Mark 9:2-10 and Matthew 17:1-9 record for us what is called the Transfiguration of Christ. As the inner circle of disciples - Peter, James, and John - witness this, they are afraid and are speechless because Elijah and Moses are there with Jesus. How would you have reacted if you saw men who had been dead for hundreds of years fully alive? What happens next is typical in that Peter boldly goes where no other dares -- he speaks up. His suggestion is that 3 tabernacles should be constructed on this spot: one for each of those special individuals. The language of Matthew seems to indicate that he wanted to be the one to build those tabernacles, thereby, stepping ahead of the rest once again.
Before we give Peter too much grief here, let's think about where this is recorded -- in the Gospel of Mark. Why is that significant? Remember, Mark was not one of the 12 disciples but was a companion of Peter. Scholars believe that Mark was recording for Peter the account of his time with Christ. If that is the case, then Peter was truly a humble person because he shared this time when he spoke brashly and would be challenged for it. This example reveals the post-"feed my sheep" Peter of John 21 because we see he now understands. Would you be that forthcoming??
I digress, so let's get back to the point. If the story was not interesting enough, it takes a wonderful turn. In both passages and following Peter's statement, a cloud moves in to overshadow them (verse 7). The structure points to the fact that this cloud concealed Moses and Elijah, then God's voice is heard stating: "This is my beloved Son: Hear Him!" This moment is special because it challenges Peter's desire to build a tabernacle for all three and promotes a focus on the One -- Jesus Christ.
The phrase "hear him" is a reference back to Deuteronomy 18:15,18-19. In this passage, Moses revealed to Israel that the Lord would "raise up a Prophet" to whom they must listen. He continues by saying that this Prophet would speak the words of God, and those who refused to listen to Him would be held accountable by God. Lest you think that these two words in Mark and Matthew do not refer back to this passage, let's take a look at John 1:45-46. Philip goes to find Nathanael to bring him to Jesus and note the specific language: "We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law." Is this coincidence? I think not and neither did Philip because he told Nathanael to "come and see"!! At the Transfiguration, God the Father was making a very clear statement about Jesus the Son -- He was the Messiah, the promised one!!
Why focus on this small part of the Transfiguration account? Simply, because God wants all distractions eliminated for the disciples and to guarantee they understand what is most important -- Jesus Christ. God clearly wishes to protect His glory because, as Scripture says many times, He is a jealous God. Jonathan Edwards, in John Piper's God's Passion for His glory, on page 20 is recorded as saying: “It is one great reason why speculative points [of doctrine] are thought to be of so little importance, that the modern religion consists so little in respect to the divine Being, and almost wholly in benevolence to men.” That's it!!
Modern Christians (myself included) have become so entangled in things that we forget the most important thing - rather the most important One. We have allowed the distractions of the world, which are carefully crafted by Satan to be appealing, to draw our focus away. The end result is a Christianity that is weak and hard to discern for those who to not know Christ. Why is it that we don't "have to pray over" spending an extra $100 on some items that we wish to purchase, but we need to "pray about" giving an extra $100 to our church? The answer is simple: we have a great love for the materials than the Messiah.
May we rid our lives of these distractions so that we follow Matthew 5:16 and that the precious glory of God will shine through us into a ever-darkening world!
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