance triggered the promise
of his return at the end time.
While
Moses represented the Law, he lifted
eschatological – or end-time hopes – as Israel awaited the Messiah. We heard on
February 1st, “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.”[xvi]
Therefore, in the minds of Jewish
people, the appearance of Elijah and Moses fulfilled every hope, for the
glorious end-time had now begun with the coming of Jesus.[xvii]
To the righteous, such an appearance brought delight, but to the sinful, scorn.
As with Jesus, people rejected Elijah and Moses. In particular, Elijah was a model
for suffering at the hands of the ungodly.
Responding to the unfolding action
of the Transfiguration, Peter proposed what he thought a brilliant idea.
Actually, his proposal was a clumsy way for a practical man to express what to
do at such a time. Given that God declared and commanded, “This is my beloved Son; listen
to him,” Peter’s proposal to put Elijah and Moses on par with Jesus is
even more out of place. Mark reminded readers how inappropriate Peter’s idea
really was,[xviii]
but first, the cloud.
In between Peter’s suggestion and
God’s command came the cloud, a theophanic motif, or a sophisticated way of saying
how God showed himself. In Exodus we read, “The Lord went before them by day in a
pillar of cloud to lead them along the way.”[xix]
And later, “When Moses entered the tent, the pillar
of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the tent, and the Lord would speak with Moses. When the people saw the
pillar of cloud standing at the entrance of the tent, all the people would rise
up and worship, each at his tent door.”[xx]
Transfiguration’s cloud on the
mountain and the voice of God that spoke from it echoed what occurred to God’s
people in the Sinai. In short, as God spoke there, God spoke here.
The
Transfiguration remained the disciples’ private event until after the Resurrection.
It encouraged them to persevere. Before
the Transfiguration, the disciples could only focus on Jesus Crucified; after it,
they could focus on Jesus Resurrected. Biblically and liturgically, we look
over the valley of Lent and see the Risen Lord on Easter Sunday.
Having examined why
the church places the Transfiguration on the Sunday immediately prior to Ash
Wednesday, and why Mark placed it in chapter 9, we now examine what practical
application the Transfiguration plays in our lives.
Returning to Peter’s proposal, we
see it was inappropriate. Tents were dwellings of the world to come. Peter wanted
the vision to last and to withdraw Jesus from this earth.[xxi]
Fortunately, the voice commanded Peter to “listen to him,” a message Peter did
not like.
“Listen to him,” is a message we,
like Peter, dislike and disregard. To listen to Jesus requires intimacy. To
listen requires intimacy, but after 25 years of counseling couples preparing
for marriage, counseling couples enriching their marriage, and counseling
couples dissolving their marriage, the complaint underlying all faults is,
“You’re not listening.”
Now, if the person with whom you are
most intimate informs you that you are not listening, how often does our
Heavenly Father say it? I know He tells me multiple times throughout the day. I
am sure He reminds you too.
First, let us presume that God wants
us to listen to Him. Evidently, He does, for early in Mark, Jesus summoned
disciples, created The Twelve and called them into fellowship with him. We
read, “He went up on the mountain and called to him those whom he desired, and
they came to him. He appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles) so that
they might be with him and he might send them out to preach and have authority
to cast out demons.”[xxii]
That they might be with him was the first duty of the apostle.
Before preaching or casting out demons, they were to be with or in fellowship with Jesus. This
is part and parcel of the portrait of the fully human Jesus. He needed a
support group. He longed for fellowship. He lived as a person in community, not
as an isolated prophet. These were not merely Jesus’ pupils, but his friends
and coworkers. He appointed them for fellowship and to witness.[xxiii]
Jesus
calls you into fellowship with Him. He calls you to be with Him. The Father
calls you to listen to Him. Throughout each day, how much time do you
fellowship with or listen to Jesus?
To
put that into perspective, let me read a snippet of A Man’s Guide to Spiritual Disciplines. [xxiv]
“A
young businessman told me, ‘I really don't have a lot of time for
prayer and Bible reading. I have young kids, I'm building my career, and I'm
very active in my church.’
