I love it!
Thank you to Pastor Amy and the creative team for putting these monologues together. I love how Peter said, “When I don’t know what to do with myself, I just start talking!!” Can anyone here relate to that?? When I don’t know what to do with myself, when I feel awkward or anxious, I just start talking, and I often regret what comes out of my mouth! This has certainly been true for me!
I’ll give you an example. One day, many years ago, I was in Chicago for a concert with my friend Heather. We were there to see one of my all-time favorite bands, and as we were walking up to the venue, I saw him.
VernonReid.jpg
I saw the guitarist for the band we were about to see, about to pass me on the sidewalk in broad daylight ahead of the show! Now, Heather didn’t know who he was; she wasn’t a fan. But I knew - I’m about to have a brush with greatness! It’s him! One of my guitar heroes in the flesh! This man shreds!
My heart was pounding. What do I say? Do I say nothing? I can’t just pretend I don’t know who he is?! He’s… He’s…
He was about to pass me. It was now or never. I had to act.
And what came out of my mouth next was something that would make me cringe for the rest of my life!
We made eye contact. And now HE knew that I knew who he was. Involuntarily, I stretched out my hands. I don’t know! I was on autopilot. He looked perplexed. And that’s when I said it to him, out loud, I said, “can I touch the hands?”
That’s it. “Can I touch the hands?” Like a creep! I heard the words leave my mouth, and the next thing I remember is his sympathetic nervous laughter as I walked toward him with my arms stretched out like a zombie! And then I think I blacked out. I don’t know, I had never been that star-struck before! I don’t even remember what happened next. Did I continue to ramble incoherently? I don’t know. How could I know?
I just know that when my central nervous system was overloaded, my entire system crashed, and I mindlessly threw myself into a situation with a rock icon, blurting out the dumbest introductory sentence imaginable!
“When I don’t know what to do with myself, I just start talking…”
And that’s why I relate to Peter! Do you relate to Peter? Yeah. Lots of us do.
But this morning’s passage should come as some comfort to any of us who have ever suffered the kind of embarrassment that can only come from saying something stupid.
But before we dive in, would you pray with me?
[Pray]
We’ve made it to the 3rd and final week of our mini-series within a series, all about the Apostle Peter—the disciple with hams for fists.
Ok, maybe not literal hams, but… for the last 2 weeks we’ve been studying a sequence of events in the book of Matthew, all involving the ambitious, lovable, but often impulsive disciple, whom Jesus affectionately nicknamed “Rock.” Which is the 2nd greatest nickname of all time, second only to “THE SONS OF THUNDER,” who we’ll see in a minute.
But for the past 2 weeks in a row, Barry has used the expression “ham-fisted” to describe the bumbling Apostle Peter. And I have to admit, that was a new one for me. I had to look it up! Ham-fisted?! What in the world??? But it turns out the expression means: exactly what it sounds like it means!
It means:
● “Having strength, with no precision or skill.”
It means:
● “Doing something without thought, with no subtlety or nuance.”
● “It involves the idea of using force rather than skill.”
And I got to hand it to Barry—that does sound a lot like Peter! Or at least, it sounds a lot like what we’ve seen from Peter up to this point.
In week one of our Peter mini-series, Barry reminded us that the book of Matthew is a story of fulfillment. And we’ve seen how Jesus is the fulfilment of Old Testament prophecy all throughout this Matthew mega-series, and each week of this Peter mini-series:
In Matthew 14, the story of Peter walking on water, Jesus identifies himself with 2 words: ego emi-"I AM!"
He uses the same two words that we find in the Greek translation of the Old Testament - ego emi - the words God used when he introduced himself to Moses at the burning bush: I AM. God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.”
Jesus, who is God in the flesh, identifies himself the same way: “I AM” he says to his frightened disciples in Matthew 14 - the I AM is here.”
Last week, in Matthew chapter 16, we saw Jesus ask his disciples, “Who do YOU say I am?”
And our hero Peter, in a moment of triumph, responds immediately with great faith, “You are the Messiah,” he says, “The Son of the Living God!”
