THE TRANSFIGURATION

Matt 17:1-13, “And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart,   And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.  

And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him.   Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias.   

While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.   And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid.  And Jesus came and touched them, and said, Arise, and be not afraid.  

And when they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no man, save Jesus only.   And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying, Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead. 

And his disciples asked him, saying, Why then say the scribes that Elias must first come?   And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things.   But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them.   Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist.”

I. TRANSFIGURED

Matt. 17:2, “And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.”  The word “transfigure” means to change the appearance or form. It does not denote the change of the substance of a thing, but simply of its appearance.

THE CHANGE (1) His face shone as the sun; that is, with a special brightness. A similar appearance is described respecting Moses when he came down from the mount, Exod. 34:29-30. (also Heb. 1:3), where Christ is called the brightness of the glory of God: in the original, the splendor or shining, like the brightness of the sun (Albert Barnes).

(2) His raiment was white as the light.   Mark 9:3, “And his raiment became shining, exceeding white as snow; so as no fuller on earth can white them.”  The word “fuller” means, commonly, one who dresses cloth or fulls it, so as to make it more thick and strong. Here it means one who bleaches cloth or makes it white

Luke 9:29, “And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glistering.” Rev. 1:14, “His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire” Now we are told what Jesus was doing at the time of the transfiguration. HE WAS PRAYING!

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF WHITE Isa. 1:18, “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”

Angels Wear White Mark 16:5, “And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were affrighted.”

John 20:12, “And seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.” Acts 1:10, “And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel.”

Rev. 2:17, “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.”

Rev. 3:4, 5, “Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy.  He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.”

II. THE APPEARANCE

Matt. 17:3, Mark 9:4, “And there appeared unto them Elias with Moses: and they were talking with Jesus.”

WHY MOSES & ELIJAH? (1) Moses represented the Law, and Elijah represented the prophets. (2) Moses was there to represent the saints that will be resurrected (Moses died), and Elijah was present to represent the saints that will be translated.

THE CONVERSATION Luke tells us what the conversation was about between Christ, Moses, and Elijah. Luke 9:30, 31, “And, behold, there talked with him two men, which were Moses and Elias: Who appeared in glory, and spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem.” 

III. THE AWAKENING

Matthew nor Mark mention the fact that the three men were asleep when the transfiguration first took place. Luke 9:32, “But Peter and they that were with him were heavy with sleep: and when they were awake, they saw his glory, and the two men that stood with him.” 

The three slept again when Jesus prayed in the garden at the night of his betrayal (Matt. 26:36-46). Luke 22:45, 46 “And when he rose up from prayer, and was come to his disciples, he found them sleeping for sorrow, And said unto them, Why sleep ye? rise and pray, lest ye enter into temptation.”

IV. THE PLAN

“Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias.”  

Mark 9:6, “For he wist not what to say; for they were sore afraid.” Why Such a Statement? Mark 9:6, “For he wist not what to say; for they were sore afraid.”  Peter was so overwhelmed that he unconsciously blurted out this declaration.

Peter did not realize that he was wanting to build a physical tabernacle for glorified persons. Heb. 9:11, “But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building.”

V. THE VOICE

Matt. 17:5, Mark 9:7, “While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.”  Luke 9:34, 35, “While he thus spake, there came a cloud, and overshadowed them: and they feared as they entered into the cloud.  And there came a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him.”

VI. THE CHARGE

“And when they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no man, save Jesus only.   And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying, Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead.”

This vision was designed particularly to confirm them in the truth that he was the Messiah. While he was with them it was unnecessary that they should relate what they had seen. When he was crucified they would need this evidence that he was the Christ. Then they were to use it. There were three witnesses of it as many as the law required Deut. 17:6; Heb. 10:28, and the proof that he was the Messiah was clear. Besides, if they had told it then, it would have provoked the Jews and endangered his life. His time was not yet come. (Barnes Notes).

VII. THE QUESTION

“And his disciples asked him, saying, Why then say the scribes that Elias must first come?   And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things.   But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them.   Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist.”

As the disciples saw that Elijah returned to heaven, knowing the tradition of the elders, and the prophecy on which the tradition was founded. It simply urged them to ask the question. Mal. 4:5, 6, “Behold I send you Elijah the prophet, before the great and terrible day of the Lord shall come.”

REVELATION UNDERSTOOD “But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them.   Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist.” REVELATION UNDERSTOOD