When I was in that same mindset, I took
a suggestion from management guru Peter Drucker. I sat down with a piece of
paper and charted how I actually spent my time. Drucker says everyone has
expectations about what their chart will say, and without exception, everyone
is surprised by what they actually find. I discovered that I spent one to two
hours every night watching television. … I started going to bed early instead
of watching TV, and getting up two hours earlier in the morning. People
sometimes think I'm crazy to get up at 4 a.m., but that's okay. I'm in
conversation with God.
Martin Luther is famous for commenting, ‘I
have so much to do today that I'm going to need to spend three hours in prayer
in order to be able to get it all done.’
We must learn to see prayer as the most powerful and efficient use of our time.
If you want a close relationship with
Jesus, you can have it, but you must cultivate that relationship through
conversation.”
If
you want a close relationship with Jesus, you can have it, but you must
cultivate that relationship through conversation. Listen to him. Pray.
Responding to the unfolding action
of the Transfiguration, Peter proposed what he thought a brilliant idea.
Actually, his proposal was a clumsy way for a practical man to express what to
do at such a time. A selfish, sinful or worldly way for a good man.
When we scrutinize many of the
brilliant ideas we propose, we see that they are actually clumsy, selfish,
sinful or worldly. While this observation makes me squirm with remorse, regret
or revenge, I know it is true. Like Peter, I do not listen to Him because I do not take time to listen to
Him. I am too busy for prayer and Bible reading. I have young kids, I'm
building my career, and I'm very active.
Do I make choices based on listening
to Jesus or to a sinful world and my sinful self? Are the choices I let my
children make based on the teachings of our church or the values of our
culture?
Friends, your presence here,
listening to me, tells me you want a close relationship with Jesus.
You can have it, but you must cultivate that relationship through prayer.
Listen to him as he prepares to take his disciples to the mountaintop.
“Calling
the crowd to him with his disciples, he said, ‘If anyone would come after me,
let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would
save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the
gospel’s will save it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world
and forfeit his soul? For what can a man give in return for his soul?’”[xxv]
From here, the mountaintop of
Transfiguration, I can see our Risen Lord on Easter morning and when we gather
in fellowship with Him. Today, His Word washes away my sinful inclinations and
thoughtless ideas; enriches my choices and relationships. His Body and Blood
nourish me for the journey through Lent’s valley and life’s trials. His Spirit
enlightens my mind and moves my heart to love deeply as Jesus loved.
Between now and Ash Wednesday, chart
how you spend your time. Throughout Lent, instead of watching TV or reading
social media, turn in early and spend that amount of time in conversation with
God each morning. If you want a close relationship with God, you can have it,
but like people Jesus called into fellowship, you must cultivate that
relationship through prayer and conversation.
When you do, may the peace of God that surpasses
all understanding keep your heart your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.[xxvi] Amen.
[i]
Arthur Just, Lectionary Podcast, Transfiguration of Our Lord. https://www.facebook.com/ctsfw?fref=nf
[ii]
Mark 1:11; 9:7
[iii]
Mark 9:1
[iv]
Mark 9:9
[v]
Mark 14:32-42
[vi]
Exodus 24:0
[vii]
LaVerdiere, 42f
[viii]
Mark 3:13
[ix]
Exodus 34:29-35
[x]
Psalm 104:1-2
[xi]
Daniel 7:9
[xii]
Mark 9:3
[xiii]
Luke 24:34
[xiv]
1 Corinthians 15:6-8
[xv]
Mark 6:15 and 8:28
[xvi]
Deuteronomy 18:15
[xvii]
R. T. France, The Gospel of Mark: A Commentary on the Greek Text. Grand Rapids:
William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company (2002), 352f.
[xviii]
France, 354.
[xix]
Exodus 13:21
[xx]
Exodus 33:9-10. See also Ex 40:34-38; 1 Kg 8:10-12
[xxi]
Peter Edmonds, The Way Companion to the Sunday Missal. Oxford: Campion Hall
(2014), 16.
[xxii]
Mark 3:13-15
[xxiii]
Ben Witherington III, The Gospel of Mark: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary. Grand
Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmanns Publishing Co. (2001), 151.
[xxiv]
Patrick Morley, A Man's Guide to the Spiritual Disciplines: 12 Habits to
Strengthen Your Walk With Christ. Chicago: Moody Publishers (2007). Adapted at http://www.christianitytoday.com/moi/2011/006/december/too-busy-not-to-pray.html
[xxv]
Mark 8:34-37
[xxvi]
Philippians 4:7
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