Jesus Transfigured on the Mountain Reading the Bible Weekly with New Eyes

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Week:06, Season:1, 2013 Posted on Saturday by PCT

Jesus Transfigured on the Mountain

Scripture：《 Luke 9:28-43 》

9：28 And it came to pass about an eight days after these sayings, he took Peter and John and James, and went up into a mountain to pray. 29 And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glistering. 30 And, behold, there talked with him two men, which were Moses and Elias: 31 Who appeared in glory, and spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem. 32 But Peter and they that were with him were heavy with sleep: and when they were awake, they saw his glory, and the two men that stood with him. 33 And it came to pass, as they departed from him, Peter said unto Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias: not knowing what he said. 34 While he thus spake, there came a cloud, and overshadowed them: and they feared as they entered into the cloud. 35 And there came a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him. 36 And when the voice was past, Jesus was found alone. And they kept it close, and told no man in those days any of those things which they had seen. 37 And it came to pass, that on the next day, when they were come down from the hill, much people met him. 38 And, behold, a man of the company cried out, saying, Master, I beseech thee, look upon my son: for he is mine only child. 39 And, lo, a spirit taketh him, and he suddenly crieth out; and it teareth him that he foameth again, and bruising him hardly departeth from him. 40 And I besought thy disciples to cast him out; and they could not. 41 And Jesus answering said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you, and suffer you? Bring thy son hither. 42 And as he was yet a coming, the devil threw him down, and tare him. And Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and healed the child, and delivered him again to his father. 43 And they were all amazed at the mighty power of God. But while they wondered every one at all things which Jesus did, he said unto his disciples,

