Do You Need A Mountaintop Experience? Matthew 17:1-13

The Transfiguration

17 After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. 

Six days after Jesus had predicted his death to his disciples, he has a special experience in mind for them, where he will give them a glimpse of his future glory.  Jesus decided to invite only his inner circle of three disciples, not the others.  

"The name of the ‘high mountain’ can never be known; for those who knew the locality have left no information. Tabor, if you please; Hermon, if you prefer it. No one can decide." (Spurgeon)

This is where we probably get the term "mountaintop experience". 

2 There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. 3 Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.

"The word transfigured speaks of a transformation, not merely a change in outward appearance. The effect was extremely striking; Jesus became so bright in appearance that He was even difficult to look at (like the sun)." (Guzik)

“The verb metamorphoo (‘transfigure,’ ‘transform,’ ‘change in form’) suggests a change of inmost nature that may be outwardly visible.” (Carson) 

Miraculously Moses, who was on the earth 1,400 years earlier, and Elijah, 900 years earlier, also appeared gloriously before Jesus.  This would indicate they both were granted eternal life under the old covenant with Abraham, though some think they only appeared symbolically representing the "Law and the Prophets".  It sure would have been interesting to learn what they were talking about.  Luke tells us in 9:31 that they, "spoke of his departure" (lit. exodus).  

4 Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.”

Peter, never the shy one, announces that it is good for them to be there, and offers to build a shelter for each of them.  Luke and Mark comment in their versions that Peter, "Did not know what he was talking about."  Peter was seeing things beyond his comprehension though he tried to make sense of it.  His first error is to put Jesus on the same par with Moses and Elijah. 

The word for "shelter" is also "tabernacle", the tent that the Israelites carried in the desert and where God's presence dwelt.  

"His thoughts travelled back to the records of the Exodus, when the Lord talked with Moses in the tabernacle (Exodus 33:7-10). What if like tabernacles could now be made for those three glorious forms, that all Israel might come and gaze, and hear and worship? Would not this be a better consummation than the shame and death at Jerusalem?" Ellicot

5 While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!”

The bright cloud that covered them was like a cover or shield for them to avoid seeing the holiness and full glory of God.  It was protection from the awesome radiance of the Holy God. This is the same voice and words that came upon Jesus when he was baptized.  This also distinguishes Jesus, as God's Son, from Moses and Elijah. 

Interestingly God the Father doesn't say to listen to Him, but listen to him (meaning Jesus).  This is not to say Jesus has more authority than the Father, but that everything Jesus had done and taught is to be our guide in everything we do.

“If Peter be our master, let us call him so; if Calvin be our master, let us call him so; and if Wesley be our master, let us call him so; but if we be disciples of Jesus, then let us follow Jesus, and follow him with other men only so far as we perceive they followed Christ.” (Spurgeon)

6 When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. 

The the other aspects of the Transfiguration were no doubt "mind blowing", when they heard God's voice they hit the ground trembling.  It must have been a powerful voice like mighty thunder and a thousand streams of gushing water. 

Psalm 18:13 says,

"The LORD thundered from heaven, And the Most High uttered His voice, Hailstones and coals of fire."

7 But Jesus came and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don’t be afraid.” 8 When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus.

Jesus once again mediates between God and us.  He touches them and tells them to get up and not be afraid. "The disciples were once again uniquely in awe of Jesus. This helps explain the purpose of the Transfiguration: to reassure the disciples that Jesus was the Messiah, even if He would indeed be crucified as He had so surprisingly revealed." (Guzik)

It would make sense that this event would follow Jesus' prediction of his humiliation, suffering, and death.  Though Jesus would humble himself on the cross, he would be raised to life in great and promised glory!  I am sure the remembrance of this scene would help the disciples when they were in the midst of their grief between Good Friday and Easter.

9 As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus instructed them, “Don’t tell anyone what you have seen, until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”

This may seem like a strange request, yet Jesus did not want to do anything that might put up a roadblock in his journey to the cross. Obviously after Jesus rose from the dead, this story was transmitted orally so that Matthew, Mark and Luke all include the story of the Transfiguration in their gospels. 

10 The disciples asked him, “Why then do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?”

This question is related to the fact that they had just seen Elijah and he was gone.  They wondered how would it be if Elijah has already come that they should not tell anybody that they saw him.

11 Jesus replied, “To be sure, Elijah comes and will restore all things. 

These next two verses are confusing because taken literally its seems as if Jesus is contradicting himself.  Wait a minute Jesus is Elijah coming, or has he already come like he states in the next verse.

Importantly this is referring to a verse from Malachi 4:5 which helps understand what this might mean. 

"Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord."

The day of the Lord was a time of judgment for the nations who persecuted the Israelites, but also was a reference to the end times and the final judgment.  

"But the first coming of Jesus did not bring the great and dreadful day of the LORD. Instead, the Malachi 4:5 coming of Elijah is probably best identified with the appearance of the two witnesses of Revelation 11:3-13, and then the Second Coming of Jesus."  Guzik

12 But I tell you, Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but have done to him everything they wished. In the same way the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands.” 

In this verse Jesus clearly refers to John the Baptist, who came in the Spirit of the prophet Elijah and announced his own coming into the word.  John the Baptist was beheaded in the same way Jesus would be crucified by the Jewish leaders.  

 13 Then the disciples understood that he was talking to them about John the Baptist.

Finally, though they did make the connection between John the Baptist and Elijah.  What a day for these disciples, and there has never been one like it since! 

Have you ever had a "mountaintop experience"? What was it like?  Do you think God still reveals himself in similar ways to us today?  I think we have to be careful and not compare our experience of God with others' experience!  We all have different personalities and I believe God reveals himself in different ways just like he revealed himself differently to the three disciples, the twelve disciples and the 70 disciples.

IMPORTANT: The most important revelation of God is through His Son Jesus.  If we know who Jesus is, what He did for us on the cross and believe in Him, we know God. We experience God's amazing grace and receive the Holy Spirit as the gift of His presence and peace.  Even the experience of receiving the Holy Spirit might be different emotionally speaking for different people.  I.e. some cry or speak in tongues, some just experience a deep down love, joy and peace.  

The key thing is not to confuse emotion and experience with the objective means of grace which God revealed to each of us when He sent Jesus to become one of us, die for our sins, and rise from the dead proving He was the one and only Son of God!