Encouragement Before the Cross
Matthew 17:1–9
And after six days Jesus took with Him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And He was transfigured before them, and His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became white as light. And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with Him.
And Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good that we are here. If You wish, I will make three tents here, one for You and one for Moses and one for Elijah.”
He was still speaking when, behold, 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.”
When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were terrified. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Rise, and have no fear.” And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.
And as they were coming down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, “Tell no one the vision, until the Son of Man is raised from the dead.” (ESV)
Prayer
Dear Savior, on this festival of Transfiguration, enlighten our hearts through the preaching of the Word, that we come to an even fuller understanding of Your person and work, so that we may be renewed and encouraged in our lives in this world, and have the assurance of life eternal. We ask it in Your name. Amen.
Dear Fellow Redeemed,
Jesus was the most patient teacher to ever live. When we look at the life of the disciples, we clearly learn that God does not chose those who are only perfect. He chooses weak and often misguided sinners to be his disciples. We should all find comfort in this as we recognize and see our own shortcomings.
Our lesson begins with the phrase, “After six days…” Matthew is connecting the previous account with the Transfiguration of Jesus. Why? What happened in the previous chapter? Jesus and his disciples were in the region of Caesarea Philippi, a town in the north near the Syrian border. There, Jesus taught his disciples in a secluded spot, he asked them an important question.
“Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” The disciples responded, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” The Jewish people thought these prophets would prepare the way of the Messiah. Then Jesus asked, “But who do you say that I am?” Then Peter spoke first as was the custom, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Peter confessed Jesus to be the Messiah, the one sent by God to save his people. Peter made the great confession—Jesus was the Christ, the rock upon which the church was built.
Then Jesus did something that his disciples did not understand. He spoke of his coming suffering and death in Jerusalem. If he was the Messiah, why would he have to suffer and die? They were expecting a military Christ who would make Israel great again, not a suffering Savior. Peter, confused by Jesus’ talk about his suffering and death, took him aside and began to rebuke Jesus, “Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!” But Jesus turned to Peter and said, “Get behind Me, Satan!” You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.”
These are strong words from our Lord Jesus. If we didn’t have them in Scripture, we would be hesitant to believe Jesus said them. Jesus called Peter, Satan? Why such a harsh reaction? You see, Peter, like so many, struggled to see how Jesus’ suffering and death would be good. Although he had learned and listened to Jesus for almost three years, he still held out hopes for an earthly Messiah—an earthly kingdom with peace and rest. And who of us does not want that? We can’t blame Peter for wanting earthly peace. Yet, by trying to prevent Jesus from going to the cross—he was preventing God’s mission to save our souls. While Jesus could have given up on Peter then and there—he didn’t. Instead, he continues to teach him.
Jesus said, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” You cannot be a Christian if you deny the necessity of the cross. If you cover it up, deny it, evade it, or change it into something more palatable to the religious tastes of sinners who don’t think they need the suffering and death of Jesus, then you deny Christ. To confess Christ is to embrace the cross of his suffering where Jesus died for your sins.
But Jesus understands our weakness and he sympathizes with us. He knows that we want to see the glory he promises. We want to see, feel, and experience it here on earth. Jesus says that we are blessed when we believe without seeing. Of course, we still want to see. It’s hard to understand Jesus’ cross, let alone our own crosses in life. And so, six days after Jesus had taught his disciples what it truly means to be his disciples, he gives Peter, James, and John a glimpse of glory.
On the Mount Jesus was transfigured before them. All his divine glory hidden in the humiliation burst forth. The glory of the heavens exploded all around. His face shined like the sun and his clothes were as light as snow! Suddenly Moses and Elijah appeared talking with Jesus and the Father declared from a bright and heavenly cloud, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” As Jesus was about to embark on the path of humiliation, unimaginable suffering, and a shameful death on the cross, he receives the blessing and encouragement of the Father. Here was a glimpse of the glory of the resurrected Christ.
Our Lord’s magnificent appearance confirmed Peter’s great confession. There was no doubt Jesus was true God. This event so struck Peter that he later wrote in his Epistle, “For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.’ And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain” (II Peter 1:17–18). And John wrote, “And we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).
