Feb 24
4
Old Testament Reading: Isaiah 42:1–9
“Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations. He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street; a bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice. He will not grow faint or be discouraged till he has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands wait for his law. Thus says God, the LORD, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and what comes from it, who gives breath to the people on it and spirit to those who walk in it: ‘I am the LORD; I have called you in righteousness; I will take you by the hand and keep you; I will give you as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations, to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness. I am the LORD; that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to carved idols. Behold, the former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare; before they spring forth I tell you of them.’” (Isaiah 42:1–9, ESV)
New Testament Reading: Luke 9:28-36
“Now about eight days after these sayings he took with him Peter and John and James and went up on the mountain to pray. And as he was praying, the appearance of his face was altered, and his clothing became dazzling white. And behold, two men were talking with him, Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. Now Peter and those who were with him were heavy with sleep, but when they became fully awake they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. And as the men were parting from him, Peter said to Jesus, ‘Master, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah’—not knowing what he said. As he was saying these things, a cloud came and overshadowed them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, ‘This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him!’ And when the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and told no one in those days anything of what they had seen.” (Luke 9:28–36, ESV)
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Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church but without the benefit of proofreading.
Introduction
Glory. That is what this passage is about. It is about Christ, the Son of Man, in glory.
Look back to the previous passage. In Luke 9:26 we hear Christ say, “For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels” (Luke 9:26, ESV).
Jesus is the Son of Man. This title emphasizes Jesus’ true humanity. He is the person of the eternal Son of God incarnate. So, he is the true and natural Son of God, who is also a true son of man. The title, Son of Man, also shows that Jesus is the fulfillment of the prophecy of Daniel 7. He is the Son of Man of Daniel 7:13 – the King to whom God, the Ancient of Days, has “given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed” (Daniel 7:13–14, ESV).
At the end of the previous passage, we heard Jesus say something somewhat mysterious to his followers. After speaking of his glorious appearance at the end of time, he said, “But I tell you truly, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:27, ESV).
What was the meaning of this mysterious saying? Some things are very clear. Jesus taught that only some of his followers would see the kingdom of God before they died. The question is, what is meant by the kingdom of God? Well, it is the context that clarifies what Jesus meant. He had just spoken of the glory that would one day be his. And then immediately after this saying of Jesus, we are told the story of the transfiguration. Some of Jesus’ disciples – Peter, James, and John – went up to the mountain with Jesus and they saw him transfigured. The text says in verse 29, “And as he was praying, the appearance of his face was altered, and his clothing became dazzling white” (Luke 9:29, ESV). And in verse 32 we read, “Now Peter and those who were with him were heavy with sleep, but when they became fully awake they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him [Moses and Elijah]” (Luke 9:32, ESV). So I ask you, what did Jesus mean when he said, in Luke 7:27, “But I tell you truly, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:27, ESV)? He must have been speaking of this event that we are today considering – the event of the transfiguration. There on the mountain, a few of his disciples – Peter, James, and John – were given a glimpse of the glory of the eternal kingdom of God. They were given a glimpse – a preview – of the glory that would belong to Christ in the future and for all eternity in God’s eternal kingdom.
As I have said, this passage that we are considering today is about glory – the glory of Christ the King, the Son of Man, and the glory of God’s eternal kingdom.
We use the word glory often. And we use it in different ways.
Firstly, we use the word glory as an adjective to describe something splendid. God is a most pure spirit. He is invisible. But he gloriously manifests himself in the heavenly realm that he made in the beginning. Those men who have been given a glimpse into the heavenly realm seem to struggle to find the words to describe what they saw (see Revelation 4:3–6). The word glory is used in that way here in the passage that is open before us. Here we see that Christ was transformed and appeared glorious. Again the text says, “the appearance of his face was altered, and his clothing became dazzling white” (Luke 9:29, ESV). And, “when [Peter, James, and John] became fully awake they saw his glory…” (Luke 9:32, ESV). Christ typically looked like a common man. But in this moment he appeared glorious.
The second way we use the word glory is as a verb. God is glorious and worthy to receive all praise, and we are to give him glory – we are to live for his glory. What does this mean? Well, to give God glory does not mean that we make him glorious or add to his glory in any way. You and I cannot give anything to God that he does not already have, for he is God – he possesses all things! And you and I cannot add anything to God, for he is perfect in every way. He is most glorious. He is not lacking in glory, or any of his other attributes so that we might add to him. With God, his attributes are his perfections. To give God glory means that we acknowledge his perfect glory and seek to exult or magnify his perfect glory for others to see. To give God glory is to praise him – it is to acknowledge that he is most glorious, most holy, and most worthy to receive praise from all his creatures. So, the word “glory” is sometimes used as an adjective to describe something splendid. And sometimes it is used as a verb to describe something we are to do – we are to give all glory to God and Christ, the Son.
