We read
the account of Jesus taking the three Disciples to the top of the
Mount, where He would be seen in Glory, that is Transfigured. After six days,
that is after their conversation regarding "who do men say that I am?
. It is after this revealing conversation where in Peter asserts, that is his
confession is made, that Jesus is “the
Christ, the Son of the Living God”. Matt:16:13-20
Seeing What is True
It
is then, that Jesus took the disciples up to the Mountain top and while
there they, and we , are given a glimpse of the very truth
which Peter had revealed to him, that Jesus is the Christ the Son of the
living God.
All they now were beholding was the truth, what has and always will be true, that Jesus is the Christ the Son of the Living God.
Jesus is the One who has come out of eternity and joins Himself to humanity so He might bring us " grace and truth" Jhn:1:14.
This is an all new relationship with the Great God. Jesus has come to release us from "religion" and bring us into the relationship of His own Sonship.
In His coming our works are set aside , as He take His Disciples up "after six day" , that is after six days of our own work. This principle is hinted at even in the Law.
"Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work,"Ex:20:8-9
This speaks to us that before we have entered into the rest which we find in Jesus, we are doing our own works, but in Him, when we see Him for Who He is, we can then rest in Him.
Jesus ,in taking the Disciples, and we, up to the mountain top and there revealing His glory , He is there demonstrating that the time of our own works is now over; we can rest in Him. That when we see the truth of it, we can look to Him
All they now were beholding was the truth, what has and always will be true, that Jesus is the Christ the Son of the Living God.
Jesus is the One who has come out of eternity and joins Himself to humanity so He might bring us " grace and truth" Jhn:1:14.
This is an all new relationship with the Great God. Jesus has come to release us from "religion" and bring us into the relationship of His own Sonship.
In His coming our works are set aside , as He take His Disciples up "after six day" , that is after six days of our own work. This principle is hinted at even in the Law.
"Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work,"Ex:20:8-9
This speaks to us that before we have entered into the rest which we find in Jesus, we are doing our own works, but in Him, when we see Him for Who He is, we can then rest in Him.
Jesus ,in taking the Disciples, and we, up to the mountain top and there revealing His glory , He is there demonstrating that the time of our own works is now over; we can rest in Him. That when we see the truth of it, we can look to Him
The Witness of Two
In the midst of the vision, there, with Jesus are seen, Moses and Elijah, speaking with Him.
" Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus" .Matt:17:3
These two great servants of God represent the full testimony of the Scriptures, the Law as represented by Moses and the Prophets represented by Elijah as being about our Lord.
"He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself."Lk: 24:25-27
All of the Bible looks to Jesus. The witness of Scripture is regarding our Lord Jesus Christ
Building Tabernacles
As
the disciples witness the Glorious Transfiguration of Jesus, Peter
defaults to his understanding as to how the Great God is to be worshiped.
Though they are in the presence of the One Who is the perfect embodiment of
grace, Peter still defaults to his own understanding and moves to act in
accordance with the Old Covenant, as revealed in his offer to
build Tabernacles.
Tabernacles were the temporary dwellings used for the Feast of Tabernacles, to the Jews this feast was associated with coming of the Messiah and His Kingdom due to being part of the prophecy found in Zech:14:16-21.
In Peter's mind there would be little change in humanities relationship with God, that is, the Messiah would dwell in a Tabernacles , that is He would be worshiped as the people of Israel had done in their past under the Old Covenant.
Peter also reveals the depths of his own heart that he believed that his own "effort" could add to this moment of glory and revelation. Peter is still thinking under a works based religiosity.
This tell us that the Old Covenant was not just a set of laws or ceremonies but a posture of heart whereby we believe that God wants us to approach Him through some kind of works of our own, through "religion".
"Lord it is good for us to be here, if you wish I will put up three tabernacles, one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah"Matt:17:4
Tabernacles were the temporary dwellings used for the Feast of Tabernacles, to the Jews this feast was associated with coming of the Messiah and His Kingdom due to being part of the prophecy found in Zech:14:16-21.
In Peter's mind there would be little change in humanities relationship with God, that is, the Messiah would dwell in a Tabernacles , that is He would be worshiped as the people of Israel had done in their past under the Old Covenant.
