The Fearful Voice, the Gentle Touch – Transfiguration of our Lord

The Fearful Voice, the Gentle Touch

Transfiguration T Matthew 17:1-9

INI

Throughout the season of Epiphany, Jesus has been revealing His mission — not only to Israel, but to the Gentiles — and showing that though He appears in humble human flesh, He is also true God. But today, as the season comes to its close, we reach its climax and pinnacle. For in the Transfiguration, God pulls back the veil, and Christ’s divine glory shines forth in the most unmistakable way.

And when divine glory shines without restraint, sinners don’t applaud — they tremble. And rightly so! Not necessarily because the divine is bad, but because it’s so good. It’s pure power and holiness. It overtakes any evil that encounters it, just as darkness is easily overtaken by the light. Sin is burned up by the glory of God’s presence – and evil man cannot dwell in the presence of God (Ps 5:4-5). For that reason, throughout the Scriptures, angels and divine manifestations are met with fear and trembling. Because we in our sin, cannot see God face to face and live.

For example, when the prophet Isaiah received heavenly visions of God, He immediately responded – “I’m doomed! I’m ruined! Because I am a man with unclean lips, and I dwell among a people with unclean lips, and because my eyes have seen the KING, the Lord of Hosts!” (Is 6:5). If we saw God in His pure unveiled presence, we’d respond that way too.

         But that’s what’s so interesting about Matthew’s accounting of the Transfiguration. It wasn’t simply the visible presence of the divine that caused them fear. It wasn’t the bright light shining from Jesus’ face, nor His clothes becoming white as light. It wasn’t even the bright cloud overshadowing them on the mountain — that cloud which signified the very presence of the Father among them.

And it wasn’t the sheer power and otherworldliness of God made flesh — standing there in glory, speaking with Moses and Elijah, men who long departed from this life. None of these sights, as overwhelming as they were, are what finally drove the disciples to fall on their faces.

If we imagine ourselves there, we can almost feel the trembling. What a magnificent — and yet terrifying — sight it must have been. It’s like standing too close to a rocket at launch. The power is real. The force is undeniable. You know instinctively you are too small to withstand it.

But when Matthew tells the story, what the disciples SAW didn’t cause them fear. It was what they HEARD! Hearing the Father’s VOICE caused the fear! And perhaps, it was what the Father said. He said – “This is My Beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased. Listen to Him!” Why might this give them fear?

Well, if we look at the Scriptures, there’s just as many examples of sinners fearing God’s voice as much as the sight of God. From the very first pages of the Bible, sinners recoil at God’s voice. After Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit, they hid when “they heard the VOICE of the Lord God, who was walking in the garden (Gen 3:8).” Adam and Eve feared the Lord’s condemnation for their actions. They knew they transgressed against the one command given to them. As a result, they feared their punishment, and hid at the very sound of God’s voice.

Then in Exodus, after the Lord spoke the Ten Commandments from Mt. Sinai, the people trembled. They saw the thunder and lightning. They heard the trumpets blast. They were afraid that if God unveiled His glory and spoke to them, they would die. (Ex 20:18-20) So, pleading with Moses, the people said “Speak with us yourself, and we will listen, but do not let God speak with us, or we will die.”

And Moses responded in a way that almost sounds contradictory, “Do not be afraid, for God has come to test you, so that you may always fear him, so that you do not sin.” Don’t be afraid that He’s a vindictive God that will destroy you unjustifiably. But fear Him enough that you’re led away from sin. Point is, sinful man recoils when they hear the Word of God. Because the Law exposes and unmasks us. It confronts us with the truth that we cannot survive the power of God’s revealed glory.

And that’s the Law side of God’s Word. But the tendency of sinful man is to overlook the Law to just get on to the Gospel side of things. To nod along with the accusations of the Law and maybe agree that that’s how things WERE, but if God spoke to me now, I’d be happy and glad!