There is a third way to use the word glory. I think it is probably the most uncommon use of the three, but it is a very important use, biblically speaking. The word glory can also be used to describe a state of being or mode of existence. When a brother or sister in Christ dies, we might say, they have gone to glory. By this we mean they have gone into the glorious presence of God to behold his glory. More than this, we mean that they have been passed into a new state of being. They enjoy a new mode of existence. No longer are they plagued by things like sickness and sorrow, trials and tribulation, temptation and sin. No, having been translated into a state of glory, they are no longer plagued by these things. As souls, they are freed from these afflictions in heaven and as they behold the glory of God. And they await the consummation, the resurrection of their bodies, and the glory of the new heavens and earth.
Chapter 9 of our confession of faith uses the word glory to describe a state of being. Chapter 9 of our confession is about free will. And it explains how free will operates in the various states of being that humans have exited. Adam was a human with free will who lived in an upright state of innocency. This was his state of being in the garden before sin entered the world. Life in the state of glory was offered to him, mind you. Life in glory was symbolized by the Sabbath Day. It was also symbolized by the Tree of Life. Life in glory was promised to Adam in the covenant God gave him. What did he need to do to enter glory? He had to keep God’s law. But as you know, Adam fell short of the glory of God and fell from the state of innocency and into a state of sin and death. This is the state of being that you and I were born into, given that Adam was our representative. By the way, free will is not so free in this state of being. It is still free in that we retain the ability to act upon choice. The problem is that our minds, affections, and wills are corrupted by sin and bent towards evil so that we are not able to choose God and the good, but, according to our fallen nature, we run from God and towards evil. But God is merciful. He provided a Savior. And by the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit, God frees us from our natural bondage to sin and enables us to freely choose Christ and to place our faith in him. Furthermore, through the regenerating and sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit, we are enabled to more and more obey God’s law. Corruptions and imperfections remain, and therefore sin remains as we live now in this state of grace. Believers in Jesus live now in the state of grace, but what do we await, brothers and sisters? What state of being do we long to be in? We long to be in the state of glory. As it pertains to the subject of free will, it will be in the state of glory only that the “will of man is made perfectly and immutably free to good alone…” (2LCF 9.5).
When will we be in this state of glory? Answer: when we die, or when Christ returns. Those who die in the Lord are translated into the state of glory. Their souls enter into glory while their bodies lie in the grave. When Christ returns, the dead will be raised and reunited with their souls. Then, those in Christ will live forever in the state of glory in the new heavens and earth.
The question we must ask is, how do we get to this state of glory? One way to answer this question is to say through faith in Jesus Christ. It is only through faith in Jesus the Messiah that we will enter into glory. Adam could have entered into glory by obeying God’s law, but he sinned and fell short of the glory of God (see Romans 3:23). That way to glory – through obedience to God’s law – is closed. It is only through faith in Jesus the Messiah that we can enter into glory now. That answer is obvious to many of you.
But today, when I ask the question, how do we get to this state of glory, I do not wish to focus on the question, what must we do to enter glory? I know that the answer to that question is clear to most of you – turn from your sin and trust in Jesus is the answer! What I mean is, how was the way to glory opened up for us? We know how the way to glory was lost – through Adam’s sin! But how was it opened up? In other words, how is it that trusting in Jesus will bring us to glory? What did he do to open up the way? It seems to me that this story about Jesus being transfigured on the mountain is very much about this.
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The story that we are considering today is marvelous. In Luke 9:28 we read, “Now about eight days after these sayings [Jesus] took with him Peter and John and James and went up on the mountain to pray.”
Notice a few things about this verse.
One, notice Jesus’ practice of prayer. As the Son of Man, he was disciplined to pray. As the Son of Man, he drew his strength from the Father. As the Son of Man, he enjoyed communion with God. We are to imitate our Lord and be people constant in prayer as well.
Two, notice that Jesus took Peter, James, and John with him. These are the “some standing here” of 9:27 who were in this moment blessed to see the glory of the kingdom of God before they died. As you probably know, Peter, James, and John were leaders within the band of Apostles.
