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Exodus 34:29-35 28 Moses was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights without eating bread or drinking water. And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant–the Ten Commandments. 29 When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the Testimony in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the LORD. 30 When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, his face was radiant, and they were afraid to come near him. 31 But Moses called to them; so Aaron and all the leaders of the community came back to him, and he spoke to them. 32 Afterward all the Israelites came near him, and he gave them all the commands the LORD had given him on Mount Sinai. 33 When Moses finished speaking to them, he put a veil over his face. 34 But whenever he entered the LORD’s presence to speak with him, he removed the veil until he came out. And when he came out and told the Israelites what he had been commanded, 35 they saw that his face was radiant. Then Moses would put the veil back over his face until he went in to speak with the LORD.
Matthew 16:24-17:8 24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. 26 What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? 27 For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done. 28 I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.
Matthew 17 “After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. 2 There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. 3 Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus. 4 Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters–one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” 5 While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!” 6 When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. 7 But Jesus came and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don’t be afraid.” 8 When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus.
From the Mountain to the Valley
Today is Transfiguration Sunday. This is the last Sunday before we begin the season of Lent and follow Jesus on his journey to the cross. This passage from Matthew is one where the veil between heaven and earth is thrown aside and we are given a glimpse of a different reality. Yes, Jesus is fully human, as we will see most graphically in the crucifixion. Today, though, we are reminded that Jesus is divine, he is the Lord, the Son of God. We need this reminder as we prepare to enter Lent next week.
Transfiguration Sunday always feels like standing at a threshold. On one side, we see the radiant glory of Christ. On the other side, just down the road, lies Jerusalem — and a cross.
Chapter 17 begins, “Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain, by themselves.”
Six days after what? Six days after Jesus told His disciples something they did not want to hear. He had just said: That He would suffer. That He would be killed. That He would be raised. And that anyone who wanted to follow Him must take up their cross. The Transfiguration does not happen in isolation. It happens in the shadow of a hard teaching. And that matters. Because the glory on the mountain is given to strengthen faith for the valley below.
Matthew says: “There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white.” This is not reflected light. This is not borrowed brightness. The glory radiates from Jesus.
Matthew uses language that echoes Moses coming down from Sinai with a shining face. But there is a difference: Moses reflected God’s glory. Jesus reveals it. His face shines like the sun.
The disciples are seeing what has always been true — the veil is simply pulled back. The disciples knew Jesus as the carpenter from Nazareth, the teacher walking dusty roads with them, the one who eats with tax collectors and sinners.
There aren’t many places in the gospel accounts where we get such a clear picture of the divinity of Christ. I think it is crucial that we remember always the He was and is fully God and fully human. We cannot let Jesus become just our buddy, our friend, our good example. That is to strip Him of His divinity. I might get some good advice from him but I wouldn’t turn my life over to him. Jesus is my friend, yes, but far above that, Jesus is my Lord and my Savior. He has power beyond our imagining and love beyond our comprehending. It is important for us to see Jesus this way, as our glorified Lord. When we are so close to Him, everything changes. Impossibilities dissolve. Anything can happen.
Matthew tells us that Moses and Elijah appear, talking with Jesus. These are not random figures. Moses represents the Law. Elijah represents the Prophets. Together they symbolize the entire Old Testament — the whole story of Israel. And both had had their own mountaintop encounters with God.
Now they stand with Jesus. What does this mean? It means everything has been pointing to Him. The Law pointed to Him. The Prophets anticipated Him. The promises converge in Him.
He is not merely another teacher in a long line of teachers. He is the fulfillment. But notice something subtle. Peter says, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, I will put up three shelters — one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” Three equal shelters. Peter wants to honor them all. But the Father interrupts him.
While Peter is still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them. And from the cloud comes a voice: “This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!” This is almost identical to the voice at Jesus’ baptism. At the baptism, the voice spoke to Jesus: “This is my beloved Son.” Now comes a command for the disciples: “Listen to him.”
What does one do with a direct voice from heaven? As William Barclay puts it, “We can only bow in reverence as we try to understand.” This is outside the bounds of normal human experience. No wonder Peter bumbled around talking of building shelters. How would we react in the same situation? Personally, I would expect to find myself speechless and on my knees with my head bowed to the ground in awe. That’s what the presence of God does, it drives us to our knees in awe at such majesty, at a beauty beyond our conception, at a brightness beyond our world.
In the Transfiguration we are given a moment of glory in which to hear again the divine voice from Jesus’ baptism and to anticipate the final triumph of God’s Son. The sudden change in Jesus’ appearance before the eyes of the disciples demonstrates to them that he is more than a merely human teacher.