And Jesus calls him blessed! He says you couldn’t have known this on your own! My Father has revealed to you the truth about who I AM! And from now on, I’m going to call you “Rock!” And I’m going to build my church upon this “rock” and the very gates of Hades won’t prevail against it!
My goodness! What an incredible “mountaintop experience” this must have been for Peter! To be adulated publicly by the Son of the Living God! He must’ve felt like he was on top of the world!
But we all know the problem with mountain top experiences. They don’t last.
That’s as true for us as it was for Peter, because the very next passage in Matthew 16, right after this moment of triumph, an overconfident Peter steps out of line and Jesus rebukes him publicly with the now infamous words “Get behind me, Satan!”
He says:
“You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.” Matthew 16:23
Which brings us to our story for today.
● We’ve seen Jesus identify himself, “the I AM is here.”
● We’ve seen him ask his disciples, “Who do you say I AM?”
● And now, in today’s passage, we will see who God says Jesus is!
So, turn with me in your Bibles to Matthew chapter 17, that’s page 815 if you’re using a house Bible.
Today, we come to one of the most critical moments in the life of Jesus! Matthew chapter 17 begins with what’s known as “The Transfiguration”. This miraculous moment in Jesus’ life is recorded in all three synoptic gospels.
Matthew, Mark, and Luke all bear witness to this cosmic event, but for our purposes this morning, we’ll be camping out in Matthew, with a bit of input from Mark and Luke’s accounts.
Now, we don’t use the word “transfiguration” very often these days, but it comes from the Greek word {meh-tah-mor-FOH-oh},
Metamorphoó: to change, specifically, “to change after being with.”
It’s obviously where we get the word “metamorphosis.” But as we read the story together, especially as we consider Peter’s own dramatic transformation, I want us to ask ourselves: who is this story for?
So hopefully you’re there by now, and you can read along with me in Matthew chapter 17, starting at verse 1:
Matthew 17:1
17 Six days later Jesus took Peter and the two brothers, James and John, and led them up a high mountain to be alone.
Right away, we have to pause! Where are the other guys? Jesus took Peter and the two brothers, James and John. So why not the other disciples? Why did Jesus choose only these 3 to go hiking with? Well, the text doesn’t explicitly tell us why, but we can make some educated guesses.
Peter, James, and John were Jesus' closest friends, often called his “inner circle.” There’s the 12, and then there’s the three! In fact, there are a few instances where Jesus chose only these three to be with him:
● Earlier, when he raised Jairus’ daughter from the dead, he brought these three.
● Here on the Mount of Transfiguration, he took only these three
● And later, in the Garden of Gethsemane, he chose these three to go a little farther in with him, asking them to stay and keep watch.
Jesus had an especially close relationship with these three disciples. He even gave them “nicknames.” Simon became Peter, or “Rock,” and James and John he renamed the “Sons of Thunder!” We already know how Peter got his nickname, but it’s worth mentioning the kind of brothers that James and John were.
There’s a story about these 2, where Jesus and the disciples wanted to stay overnight in a Samaritan village, but the townspeople wouldn’t welcome them.
James and John did not take rejection very well, and they wanted revenge on the town. So they ask Jesus, “Lord, should we call down fire from Heaven and BURN THEM?!” And just as He did with Peter, Jesus rebuked them both!
So James and John are fiery, impetuous, and sometimes aggressive - just like Peter. So this made me wonder. I have a theory…
Remember how Jesus rebukes Peter in Matthew 16? He says:
“You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.” Matthew 16:23
So this is my theory: I wonder if Jesus took these 3 hotheads with him — Rock and the Sons of Thunder — because he knew they needed their perspectives adjusted!
It’s just a theory, but I find it interesting that Jesus took these three guys, all of them, hams for fists, prone to impulsivity, no subtlety, no nuance. These brash, overly confident disciples frequently saw things only from a human point of view, but they needed to learn to see things from God’s perspective!
So Jesus invited them up the mountain…
We’ll pick the story up in verse 2:
2 As the men watched, Jesus’ appearance was transformed so that his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as light. 3 Suddenly, Moses and Elijah appeared and began talking with Jesus.
PAUSE!!!
