Title: Transfiguration of Jesus/Matthew 17:1-3
Contents
I. The Three Chosen Disciples
A. Peter, John, and James
Prior to his public life, Jesus chose twelve disciples to be with them everywhere, and he also raised 70 disciples. Among them, the Lord accompanied Peter and John James when there were particularly important events. The reason is that the Lord considered these beliefs worthy to be used.
Later, Peter served as an apostle of faith and power, James served as an outstanding church leader and was martyred, and John contributed to laying the foundations of the church as a profound theologian.
B. Experiencing Jesus' being the Christ
C. Reasons for choosing the three disciples
The reason Jesus chose Peter, John, and James was to let them know that He was the Savior of mankind sent by God, and to make them His witnesses.
In Caesarea Philippi, the disciples seemed to pass the gate to the apostolate successfully by answering the Lord's question, 'Who do you say I am?', saying, 'You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.' But then, when Jesus went up to Jerusalem and was hated by the leaders at the time, he suffered, died, and was resurrected. The disciples, represented by Peter, showed that they had not yet matured as apostles. In response, Jesus allowed them to experience deep and spiritual grace, educating them to become true witnesses of the two or three Jesus as prescribed by the law.
II. transfiguration of jesus
A. The appearance and meaning of change
When Jesus went up the mountain with three of his disciples, he was transfigured in front of them, so that his face shone like the sun and his clothes became white as light. This appearance cannot be described with specific human language. A caterpillar transforms into a beautiful butterfly, and a small seed matures into a beautiful flower. However, it can be said that the change of Jesus is not a gradual change, but a symbolic change according to the work and attributes of Jesus. It is like when Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the stone tablets of the two witnesses, his face lit up, and the people realized that Moses belonged to God (Exodus 34:29-35).
It was a holy change to testify that Jesus was the Savior.
B. One-Time Events
The experience of the Mount of Transfiguration experienced by Peter, John, and James was a one-time event. The work of Jesus teaching, preaching, and healing after that continued until the crucifixion, but the disciples did not ask for the event of change again, and Jesus did not try to show such evidence. A once in a lifetime experience is enough to experience the living God of God and that Jesus is the Redeemer. It is as if a wedding ceremony is important to a couple, but they are satisfied with one occasion. No matter how ecstatic the saint's experience may be, you must know that if you demand only that ecstatic experience, your faith will not mature and there will be no fruit. After the conviction of experience, they are teaching us that it is important to live a life of walking with the Lord in truth.
C. God the subject
The event that Jesus went up to the mountain and changed in front of the disciples was connected with the appearance of Moses and Elijah and the event of a bright cloud in the sky. In the face of this beautiful, terrifying and trembling event, the disciples discovered and heard the voice of Jehovah God, who is the subject. God is the subject of all things big and small. It is God who established Jesus as the Savior and who made Peter, John, and James the witnesses of faith.
III. Moses and Elijah
A. Moses as a symbol of the law
Moses appeared when Israel was under Egyptian oppression before forming a nation. Moses was born about 1500 years before the activity of Jesus. He was born to Amram and Jochebed of the Levites, and was raised in hiding at first, but with the help of a wise mother and sister, he became the son of Pharaoh's princess and learned Egyptian culture until he was forty I did. When he tried to save his people, he was rejected, so he fled to the wilderness of Midian, where he spent another 40 years in refuge. And while shepherding the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, he was called by God from the flames of thorns on Mount Horeb, and brought out his people who were slaves in Egypt. became self.
B. Prophet Elijah
The prophet Elijah was a Tishphite who was active in the reign of King Ahab and Ahaziah of Northern Israel around 900 BC. Elijah was miraculously provided with bodily food three times in his life while performing his ministry while standing on the side of God (1 Kings 17:6, 15, 19: 5-8).
According to God's revelation, he impeached King Ahab, and made it rain again for three years and six months in the country that had committed idolatry. He was a warrior who prayed that fire fell on the altar from heaven against the prophet Baal, and he raised Elisha, a great successor, and eventually ascended to heaven on a fire horse, a chariot of fire and a whirlwind, becoming a symbolic figure of prophecy.
C. Jesus at the apex of law and prophecy
When Jesus was transfigured in front of the disciples, a strange phenomenon appeared before their eyes. Moses, the symbol of the law, appeared, and Elijah, the symbol of prophecy, appeared before Jesus and had a conversation with Jesus. It was the same as what he said to Peter after he had made a good confession of faith, saying that only when he died in Jerusalem would the salvation of mankind be accomplished (Luke 9:31).