This set of devotional readings on the Transfiguration were conceived whilst on sabbatical from St Nicholas Sevenoaks wandering around the mountain peaks of the French Alps near Bernex, courtesy of hospitality from our good friends, Paul and Janet Batchelor. They were completed a few weeks later on the Hedley Atkins Ward at Guy’s Hospital in London. Perhaps this was as clear a sign as any that holidays aren’t supposed to last for ever but more significantly that the lessons learned on the mountain peaks need to be lived out amidst the darkest valleys of our own experiences, in doing so preparing us for our glorious life with Christ in glory.
These devotional studies are dedicated to our five grandchildren, Henry, George, Freddie, Phoebe and Rupert with the prayerful hope that as they grow they would encounter the Lord Jesus in all his glory.
Pope Callixtus III has a lot to answer for. Most of us won’t have ever heard of him before but he was the person responsible for linking the Feast of the Transfiguration to a date in the year when many of us are on holiday. Of course he had his reasons. In 1456 the Muslim Ottoman ruler, having already captured Constantinople a few years earlier, had decided to expand into Christian Europe. In July his forces came to Belgrade, after which most of central Europe would be at his mercy. However the siege of Belgrade was a turning point. Remarkably the defenders were not only able to resist but ultimately mount a successful counterattack. In recognition of this amazing deliverance, the Pope wanted to make a suitable public statement to express thanks to God. I am sure that there were all sorts of options open to him but in his wisdom he decided to commemorate 6 August as the Feast of the Transfiguration. And so, whilst every Christian knows which date to focus on the birth of Christ or His death and resurrection, most years we will skip past one of the key moments relating to the identity of Christ in the church year … because we’re on holiday.
It’s the same with the ascension of Christ, always on a Thursday ten days before Pentecost, another neglected area in our Christian thinking. But at the very least the Ascension is linked firmly with the Resurrection of Christ. Having been raised from the dead, Jesus then ascends to the Father in order that His Spirit will be poured out, before His eventual return. So at least the ascension features within our biblical framework even if it also languishes slightly on the sidelines.
But the Transfiguration of Christ appears to have no particular tie to any other part of the Church year other than the date allocated by Pope Callixtus III. Of course it can be read and studied at any point in any season. It’s also true that preachers can select from any of the synoptic gospels or even from 2 Peter 1:16-18 in order to feast on its message whenever they desire. Yet, because there is no fixed date other than in the middle of the annual school summer holidays, these passages tend to have no home and the Transfiguration floats around in our consciousness adrift from everything else. As a consequence it can become neglected with the result that we miss out on the wonders of one of the most precious incidents in the gospels.
So, given that the Feast of the Transfiguration is likely to remain linked to 6 August for the foreseeable future I have a suggestion. Why not make a virtue out of this date falling right in the middle of the school holiday season? Why not focus our holiday devotional times with the Lord on the Transfiguration? If we are fortunate enough to have two weeks set aside out of our normal routines, how about spending time feeding from this portion of God’s word in order to be nourished more and more in our appreciation of the Lord Jesus Christ? What about considering the idea of slowing down in our devotional life in order to savour more of the identity of our Lord Jesus Christ so that, rather than rushing from one passage to the next, we linger with one main passage and explore all the hidden depths that we can?
The fourteen brief explorations which follow are designed to bring this neglected area back into focus. Based primarily on Matthew’s version but considering the special insights provided by both Mark and Luke, the aim is to encounter Christ … the same Christ revealed at the Transfiguration! What a blessing it would be for us to return from our holidays not only physically recharged but also spiritually refreshed, having spent time looking at this Jesus. So even if Pope Callixtus III has unwittingly relegated the Transfiguration into a backwater of church life, let us use the opportunity provided by summer holidays and changes in routine to see the prayer of Paul in Ephesians 1:17 answered so that each of us might ‘know Christ better’.
I use satnav but I prefer maps. Of course satnav is a wonderful tool to enable you to get to your holiday destination, provided you spell correctly in order to ensure that you are not directed to a similar sounding place a few hundred miles away. But there is a problem: though satnav can get you there, it doesn’t really show you where you are. A good Ordnance Survey map, at least in the hands of someone who knows which way up it should be held, provides the context. It helps to show how the single point of your destination relates to the whole of the surrounding countryside.