Remember, Peter, James, and John are Jesus’ closest disciples. They’ve gone everywhere with him, but they’ve never seen him like this before! Not only was Jesus glowing - as white as light! But suddenly, Moses and Elijah show up and begin talking with Jesus. Now, Luke’s account tells us what they were talking about:
“...They were speaking about Jesus’ exodus from this world, which was about to be fulfilled in Jerusalem.” Luke 9:31
Just one chapter earlier, Jesus began telling his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem, suffer, and die!! Now he’s talking about that very thing with Moses and Elijah!!
Remember, Matthew is a story of fulfillment, and here we see Jesus standing with 2 of the greatest Old Testament heroes, Moses, to whom God gave the law, and Elijah, the prophet. But Jesus’ human form is utterly changed into a beam of light! Outshining both Moses and Elijah! Matthew is writing to show us that Jesus is greater than the law of Moses and the prophets. Jesus IS the fulfillment of Old Testament law and prophecy!
It’s also worth mentioning that there are lots of parallels to Moses in this passage, so many that we don’t have time to get to all of them this morning - we can tease that out further on the podcast this week. But it’s important to remember that Moses, in the book of Exodus, led God’s people out of bondage and slavery in Egypt. Now he’s pictured here, talking to Jesus about his impending Exodus!
Also, when Moses climbed a mountain and met with God, the skin of his face shone so brightly that when he came down the mountain, the people made him wear a veil to cover his face! He was glowing, and they were terrified!
Now we see Jesus, who IS light, being transformed, Metamorphoó! Transfigured into pure light, revealing his true nature!
But unlike Moses, he didn’t take on the glow of something else. He himself was pure Light!
This is a spectacular sight! The kind that would overload anyone’s central nervous system, and cause they’re entire system to crash. And like me, when Peter doesn’t know what to do with himself, he just starts talking:
Verse 4:
4 Peter exclaimed, “Lord, it’s wonderful for us to be here! If you want, I’ll make three shelters as memorials[a]—one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”
5 But even as he spoke, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy. Listen to him.” 6 The disciples were terrified and fell face down on the ground.
Of course, Peter would be the only one blabbing during a jaw-dropping cosmic event!!
Mark’s account of this story adds a special twist that becomes even more significant when we consider that many scholars believe Peter himself dictated this gospel with Mark as his scribe. In Mark chapter 9 verse 5 we read:
Mark 9:5 Peter exclaimed, “Rabbi, it’s wonderful for us to be here! Let’s make three shelters as memorials—one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” 6 He said this because he didn’t really know what else to say, for they were all terrified.
I love Mark’s addition! He said this, because he didn’t really know what else to say! This was Peter’s “can I touch the hands” moment! System overloaded, total crash, autopilot “say something, anything!”
“It’s so good that we’re here? Let’s make shelters!?!”
…By the way, if you want more information about these shelters, check the fun fact in the sermon notes on the app!
But that’s what he says! ‘It’s a good thing we’re here! If you want, I’ll start building things!’
But the scripture tells us in Matthew 17:5 that even as he was talking, a bright cloud overshadowed them and a voice interrupted him:
“This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy. Listen to him.”
And with that, Peter hit the ground! They all hit the ground! Scripture says they were terrified!!
But just then, in verse 7:
7 Then Jesus came over and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don’t be afraid.” 8 And when they looked up, Moses and Elijah were gone, and they saw only Jesus.
They saw ONLY JESUS! With their faces still to the ground, frozen by fear, Jesus came to them, touched them, uplifted them, and comforted them with these words: “Don’t be afraid.” Jesus loves them, right where they are. But he loves them too much to leave them there!
These three especially short-sighted disciples had their human perspectives divinely adjusted on this mountaintop - this “mountain-top” experience. And Peter, who only a chapter before had been reprimanded for not seeing things from God’s point of view, had now heard the other-worldly, audible voice of God! God himself, identifying Jesus as his dearly-loved son. Not a prophet like Elijah, or a divinely-appointed human like Moses, no, Jesus is God’s own son! Peter heard this and saw, with his own eyes, the divine nature of Jesus, the brilliance and glory of the Son of the Living God!