In the Transfiguration, God himself speaks from the cloud. At Jesus’ baptism God had said, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with You I am well pleased.” Now God says, “This is my Son, the Beloved, listen to Him!” Only Jesus was addressed at his baptism when God affirmed his identity as God’s own son. Here Jesus’ identity is not only affirmed but the witnesses, Peter, John and James and through them, ourselves are commanded to listen to him. A direct verbal order from God. That doesn’t happen very often in scripture. God speaks through Moses, through the prophets, we have the law given to us but for God to actually verbally give an audible order; that doesn’t happen. Until Jesus came there had been four hundred years of silence. This is a unique experience. And let’s face it, when God says to listen, it’s generally a very good idea to listen. Listen to Jesus, learn from him, obey him. This is what God tells us to do.
When Jesus speaks about loving enemies — listen. When He speaks about forgiveness — listen. When He speaks about suffering — listen. When He speaks about taking up a cross — listen. Especially then. Because remember: this moment comes after Jesus predicted His death. The disciples did not want that kind of Messiah. And we often do not either.
We prefer glory without sacrifice. Victory without vulnerability. Power without surrender. But the Father says: Listen to Him.
We travel up the mountain and bask in the glory of the transfigured Jesus. It would be nice to stay there as Peter wanted to but we cannot. We rest in His presence for a time but then just as Jesus, Peter, James and John did, we must travel down the mountain to the valley into the reality of life.
Our time on the mountaintop has ongoing meaning though. Our faith strengthens us to continue the hard work of continuing our Christian witness. Our actions are to demonstrate the transformation that God has brought to each of us. Just as Jesus was transformed on the mountain and so are we transformed as we grow in faith and trust of God. Our lives and our actions are to demonstrate this fact daily.
Matthew tells us: “When the disciples heard this, they fell to the ground and were overcome by fear.” This is a holy moment. The cloud. The voice. The overwhelming presence of God. They are terrified. You see, real encounters with the living God undo us.
We talk casually about spirituality. But when Isaiah saw the Lord, he cried, “Woe is me.” When John saw the risen Christ, he fell as though dead. Now the disciples fall face down.
But here is one of the most beautiful moments in the passage: “But Jesus came and touched them, saying, ‘Get up and do not be afraid.’” He touches them. The glorious Son of God, shining like the sun — reaches down and touches trembling disciples. And says, “Do not be afraid.”
This is who Jesus is. Majestic — yet merciful. Radiant — yet relational. Holy — yet tender. The glory of Christ is not meant to crush us. It is meant to reassure us.
Matthew concludes: “When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus himself alone.” Moses is gone. Elijah is gone. The cloud has lifted. Only Jesus remains. This is the theological center of the story. When everything else fades — Jesus remains.
Religious systems fade. Spiritual experiences fade. Even mountaintop moments fade. But Jesus remains.
The Christian life is not sustained by emotional highs. It is sustained by Christ alone. And soon, the disciples will need this. Because they will see Him arrested. Beaten. Crucified. Dead and buried. The memory of the mountain will have to carry them through the darkness of Good Friday.
Transfiguration Sunday teaches us a pattern: Revelation — then descent.
Glory — then the valley. Assurance — then obedience.
We do not live on the mountain. We visit the mountain so we can walk into the valley with confidence. Immediately after this story, Jesus and the disciples go down the mountain — and they are met with a suffering boy and a desperate father. The world is waiting at the bottom of the mountain.
We cannot stay where it feels safe and holy. We are called to follow Jesus down. But we do so having seen His glory. What does this mean for us?
First: Remember who Jesus truly is. When faith feels thin. When prayer feels dry. When obedience feels costly. Remember the mountain. The One you follow is the beloved Son.
Second: Listen to Him. Not selectively. Not only when convenient. Not only when it confirms your preferences. Listen when it stretches you.
Listen when it challenges you. Listen when it calls you beyond comfort.
Third: Do not be afraid. Many of us live quietly afraid. Afraid of the future.
Afraid of loss. Afraid of change. Afraid of suffering.
The radiant Christ bends down and says: “Arise, and do not be afraid.” Not because suffering will not come. But because glory is greater than suffering.
Transfiguration Sunday is the last Sunday before Lent. Today we glimpse the glory. Next week, we begin the journey toward the cross. But we go into Lent with this assurance: The one who walks toward Calvary is the beloved Son of God. The one who will hang in darkness once shone like the sun. The one who will be mocked is the Lord of glory.
And that changes everything. Because the cross is not defeat. It is hidden glory. The disciples went up the mountain confused. They came down with three truths: First, Jesus is the beloved Son. Second, they must listen to Him. Third, they do not need to be afraid. Those truths are enough for us too.
When the cloud lifts and the moment passes…When the music fades…
When the valley stretches out before you…Look up. And you will see what they saw: Jesus Himself alone. Arise. And do not be afraid.
Please pray with me. Holy God, you revealed to the disciples the everlasting glory of Jesus Christ. Grant us, who have not seen and yet believe, the gift of your Holy Spirit, that we may boldly live the gospel and shine with your transforming glory as people changed and changing through the redeeming presence of our Savior. Amen.