God's Beloved Son

 

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered on Transfiguration Sunday, the 19th of February, 2023, at Pilgrim Reformed Church.  Our YouTube streaming channel is: 

https://www.youtube.com/@pilgrimreformedchurch1992/streams.]

Family, the season of Lent begins this coming Wednesday, the 22nd.  As I’ve mentioned, it is a time for us to search deep within, to take a good, long, honest look at ourselves and how we live our daily life.  It’s a time for a gut check to see if we’re walking in the path of our Lord Jesus.  But before we get to that, we have another important day on our Christian calendar to remember and commemorate.

Today is Transfiguration Sunday, the day that celebrates Christ Jesus being revealed as God and His unmistakable role as the fulfillment of the law and the prophets.  This is the day when God from heaven shouted, “This is My beloved Son”.

Just as a little background, remember the time when Jesus fed 5000 men – and we have no idea how many women and children – with no more on hand than five loaves of barley bread and two small fish.  And when all the people had eaten their fill, the disciples went among them and collected 12 baskets full of what was left over.  This was clearly a miracle, something no normal man could ever accomplish, a sure sign of divinity.

Not long after this, Jesus again found Himself with a crowd of people that needed to be fed, although now only numbering 4000 men, plus uncounted women and children.  And He had more to feed them with: seven loaves and a few small fishes.  Still, again, a miracle – a work of God.

Now, a short time after this second feeding of the masses, Jesus took a couple of His disciples aside and together they went up along a mountainside.  When suddenly, Jesus was dramatically changed right before their eyes.

Let’s listen and follow along as the Apostle Matthew tells us all that took place on that mountain, from the 17th chapter of his Gospel account, verses 1 through 13, and I’ll be reading from the Modern English Version of our Holy Bible this morning…

1 After six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother and brought them up to a high mountain alone, 2 and was transfigured before them. His face shone as the sun, and His garments became white as the light. 3 Suddenly Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him.

4 Then Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If You wish, let us make three tabernacles here: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”

5 While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased. Listen to Him.”

6 When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were filled with awe. 7 But Jesus came and touched them and said, “Rise, and do not be afraid.” 8 When they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.

9 As they came down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, “Tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man is risen from the dead.”

10 His disciples asked Him, “Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”

11 Jesus answered, “Elijah truly does first come and will restore all things. 12 But I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not know him, but did to him whatever they pleased. Likewise, the Son of Man will also suffer at their hands.” 13 Then the disciples understood that He was speaking to them of John the Baptist.

--Matthew 17:1-13 (MEV)

Let us pray…  Father God, thank You for openly declaring Jesus as Your Son.  And thank You for making sure that some of His disciples were there to witness His marvelous transfiguration and to save all this for us.  Father, please forgive us when we start to have doubts, when we begin to wonder whether you really love us and care about us.  You showed Your love for mankind by sacrificing You own Son so that His blood would wash away our sins.  Please forgive us, Father, when we are hesitant to share Your love with the world and those we meet.  Please show us how to better interact with others, how to witness Your love to them.  

And Father, please protect us from Satan and from those who are so willing to carry out his evil works.  Please keep us strong in our faith, of one mind and one purpose in our love, worship, and service, and healthy and safe through these trying times.

Speak to us now, Father, that we might hear Your voice through Your Spirit within us and better understand the message You have for us this day.  Tell us how we can better relate to others that Jesus is God, Jesus is love, Jesus is Lord.  This we pray in the glorious name of Christ Jesus, Your beloved Son.   Amen.