This brightness is the physical attribute of God’s glory! The word "glory" here is Doxa; it’s the same word John uses in the book of Revelation when he describes the new heavens and the new Earth! The same John who witnessed the Transfiguration writes this in Revelation 21, he says:
Revelation 21:22 I saw no temple in the city, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. 23 And the city has no need of sun or moon, for the glory of God illuminates the city, and the Lamb is its light. 24 The nations will walk in its light, and the kings of the world will enter the city in all their glory.
The glory of God illuminates the city, and the LAMB is its LIGHT!! And the nations will walk in that light! Hallelujah!
These hotheaded disciples had a mountain-top experience that would totally alter their perception! Eventually, all 3 of them would mature into powerful witnesses to the gospel. They have seen the glory of the Son of the Living God, and ultimately, they will spend the rest of their lives boldly testifying to that glory and suffering for the cause of Christ!
But first, they have to come down from the mountain.
That’s the thing about mountain-top experiences. They don’t last.
Verse 9:
9 As they went back down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, “Don’t tell anyone what you have seen until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”
10 Then his disciples asked him, “Why do the teachers of religious law insist that Elijah must return before the Messiah comes?”
11 Jesus replied, “Elijah is indeed coming first to get everything ready. 12 But I tell you, Elijah has already come, but he wasn’t recognized, and they chose to abuse him. And in the same way they will also make the Son of Man suffer.” 13 Then the disciples realized he was talking about John the Baptist.
On their way down from this mountain-top experience, before they’d even reached the ground, the questions began. They’d just witnessed the most spectacular event of their lives, and all they could think about was “that prophecy in Malachi that says Elijah must return ‘before the great and dreadful day of the Lord arrives?’”
And I think this is an indication of what happened to them on the mountain; evidence of their own transformation: They’re asking Jesus to help them understand what God meant when He spoke through the prophet Malachi.
They were asking Jesus to help them see things from God’s perspective.
Verse 13 says:
And then the disciples realized…
Perspective adjusted.
This story in Matthew 17 has so much to teach us:
● about the divine nature of Jesus, and his relationship to God the Father, and the love shared between them!
● About the glory of God and his elemental power and authority!
● About the meaning of Old Testament imagery and the fulfilment of prophecy!
● About Jesus' tender love, mercy, and patience toward his disciples. He loves them right where they are! But he loves them too much to leave them there!
The story also leaves us with burning questions:
● About the afterlife. Moses and Elijah appeared in human form. What does that suggest about life after death?
● It leaves us with questions about the event itself.
○ Was this meant to encourage Jesus on his way to Jerusalem?
○ What were Moses and Elijah saying?
○ Did Jesus need to be encouraged?
○ And why did God repeat, nearly word for word, what he said at Jesus’ baptism:
“This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy.”
And why the added command:
“This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy. Listen to him.”
Listen to Him! The voice was addressed to the disciples:
“This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy. Listen to him.”
Listen to Him!
Maybe God added that last part because anxious Peter couldn’t stop talking! Because he was letting the fearful voice in his own head take control of his thoughts, words, and actions, instead of bowing before the Radiant One, the Light of the World? Maybe those words were meant to arrest Peter’s attention! To get him out of his head! To humble him, and to change him.
“This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy. Listen to him.”
Maybe those words are meant to arrest OUR attention! To get us out of our own heads! To humble US! And to change us!
… Like they ultimately changed Peter! He wasn’t perfected on the mountaintop! As we’ll see in the weeks ahead, He wasn’t finished making mistakes! But this moment on the mountain changed him!
Look at what he writes in 2 Peter chapter 1. He says:
2 Peter 1:16 For we were not making up clever stories when we told you about the powerful coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. We saw his majestic splendor with our own eyes 17 when he received honor and glory from God the Father. The voice from the majestic glory of God said to him, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy.” 18 We ourselves heard that voice from heaven when we were with him on the holy mountain.
19 Because of that experience, we have even greater confidence in the message proclaimed by the prophets. You must pay close attention to what they wrote, for their words are like a lamp shining in a dark place—until the Day dawns, and Christ the Morning Star shines in your hearts. 20 Above all, you must realize that no prophecy in Scripture ever came from the prophet’s own understanding, 21 or from human initiative. No, those prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit, and they spoke from God.