Peter also reveals the depths of his own heart that he believed that his own "effort" could add to this moment of glory and revelation. Peter is still thinking under a works based religiosity.
This tell us that the Old Covenant was not just a set of laws or ceremonies but a posture of heart whereby we believe that God wants us to approach Him through some kind of works of our own, through "religion".
"Lord it is good for us to be here, if you wish I will put up three tabernacles, one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah"Matt:17:4
The Voice of God
Even
as Peter speaks a cloud envelops them and the voice of God speaks of His
Son. This is the great truth above all truths that the Transfiguration was
meant to convey. That when Jesus takes the Disciples, and us, to
the top of the mount He does so that we hear the voice of the Father in
the Word of God and His affirmation that Jesus is His Son.
The cloud enveloped them and the voice of God is heard speaking of His Son "this is my Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased Listen to Him"(5).
That is when we are in the presence of God the Spirit of God will speak of Jesus the very Son Whom the Father lavishes His great love and pleasure upon.
" I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when the Spirit of Truth, comes, He will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on His own; He will speak only what He hears, and He will tell you what is to come. He will glorify Me because it is from Me that He will receive what He will make known to you"Jhn:16:12-14
The transfiguration is the preview of Jesus is praying about in his High Priestly Prayer just prior to his arrest and crucifixion. The Transfiguration gives the disciples and all of us a glimpse in to eternity, both past and future.
The cloud enveloped them and the voice of God is heard speaking of His Son "this is my Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased Listen to Him"(5).
That is when we are in the presence of God the Spirit of God will speak of Jesus the very Son Whom the Father lavishes His great love and pleasure upon.
" I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when the Spirit of Truth, comes, He will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on His own; He will speak only what He hears, and He will tell you what is to come. He will glorify Me because it is from Me that He will receive what He will make known to you"Jhn:16:12-14
The transfiguration is the preview of Jesus is praying about in his High Priestly Prayer just prior to his arrest and crucifixion. The Transfiguration gives the disciples and all of us a glimpse in to eternity, both past and future.
“Father, the hour
has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. For you granted him authority over
all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him.
Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true
God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. I have
brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had
with you before the world began” Jhn:17:1-5
This is about Who Jesus is ; the very Son of God, unique in that He is fully God yet full humanity and it is God's Son whom we are to listen to. Jesus supersedes the works based religion and in Jesus we find in Him everything that we could ever hope for and all that our God wants for each us. Jesus is the means of and the perfect revelation about His Father.
“I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word" Jhn:17:6
From Glory to Glory
When
we focus upon Jesus in the view of his unique place as God’ one and only
Firstborn Son, and see him as Fully God and Fully human and all that he is and
has accomplished for us all then he is transfigured in our eyes and we his and
his Glory to Glory, we then are selves are transfigured thru our union with
Jesus
“And we all, who with unveiled faces
contemplate the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his image with
ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” 2Coth:3:18
Focusing
on nothing else will bring us this transfiguration in our personal lives – This
is a way of telling us, that we are shares in Jesus’ own Transfiguration; that
his is ours thru our union with him by his incarnation and the Holy Spirit’s
indwelling in our lives.
See Him as He is
The
transfiguration not only is a glorious revelation about our Lord Jesus but also
as God, but is a revelation regarding God’s plan for ideal humanity, the glorified
Jesus is what all of us were created to be
and is and the destiny of all who
will freely receive it.
“Dear friends, now we are children of
God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when
Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is”.1Jhn:3:2
The
Transfiguration is for us a well, revealing to us thru Jesus our place as the glorified
Children of god
A Response of Worship
The
revelation of the Transfiguration is overwhelming to the Disciples and under
the sheer magnitude of the encounter and the Glory of God they fall
prostrate to the ground.
"When they heard this they fell face down to the ground" Matt:17:6
They fell down. These Disciples, caught up in overwhelming glory of the vision show us our proper response when we receive revelation as to the truth of Jesus through the Gospel, and we see Jesus Transfigured in our hearts, that is, all of our preconceived notion about Him are cast away and we see Him for the Glorious eternal Son of the Living God that He is. When we see this truth we can have no response suitable other than to Worship Him.
