Mark 9:2-10
The Transfiguration
The Transfiguration
For a visual image, imagine in your mind a magician making someone disappear, appear or changing clothes in an instant. Also think of your visit and remember your pictures of a great waterfalls or the Grand Canyon.
The Transfiguration was a vision – a brief glimpse of the true glory of Jesus. Several important things happened because of this miraculous moment in space and time. God’s presence confirmed Jesus’ authority. The presence of Moses and Elijah pointed to biblical prophecy concerning the coming of the Messiah and added weight to the truth of who Jesus is.
Moses represents the Law and God’s covenant with the Hebrew people. The last almost two years we have been learning about God’s covenant with the Hebrew people and with us in Sabbath School. Elijah represents the prophets who proclaimed God’s word to the Hebrew people and told of the coming of God’s Messiah. Their presence confirms Jesus’ messianic mission to fulfill God’s law and the words of God’s prophets. Furthermore, just as God’s voice in the cloud over Mount Sinai gave authority to the Law given to Moses, God’s voice at the transfiguration gives authority to Jesus’ words.
Of all the powerful moments in this encounter, one fascinates me above all. It is the reaction of Peter, James and John. Their reaction is fear. They are terrified. And this, the Bible tells us, is what they felt before the voice from the cloud. I can only imagine the quake in their souls upon hearing God speak. Still, within the emotion is an obvious sense of awe and wonder and gratitude. These are reactions that all Christians should have when God shows up. It may be fearful to experience, God close at hand, but it is awe provoking.
Peter had the wherewithal within his great fear and state of terror to suggest building a memorial to the occasion. This tells me that Peter had a deep reverence for God and wasn’t going to let his fear overpower a deeper sense of God’s love. When the scriptures speak of fearing God, the most sacred rendition is to connect it with having a deep sense of awe and reverence. It is why we bow. It is a sign of humility to our Creator.
When I imagine how the Transfiguration might have looked, I think of Steven Spielberg. Spielberg is a master of movie lighting and has captured some of the greatest film scenes with the aid of his magnificent eye for lighting. I can see Jesus being backlit and perhaps the wind blowing a bit. There would be a choir of angels in the background and actor Charlton Heston as the voice of God.
But nothing I imagine can possibly compare with the majesty of that moment. Whatever it actually looked like or felt like to be there, the most important thing is that it happened. Along with that, it is important to understand its significance and its purpose. In essence it was a divine affirmation of everything Jesus had done and was about to do. It was affirmation of who Christ actually is. We say we cannot prove Christ, but here is a story where Christ was actually proved. And in dramatic fashion! In a fashion that was unmistakable, undeniable, and transforming. Here was the very glory of God revealed in Jesus Christ. God acted upon Jesus. The scriptures say, “And he was transfigured” (v. 2), not that Jesus transfigured himself. This, I believe, is an unmistakable example of the Trinity in operation here.
Glory is the essence of God’s revealed presence. It can be seen in the design of a leaf or in a loving moment between a mother and a child. But the transfiguration is of a different order. It was God acting in the moment. And the glory must have been amazing. I have tried to come up with images for glory. I have tried to think of and search for images that might have a hint of glory in them; a muted but powerful reflection of the real thing. Heaven may be more beautiful than anything on earth, but these seven awesome sights have given me perhaps a glimpse:
1) The awesome majesty of the Grand Canyon and/or of Niagara Falls
2) The genius of God painting the glowing sky at sunset or sunrise
3) The sparkle of the moonlight or sunlight on a still lake
4) The dancing of sunlight or moonlight on the ocean as it undulates
5) Confetti
6) A big disco ball’s mirrored flashes
7) Sparklers.
As weak as these are in comparison to God’s presence, they help me imagine God’s awesomeness.
A casual look into the dictionary leads us to a general description of the word transfigure as: to change the outward appearance of, to transform or exalt into something as glorious. Transfiguration is seeing what is behind what one sees. It is revealing the inner core. It is seeing the real person.
I am reminded of an interview with all-pro and Hall of Fame football player “Mean Joe” Greene of Pittsburgh Steelers fame. He was asked about the Super Bowl-winning coach of the Indianapolis Colts, Tony Dungy. The interviewer asked what he was like when he was a teammate of Mr. Greene. Greene commented that Tony was a man of faith. He stated that Dungy didn’t carry it around on his shirtsleeve, but lived it in a very clear manner along with other Christians on the team. He said you could tell the strength, depth, and commitment of his faith through his speech and mannerisms, the way he paid attention to family, and the way he cared for others. Greene said he was really glad that Tony Dungy had a chance to win a Super Bowl ring as a coach, because it allowed the world to see that a person doesn’t have to be a fire-and-brimstone coach to get the message across.
Greene said that in the exposure Coach Dungy received, people were able to see him in a new light. However, when Jesus came, Jesus came as the light of the world. Jesus brought the light in himself and revealed it to all.
Christ is always ready to reveal who he is to us. The truth of who Christ is will be revealed time after time and for all time for us who are in Christ Jesus, until that day when every knee shall bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord. Amen.
PRAYER:
O God, thank you for your presence in Jesus Christ. We praise you for the majesty, power, and glory of your presence. Whether in nature or our personal circumstances, we pray for your Spirit to be present as only you can, to empower us to make right decisions and to follow your will. We petition you to strengthen our faith so that we might listen to Jesus Christ in our hearts and minds. We continually thank you for your grace and love, through our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