It’s the same with the Bible. It’s great to look at a particular verse or passage. But it will make much more sense when you are able to understand the surroundings. In other words the context will always help to make sense of the text. So, as we prepare to make Matthew 17:1-8 our holiday destination for the next few weeks we are deliberately going to get the map out first and look at the surrounding countryside so that we can see exactly where we are. We’ll need to focus on more than a verse or two as we’ll want to try to get a good view of the whole area. However, the aim of this first study is not to notice every single detail but to help us get our bearings for Matthew 17:1-8.
21 From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. 22 And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.” 23 But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”
24 Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 26 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul? 27 For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done. 28 Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”
‘From that time on …’ (16:21) introduces a new section within Matthew’s Gospel. The phrase was previously used at 4:17 to introduce Jesus’ public ministry. In getting an overview of Matthew, it is apparent that his first main section 4:17-16:20 focuses on the identity of the Lord Jesus Christ. It culminates in Peter’s recognition that Jesus is ‘the Christ, the Son of the living God’ (16:16). The second main section runs from 16:21 onwards and introduces the momentous theme that Jesus will ‘go to Jerusalem, suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised’. Jesus’ suffering, death and resurrection will take us to the end of the Gospel.
A very similar division is also apparent within Mark’s Gospel. It starts with the headline at Mark 1:1 ‘The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God’. Part one of Mark comes to a climax with Peter’s recognition that Jesus is the Christ (Mark 8:29). Part two comes to a climax with Jesus on the cross and the centurion’s recognition ‘Truly this man was the Son of God’ (Mark 15:39). So, Matthew and Mark follow the same broad approach of revealing the identity of Christ before moving on to consider His suffering, death and resurrection.
Indeed each of the synoptic gospels, Matthew, Mark and Luke, include the Transfiguration at exactly the same point in their narratives.
| Matthew | Mark | Luke | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Peter's confession of Christ | 16:13-20 | 8:27-30 | 9:18-20 |
| Jesus' prediction of the cross | 16:21-23 | 8:31-33 | 9:21-22 |
| The call to the disciples | 16:24-26 | 8:34-37 | 9:23-25 |
| Jesus' prediction of return | 16:27 | 8:38 | 9:26 |
| Introducing the Transfiguration | 16:28 | 9:1 | 9:27 |
| The Transfiguration | 17:1-8 | 9:2-8 | 9:28-36 |
So, what is happening in this new section of the Gospel?
First, we hear the paradoxical truth that Jesus, who has just been acknowledged as God’s anointed ruler (the Christ), is going to suffer and die in Jerusalem. It’s paradoxical because it simply doesn’t appear to make sense for the long hoped-for leader to die. That’s certainly how Peter assessed the situation (16:22). Yet Jesus’ robust reply (16:23) makes it crystal clear that Peter’s human perspective was completely wrong – he needed to see things from God’s perspective. In the coming days Jesus would reveal how His death would be a necessity (he must go – 16:21) so that the forgiveness of our sins would be made possible (26:28).
Second, Jesus speaks not just of His suffering and death but also of His resurrection (16:21) and future return in glory (16:27). Death would not be the end. Instead Jesus opens their eyes to the future and tells them of His glorious return as Judge. Not only is He revealing Himself as Saviour through His sacrificial death but He is also declaring Himself to be the Lord. The cross will be followed by the crown.
Third, within this section, Jesus instructs His disciples (16:24-26). Their pattern of life is to be shaped by the journey of Christ Himself. Just as Christ would take up His cross before entering glory, so that pattern must be embraced by His disciples. So, following Jesus will involve taking up the cross (16:24). Although such self denial is costly and is described by Jesus as ‘losing your life’ (16:25) the rewards are glorious. Refusing to embrace the pattern of the cross now is a recipe for disaster (16:26). Holding on to the crown now will only lead to suffering later. The cross followed by the crown is the journey which Jesus marks out both for Himself and His followers.
But, if we were to put ourselves into the sandals of Peter and the other disciples, how do we know for sure that suffering will be followed by glory? If they are being encouraged to follow the pattern of what will happen to the Lord Jesus, how do they know that this Jesus whom they have been following will end up in glory? And if they are unsure about what will happen to Jesus, how can they have confidence that their journey following Jesus will also end up in glory? These are the questions which will introduce our next study and prepare the way for the significance of the Transfiguration.
Almighty God,
whose most dear Son went not up to joy but first he suffered pain, and entered not into glory before he was crucified:
mercifully grant that we, walking in the way of the cross,
may find it none other than the way of life and peace;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.
(Collect for The Third Sunday of Lent)
For as long as I can remember, holidays have always been about mountains. Annual trips up to my father’s family took us through Glencoe and under the shadow of Ben Nevis. Soon the summits of these impressive mountains became an almost magnetic attraction, first on my own, then with Sue my wife and then with our children. Alongside the amazing vistas which opened up as we ascended, we battled with midges, rain and the occasional complaint. But when we arrived at the summit it always seemed worth it. Sometimes the view from the top was minimal with the whole mountain shrouded in mist but occasionally it would be stunning as we looked out across the Highlands and Islands to distant shores. Whatever the weather, it was always memorable.
As we explore our next section we see Jesus leading three of His disciples on their own mountain climbing expedition. We’re not told the details about the weather conditions or whether any of them complained about the pace on the ascent. But it was certainly one of the most memorable experiences these disciples ever had.
28 Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.” 1 And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves.
Yesterday we finished our study by reminding ourselves that the pattern of discipleship for believers is to follow the journey of the Lord Jesus. Just as He will take up His cross before entering glory so we are to embrace that same pattern in our own lives. The cross comes before the crown (16:21-27).
But, how could the first disciples know that glory would arrive in the future, either for Jesus or for themselves? They may well have known that when Jesus referred to Himself as ‘the Son of Man’ at 16:27 He was highlighting the way in which He would fulfil Daniel 7:13,14. “I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.” But though it’s great to hear Jesus’ assertion that all this would certainly happen, the disciples were clearly lacking in confidence. They needed reassurance.
So, at this point in His teaching Jesus solemnly declares to the disciples (‘Truly, I say to you’) that some of them will get an insight into Jesus’ coming in glory before they ‘taste death.’ Perhaps Jesus uses this slightly strange phrase because the normal pattern is that in taking up our cross (16:24) we will indeed taste the sadness and pain of physical death before we experience resurrection and the glory of eternal life with Christ.
What is it that they will experience? Luke records that they will see the kingdom of God (Luke 9:27). Mark develops this further by referring to the fact that they will see the kingdom of God come with power (Mark 9:1). Matthew however keeps the focus on the person of the Lord Jesus. The power of the kingdom of God will be experienced only when they see the Son of Man coming. The future glory to which Matthew is referring is therefore not a place but a person! His focus is not so much on ‘heaven’ but on Jesus Himself, whose powerful presence is heaven.
But when will this experience for some of the disciples occur? All sorts of answers have been suggested by faithful Bible teachers. The possibilities include the resurrection of Jesus, the day of Pentecost or somehow Jesus’ ongoing ministry after the ascension as the church multiplied across the Mediterranean lands. All these examples seek to give substance to the idea of the power of the kingdom of God being experienced. However, the most natural interpretation recognises that immediately after this prediction each of the synoptic gospels introduces an indicator of time. So Matthew and Mark state ‘and after six days’ Jesus took three of the disciples up a high mountain. Given the fact that it is relatively rare in the synoptic gospels to have such a time reference, it seems to indicate that the events on the mountain will explain what it means for Jesus as the Son of Man to come in His kingdom.
In other words, what Jesus is doing in this incident as He leads the three disciples up the mountain is to provide reassurance that what He has already promised at 16:27, based on Daniel 7:13,14, will indeed happen. He wants them to have no doubt at all that He will enter His glory. That means they in turn can have complete confidence that, as they follow the pattern of Jesus in their own lives, they also will experience the glory of Christ.