Remember that question about the prophet Malachi? Peter gets it now. He has even greater confidence in the prophets, in God’s messengers - because no prophecy ever came from the prophet’s own human understanding! God’s message can’t be limited to a mere human point of view! The prophets spoke from God’s perspective, moved by the Holy Spirit!
And so did Peter! In Acts chapter 4, we see him, along with John, one half of the Sons of Thunder. They were now filled with the Spirit and were being confronted by some of the most powerful and highly educated people in their society! Acts 4:13 says:
Acts 4:13 “The members of the council were amazed when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, for they could see that they were ordinary men with no special training in the Scriptures. They also recognized them as men who had been with Jesus.”
Ordinary men who had been with Jesus! No special training in the Scriptures, speaking boldly before the most educated minds of their time. Our impetuous hotheads had been changed after being with Jesus!
Metamorphoó: “to change after being with.”
Even Peter, our clumsy, ham-fisted hero, had been so utterly transformed by the Spirit of God that he became an eloquent public speaker! He learned to see things from God’s perspective, announcing the arrival of the New Covenant in Christ Jesus! And he did so, boldly, until the day he was crucified.
Now, I’m getting too far ahead of myself - because today’s story leaves us in the valley.
I do want you to see glimpses of who Peter became, but for now, in Matthew 17, he’s still on his journey. He’s coming down from the mountain top, descending into the valley.
Because that’s the thing about mountain-top experiences. They don’t last.
For every mountain top, there’s a valley:
● A valley of questioning.
● A valley of tears.
● A valley of bewilderment.
For every mountain-top there is a valley, but for every valley, there’s a mountain-top!
Life is a series of highs and lows, but wherever you find yourself this morning, on the mountain-top, in the valley, or somewhere in between, know this: Jesus loves you right where you are! But he loves you too much to leave you there! And the same thing that was true for Peter is true for us today:
Jesus has the power to transform your life.
Jesus has the power to transform your life!
● Are you at all like Peter? Do you jump without thinking, just fumbling through life? Do you feel defined by your mistakes? Here’s the good news:
○ The Light of the World has come for you. To define you by a new name! Even with all your faults, Jesus still has the power to transform your life—to give your life purpose and meaning beyond your wildest imagination!
● Are you hotheaded? Are you angry right now, wishing you could call down fire from Heaven? Do you relate to the Sons of Thunder? I know I do, and if that’s you, I have good news.
○ The Light of the World has come for you, too! The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can not overcome it! There is coming a day when the nations will walk in His light! And that same Light, the Lamb of God, says that until that day comes, YOU are the light of the world! You are like a city on a hill that can not be hidden.
The Light of the world has come for YOU, to help you see things from His perspective and then to use you as His messenger, his light spreader! The Light of the World has come to transform YOU and make you more like HIM! Scripture says:
Romans 12:2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
And guess what?! That word for “transform” is the same word we see in the Transfiguration - Metamorphoó: “to change after being with.” Be with God and let him transform you.
● And finally, are you frozen with fear? Are you trembling with your face to the ground? My fearful friend, I have good, good news!
○ The Light of the world has come for you! To touch you, uplift you, and comfort you with these words: “Don’t be afraid.”
Hear the word of the Lord, “Don’t be afraid.”
Jesus loves YOU, right where you are. But he loves you too much to leave you there!
2 Corinthians 3:12 Since this new way gives us such confidence, we can be very bold. 13 We are not like Moses, who put a veil over his face so the people of Israel would not see the glory, even though it was destined to fade away… 16 But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17 For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.
All of us can see and reflect the glory of God! All of us can be changed! Metamorphoó! Transfigured - changed by being with! It is the Spirit who empowers us to change! And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him!
Jesus has the power to transform your life.
Just as he did for Peter! All it takes is surrender!
How might the Spirit change you? How might Jesus transform your life?! He loves you right where you are. He just loves you too much to leave you there!
Surrender to Jesus. Again and again. Surrender to his comfort and his correction. LISTEN TO HIM! Listen to his written word - the word is alive! Listen to His Holy Spirit! Learn to see things from His perspective! Surrender your WHOLE LIFE to Jesus. Your identity, your anger, your mistakes and your fears! Don’t just give Him your heart. Give him your life.