Three, notice the mention of the eighth day. Though I cannot prove it, I do suspect that there is significance here. In the previous passage, Jesus revealed to his disciples what kind of Christ he would be. In Luke 9:22 we hear Christ say, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised” (Luke 9:22, ESV). He also hinted at how he would die when he called his disciples to follow him by taking up their own crosses. And eight days after this, Christ was raised to glory on the mountain of transfiguration. I think we are to see this eight-day period as anticipation – a kind of trial run of sorts – of the sufferings Christ would experience in Jerusalem and his being raised to glory. He would eventually enter Jerusalem and suffer there and be rejected. His suffering would culminate in his death in the cross. But on the eighth day after his entry into Jerusalem, he would be raised to glory. Can you see the pattern? The pattern was established when Christ spoke of his sufferings and eight days later entered into glory temporarily on the mountain. And the pattern would find its fulfillment when Christ did actually suffer in Jerusalem, died and was buried, and was raised to glory on the eighth day – the eighth day being another way of referring to the first day of the week. Matthew and Mark say the transfiguration took place six days after the previous sayings of Jesus. There is no real contradiction. While Matthew and Mark counted the days in between Jesus’ sayings about his sufferings and the event of the transfiguration, Luke included the days of the sayings and the transfiguration in his count. It is interesting to me that Matthew, Mark, and Luke all emphasized that about a week passed between the sayings of Jesus concerning his sufferings and death, and his glorification on the mountain. My point is that they all seem to treat this as a kind of anticipation of Jesus’ sufferings and death in Jerusalem during what is traditionally called the passion week, and his resurrection on Sunday, which is the first day of the week, also called the eighth day.
In verse 29 we read, “And as he was praying, the appearance of his face was altered, and his clothing became dazzling white. And behold, two men were talking with him, Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.”
Here my suspicions about this event anticipating the passion week in Jerusalem are strengthened. What did Jesus talk with Moses and Elijah about when he was with them on the mountain? He “spoke with them about his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.” Here we have a reference to Christ’s death and resurrection, and also his ascension to the Father’s right hand. Christ would suffer and die, he would be buried, and then he would be raised to glory. Forty days later he would ascend in glory. This is what he spoke with Moses and Elijah about as they were glorified with him on the mountain.
Let’s talk for a moment about Moses and Elijah.
First of all, were Moses or Elijah present bodily, or did Peter, James, and John see a vision of them? John Calvin takes up this question in his commentary on the harmony of the gospel.
“Were Moses and Elijah actually present? or was it only an apparition that was exhibited to the disciples, as the prophets frequently beheld visions of things that were absent? Though the subject admits, as we say, of arguments on both sides, yet I think it more probable that they were actually brought to that place. There is no absurdity in this supposition; for God has bodies and souls in his hand, and can restore the dead to life at his pleasure, whenever he sees it to be necessary. Moses and Elijah did not then rise on their own account,1 but in order to wait upon Christ. It will next be asked, How came the apostles to know Moses and Elijah, whom they had never seen? The answer is easy. God, who brought them forward, gave also signs and tokens by which they were enabled to know them. It was thus by an extraordinary revelation that they obtained the certain knowledge that they were Moses and Elijah.” John Calvin, Commentary on a Harmony of the Evangelists, 310–311).
Secondly, and I think more importantly, we must ask, why did Moses and Elijah appear with Jesus? There are a few things to say about this:
One, when Christ appeared in glory with Moses and Elijah it was to show that he was not Elijah or one of the other prophets of old, and many suspected. Who did people say Jesus was? Some said John the Baptst, others said he was Elijah, and others said that one of the prophets had arisen.
Two, when Christ appeared in glory with Moses and Elijah at his side, it was to show that Jesus Christ is greater. Jesus is the central figure in this passage. In this moment, Jesus was exulted above Moses and Eliajah.
Three, notice how Moses and Elijah took a special interest in Jesus and his work. Moses and Elijah spoke with Jesus about his departure. They conversed with him concerning the work he was about to do. They knew something about Christ and his work because they testified concerning him long before. This will become a major theme in Luke’s gospel. Luke will tell us that after Christ was raised to glory, he appeared to his disciples and taught them, saying, “‘O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?’ And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself” (Luke 24:25–27, ESV).
Four, when Christ appeared with Moses and Elijah he was showing himself to be the fulfillment and end of the law and prophets, and this the end of the Old Covenant order. He came established a New Covenant, remember, and to do away with the old.
Five, Jesus appeared with Moses and Elijah at his side to show that the glory that belonged to Moses and Elijah was not their own glory but was owed to Christ. Moses and Elijah entered into glory because they belonged to Christ. They were associated with him, having been united to him by faith.
Look with me now at verse 32. “Now Peter and those who were with him were heavy with sleep…” Why is it that the disciples are found sleeping during this most significant event? Perhaps to show their dullness and their inability to comprehend the true meaning of the things being accomplished in their midst. “…but when they became fully awake [they were not groggy or dreaming] they saw [Jesus’] glory and the two men who stood with him. And as the men were parting from him, Peter said to Jesus, ‘Master, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah’.”
Peter again speaks as the leader of the group. As Moses and Elijah began to depart, he spoke up! One thing that Peter certainly did not lack was boldness. He spoke up to Jesus saying, in essence, wait, don’t let Moses and Elijah leave! Why don’t we put up some tents and remain here together like this?