What do we make of the differences between Luke and the others about the length of time between the conversation and the trip up the mountain? Whereas Matthew and Mark inform us that it was a period six days later, Luke refers to eight days. In actual fact Luke’s statement is much more of an approximation – ‘about eight days after Jesus said this’ (Luke 9:28) – so there may be no substantive discrepancy. However, it may be that Luke has a particular theological reason for the eight day comment. Since Genesis speaks of creation in seven days, it means that the ‘eighth day’ is the first day of the new week. It may well be that Luke wants his readers to see the glorified Jesus surrounded by believers from both the Old Testament (Moses and Elijah) and the New Testament (Peter, James and John) as the start of God’s new creation. This is the new day which we long for that will be fully inaugurated when Jesus comes in power.
So, as we leave Jesus and the three disciples ascending the high mountain we notice that they were ‘by themselves’ (Matthew, Mark). There were no crowds, just three believers with Jesus. As they climbed higher I wonder if they were thinking about the view. What they needed to know and what they were soon to learn is that Jesus is the view. As they kept their focus on Jesus they would discover far more about His true identity. Not only would this strengthen their faith in Christ but it was designed to give them greater confidence that, as they embraced the cross, one day they would also share Christ’s glory.
O God, the protector of all who trust in you,
without whom nothing is strong, nothing is holy:
increase and multiply upon us your mercy;
that with you as our ruler and guide
we may so pass through things temporal
that we lose not our hold on things eternal;
grant this, heavenly Father,
for our Lord Jesus Christ’s sake,
who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen
(Collect for The Fourth Sunday after Trinity)
Holidays are all about sightseeing. Having negotiated all the discomforts of travel you’ve now arrived in Mauritius/Madrid/Margate (delete as required). You’re armed with your trusty travel guide and now it’s decision time as you make your plans about what to see. Admittedly Madrid might not have the cultural pull of Margate but I’m sure that you’ll find something to see. And so you wander around art galleries, old churches, historic monuments or take in a beautiful coastal panorama or sunset. You try to catch a few moments with your camera so that when it’s all over you have the opportunity to bore your friends or family with a myriad ill-composed, out-of-focus shots. Some of the photos are stunning and find their way onto Facebook – ‘look what I’ve seen!’
Yet however many sights you’ve seen and however many likes you’ve had on your Instagram account, there is quite literally nothing that can compare with what Peter, James and John see on their trip up the mountain.
And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light.
Luke tells us that Jesus’ appearance changed whilst Matthew and Mark specifically use the word ‘transfigured’. Rather than dwell too much on the exact meaning of the word it’s probably simplest to see how the gospel authors describe this event.
We start with Jesus’ clothing. Luke describes how it became as bright as a flash of lightning, a gleaming, blinding bolt from heaven (Luke 9:29). Matthew says something similar by speaking of Jesus’ clothes as white as light. Mark corroborates all this but tries to paint the picture by reference to someone making or washing clothing. ‘His clothes became radiant, intensely white, as no one on earth could bleach them’ (Mark 9:3). So, to whichever writer we turn, we are being told that the brightness and whiteness of the clothing was distinctly unearthly – it seemed to have a heavenly origin because of its radiance and brilliance.
At this point Matthew brings his distinctive perspective into play once again. Mark passes over any description of Jesus’ face whilst Luke simply states that His appearance changed. Matthew however says that ‘His face shone like the sun’. Yes, the clothes were dazzling, but Matthew is captivated by the witness that Jesus’ face embodied an even greater brilliance. This is the feature that holds our gaze.
Later the apostle John, who was present at the Transfiguration, will record his own vision of Christ when he was in exile on Patmos. He describes his experience in this manner at Revelation 1:12-16: “12 Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest. 14 The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, 15 his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters. 16 In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength.” As with Matthew, the brilliant clothing is mentioned but the stress is also on the face of Christ shining like the sun at full strength.
