Jesus Transfigured - Part 2

Six days later Jesus took with Him Peter and James and John his brother, and led them up on a high mountain by themselves. And He was transfigured before them; and His face shone like the sun, and His garments became as white as light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him (Matthew 17:1-3).

In the metamorphosis of a caterpillar to a butterfly, the transformation is progressive and permanent. In the transfiguration of Jesus, the transformation was immediate, yet temporary. The glory of Christ in heaven was cloaked or concealed in human flesh at His incarnation (when He became the baby born to Mary in Bethlehem). For 33 years the glory of Christ was not seen by men other than through His transfiguration. 

We are told in Scripture that . . . the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:14), and in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form (Colossians 2:9). In the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus prayed (John 17:5) Now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was. The Apostle wrote of Jesus (Hebrews 1:3) . . . He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature . . . .

What is that glory of God that was concealed by His human flesh? Scripture says this glory is manifest as a brilliant light, brighter than the sun. That is confirmed by the Apostle Paul’s conversion testimony to King Herod Agrippa (Acts 26:12-13), While so engaged as I was journeying to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests, at midday, O King, I saw on the way a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining all around me and those who were journeying with me.

The glory of God is the brilliance and purity and holiness of His essence, character, and nature as God. The glory of creation has been corrupted, is temporary and fading because of sin. The glory of God can never be corrupted and is not temporary or fading because the essence of creation and the essence of God are vastly different in substance, type, and nature.

The glory of God is not material like the glory of the sun. It is revealed as brilliant white light, but that is so that we can understand it. The glory of God is who God is as revealed in the perfection of His attributes: holy, righteous, sovereign Lord, Creator, all powerful, all knowing, all present, eternal, the only true God, love, justice, merciful, gracious, etc. The glory of Christ is the same as the glory of God because He is God. As it was cloaked in His incarnation, and briefly revealed in His transfiguration, it was fully restored in His resurrection and ascension.

“Lord Jesus, we can never truly understand Your glory until we experience it when we see You face to face. We wait for Your glory to be revealed when You return to establish Your Kingdom here on earth. May that time come quickly. To Your praise and honor I ask, Amen.”

Pastor