The vision and the voice. The transfiguration of Jesus.
Matthew 17:1-10
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We see Jesus transfigured.
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We see Jesus transfigured.
This icon was written by Theophanes the Greek c 1403.
Elijah is on his right, and Moses on his left.
And Peter, James and John have fallen to the ground in fear.
This is a key passage in Matthew’s gospel. Jesus has just told his disciples that he is going to Jerusalem to be crucified. But before he goes, he takes Peter, James and John with him up the mountain.
1. This passage, this icon, is about seeing glory
Jesus goes up the mountain. “And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white” (v2)
There are echoes of the OT, of Moses (Exodus 24:12-17), who is called up the mountain to meet with God, together with his assistant Joshua, and ‘the appearance of the glory of the Lord was like a devouring fire on the top of the mountain’.
But now, as Peter, James and John go up the mountain, they do not see a devouring fire, but they see Jesus who’s face has been transformed. He is ‘the sun of righteousness’ (Malachi 4:2).
And the icon makes it clear that we are speaking here of a vision of the glory of God in and through Jesus. The circle represents the divine. In previous icons, the circle has always been at the top of the icon, and we see just the edge of it. The glory of God is there, but only just on the edge of what is going on.
But now we see the whole circle and in the centre of the circle is Jesus. Jesus and the circle are identified. It is almost as if he is coming out of it, and yet he is standing. He holds the scroll of authority, of revelation; and rays come out of the bright circle, or do the rays come out of him?
It is those rays which fill this icon with light. We see the light reflecting off Moses and Elijah and cascading down the mountain onto the three disciples.
This is about glory that is seen and glory that transforms.
Some people are given glimpses of that glory in the here and now.
But those experiences of glory are never moments that can be caught. Experiences of glory always point us forward to future glory.
Peter makes that mistake. He wants to try to capture the experience, to keep the glory, to stay in the present. He wants to keep Jesus and Moses and Elijah together. He wants to remain on the mountain top in the presence of the glory of God.
But this vision of Jesus transfigured is a foretaste of his future, unimaginable glory that we will see. He still has to go through the cross. The face that shone with glory will be struck and spat upon. And it will only make sense after his death and resurrection – which is why he tells his disciples to say nothing of it until they he has risen from the dead.
The glimpses of glory that they were given, and the glimpses of glory that we or others may be given are simply a taster for the glory that is to come.
Our hope is that one day we will see the glory of God, and we will share in that glory.
Paul writes, “For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known.” 1 Corinthians 13:12
And he continues with that theme of seeing now as through a mirror.
“And all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another ...” 2 Corinthians 3:18
2. This passage is about hearing the voice of God
The bright cloud overshadows them – the cloud indicates the presence of God – and a voice is heard, “This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!” Matthew 17:5
It is the same voice that was heard when Jesus was baptised. On that occasion Jesus was stripped of everything and went down into the water.
Now the voice is heard as Jesus is clothed in glory and is lifted up.
But there is one phrase that is different.
At the baptism the voice said, “This is my Son, the Beloved; with whom I am well pleased”. Here the voice says, “This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him”
We have Moses and Elijah appearing with Jesus. Moses was the first of the prophets, to whom God gave the law. He holds a book in the icon. Elijah was one of the greatest of the Old Testament prophets. Up to now, people had listened to them. They had read the law and the prophets. Jesus speaks of the law and prophets as the word of God.
But the voice from heaven says, ‘You may see in front of you Moses and Elijah. They have fulfilled their work. They have pointed to Jesus. Now, says the voice, listen to Jesus’.
At the top of this particular icon we see, in the little blue circle on the left, an angel bringing Elijah to the mountain, and on the right we see an angel taking Moses from the mountain. They do not go because they were wrong — but because they have reached their goal. And we are left with Jesus.
It is easy to miss this, but this call to listen is the key takeaway from this encounter.
We are often far too quick to speak.
The disciples see Jesus’ glory, and Peter immediately speaks.
But he is answered by the voice from heaven. It is God telling Peter, in a very kind way, to be quiet. The voice tells us about the relationship of the Father with his Son, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved’, and then tells us to ‘listen to him’.
And it is the voice, not the vision, which terrifies the disciples and makes them fall to the ground.
Visions fascinate, but voices command. The Father does not say, ‘Look at him’. He says, ‘Listen to him’.
This really is a story about discipleship, about listening to and following Jesus.
He takes the disciples up the mountain, and he goes with them down the mountain.
We see that here. On the left-hand side of this icon Jesus leads them up and on the right-hand side he leads them down. But he is not like the grand old Duke of York. On both left and right, his face is turned to them and he is teaching them.
We are about to start Lent. Could I encourage us, whatever we give up or take up, to long to hear Jesus and to listen to him.
He has spoken. We have his words, here in the scriptures. And we need to allow them to come into us, just as we allow the bread and wine to come into us, to reassure us, challenge us, change us and shape us.
It might mean getting rid of the stuff that prevents us from hearing him – whether that is our business, our mini-obsessions, the things that we are doing that we know are not right. It is even possible to admire Jesus but not to listen to him. And it is about putting ourselves in a place and giving ourselves time to listen to him.
One day we will see him as he is. We will see his glory. One day faith will give way to sight.
But for now we walk with him. He has spoken and if we let him he does speak. Sometimes he leads us up the mountain to see glimpses of his glory.
Sometimes he leads us down the valley to obscurity or even crucifixion.