Here we have a glorious vision of the Lord Jesus in all His glory. Soon in our passage we will come across Moses whose face also shone brightly after every encounter with the LORD (see Exodus 34:29-35). But the difference between Moses and Jesus is the difference between the moon and the sun. The moon reflects the light of the sun but does not produce any light itself. In contrast, light continually emanates from the sun wherever we are, whatever the time or season. So it is with the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
In ascending the mountain it was as if the disciples had broken through into heaven itself. In this rarefied atmosphere they were now encountering Jesus as the second person of the Trinity in all His glory. Just as the seraphim in Isaiah 6 covered their faces because of the brilliance of God’s holiness so John informs us that they, like Isaiah, were in the presence of the King, the Lord Jesus (see John 12:40,41 NIV). Now these three disciples are also gazing at Jesus with His divinity shining through. They are standing in the very presence of God Himself. It was as if they were in the Holy of Holies at the very centre of the tabernacle. Yet that is the very place to which all believers are destined to proceed. No wonder the vision at the end of Revelation states that there would no longer be the need for the light of the sun because of the glory streaming from Christ: “They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign for ever and ever.” (Rev 22:4,5).
Our views of the Lord Jesus are often so diminished. Despite what we read in the Scriptures our minds are so distracted, weak and feeble that we soon reduce Jesus to someone refashioned in our own image. No wonder our faith is small and weak as we put reducing amounts of confidence in this diminished Christ. But here in Matthew 17:2 the disciples are given the antidote to such small views. Here they have been given a preview of the ascended Lord Jesus on His glorious throne.
God our creator,
who in the beginning
commanded the light to shine out of darkness:
we pray that the light of the glorious gospel of Christ
may dispel the darkness of ignorance and unbelief,
shine into the hearts of all your people,
and reveal the knowledge of your glory in the face of Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.
(Collect for The Fourth Sunday of Epiphany)
Holidays involve meeting new people. Out of the normal routines of home, neighbourhood and work we bump into all sorts of individuals whom we wouldn’t normally encounter. Perhaps we see them at the airport or at the next table at the taverna. Some we may struggle to communicate with in a coherent way. Others are wearing exotic clothing which is not available in the shops back home. It can be a wonderful though sometimes daunting experience as we rub shoulders with complete strangers.
As we rejoin Peter, James and John on their mountain trip they have already had the disturbing experience of seeing Jesus’ appearance change. But now they are joined by two people they had heard about but whom they had never met before. I wonder if they needed to be formally introduced by Jesus or whether they picked up on their names as the conversation proceeded. Either way, they had now been joined by Moses and Elijah!
And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him.
Luke helpfully informs us that both Moses and Elijah appeared in ‘glorious splendour’ (Luke 9:30 NIV). Now living in heaven their appearance reflected that reality. Just as Moses’ face reflected the glory of encountering God in Exodus 34 so their continuous life in God’s presence had an effect on them as surely as constant exposure to the sun has an effect in tanning our skin. But there is no hint that God’s glory shone from within as is described to be the case with Jesus by Matthew.
Mark and Matthew pass over this observation. For some reason Mark refers to Elijah first, perhaps because he started his Gospel with a reference to Jesus’ forerunner, John the Baptist, who fulfilled the Elijah role of getting people ready to meet Christ. Either way Moses and Elijah together represent the Law and the Prophets and therefore in a sense encapsulate the combined witness of the Old Testament in pointing forward to the work of Jesus as Messiah.
There is one passage in particular which links the ministries of Moses, Elijah and the Lord Jesus in a fascinating way – Malachi 4. “1 For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble. The day that is coming shall set them ablaze, says the Lord of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch. 2 But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall. 3 And you shall tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet, on the day when I act, says the Lord of hosts. 4 “Remember the law of my servant Moses, the statutes and rules that I commanded him at Horeb for all Israel. 5 “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. 6 And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.”
As the prophet Malachi brings to a close our English versions of the Old Testament, believers are left with the Law of the Lord delivered by Moses (Mal 4:4) and the promise of a new Elijah figure who would prepare the way for the coming of the Lord (Mal 4:5,6). All through the centuries after Malachi God’s people would have access to the word of God outlining God’s ways but also highlighting their sin. All through those days they would be longing for another prophet to point the way towards the coming Lord so that they could be ready to meet Him.
