Christ’s Transfiguration was to Influence

Christ’s Transfiguration was not just an event, but an event that was meant to influence. We earlier saw that Jesus spoke to Moses and Elijah about his departure (same word as Exodus).

They spoke about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem. (Lk 9:31)

Jesus may have compared his departure to Moses’ exodus. Moses led the children of Israel out of Egypt to their Promised Land. Christ was going to lead his people out of their sin and the righteous out of Sheol into Heaven. Christ may also have discussed with Moses about his own death, and how symbolic Elijah would become for Israel as he would represent the time of their Messiah coming to them.

If Moses and Elijah were truly transported from their time, they were being taught what Jesus was about to do. We went over what being with Christ at his Transfiguration meant for these two important people in Israel’s past but their present. What does the Transfiguration mean for us today?

While Moses and Elijah may or may not have been transported through time to the Transfiguration with Christ, the Transfiguration is a timeless event with great significance. It helps us to put all that Christ said in its proper context. When Jesus talked about he and God being one (Jn 10:30), this helps us to realize he was speaking literally and not metaphorically. He was both man and God in human form. He was not partly one or the other but fully man and fully God. Because of his divinity, he was the only one who could die for everyone, take on the sin of everyone, and pay for the sin of all mankind (1Jn 2:2).

This helps us to see the proper order of how he fulfilled Scripture: Christ had to take care of the spiritual aspects of prophecy before he could take care of the physical aspects of prophecy. Everything written about him and what he will accomplish will still come to pass

As Moses and Elijah gave hope to Israel about their coming Messiah and how they would one day be with him forever no matter in which time they lived, Jesus is our hope and assurity of us being with him forever.

Christ’s Transfiguration gives us assurity in him and in his promises to us. Christ identified with mankind by being born into our world to identify with us. He came as an infant so he could experience every aspect of humanity: being a toddler, an awkward adolescent, a young man, all the experiences that go with each stage of human development. When he says he knows us, he really does know us and what we are going through. But he not only experienced our lives, but Christ died for our sins to solve our sin problem so that we could be reconciled back to God and have a relationship with him. He considered a relationship with us more important than maintaining a spirit oneness with God the Father. He is no longer spirit, but has a glorified body (1Ti 2:5) just as we one day will have (Ro 6:5; 1 Co 15:49; 1Jn 3:2). Christ will one day return as our victor and reign over us bringing in a utopian society with peace and harmony between mankind and over the animal kingdom, and so he can be among us and fellowship with us for all eternity. God is a relational being and desires to have an eternal relationship with us, so Christ, as God the Son, was willing to sacrifice so much for us because his love for us superseded everything else.

One main question that arises from these observations and the impact this had on Moses and Elijah is the following: Can others tell we have been with Christ?

Moses and Elijah got out of the way and let Yahweh shine through them. This was only accomplished by spending time with him. It was physically evident that Moses had been with God. His face literally shone from his time spent within God’s Shekinah glory. What about Elijah? The shining of his face waned over time, but that was not his only transformation. He became one of the boldest prophets ever. His demeanor before and after his encounter with God is profound. Just by his actions and demeanor, everyone knew he had been with God and spent time with him.

This is true for us today as well. We need to spend time with Christ. Moses and Elijah became like the moon, reflecting God’s glory. They had no glory of their own but reflected God’s glory to others. Are we doing the same? By doing so, Moses and Elijah became much greater than who they could have become on their own. In Jewish circles, Moses and Elijah became highly revered-not just because of what they did but because they allowed God to work through them.

What about you? Do people see Christ when they look at you? So how do we become like Moses and Elijah to reflect Christ in our lives?

As we live in this new year, there are three things we need to ensure:

1.      Surrender to who Christ is:

He has identified with us (Pp 2:8); he had redeemed us (Tt 2:14); he promises to be with us for eternity (Ro 6:23). Because of his Transfiguration, we can better understand his divinity which gives us the ability to trust his word as truth.

2.      Surrender to who the Holy Spirit is:

He has promised to indwell us (Ro 5:5) and empower us (Ep 3:20); he has promised to always be with us (2Jn 2:2); he has promised to lead and direct us (2Co 2:14) if we let him. As we yield to him and his prompting, we can be assured we are doing the will of Christ.

3.      The work has been done for us:

We only have to submit (Ja 4:7); we only have to let him lead (2Co 2:14); we only have to follow (1Co 11:1). Christ’s Transfiguration ensures the profitability of our present and our future. If we yield completely to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and do what they command and prompt us to do, we can have the best year ever!

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens