Sermon Notes for 02/15/26 – Transfiguration – Christ – Matthew 17:1-9

“Lord, it is good that we are here,” Peter says in today’s Transfiguration Gospel reading. And then thanks to Joseph Robinson, we echo Peter’s words in the hymn we just sang, “’Tis good, Lord to be here! Thy glory fills the night; thy face and garments, like the sun, shine with unborrowed light” Jesus is transfigured so that his face and clothing are changed. The Greek word used here is the origin of our word “metamorphosis.” You remember from your biology class that metamorphosis is the word we use to describe the process of a caterpillar becoming a butterfly, changing from one thing into a completely different form or appearance. The Gospel writers suggest that it is almost impossible to describe what that actually looked like.

What struck me as I worked on this text this week, is the rather cavalier way the disciples seem to take this all in stride. Peter suggests that they make this kind of a semi-permanent arrangement. “…we long to hold the vision bright and make this hill our home.” But do note that good old impulsive Peter does leave it up to Jesus when he says, “If you wish, I will make three tents, etc.”

The tents, of course would be for Jesus, Moses and Elijah. “’Tis good, Lord, to be here, thy beauty to behold where Moses and Elijah stand, thy messengers of old.” Moses is the great lawgiver. Elijah is one of the greatest of the prophets. They have many things in common. They both encountered God on Mt. Sinai. They both had conversations directly with God. God used both of them to do miracles to proclaim God’s power and authority. They both spoke God’s truth with authority. Both of them end their earthly lives under unusual circumstances. They represent the entire Old Testament, the Law and the Prophets, which are being fulfilled in the person and work of Jesus. Somehow, they are alive in God and their presence proclaims that Jesus is much more than just a man. He was the “fulfiller of the past and hope of things to be….”

But Peter gets interrupted before he finishes his thought. Our text says. “He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them…” Now where have we encountered a bright cloud before? It is always in places that reveal the presence of God: at Mt. Sinai in Exodus 20, when God gives the ten commandments, over the tabernacle for forty years in the wilderness, at the dedication of Solomon’s temple, where we are told that “the house of the Lord was filled with a cloud, so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the house of God.” (2 Chronicles 5:13c-14)

But on that mountain along with this bright cloud came a voice. This is the point at which the disciples become afraid. When they heard this, “They fell on their faces and were terrified.” And what did they hear? We heard that voice at the end of chapter four Matthew, when Jesus is baptized. These are the only times in Matthew’s Gospel that we hear the Father speak. And both times he says the same thing, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased….” This voice terrifies the disciples. Throughout scripture, whenever a person meets someone who is holy, they are very frightened. You would be too! Think of Mary at the Annunciation, or the shepherds in the fields near Bethlehem, or the women at the empty tomb. We can only imagine how fast the disciples’ hearts were beating or how they were gasping for breath or how confused their brains were as they were face-down on the earth. They were overcome with awe.
This time, God’s word contains one more thought: “…Listen to him.” And exactly what did this instruction mean? Listen to everything that Jesus says? Or was it directed to something specific? A couple of things suggest themselves. At the end of chapter 16, Jesus had foretold that “he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and one the third day be raised.” He follows that by talking about the need for his followers to take up their cross and follow him. We also know that the disciples did not really understand or believe this could happen.

Or maybe God’s word points us to what Jesus says immediately following. He touches them and says, “Rise and have no fear,” The Greek word that is translated “Rise” can have a whole bunch of meanings, from plain “get up off the ground,” as it may mean here to wake from to rise from the dead to restore a building. So I think that Jesus meant more than just “get up off the ground.” But more important is what he says after that. First he touches them. This astonishingly transfigured One, who can converse with the Old Testament prophets, whom God the Father indentifies as his beloved Son, touches them. Like a parent comforting a frightened child, Jesus’ hand, which could heal the sick, give sight to the blind and raise people from the dead, touches them in comfort and in peace, encouraging them to have no fear. Just as he did in the middle of a storm at sea, he calls them away from fear to faith in the Living God. In the same way, he calls us away from fear to trust in him, the living God.

In the Old Testament, and even in the New, encounters with God are terrifying, but there is a difference here: Jesus is there to remove the fear. Here is God in human form who is approachable and relatable. He touches them.
(We could do a whole sermon on this idea alone. In fact that was one of the difficulties in preparing this message. This story is so full of moments that could make a whole sermon that it was difficult to figure out what not to include, so we weren’t here until 4:00 this afternoon.)

And what do the disciples see when they look up? Gone is the radiance of his face and clothes, gone are Moses and Elijah, gone is the bright terrifying cloud, gone is the frightening voice. “And when they lifted their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.”

Earlier, Peter seems to have wanted to keep the experience going, to hold on to this mountaintop high. “Before we taste of death, we see thy kingdom come; we long to hold the vision bright and make this hill our home.” But, no, it is not camping out on this mountaintop where this story will end. That is our inclination too. How often do we try to return to some glorious mountaintop moment, or reproduce it in some way? I want to hold on to that moment or return to it. But the mountaintop is not where the real life is lived. Nor is it where our faith is lived out.

Some have questioned why the church included that last verse to our text, where Jesus tells the three as they are coming down the mountain, “Tell no one the vision until the Son of Man is risen from the dead.” It seems clear that the transfiguration is part of the preparation of Jesus for the fulfillment of his mission on earth. From this point on in the Gospels, Jesus is focused laser-like on getting to Jerusalem. And we know why he is going there – “for us … and for our salvation.” (Nicene Creed, Second Article) It is as though Jesus sees mount Calvary from the Mount of Transfiguration.

“’Tis good, Lord, to be here! Yet we may not remain; but since thou bidst us leave the mount, come with us to the plain.” The plain is where the real action, the real glory of Jesus is. The plain is where, right after this, he will heal a boy with an epilepsy-type demon. The plain is where he will institute his Holy Supper, in which he is truly present with his forgiveness and strength. The plain is where he will give his life on the cross for the salvation of you and me and all sinners. Before the glory of the resurrection, comes the suffering of the cross. That is why Jesus instructed Peter, James and John to wait to share this amazing experience on this mountain.

“’Tis good, Lord, to be here,” we echo Peter’s words in the hymn. It is good, Lord, to be here in your house where we hear your Word of life. It is here where we fellowship with other believers. It is here that we join in prayer for the needs of others. It is here where we receive your very body and blood. It is good to be strengthened here for holy service on whatever plain our Lord has placed us today.

So, go, my friends, from this mountaintop unto your plain, which needs your love and actions and patience. Share that love you have from Jesus with a world so desperate for a kind word. Because you know the One who has been revealed as glorious Son of God on the mountain top. Because you know that he came down from that mountain top to give his life, so that you may have new life, now and forever. Amen.