But the climax of the Malachi passage is the focus on the coming of the Lord Himself. Fascinatingly He is described in this way: ‘the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings’. How appropriate that Matthew has thought to inform us that the Lord Jesus presides over this scene on the mountain with His face shining like the sun. Given this description from Malachi it is surely no coincidence that Jesus’ next step as ‘the sun of righteousness’ is to head down the mountain and to shed the light of the gospel in the darkest of valleys and to bring ‘healing in His wings’ as He lovingly cares for a demon-possessed boy (Matt 17:18).
Once again therefore these links with Malachi 4 help us not to be distracted. It’s wonderful to meet Moses and Elijah but they are only servants preparing the way for God’s people to encounter the glory of the Lord Jesus whose mission is to bring light and healing, life and joy. Just as the hotel staff are all there to serve you and welcome you to your room or table, so Moses and Elijah have exercised their ministries in order to pave the way for the coming of Jesus.
We’ll explore the conversation that Jesus had with Moses and Elijah in our next study but it would certainly have been appropriate for the disciples to have used the words, penned centuries later, of Charles Wesley’s great Christmas hymn:
Hail the heav’n-born Prince of Peace!
Hail the Son of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings,
Ris’n with healing in His wings.
Mild He lays His glory by,
Born that man no more may die,
Born to raise the sons of earth,
Born to give them second birth.
Hark! The herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King!”
O Lord Jesus Christ,
who at your first coming sent your messenger
to prepare your way before you:
grant that the ministers and stewards of your mysteries
may likewise so prepare and make ready your way
by turning the hearts of the disobedient to the wisdom of the just,
that at your second coming to judge the world
we may be found an acceptable people in your sight;
for you are alive and reign with the Father
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen
(Collect for The Third Sunday of Advent)
Travelling over the holiday season can be fraught with difficulty. Strikes by baggage handlers at Heathrow or traffic jams on the M6 can play havoc with all our meticulous plans. By temperament some of us are more cautious and like to leave plenty of time to ensure that our departure goes smoothly but, even so, sometimes we are left biting our nails as we see the window for our next travel connection slowly erode. Or perhaps you have memories of needing to get back to the house in order to check whether the iron was switched off or to pick up the passports. Whatever the scenario, departures need careful planning and are often the topic of animated conversation.
It was the same on the mountain as the disciples listened in on the extraordinary scene as Jesus engaged in conversation with Moses and Elijah. They were talking about Jesus’ plans for a departure. This time we move to Luke’s Gospel to find out the details.
30 And behold, two men were talking with him, Moses and Elijah, 31 who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.
Whilst Matthew and Mark both refer to the fact that there was indeed a conversation between Jesus and the two characters from the Old Testament, only Luke informs us about the content of their discussion. They were speaking about Jesus’ impending departure. However the actual word that Luke uses is pregnant with meaning. Literally, they spoke about Jesus’ exodus.
Exodus refers simply to ‘the way out’ and so ‘departure’ is a fair enough translation, adopted by many translators. Yet the fact that Luke uses this specific word is very significant. He wants his readers to realise that Jesus’ departure cannot fully be understood without an understanding of the Biblical background recorded in the Book of Exodus. As we return to that historical episode we see God’s people described as ‘God’s firstborn son’ (Ex 4:22). Though suffering in slavery under Pharaoh they are to find a way out, an exodus, through the death of the Passover Lamb and via the Red Sea. The whole purpose of this exodus was not simply to escape from Egypt. It was so that God’s people (His son!) could enter into His glorious presence within the tabernacle. That is where the Book of Exodus ends, with God dwelling in the tabernacle in the midst of His gathered people (though it takes the Book of Leviticus to describe how God’s people would be able to enter His presence). So the theme of the exodus is the purchase of God’s people so that they can enter God’s presence.