It is when we come to Jesus, and knowledge that He alone is God's true Son the very Christ, and in our moments of worship Jesus will touch us even as He touched the three Disciples . When we worship Jesus touches our lives to remove our fears and tells us not to be afraid.
"Get up , do not be afraid"(7)
"When they heard this they fell face down to the ground" Matt:17:6
They fell down. These Disciples, caught up in overwhelming glory of the vision show us our proper response when we receive revelation as to the truth of Jesus through the Gospel, and we see Jesus Transfigured in our hearts, that is, all of our preconceived notion about Him are cast away and we see Him for the Glorious eternal Son of the Living God that He is. When we see this truth we can have no response suitable other than to Worship Him.
It is when we come to Jesus, and knowledge that He alone is God's true Son the very Christ, and in our moments of worship Jesus will touch us even as He touched the three Disciples . When we worship Jesus touches our lives to remove our fears and tells us not to be afraid.
"Get up , do not be afraid"(7)
Just Jesus
The
calming words of admonition for them, not to fear, brings them to
look and see Jesus alone there upon that mountain of Transfiguration. When
we hear the words of our Lord they will dispel all our fears.
"When They looked up and saw no one but Jesus" (8) that is, Jesus is all that, they or we could ever need in all things in relation to our God.
The old is gone and done away, that is "religion" of works, which is setting up Tabernacles. Through Grace the Great God reveals Himself in Jesus to each and all who will but receive it.
"When They looked up and saw no one but Jesus" (8) that is, Jesus is all that, they or we could ever need in all things in relation to our God.
The old is gone and done away, that is "religion" of works, which is setting up Tabernacles. Through Grace the Great God reveals Himself in Jesus to each and all who will but receive it.
After the Resurrection
After
seeing the Glory of God in the Transfigured Jesus, our Lord charges the
Disciples not to tell of the powerful vision that they had shared in until
after His resurrection.
"As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus instructed them, “Don’t tell anyone what you have seen until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead" (9)
What the vision was, the Resurrection is. The vision of the Transfiguration looked ahead to the realty of the Resurrection. It is conformation that Jesus is God's Son, telling others that Jesus is the Son of God is central to the proclamation of the Gospel.
"Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God—the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures regarding his Son, who as to his earthly life was a descendant of David, and who through the Spirit of holiness was appointed the Son of God in power by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord. Through him we received grace and apostleship to call all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith for his name’s sake. And you also are among those Gentiles who are called to belong to Jesus Christ." Rom: 1:1-6
Jesus' resurrection is conformation that He is the Son of God, that Scripture is validated, that the power of sin is broken that we can have a relationship with the Great God through His Son by Grace, that He loves us and wants us and includes us in His love and in his glory, this we see on the Mount of Transfiguration. Amen
"As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus instructed them, “Don’t tell anyone what you have seen until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead" (9)
What the vision was, the Resurrection is. The vision of the Transfiguration looked ahead to the realty of the Resurrection. It is conformation that Jesus is God's Son, telling others that Jesus is the Son of God is central to the proclamation of the Gospel.
"Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God—the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures regarding his Son, who as to his earthly life was a descendant of David, and who through the Spirit of holiness was appointed the Son of God in power by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord. Through him we received grace and apostleship to call all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith for his name’s sake. And you also are among those Gentiles who are called to belong to Jesus Christ." Rom: 1:1-6
Jesus' resurrection is conformation that He is the Son of God, that Scripture is validated, that the power of sin is broken that we can have a relationship with the Great God through His Son by Grace, that He loves us and wants us and includes us in His love and in his glory, this we see on the Mount of Transfiguration. Amen
Rev. Todd Crouch, Pastor
The
Fountain of Life Church a Congregation of Grace Communion
2101 Old National Pike.
2101 Old National Pike.
Washington,
Pennsylvania. www.gcfountainoflife.org
The
Fountain of Life is heard on the RKP Radio Network 1710 and 1670 AM in
Washington and North Franklin ,and 1790 AM in the Arden Fair Grounds area
of Washington Pennsylvania, and on 1710 AM in Bentleyville and Monongahela,
Pennsylvania. And online around the world at www.rkpradio.comYou can follow the Fountain of Life on Face Book - Click on our Face Book link under our Helpful Links
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