Jesus did not reveal his glory to all the disciples, only the inner three—Peter, James, and John. The same group Jesus took with him to Gethsemane. They witnessed the greatest glory and the deepest degradation. The transfiguration was an encouragement to give them strength for the dark and dreadful night. As they would see the crucifixion of Jesus, they also had in their mind their glorious Savior who shone like the sun.
The transfiguration clearly displays the purpose and work of our Savior. Who stood next to him? Moses and Elijah. That’s no coincidence. Moses and Elijah are symbolic of the entire Old Testament Scriptures, the Law and the Prophets. They picture the two chief doctrines of the Scriptures: Law and Gospel. By appearing with Jesus, they show that he was the fulfillment of the Old Testament. According to Gospel of Luke, they spoke with Jesus about his suffering and death in Jerusalem. This was to show the disciples that his purpose was not earthly conquest, but rather the cross. And the Father, confirmed this by saying, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” The Father was telling them, listen to my Son, what he says about the cross is right. He did not come to bring about an earthly kingdom—but a heavenly kingdom.
As Christians, we know why Jesus had to suffer. We know he had to offer up his life as a perfect sacrifice on our behalf. But it’s still hard. It’s hard to see Jesus on the cross and it’s hard to face the crosses in our own lives. That’s why we need God’s Word. That’s why we need reminders and encouragement. The order of events in our lesson helps remind us of the “why.”
As Jesus was transfigured and Peter offered to build tents for Jesus, Moses, and Elijah to try to extend this peace and glory on the Mount, God the Father spoke from heaven. He told them to listen to Jesus. The voice frightened them so that they fell down on their faces. They were terrified! Then Jesus came and touched them, told them to stand up and not to be afraid. Only Jesus was able to take away their fear.
Without Jesus—the one who would go to the cross bearing the sins of the world—the voice of the Father terrifies us. We can’t stand before a holy God. The only way that the voice of God brings peace and comfort is through Jesus who is the One who suffers and dies for us. So that we could hear God speak, stand before his majesty, Jesus went to the cross.
That’s why we needed more than just a good teacher. That’s why we needed more than an earthly peace. Because we have failed to live up to the good life the law demands, Jesus lived that life for us. Since we could not do it perfectly ourselves, Jesus did it for us. Then to cover up all of our wrongs and failures, Jesus poured out his holy precious blood as Peter says, “You were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” (I Peter 1:17–18).
So that we could have peace with God, Jesus went to the cross. That’s why he told them to not tell anyone about his transfiguration until after his resurrection. Jesus would reveal his glory in due time. Yet, now that Peter, James, and John witnessed his glory, it also gave them encouragement as they witnessed Christ’s suffering. What’s more, they received encouragement for their own crosses. They knew that the glimpse of glory they witnessed, the heavenly bliss that Peter did not want to end, would be theirs too. They knew their future! As Jesus said, “Because I live, you will live also” (John 14:19).
The transfiguration teaches us that the cross must come before the glory. Just as it was for Jesus, so it was for all his disciples, including you and me. Jesus said, “Take up your cross and follow me.” The cross refers to the suffering and hardship that we face in our lives for Christ’s sake, as Christians in this fallen world. It’s the aches and pains of living in this world. We all feel it. We all know. And of course, we would all prefer to have our Styrofoam crosses—something easy and light. We commiserate with Peter for wanting to stay on that holy mount—a vision of heaven!
Yet, just as Jesus had sympathy for Peter and the others, so he does for you and me. We may not have received a glimpse of his glory on the Mount, but God has not left us in the dark! Did you notice what Peter said in our Epistle lesson after telling of Christ’s transfiguration? He says, “And we have something more sure, the prophetic word, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.”
We have something “more sure,” the inspired Word of God. Each Sunday, we receive a foretaste of that vision of heaven in the Word and Sacraments. It’s through the means of grace that our Lord Jesus revives, forgives, and encourages us in our daily lives as we descend from the mount.
Christ is your King. Heaven is your home. But so that we do not grow weary, our Lord Jesus encourages us through the Word, which is our “something more sure.” The Word that says, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light,” and “I will never leave you nor forsake you” and “In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”
We all have our crosses to bear, but because of cross of Jesus, we are unafraid of sin’s consequence. Jesus says, “Rise, and have no fear.” God has clothed us with the garments of salvation and the robe of Christ’s perfect righteousness. We know what awaits. We know our future, which is why we can confess along with St. Paul and all disciples of Jesus, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18). Amen.