Given that background, we can start to see how significant the content of Jesus’ conversation with Moses and Elijah was on the mountain. Jesus is preparing Himself not just for a departure in terms of His forthcoming death that He had just predicted (Luke 9:22). He is preparing for a very specific sort of death as the Passover Lamb that would enable God’s people to enter God’s presence. No wonder Luke’s Gospel ends with Jesus lifting up His hands and blessing His people just like the High Priest, signalling that sins have been forgiven and that access into God’s presence has been granted (Luke 24:50-52). He Himself will go through death to resurrection life at the right hand of the Father just as God’s people (God’s son! – Ex 4:22) would go through the Red Sea to emerge in God’s presence on Mount Sinai. In all of these links Luke is reminding his readers how Jesus saw these things to be fulfilled in Himself. Indeed on the Emmaus Road he patiently explained these things to two discouraged followers. ‘And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself’ (Luke 24:27).
Indeed the theme of ‘fulfilment’ or what has been ‘accomplished’ (same word) is one of Luke’s key themes. He starts his Gospel by referring to it as ‘a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us’ (Luke 1:1). He ends his Gospel by recording Jesus’ words to his disciples that ‘everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled’ (Luke 24:44). And right at the turning point of his narrative he records Jesus speaking at the Transfiguration about ‘his exodus which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem’ (Luke 9:31).
How grateful we should be to Luke for recording the subject of this precious conversation. We are not left simply to gaze in wonder at the glorious identity of the Lord Jesus but we are to be thrilled by the reminder that He had determined to fulfil a particular departure at Jerusalem, on a cross, in order that the true purpose of the exodus might be accomplished so that all of God’s people might be gathered around God’s glorious presence. For that to happen, Jesus would have to descend from the mountain top into the deepest and darkest valley … a journey that He shortly planned to embark on. ‘When the days drew near for Jesus to be taken up, He set His face to go to Jerusalem’ (Luke 9:51). Amazingly, in this departure He had us in mind.
Father in heaven,
whose Son Jesus Christ was wonderfully transfigured
before chosen witnesses upon the holy mountain,
and spoke of the exodus he would accomplish at Jerusalem:
give us strength so to hear his voice and bear our cross
that in the world to come we may see him as he is;
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.
(Collect for The Transfiguration of our Lord)
When you’re on holiday you can end up doing some stupid things simply because you don’t really understand the language, the culture or the identities of the people around you. At the hotel you lean back in your chair and ask a smartly dressed man wearing an immaculately ironed white shirt for a coffee, only to realise later in embarrassment that he is actually a fellow guest. Or perhaps on the basis of the information you have gleaned from your out of date travel guide you start informing your family and others about the history behind a particular landmark, correcting the helpful input from a bystander … whom you later discover is the guest lecturer on the cruise and happens to be a recently retired Professor of History. We can all get things wrong, especially when we are out of context, surrounded by strangers; it’s not that difficult to make mistakes.
It is at this point in the narrative of the Transfiguration that Peter opens his mouth. There is a limited amount of logic to what he says, but ultimately he shows that he has completely missed the point. In doing so he helps us to learn from his mistakes!
And Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.”
In reconstructing what happened we’ll need first to turn back to Luke’s account. Alone amongst the Gospels Luke records that Jesus had ascended the mountain to pray. That fact is mentioned twice (Luke 9:28,29). Indeed it was as Jesus was praying to His Father that He was transfigured. But when Jesus starts to pray the disciples do not have a particularly good track record of staying awake. Certainly later on in the Garden of Gethsemane the disciples sleep as Jesus prays (Luke 22:45,46) and that appears to be the case here. Whilst Jesus is transfigured and Moses and Elijah appear on the mountain, Peter, James and John are described as being ‘heavy with sleep’ (Luke 9:32). As they take in the scene around them they quickly become fully awake – one can easily imagine the increasing shock as they point in stunned silence at what they are witnessing! At this point in the narrative Mark adds that they were all frightened (Mark 9:6). What on earth had happened as they dozed? Had they died and been transported to heaven? Or were they about to be judged as they looked into the blazing brightness of Jesus’ face? They were totally dumbfounded by the scene that greeted them. Both Mark and Luke are in agreement that as Peter opened his mouth he had no idea what he was saying (Mark 9:6; Luke 9:33). No wonder, having just woken up, he got things so badly wrong!