But the truth is, sinners STILL recoil at God’s Word. When we hear something preached or read from the Scriptures that challenges the current way we live our lives, sinful man would rather hide from that Word. Because it’s more comfortable to hide, than be challenged and changed.

For example, every time we pray “Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us”, sinners are challenged. God has forgiven you. His mercy has changed you. Now, you’re to be merciful to others. Not holding their sins against them, because God in Christ has forgiven you.

Bu the sinful flesh in us wants to justify unforgiveness – “yes, but they really don’t deserve any mercy or forgiveness. They haven’t changed their ways, so neither will I change mine.”  And slowly, bit by bit, the sinner recoils at the truth of God’s Word, and seeks to justify their actions in spite of it.

And that’s why I think the disciples were afraid of the Father’s voice. For the Father didn’t merely identify Jesus as His beloved Son — He commanded them: “Listen to Him.” And what had this beloved Son just said to them before they went up the mountain?

Jesus predicted His death and resurrection. He told them that He was going to go to Jerusalem and suffer at the hands of the elders and chief priests, and experts in the law. He would be killed by them. Yet, He will rise on the third day.

Peter recoiled at this prophetic Word. Peter rebuked Jesus, the one true God made into the flesh. Peter vowed to NEVER let that happen to Jesus. He wanted to prevent such a horrific death from happening.

But Jesus told Peter – “Get behind me… SATAN.” Because Peter had been deceived by Satan, just as Adam and Eve did. Satan had caused Peter to doubt the voice of God.

And then, Jesus doubled down. He told the disciples “If anyone wants to follow me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. Whoever wants to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it (Matt 16:24-25).” These are the words the disciples were to listen to – Jesus will die on the cross, and rise three days later. And you will be called to lose your life for my sake too. Wouldn’t anyone recoil at those words! Who could embrace their own death like that? And for us today – who can die to their own sin and transgression and live daily to carry their cross? Who can live such a transformed, transfigured life?

Surely, those are words to fear. Follow Jesus, and you will be expected to carry the cross. The sinner in us should recoil! And fear!

And yet the story of the Transfiguration continues. Jesus approached the prostrate, fearful disciples. He touched them, and said “Get up, and do not be afraid.” So, AT God’s Word, sinners recoil. But BY God’s Word, sinners are restored. Raised to new life. Given a life free from the fear of God’s punishment. In short, we experience a death to the self, and our lives of sin. And we live in Christ’s unveiled glory.

The awe and wonder of the Transfiguration demonstrates God’s power. His majesty. His awesome wonder and glory. And the authority of His Word! Just like being underneath a rocket at take-off, it’s a lot to take in! We can’t help but recoil! Yet, Jesus demonstrates that He’s merciful. Humble. Gentle. Kind.

So, for us today – how can we hear God’s Word, listen to His voice, and follow His command, without fear?

The Old Testament shows the path to peace with God. Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and the 70 elders went to the mountain to speak with God. But what happened first before they approached a holy God? They were covered by the blood of the covenant before approaching God on the mountain. And so then, they beheld a marvelous sight – they saw God. But they didn’t die. Why? Because they’ve been cleansed of their sin by means of blood. They gazed at God and ate and drank.

         Is there a better picture to describe our eating and drinking with our Savior? Here, in faith, we behold God. We eat and drink with Him as the host of this sacred meal, and yet, we eat and drink the crucified and risen body of Jesus. And since this is done in true faith and humility, we don’t FEAR Him. Rather, we REJOICE in Him, because the blood of the new covenant comes to us today through Christ who has cleansed us of all our sin.

So today, when the Word of God exposes your sin, don’t hide as Adam did. For the same voice that condemns your sin is the voice that says, “Rise, and do not be afraid.” At God’s Word, we fall; by God’s Word, we are raised — and in Christ, we behold His glory without fear. So, take eat, and take drink. And trust your Savior’s Word – ‘This is MY body, This is MY blood given and shed FOR YOU, for the forgiviness of ALL your sins.’

INI

Pastor Joshua Ralston