Don’t you love and appreciate Peter’s heart? He was blessed to behold Christ, the Son of Man, in glory. And he was blessed to see Moses and Elijah glorified in Christ Jesus, for they had testified concerning Christ and had placed their faith in him. Stated differently, Peter, along with James and John, were given a glimpse of the glory of the kingdom of God. And he wished for that glory to remain. When Moses and Elijah prepared to depart, and as the glory began to fade, he spoke up and said, wait! Don’t go. Let’s abide here in this condition. Let’s abide here in this state of being. At the end of verse 33, we find this little remark from Luke, Peter “knew not what he said.” His request was made out of ignorance.
Look with me now at verse 34. “As [Peter] was saying these things, a cloud came and overshadowed them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, ‘This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him!’ And when the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and told no one in those days anything of what they had seen” (Luke 9:28–36, ESV).
The cloud mentioned in verse 28 must be associated with the glory cloud that appeared often in the days of Moses. It was the cloud through with God manifested his presence. The cloud led Israel in the wilderness after the Exodus. A cloud descended upon Sinai and Moses was invited to come up to receive the law. And the cloud filled the Holy of Holies in the Tabernacle, and later, the Temple. The cloud signified God’s presence. And here the cloud descended to sweep Moses and Elijah away and to give honor to Christ.
The text says, “And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, ‘This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him!’” This was the voice of God. Here, much like at Christ’s baptism, God the Father testifies to the identity of Jesus (2 Peter 1:16–21).
“This is my Son”, he said. You and I are sons and daughters of God by virtue of our creation and our redemption and adoption in Christ Jesus. But Jesus is the eternal Son of God. He is the natural Son of God. He is the second person of the Holy Trinity. He is God Almighty.
The voice from the cloud also said, “this is… my chosen one.” If you have faith in Christ, it is because you have been graciously chosen by God for salvation in Christ. This is a reference to the doctrine of election or predestination that is frequently taught in the Scriptures. But Christ is God’s chosen one in a different sense. He was not chosen to be saved, but to be the Savior of God’s people, the Messiah, the great Prophet, Priest, and King of the elect. The prophecy of Isaiah 42, which was read earlier, is certainly behind this utterance. Psalm 89:3-4 also stands in the background. There God says, “I have made a covenant with my chosen one; I have sworn to David my servant: ‘I will establish your offspring forever, and build your throne for all generations’” (Psalm 89:3–4, ESV). These words were uttered concerning Jesus, and not Moses or Elijah. He is the Messiah, God’s chosen one.
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Earlier I asked, how can it be that we will enter into glory? How has the way into glory been opened up? The answer is that the way into glory has been opened up by Jesus, the Son of Man.
Adam fell short of the glory of God – he failed to obtain that state of being, that higher form of life – by his fall into sin. He broke the covenant that God had made with him by rebelling against God in the heart and eating the forbidden tree.
But Jesus Christ has earned life in glory. How did he earn it, you ask? He earned life in glory by keeping the terms of the covenant that God made with him. And what covenant was this? We call it the Covenant of Redemption. When the Scriptures are considered thoroughly and with care, we see that God the Father entered into an agreement with God the Son in eternity to save a people and to reconcile them to the Father. John 17 reveals this. There Jesus prays for those given to him by the Father before the foundation of the earth. The Isaiah 42 passage we read a moment ago reveals this too. The LORD speaks of the chosen one, the Messiah, saying, “I am the LORD; I have called you in righteousness; I will take you by the hand and keep you; I will give you as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations…” (Isaiah 42:6, ESV).
And what would God the Son have to do to redeem those given to him by the Father? He would have to assume a human nature so that he would not only be the Son of God, but also the Son of Man. And as a man, he would have to keep God’s law perfectly, suffer in the whole of life, resist all temptation, be crucified, die, and be buried and on the third day, be raised unto life in glory. And this he would do, not for himself only, but for others two. Like Adam before him, he would act as a representative of others – he would function as a federal or covenantal head. He would live, die, and be raised to a state of glory on behalf of others.
The way to glory has been opened up by Christ, the second Adam, the Son of Man, who is also the person of the eternal Son of God. And how can we enter glory? Only by being united to him by faith as our covenantal head. You and I were born fallen in Adam in a state of sin and misery. You must be born again and raised to glory in Christ.
When Jesus was transfigured on that mountain in front of those three witnesses, Peter, James, and John, it was to show what he was about to do. He was about to enter into glory, and he would do it through suffering, rejection, and death. He would die, but on the third day, which is the first day of the week, or the eighth day, he would be raised – raised to glory – raised to life incorruptible.
Do you wish to go to life in glory when you die? Do you wish to behold the beatific vision – the radiant splendor of the glory of God? Then you had better be found in Christ, united to him by faith. For he has entered into glory as a forerunner and first fruits.
And if you have been raised with Christ, then exhort you with the words of Paul, “seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.” (Colossians 3:1–4, ESV)