But in all things he is with us.
When the disciples heard the voice from heaven, they were terrified and fell to the ground. But it was the voice and touch of Jesus which raised them up again.
This is a key passage in Matthew’s gospel. Jesus has just told his disciples that he is going to Jerusalem to be crucified. But before he goes, he takes Peter, James and John with him up the mountain.
1. This passage, this icon, is about seeing glory
Jesus goes up the mountain. “And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white” (v2)
There are echoes of the OT, of Moses (Exodus 24:12-17), who is called up the mountain to meet with God, together with his assistant Joshua, and ‘the appearance of the glory of the Lord was like a devouring fire on the top of the mountain’.
But now, as Peter, James and John go up the mountain, they do not see a devouring fire, but they see Jesus who’s face has been transformed. He is ‘the sun of righteousness’ (Malachi 4:2).
And the icon makes it clear that we are speaking here of a vision of the glory of God in and through Jesus. The circle represents the divine. In previous icons, the circle has always been at the top of the icon, and we see just the edge of it. The glory of God is there, but only just on the edge of what is going on.
But now we see the whole circle and in the centre of the circle is Jesus. Jesus and the circle are identified. It is almost as if he is coming out of it, and yet he is standing. He holds the scroll of authority, of revelation; and rays come out of the bright circle, or do the rays come out of him?
It is those rays which fill this icon with light. We see the light reflecting off Moses and Elijah and cascading down the mountain onto the three disciples.
This is about glory that is seen and glory that transforms.
Some people are given glimpses of that glory in the here and now.
But those experiences of glory are never moments that can be caught. Experiences of glory always point us forward to future glory.
Peter makes that mistake. He wants to try to capture the experience, to keep the glory, to stay in the present. He wants to keep Jesus and Moses and Elijah together. He wants to remain on the mountain top in the presence of the glory of God.
But this vision of Jesus transfigured is a foretaste of his future, unimaginable glory that we will see. He still has to go through the cross. The face that shone with glory will be struck and spat upon. And it will only make sense after his death and resurrection – which is why he tells his disciples to say nothing of it until they he has risen from the dead.
The glimpses of glory that they were given, and the glimpses of glory that we or others may be given are simply a taster for the glory that is to come.
Our hope is that one day we will see the glory of God, and we will share in that glory.
Paul writes, “For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known.” 1 Corinthians 13:12
And he continues with that theme of seeing now as through a mirror.
“And all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another ...” 2 Corinthians 3:18
2. This passage is about hearing the voice of God
The bright cloud overshadows them – the cloud indicates the presence of God – and a voice is heard, “This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!” Matthew 17:5
It is the same voice that was heard when Jesus was baptised. On that occasion Jesus was stripped of everything and went down into the water.
Now the voice is heard as Jesus is clothed in glory and is lifted up.
But there is one phrase that is different.
At the baptism the voice said, “This is my Son, the Beloved; with whom I am well pleased”. Here the voice says, “This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him”
We have Moses and Elijah appearing with Jesus. Moses was the first of the prophets, to whom God gave the law. He holds a book in the icon. Elijah was one of the greatest of the Old Testament prophets. Up to now, people had listened to them. They had read the law and the prophets. Jesus speaks of the law and prophets as the word of God.
But the voice from heaven says, ‘You may see in front of you Moses and Elijah. They have fulfilled their work. They have pointed to Jesus. Now, says the voice, listen to Jesus’.
At the top of this particular icon we see, in the little blue circle on the left, an angel bringing Elijah to the mountain, and on the right we see an angel taking Moses from the mountain. They do not go because they were wrong — but because they have reached their goal. And we are left with Jesus.
It is easy to miss this, but this call to listen is the key takeaway from this encounter.
We are often far too quick to speak.
The disciples see Jesus’ glory, and Peter immediately speaks.
But he is answered by the voice from heaven. It is God telling Peter, in a very kind way, to be quiet. The voice tells us about the relationship of the Father with his Son, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved’, and then tells us to ‘listen to him’.
And it is the voice, not the vision, which terrifies the disciples and makes them fall to the ground.
Visions fascinate, but voices command. The Father does not say, ‘Look at him’. He says, ‘Listen to him’.
This really is a story about discipleship, about listening to and following Jesus.
He takes the disciples up the mountain, and he goes with them down the mountain.
We see that here. On the left-hand side of this icon Jesus leads them up and on the right-hand side he leads them down. But he is not like the grand old Duke of York. On both left and right, his face is turned to them and he is teaching them.
We are about to start Lent. Could I encourage us, whatever we give up or take up, to long to hear Jesus and to listen to him.
He has spoken. We have his words, here in the scriptures. And we need to allow them to come into us, just as we allow the bread and wine to come into us, to reassure us, challenge us, change us and shape us.
It might mean getting rid of the stuff that prevents us from hearing him – whether that is our business, our mini-obsessions, the things that we are doing that we know are not right. It is even possible to admire Jesus but not to listen to him. And it is about putting ourselves in a place and giving ourselves time to listen to him.
One day we will see him as he is. We will see his glory. One day faith will give way to sight.
But for now we walk with him. He has spoken and if we let him he does speak. Sometimes he leads us up the mountain to see glimpses of his glory.
Sometimes he leads us down the valley to obscurity or even crucifixion.
But in all things he is with us.
When the disciples heard the voice from heaven, they were terrified and fell to the ground. But it was the voice and touch of Jesus which raised them up again.
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