How many of you have ever gone camping?  Columnist David Roher writes:

The motor home has allowed us to put all the conveniences of home on wheels.  A camper no longer needs to contend with sleeping in a sleeping bag, cooking over a fire, or hauling water from a stream.  Now he can park a fully equipped home on a cement slab in the midst of a few pine trees and hook up to a water line, a sewer line and electricity.  One motor home I saw recently had a satellite dish attached on top.  No more bother with dirt, no more smoke from the fire, no more drudgery of walking to the stream.  Now it is possible to go camping and never have to go outside.  We buy a motor home with the hope of seeing new places, of getting out into the world.  Yet we deck it out with the same furnishings as in our living room.  Thus nothing really changes.  We may drive to a new place, set ourselves in new surroundings, but the newness goes unnoticed, for we've only carried along our old setting.

The adventure of new life in Christ begins when the comfortable patterns of the old life are left behind.

It’s so easy to build in habits, to get comfortable doing the same thing the same way all the time.  It’s hard to break those habits, to get out of our comfort zone.  It’s just easier to not change our pattern of living, like taking our comfy home-style with us when we go somewhere.  We’ve gotten used to doing certain things certain ways and, well, it just takes too much effort to change.  And why change when we’re so comfortable.

That word “comfortable” could cause us problems, cause us to miss out on things, if we’re not careful.  Too many good Christian people have gotten too comfortable staying at home on Sunday mornings when they have no real reason to do so other than they’ve just gotten used to it.  How can we truly do what Jesus has commanded us if we don’t get out of our comfortable surroundings, away from people we’re comfortable being around, and step into a world that may be hostile to us, but that desperately needs to hear about Jesus?  Maybe it’s time to sell the motorhome and get back to sleeping in a tent.

By the time of our scripture reading, Jesus had already performed many miracles, at least 18 by one count, including the mass feedings I mentioned earlier.  They started with Him changing water into wine at the wedding feast in Cana and included many healings and driving out evil spirits, as well as helping Simon and Andrew and James and John catch some fish.  He had even already raised some people from the dead!

A normal, mortal man cannot do any of these things; it simply isn’t possible.  There should have been no doubt in the minds of anyone who had witnessed any of these acts that this Jesus was not a normal, mortal man.  He could only be a divine being, sent from God, sent of God.  His disciples, His followers, had witnessed each and every miracle as it happened.  They were slowly catching on.

So Peter and James and John didn’t seem all too surprised when Jesus suddenly shone as bright as the sun, His garments turning as white as the light.  Nor were they shocked when Moses and Elijah appeared and began talking with Jesus.  And oh, by the way, this is the part where Jesus shows His role as the fulfillment of the law and the prophets, by being with and speaking with the one who brought God’s Law to the people and with one of God’s mighty prophets, the one who was carried off to heaven without having first died to this life.

So these three disciples were chosen by Jesus to go with Him up the mountain so they could witness this event, and later on share it with the rest so that we can read about it today.  And it was not until God spoke from heaven that the three showed any surprise.

“This is My beloved Son,” the voice from the clouds boomed, “with whom I am well pleased.”  And then the voice added a command, to them and to us: “Listen to Him.”  After the voice spoke, the disciples looked up, and they were all alone with Jesus.

Now Jesus instructed His three disciples not to speak a word of what they had observed until after He was raised from the dead.  They must have obeyed Him, for any records we have of the event were all written well after His death and resurrection.  All three of the Synoptic Gospel writers – Matthew, Mark, and Luke – wrote of the event, but the Gospel accounts were not written until well after the resurrection.  The same goes for Peter’s letters to the early church.

Since Matthew, Mark, and Luke were not present that day, they must have gotten their accounts from listening to Peter and James and John.  Peter did bear witness to what he saw and heard as Jesus changed right before his eyes.  Listen to what the Apostle wrote in his 2nd letter to the far-flung church, in chapter 1, verses 16 through 21...

16 For we have not followed cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty. 17 For He received honor and glory from God the Father when a voice came to Him from the majestic glory, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” 18 And we ourselves heard this voice, which came from heaven, when we were with Him on the holy mountain.

19 And we have a more reliable word of prophecy, which you would do well to follow, as to a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts. 20 But know this first of all, that no prophecy of the Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation. 21 For no prophecy at any time was produced by the will of man, but holy men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.

