The transfiguration??
I’m preaching on the transfiguration this Sunday, from the account in Matt 17:1-13.
I have many questions (it’s a bizarre incident, isn’t it!?!!) …but have a few I’d like to put out there into web-land:
1. What do you think the significance of Elijah being there is? what’s the deal?
2. What do you think Peter made of the incident at the time, or shortly after?
3. What’s with the tents?
Fire away, com padres. I’d love to hear your ideas!
May 20th, 2008 at 1:04 am
These are my reflections on your first question:
it’s not just elijah, but elijah and moses, and then God appears too.
Moses is representative of the law, elijah of the prophets. And then God says ‘this is my Son, listen to him.’ All three (the law, the prophets and God) testify to the fact that Jesus is the Messiah, and should be listened to.
Interesting that it comes straight after Peter’s confession, but he didn’t listen to Jesus, but rebuked him instead.
Reply to SamR
May 20th, 2008 at 7:24 am
I agree Sam-o - the whole thing is strongly tied to Peter’s confession. It also confirms that who Jesus is has been revealed to Peter by God!
Elijah = prophets was my conclusion too, but why him in particular? I mean with law, the choice is easy. You only have Moses…but there were plenty of other prophets who could have made an appearance!
Reply to reuben
May 20th, 2008 at 7:57 am
Well, I’m not sure exactly, but I’d tentatively go to Mal 4:4-6 and say that Moses and Elijah are paired together there as well, so possibly it’s an OT pairing as well?
This is flying a bit of a kite, so feel free to shoot me down, but could there be anything in the fact that both Moses and Elijah had whacky exits from this world too? When Moses died no-one ever found his body (Dt 34:6), and Elijah departed on a chariot (2 Kings 2:11-12), rather than died.
In Luke’s account it tells us that these two were talking to Jesus ‘about his departure’ (lit. exodus) Lk 9:31. Then in Mark’s account the disciples come down the mountain ‘discussing what it is to rise from the dead’ (Peter Bolt Version :)). Could it be that Moses and Elijah are uniquely equipped to minister to Jesus before his coming departure from this world, and so were talking to him about it on the mountain? Whaddya reckon?
Reply to SamR
May 20th, 2008 at 9:06 am
nice! I’ll give it some more thought, but I think you’re on to something there…
I had thought about Elijah’s strange departure, but didn’t recall the Moses ref.thanks for that.
Maybe more ot literate readers than me might have wondered if jesus was about to experience a similarly unusual departure? maybe even then on the mountain? the expectation for that kind of thing would certainly be raised by 16:27-28.
hmmm…i doubt this is going to make it into the sermon somehow, but it is interesting!
Reply to reuben
May 21st, 2008 at 3:02 pm
ahoy reubenland…
I love the Transfiguration story, mainly because it is so bizarre. It seems to be such a landmark story, recorded in 3 out of 4 gospels, and I find it bizarre that Peter’s wanting to make a tent made it in every single account. Maybe it’s just me, but I’d be asking “what is going on?” rather than “uhh, do you guys need some shelter?”. I also love the fact that Jesus, Moses and Elijah are having a chat. It blows my mind to think what they’re talking about.
Two songs have impacted my thoughts on the Transfiguration.
The first one is a Sufjan Stevens song about the Transfiguration, coincidentally called The Transfiguration. Which probably made me read and take notice of the story more and more. His song is pretty enticing and lyrics don’t really poeticise it, yet the story doesn’t need anything to bring about the occasion. A quite biblically accurate song, wow. Here are the lyrics http://www.songmeanings.net/lyric.php?lid=3530822107858507612
The second song is a Half-Handed Cloud song called ‘To Love like the Father & Son love each other’. I think that’s basically the whole gist of the song… “hey, hey, God is love, ’cause the Father and Son they love each other”. Sounds like a sunday school song, hey! I think the importance of this story is to understand the love between the Father and the Son, I think this is the most important part of the entire story.
Where else does God explain so explicitly the love He has for His son? Jesus’ baptism, a voice from heaven, a similar incident. Another John the Baptist/Elijah coming first related incidence. I don’t know how linked the two events are.
Reply to marty
May 22nd, 2008 at 5:20 am
Thanks M-diddy,
I reckon the baptism and transfiguration are def. linked. It’s like a reaffirmation of the fathers love for the son and confirmation that what he is doing is pleasing. The difference between what the voice from heaven says at the transfiguration grabs your attention though “listen to him” is added. Having done some more thinking about it, I think this is the key to the whole event. It’s certainly what peter makes of it later in his ministry (2 pet 1:16ff)
I’ll check those songs - thanks for the tips!
Reply to reuben