	28 About eight days after Jesus said this, he took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray. 29 As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. 30 Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendour, talking with Jesus. 31 They spoke about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfilment at Jerusalem. 32 Peter and his companions were very sleepy, but when they became fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him. 33 As the men were leaving Jesus, Peter said to him, ‘Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters – one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.’ (He did not know what he was saying.) 34 While he was speaking, a cloud appeared and covered them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. 35 A voice came from the cloud, saying, ‘This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him.’ 36 When the voice had spoken, they found that Jesus was alone. The disciples kept this to themselves and did not tell anyone at that time what they had seen.37 The next day, when they came down from the mountain, a large crowd met him. 38 A man in the crowd called out, ‘Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, for he is my only child. 39 A spirit seizes him and he suddenly screams; it throws him into convulsions so that he foams at the mouth. It scarcely ever leaves him and is destroying him. 40 I begged your disciples to drive it out, but they could not.’41 ‘You unbelieving and perverse generation,’ Jesus replied, ‘how long shall I stay with you and put up with you? Bring your son here.’42 Even while the boy was coming, the demon threw him to the ground in a convulsion. But Jesus rebuked the impure spirit, healed the boy and gave him back to his father. 43 And they were all amazed at the greatness of God. With the coming of the New Year, everyone is expecting to make a new change; for example, a change in looks, hairstyle or dress, in order to make a fresh mood. The image of modern people can easily be changed through appearance, hair style, attitude, behaviour and language. Our image also changes over time as we grow older; it just takes longer. Popular plastic surgery operations can also make one look younger. Some jobs require us to be good-looking as well as maintaining a good working performance. But appearance is not everything. To enrich our inner beauty is even more vital. Jesus took his disciples to the mountain to pray This Sunday is Transfiguration Sunday in the church calendar. The Bible passage we read today will help us to understand why Jesus himself changed his figure. Before Jesus changed his figure, he asked his disciples about his identity. From their answers, Jesus knew that they had not yet understood his identity. Peter was the only one who proclaimed Jesus the son of everlasting God. Jesus knew his disciples recognised him as a teacher who preached with power, performed miracles, cured the sick and drove out demons. But they did not know who Jesus really was. In order for the disciples to know his true identity and mission, Jesus took them to the mountain. In the Jewish tradition, mountain is the best place to pray. God asked Abraham to give his sacrifice on a mountain, and he established his covenant with Moses on a mountain. The mountain is where God speaks to people. A mountain is a place away from busyness and the noise of the crowds. A mountain is a place to concentrate on the Word of God and to refresh our strength. Thus Jesus took Peter, John and James to the mountain to give them a special lesson. Another reason that Jesus invited the disciples to the mountain is that he know their confidence in him was not strong enough. These three famous disciples of Jesus seemed to not know Jesus very well. But they still accepted Jesus’ invitation and accompanied him on his removal from the busyness and up to the mountain. Somehow, they seemed not to know the reason Jesus took them to the mountain, and so therefore fell asleep while Jesus prayed. When they woke and saw the glory of Jesus and the two prophets Moses and Elijah standing next to him, they were amazed. The disciples saw Jesus transfigured and knew his was the Lord The Scripture says, “As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning.” Jesus showed his glory to his disciples to strengthen their faith. Peter saw Jesus’ glory and Moses and Elijah and said, “Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters – one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” The disciple was hoping that this wonderful experience would continue forever. But Jesus knew this was not his mission. The purpose of taking these three disciples to the mountain was to help them understand through Jesus’ transfiguration that he was neither an ordinary human nor a prophet. Jesus also wanted them know that his death would not be an ending, but would glorify his image. While Peter was speaking, a cloud appeared and a voice came from the cloud saying, “This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him.” The voice in the cloud made the disciples aware of who Jesus really was. The one they followed was not Moses, the symbol of the Law, nor the prophet Elijah, but the son of God. Jesus allowed his disciples to know who he was through prayers and his transfiguration on the mountain. After Jesus transfigured, he obeyed God’s will and walked towards the road of cross. His disciples walked with him as they had experienced the glory of the Lord. The same story also appears in the gospels of Matthew and Mark. Matthew says: “Jesus came and touched them. ‘Get up,’ he said. ‘Don’t be afraid.’” Mark says: “As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus gave them orders not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead.” But the gospel of Luke says: “When the voice had spoken, they found that Jesus was alone. The disciples kept this to themselves and did not tell anyone at that time what they had seen.” We can see that Jesus’ transfiguration is a mystery! Life involves suffering, but we shall be healed with prayer by faith The next day, Jesus and his disciples left the mountain. A worried father came to Jesus and told him his disciples could not cure his only demon-possessed child. Jesus felt concerned about this unbelieving and perverse generation. He asked the father to bring his child to him. The demon threw the child to the ground in a convulsion. Jesus rebuked the impure spirit, healed the boy. There was also a girl who was attacked by evil spirit for over 10 years before she became a Christian. She visited almost every temple and swallowed countless Taoist magic figures. The evil spirit inside her was a “group” and very strong. When the spirit attacked, the girl’s whole body shook and she could not sleep at all with the great pain. Her mother used to also be attacked by the evil spirit, but she was cured by Jesus. Thus the mother believed Jesus would cure her daughter. She then took her daughter to church. The minister prayed for God’s healing. When the minister proclaimed, “In the name of Jesus Christ, I order the evil spirit to leave this girl’s body!” the girl started to struggle on the ground. The minister once again commanded the spirit in the name of Christ. Finally, it left and the girl’s life was released. As our life is reformed by Jesus, our image is also changed Genesis 1:27 says, “So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” Deuteronomy 4:12 says, “Then the Lord spoke to you out of the fire. You heard the sound of words but saw no form; there was only a voice.” People prefer to judge others by their appearance, but our Lord does not favour this. As is written in 1 Samuel 16:7, the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” God cares about our heart, not our appearance. The disciples did not know Jesus’ identity before they accompanied him to the mountain. They later knew who Jesus truly was through witnessing Jesus’ transfiguration. Their attitude towards Jesus and values of their lives changed. Jesus discussed the mission of salvation with God through his prayers and knew that his mission would be fulfilled by his death in Jerusalem. After he left the mountain, Jesus served people with a humble heart. He carried sins for people and completed the road of cross and the salvation plan of God. Jesus’ suffering saved human life. Jesus’ name cured and healed many souls. During the New Year, while everyone tends to buy new clothes for a new beginning and mood, how about anticipating a refreshing spirit inside our heart and allowing Jesus to reform our lives to be even more like him?

	For discussion： 1. If you were to meet Jesus, what would you like to say to him? 2. What is your opinion of Jesus’ transfiguration? What inspirations and reflections have you received from the disciples’ response? Please pray for： 1. The church to be renewed and changed in the new coming year, and that we can lead our lives willing to change for God. 2. That yourself, your family, and church will be changed and transformed by Jesus. Prayer： History-ruler God! Even the seasons are changing, but your love for us will never change. We thank you. We give thanks for your wonderful creations and salvation. We understand that without your great love, small as we are, we can never stand firm on the ground. At the time of the New Year, people happily welcome a new start, but they have not known you, our creator. Before lent, may we take heart to repent, to wait and to give thanks to think of your salvation and your suffering. Please help us to send peace to those who have not yet known you. In the name of Christ, Amen. Something you can do： 1. Change your mood by seeing things differently with a grateful mind and to receive a different kind of love. 2. During the New Year, seize the opportunity to visit relatives and friends and share the love of Jesus and your life story with them.