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coram_deo 30-Jul-21, 09:46	The Transfiguration of Jesus The Transfiguration of Jesus Christ, in which Jesus appears in His glory beside Moses and Elijah on a mountaintop, is included in three Gospels and referenced in a fourth. Here is the account in the Gospel of Matthew: “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. 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.” (Matthew 17:1-9) And here is the Transfiguration of Jesus in the Gospel of Mark: “And after six days Jesus taketh with him Peter, and James, and John, and leadeth them up into an high mountain apart by themselves: and he was transfigured before them. And his raiment became shining, exceeding white as snow; so as no fuller on earth can white them. And there appeared unto them Elias with Moses: and they were talking with Jesus. And Peter answered and said to Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias. For he wist not what to say; for they were sore afraid. And there was a cloud that overshadowed them: and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him. And suddenly, when they had looked round about, they saw no man any more, save Jesus only with themselves. And as they came down from the mountain, he charged them that they should tell no man what things they had seen, till the Son of man were risen from the dead. And they kept that saying with themselves, questioning one with another what the rising from the dead should mean.” (Mark 9:2-10) And here is the Transfiguration in the Gospel of Luke: “And it came to pass about an eight days after these sayings, he took Peter and John and James, and went up into a mountain to pray. And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glistering. 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. 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. And it came to pass, as they departed from him, Peter said unto Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias: not knowing what he said. 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. And when the voice was past, Jesus was found alone. And they kept it close, and told no man in those days any of those things which they had seen.” (Luke 9:28-36) I think a few things are interesting about this major event: 1) Moses represents the Law and Elijah represents the Prophets. Jesus Christ fulfilled the Law by living a perfectly sinless life (the only one to do so) and He fulfilled the prophecies in the Old Testament that had been written about Him. 2) God the Father speaks after Peter attempts to equate His Son with Moses and Elijah. God the Father directs the attention of Peter (and the other disciples) back onto Jesus. 3) Jesus prophesied of His Resurrection (this is one of several examples.) 4) In the verse immediately preceding the Transfiguration, Jesus says to His disciples, “And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That there be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power.” (Mark 9:1) While some (imo) mistakenly think Jesus was referring to His Second Coming, which would take place after His Resurrection, others believe He was referring to His Transfiguration. 5) As Moses and Elijah are in Heaven, that supports the belief that people who died before Jesus Christ’s earthly ministry, crucifixion and Resurrection could and did go to Heaven. I believe the criteria was the same: Faith in God (Jesus Christ was/is God,) but after Jesus’ Resurrection, the profession of faith is more specific. 6) Jesus’ Transfiguration is mentioned by Peter, who was an eyewitness to it, in his second letter to churches in Asia Minor: “For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount.” (2 Peter 1:16-18) 7) The Gospel of John, while it doesn’t include an account of Jesus’ Transfiguration, appears to allude to it: “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14) Here’s an excerpt from the Wikipedia entry on the Transfiguration: “The transfiguration is one of the miracles of Jesus in the Gospels. This miracle is unique among others that appear in the canonical gospels, in that the miracle happens to Jesus himself. Thomas Aquinas considered the transfiguration ‘the greatest miracle’ in that it complemented baptism and showed the perfection of life in Heaven. The transfiguration is one of the five major milestones in the gospel narrative of the life of Jesus, the others being baptism, crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension. In 2002, Pope John Paul II introduced the Luminous Mysteries in the rosary, which includes the transfiguration. In Christian teachings, the transfiguration is a pivotal moment, and the setting on the mountain is presented as the point where human nature meets God: the meeting place of the temporal and the eternal, with Jesus himself as the connecting point, acting as the bridge between heaven and earth. Moreover, Christians consider the transfiguration to fulfill an Old Testament messianic prophecy that Elijah would return again after his ascension (Malachi 4:5–6). Gardner (2015, p. 218) states: The very last of the writing prophets, Malachi, promised a return of Elijah to hold out hope for repentance before judgment (Mal. 4:5–6). ... Elijah himself would reappear in the Transfiguration. There he would appear alongside Moses as a representative of all the prophets who looked forward to the coming of the Messiah (Matt. 17:2–9; Mark 9:2–10; Luke 9:28–36). ... Christ's redemptive sacrifice was the purpose for which Elijah had ministered while on earth. ... And it was the goal about which Elijah spoke to Jesus in the Transfiguration.“ en.m.wikipedia.org (Elias is the Greek spelling of Elijah)
coram_deo 30-Jul-21, 15:15	Good Q + A! From gotquestions.org: “What was the meaning and importance of the transfiguration? About a week after Jesus plainly told His disciples that He would suffer, be killed, and be raised to life (Luke 9:22), He took Peter, James, and John up a mountain to pray. While praying, His personal appearance was changed into a glorified form, and His clothing became dazzling white. Moses and Elijah appeared and talked with Jesus about His death that would soon take place. Peter, not knowing what he was saying and being very fearful, offered to put up three shelters for them. This is undoubtedly a reference to the booths that were used to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles, when the Israelites dwelt in booths for 7 days (Lev. 23:34–42). Peter was expressing a wish to stay in that place. When a cloud enveloped them, a voice said, ‘This is My Son, whom I have chosen, whom I love; listen to Him!’ The cloud lifted, Moses and Elijah had disappeared, and Jesus was alone with His disciples who were still very much afraid. Jesus warned them not to tell anyone what they had seen until after His resurrection. The three accounts of this event are found in Matthew 17:1-8, Mark 9:2-8, and Luke 9:28-36. Undoubtedly, the purpose of the transfiguration of Christ into at least a part of His heavenly glory was so that the ‘inner circle’ of His disciples could gain a greater understanding of who Jesus was. Christ underwent a dramatic change in appearance in order that the disciples could behold Him in His glory. The disciples, who had only known Him in His human body, now had a greater realization of the deity of Christ, though they could not fully comprehend it. That gave them the reassurance they needed after hearing the shocking news of His coming death. Symbolically, the appearance of Moses and Elijah represented the Law and the Prophets. But God’s voice from heaven – ‘Listen to Him!’ - clearly showed that the Law and the Prophets must give way to Jesus. The One who is the new and living way is replacing the old – He is the fulfillment of the Law and the countless prophecies in the Old Testament. Also, in His glorified form they saw a preview of His coming glorification and enthronement as King of kings and Lord of lords. The disciples never forgot what happened that day on the mountain and no doubt this was intended. John wrote in his gospel, ‘We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only’ (John 1:14). Peter also wrote of it, ‘We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty. For He received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to Him from the Majestic Glory, saying, ‘This is my Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased.’ We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with Him on the sacred mountain’ (2 Peter 1:16-18). Those who witnessed the transfiguration bore witness to it to the other disciples and to countless millions down through the centuries.” www.gotquestions.org It’s worth noting that Jesus’ miracles sometimes didn’t seem to cause His disciples to realize who He was. After Jesus twice multiplied a few loaves of bread and fishes to feed thousands of people, He told His disciples to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees. His disciples thought Jesus was chastising them for forgetting to bring bread aboard the ship. “And when his disciples were come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread. Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have taken no bread. Which when Jesus perceived, he said unto them, O ye of little faith, why reason ye among yourselves, because ye have brought no bread? Do ye not yet understand, neither remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets ye took up? Neither the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many baskets ye took up? How is it that ye do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees? Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.” (Matthew 16:5-12) The Transfiguration of Jesus and seeing Him speak with Moses and Elijah and hearing the voice of God the Father undoubtedly made a greater impression on the disciples.
coram_deo 14-Sep-21, 04:49	From Joseph Prince Ministries: And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!” Luke 9:35 - SEPTEMBER 14 - HEAR GOD’S BELOVED SON In the accounts of what happened on the Mount of Transfiguration found in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, we see how our Lord Jesus brought His disciples, Peter, James, and John, up a high mountain to pray. Scripture tells us that “as he was praying, the appearance of his face was transformed, and his clothes became dazzling white” (Luke 9:29 NLT). Then two of the most illustrious figures in the Jewish faith, Moses and Elijah, appeared and began talking with Jesus. Imagine the disciples’ shock and awe when they saw these two great men—one representing the law and the other representing the prophets—appearing with Jesus in glory! Peter, feeling he had to say something but not knowing what to say, blurted, “Master, it is good for us to be here; and let us make three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah”. Now, Peter didn’t realize that by saying this, he was putting Jesus on the same level as Moses and Elijah, and the Father had to correct Peter. While Peter was still speaking, a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!” When the disciples heard this, they hit the ground, greatly afraid. Jesus came over to them, touched them, and said, “Arise, and do not be afraid” (Matt. 17:7). When they dared to look up, they saw no one but the Lord. Now, imagine this: you’ve just been overshadowed by the bright cloud of the shekinah glory of God and heard the Father say from heaven, “Hear My Son, Jesus!” As you are facedown on the ground, absolutely terrified, don’t you wonder what Jesus will say? What His first words will be? Then the Lord Jesus comes over to you, touches you in assurance and warmth, and says, “Arise, and do not be afraid.” Isn’t that so beautiful? His first words when His disciples were terrified were not words pertaining to a new law or commandment. They were words of grace. And in those words, you see the nature of our Lord. His presence and His words will always lift you up—spirit, soul, and body—when you are feeling down or in fear. Going back to the story, I want you to note what the Father said: “Hear Him,” not “Hear them.” On that mount of our Lord’s transfiguration, Moses and Elijah were standing right there together with Jesus. Who was Moses? The lawgiver. Who was Elijah? Not just an Old Testament prophet, but also the law-restorer (in the Old Testament, when Israel went after other gods, Elijah came to the people as the restorer of the law). Do you see that for the believer, the law of Moses has served its purpose to bring man to the end of himself? The prophets have also served their purpose of reminding man of God’s laws. Both have served their purposes. Now it is the day of grace. It is the day of the Son of God—not the servants of God, but the Son of God Himself. Unfortunately, there are many believers today who put Jesus—grace—on the same level as the law of Moses. They see themselves as law-restorers and fight for the law of Moses to be restored. But that’s not the heart of the Father. This is why the Father spoke and said, “Hear Him.” I believe that people who advocate bringing back the law of Moses don’t realize that by the law is not the knowledge of holiness or God, but the “knowledge of sin”! Look at Romans 3:20–22: Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. Notice that in the above passage, Apostle Paul also says, “But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed”. Do you want to live in the now or in the past? And do you want the latest revelation from God? Well, the latest revelation from God is grace! It’s the revelation of the righteousness of God given to you as a gift apart from the law, and this revelation came through the Son. This is why Moses (the Law) and Elijah (the Prophets) were both witnesses to how we are to “Hear HIM,” the Son—grace alone for that is what will lift you up today.

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