Have you ever had a “mountain top” spiritual experience? Mountains have long been associated with God’s presence. Mountains are scenes of important Biblical events e.g. Moses on Mount Sinai. Mountains are symbolic of being closer to the heavens. They are places of worship e.g. the temple was built on Mount Zion.
I remember attending a camp as a teenager, singing with 40 other young people, yet it sounded like a choir of 1,000, as if there were an entire company of angels sitting in the rafters of the camp building! What an incredible mountain top experience!
What spiritual “mountain top” experience/s have you had in your life?
Today we are invited to witness a “mountain top” experience with the inner circle of Jesus’ disciples — Peter, James, and John. However, the first thing to note, is that these disciples were not seeking out this experience. They were just going about their day to day business of following Jesus and his lead, when suddenly it happens.
We’re not told why in particular Jesus and his inner circle were climbing the mountain — perhaps for some quiet prayer time? But then, like a bolt of lightning, Jesus is transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun. His clothes became white as light. Imagine the scene in your mind’s eye. Picture the brightest light you can imagine, brighter than lightning. Together with the disciples, we are given a glimpse of God’s glory, a glimpse of who Jesus really is.
Who is Jesus?
As Jesus’ face and clothes gleam, Moses and Elijah appear flanking Jesus on either side. The appearance of these two figures addresses an important question which the early church was struggling with: “Who has supreme authority for the people of God?” See, the Hebrew Bible, which was all the early church had before Matthew wrote this gospel, has three parts: the Torah or Law (the first five books telling Israel’s early story from creation to the edge of the Promised Land); the Nevi’im or Prophets (the historical books, and major and minor prophets, giving Israel’s later story from entry into the Promised Land to exile), as well as the Ketuvim or Writings (the other writings and poetic books). Moses represents the Law/Torah, Elijah the Prophets/Nev‘im, and Jesus represents something new — the gospel, the good news that he is the long promised Messiah. So who has supreme authority for God’s people? Moses and the Law/Torah? Elijah and the Prophets? Or Jesus and the gospel?
Suddenly a bright cloud overshadows the scene and a voice answers the question. “This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.” So who is Jesus? In no uncertain terms we’re told he is the Son of God. He, and he alone, is the supreme authority. I’ve heard it said that gospel is in harmony with the Law and the Prophets — the Law and Prophets form a duet, but the gospel is the melody. The gospel carries the principle part of the harmonious music. The voice from the cloud says, “Listen to the him” — listen to Jesus, listen to the gospel first and foremost. Read the Law and Prophets through the lens of Jesus and the gospel. Lutheran theology has a phrase “was Christum treibt” which means “what pushes/conveys Christ.” This is the reason Scripture is authoritative and important for our life — because it conveys Christ, Scripture freely brings God’s grace and forgiveness and mercy to us through Jesus.
What does Jesus do?
This awe inspiring mountain top experience is too much for the disciples. They fall down on the ground, as if dead. Faces down. Overwhelmed. They could be falling facedown in an act of worship. This worship and prayer posture is no longer common in Western Christianity, but it was and still is common in the early church and Middle East.
The disciples could also be falling facedown in an act of shame. (When we are ashamed we often look down or hide our face). Imagine this bright light piercing your dark soul. It’s so bright that it penetrates joints and marrow, dividing soul and spirit (Hebrews 4:12). All your dark thoughts, dark deeds, secrets hidden buried in dark cupboards — all this is utterly exposed and laid bare to this glorious light. God penetrates and knows everything about you. It’s no wonder the disciples collapse on the ground, faces down!
Yet Jesus says to them, “Do not be afraid.” These are words dripping with pure gospel! Although God’s bright glory exposes our darkness, because God is pleased with Jesus we need not be afraid. Then Jesus approaches his disciples and touches them. Imagine a friend comforting you by patting you on the shoulder.
We now come to an important word in our story. Jesus says, “Get up!” Or more simply, “Rise!” When Jesus has been lying down in the tomb after his crucifixion, the same word will be used to describe God raising him from the dead. The angel dressed is shining white robes will say to the disciples, “Do not be afraid! Jesus is not here. He is risen!” (Matthew 28:5–6). So this “Get up!” is a resurrection word. It means, “Rise! Be resurrected! Be raised from the dead.” Jesus raises his disciples.
How are we to respond?
The disciples respond by lifting their eyes to Jesus. But now all they see is the regular, ordinary Jesus. The glimpse of glory is gone. The lightning dissipated. They are left with the ordinary Jesus, him alone. ‘When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus.’ (Matthew 17:8).
It’s no coincidence we have the Transfiguration on the last Sunday of Epiphany, the last Sunday before Lent.
For Peter, James, and John, all of this is a vision of hope. They are about to walk down the mountain into the valley and the dark road to Jerusalem. Jesus is walking toward his suffering, torture and death. He’s been talking about this with his disciples. Immediately prior to this scene we hear: ‘Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.’ (Matthew 16:21). And immediately afterward: ‘When they came together in Galilee, he said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men. They will kill him, and on the third day he will be raised to life.”’ (Matthew 17:22–23). Before this long walk to Jerusalem and suffering, the disciples are given a glimpse of glory, to give them hope and encouragement to carry on. This vision draws their eyes to the coming resurrection.
For us as a congregation, we are about to begin our walk down into the mountain valley into the season of Lent. As we contemplate Jesus’ suffering and death, today we are given a glimpse of glory, to give us hope and encouragement to carry on. Through this Transfiguration scene, God draws our eyes to the coming resurrection at Easter.
For you as a person, perhaps you’ve recently had a “mountain top” spiritual experience, a vision of who Jesus really is, a glimpse of God’s glory. May you fall down in worship of his brilliance, greatness, and majesty. Or perhaps you are down in the valley of the mountain on a dark road. You are walking with the ordinary Jesus, dressed in normal, dull clothes. Like the disciples, may you know the presence of the ordinary Jesus with you. May you meet Jesus in the plain pages of Scripture. May you meet him in ordinary bread and wine. May you meet him in the mundane moments of life: waking up, making the bed, brushing your teeth, sitting in your car, going to work. May you know he is with you.
May we all look to Jesus and listen to him. Amen.
