Transfiguration Sunday

Transfiguration Sunday
March 6, 2011

Moses and Elijah Say A Lot
Matthew 17:1-9

In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Dear friends,

About a week after Peter correctly confessed that Jesus is the Son of God, Jesus went up a mountain—we're not sure which one—and allowed His glory to shine. The visible glory coming from Jesus, along with the Father's voice from heaven, combined to confirm with certainty that Peter had been right earlier in the week.

And speaking of time, Jesus showed His glory at this specific time for a specific reason. He showed His glory not at the beginning of His public ministry or shortly after calling His disciples. Instead, His transfiguration happened shortly before He travels to Jerusalem to die.

He dazzled Peter, James, and John at this specific time to finish His work of revealing Himself to them. If you will, this was the final act of His epiphany, His revealing Himself to other people.

In addition to Peter, James, and John, there were two other men there that day: Moses and Elijah. I think one of the most interesting aspects of Jesus' transfiguration is the presence of Moses and Elijah.

To understand why Moses and Elijah were there that day you have to understand who they were. In short Moses was the Law and Elijah was the Prophet. They represented a bridge between the Old Testament and the New Testament.

Jesus and His apostles often use the nickname “the Law and the Prophets” for the Old Testament.

For example... [Jesus said:] “All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:40)

[Jesus said:] “The Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John. Since that time, the good news of the kingdom of God is being preached, and everyone is forcing his way into it.” (Luke 16:16)

After the reading from the Law and the Prophets, the synagogue rulers sent word to [Paul and Barnabas], saying, “Brothers, if you have a message of encouragement for the people, please speak.” (Acts 13:15)

[Paul wrote:] But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. (Romans 3:21)

Moses symbolized the Law and Elijah symbolized the Prophets.

God used Moses as His representative to Pharaoh and under his leadership God led Israel out of Egypt (Exodus 2-14). Then God gave Moses the Ten Commandments on the mountain of Sinai (Exodus 20). To every Israelite, Moses was the Lawgiver, the ambassador that God had chosen to reveal God's perfect expectations for every human being.

Elijah was one of the greatest prophets who ever lived. He was the prophet of God who challenged hundreds of false prophets to a contest to see whose God was the true God (1 Kings 18). After God won the challenge for him, Elijah led the people to kill the false prophets. This caused the evil king of Israel, who liked the false prophets, to chase after Elijah. And Elijah ran to Mt. Sinai, where God appeared to him as a whisper (1 Kings 19).

Moses and Elijah shared this experience—they both encountered God on Mt. Sinai. Another common bond was that their lives ended in extraordinary ways.

Then Moses climbed Mount Nebo... across from Jericho. There the Lord showed him the whole land... And Moses the servant of the Lord died there in Moab, as the Lord had said. [The Lord] buried him in Moab, in the valley opposite Beth Peor, but to this day no one knows where his grave is. Moses was a hundred and twenty years old when he died, yet his eyes were not weak nor his strength gone. (Deuteronomy 34:1,5-7)

As [Elijah and Elisha] were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind. Elisha saw this and cried out, “My father! My father! The chariots and horsemen of Israel!” And Elisha saw him no more. (2 Kings 2:11-12)

These two men knew God. And God took a personal interest in how they left the earth. And now Peter, James, and John saw these men standing next to Jesus and talking with Him. St. Luke tells us that they spoke about His departure, which He was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem (Luke 9:30).

Moses and Elijah represented the Old Testament or Promise; Jesus represented the New Testament, but even more He was the New Promise. He was going to fulfill eve perfect expectation that He, God, had for every human being.

Just by being there, Moses and Elijah say a lot about who Jesus is and what He did for us.

Amen.