--2 Peter 1:16-21 (MEV)

Jesus received honor and glory from none other than the great and almighty God of creation when that voice spoke from heaven saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”  Peter acknowledged that he and the Sons of Zebedee all heard this voice when they were there with Jesus.  They were first-hand eyewitnesses of the full majesty of Jesus.

Peter reminds us that when God speaks, we would do well to pay attention.  Prophecy as recorded for us in our Bible comes from God speaking through certain people He has chosen.  Therefore it is not those people who are speaking, but God speaking to us through them.  That being the case, what is said in prophecy is not up to interpretation, because it did not come from man, but from God.

In this case, God spoke directly to men who recorded it for us to read.  What we read is prophecy, spoken through men by God.  Matthew, Mark, and Luke all three recorded God’s words from that day when Jesus was transfigured on that mountainside.  But all three also recorded God saying nearly the same words one other time.  At His baptism by John in the River Jordan, God spoke from heaven telling Jesus that, “You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

Twice God announced that Jesus is His Son.  Jesus is God’s Son.  This is not subject to interpretation, nor to doubt.

If we look at the dictionary meaning of transfiguration, it’s the act of being changed in outward appearance so as to be glorified or exalted.  Jesus wasn’t really changed, except in His outward appearance, and that for only a short time; just long enough for His disciples to see Him being glorified and exalted by the presence of Moses and Elijah.  Nothing changed for Jesus – not His ministry nor His mission nor His interaction with the world.

Jesus is God; He didn’t need to change.  The transfiguration was for our benefit, not His, so that we could know without a doubt that He is God’s beloved Son.  We need to let His transfiguration change us, transform us closer to Jesus in spirit.

And an interesting thing is that when we accept Jesus as Lord, we too are transfigured, changed a little in outward appearance to go along with our inner change.  Haven’t you seen it in a new believer?  They just look different, happier, more at peace.  I’ve even heard of a new convert being described as “glowing”.  Transfigured by the transformation within.

But these new believers and we old-timers alike must all heed the second thing God said to us when He exalted His Son.  God clearly instructed us to, “Listen to Him.”  “Listen to Him, pay attention to His words, obey His voice, because He speaks for Me.”

This is not a suggestion.  It’s not open to interpretation.  If we truly intend to follow Jesus, it’s not something we can choose to do or not.  We must listen to Jesus, for He is God’s beloved Son.

Be transformed, be transfigured.  In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord.  Amen.

Let us pray…  Almighty God, You glorified Jesus and announced that He is indeed Your Son and that You are pleased with Him.  And You did this in front of human witnesses who could attest to it and save it for us so we can learn about it even in this age.  Thank You, Father, for proclaiming the divine nature of Jesus, for leaving no doubt that He is the Messiah You promised would come to save us.  Forgive us, please Father, when we don’t always listen to Jesus as You commanded us.  Forgive us when our own transformation doesn’t show.  Please, loving Father, help us be witnesses to Your Son’s majesty.  Help us remain strong, faithful, and true to You in all things.

Please hear us now, Father, as we pause for just a moment to speak to You through Your Spirit within us, promising to be more obedient to Your commands, and seeking Your help to do so…

Lord Jesus, You chose to take Peter, James, and John with You onto that mountainside, knowing what was about to happen.  You chose them to witness Your transfiguration, to see You shining in God’s light, to hear God’s proclamation.  You are God’s beloved Son.  Lord, please help us remember all that God said that day.  Remind us to not only listen to You, but to do what You command.  Help us be unafraid to witness You to others.  Help us share the Gospel message with them.  And Jesus, please heal the hurts that separate and divide us one from another.  Help us remain trusting and obedient no matter what we go through.  Help us keep our focus on the things of heaven and the needs of others rather than on anything this life might offer.  This we pray in Your blessed name, Christ Jesus our Lord and our Savior.  Amen.