Yet it wasn’t all wrong. His short speech started well, ‘Lord, it is good for us to be here ….’ He then puts forward his great idea, ‘I will make three tents here, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah’. The word he uses can be translated as tent, shelter or booth. The idea of building such tents came from the wilderness wanderings of God’s people following the exodus. The Feast of Booths occurred as a sort of harvest festival near the end of the year (see Lev 23:33-43). It was to be a regular reminder to God’s people that they had been rescued from the land of Egypt and had to live in temporary shelters while they travelled to the Promised Land. Perhaps, given Peter’s suggestion, it is even possible that the transfiguration happened at that very time of year. Indeed there are some intriguing links that are worth exploring.
Notice the details of what is said in Leviticus 23:26-34 (NIV): The Lord said to Moses, 27 “The tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement. Hold a sacred assembly and deny yourselves, and present a food offering to the Lord. 28 Do not do any work on that day, because it is the Day of Atonement, when atonement is made for you before the Lord your God. 29 Those who do not deny themselves on that day must be cut off from their people. 30 I will destroy from among their people anyone who does any work on that day. 31 You shall do no work at all. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come, wherever you live. 32 It is a day of sabbath rest for you, and you must deny yourselves. From the evening of the ninth day of the month until the following evening you are to observe your sabbath.”
33 The Lord said to Moses, 34 “Say to the Israelites: ‘On the fifteenth day of the seventh month the Lord’s Festival of Tabernacles begins, and it lasts for seven days.
This passage starts with instructions about the Day of Atonement at which various sacrifices, including the scapegoat, enabled the tabernacle to be cleansed and the people forgiven. It is a period in which God’s people must deny themselves (see Lev 23:27,32). It is to be held on the tenth day of the seventh month. It is then followed six days later, counting inclusively as would be the normal practice, on the fifteenth day of the same month by the Feast of Tabernacles. Given this specific background, how striking it is that Jesus introduces the prediction of His atoning death (Matt 16:21), follows it up by a call for the disciples to deny themselves (Matt 16:24) and then six days later (Matt 17:1) Peter speaks about erecting booths on the mountain!
So, it may well be that at some level Peter is on the right track, though he barely knows what he is saying! Atonement is not an end in itself but is designed to lead to believers dwelling in God’s presence on God’s holy mountain.
And yet … Peter had also got it so wrong! Three shelters with one each for Jesus, Moses and Elijah seems to be based on some sort of equivalence – that they’re all special people within God’s purposes, so ‘let’s treat them the same and give each of them a shelter’ seems to be his underlying assumption. This is where Peter is so wrong. It will be John who will use the same word to speak of Jesus as the Word became flesh who dwelt, or tabernacled, amongst us (John 1:14). In other words Jesus Himself in His very person is the place of God’s presence. He is the temple (John 2:18-21), the tabernacle, the place where we meet with God the Father (John 14:9,10). Though Peter had correctly identified Jesus as the Christ (Matt 16:16) he had failed to see Jesus as the very presence of God Himself. The correct response was worship and adoration, not clumsy attempts to do something that unwittingly diminished Jesus’ status.
O Lord, we beseech you mercifully to hear the prayers of your people who call upon you;
and grant that they may both perceive and know what things they ought to do,
and also may have grace and power faithfully to fulfil them;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen
(Collect for The Sixteenth Sunday after Trinity)
‘Quick! Look over there!’ We were on holiday on a boat off the coast of Iceland along with a large party all hoping to see whales. We immediately turned as instructed and were rewarded with the sight of a large humpback whale surfacing effortlessly a short distance away. Though not completely unexpected, the view was exhilarating and took our breath away. Over the next thirty minutes there were regular sightings each time punctuated by calls to look in a particular direction. We were so grateful to those who had first directed our attention to something happening on the other side of the boat. It was a sight that we would not want to have missed. We watched in silent awe.
So it was that at this point in the narrative the three disciples also heard a voice directing their attention. As we shall see they were also filled with awe at the sight before them. But what held their attention was far more astounding than what we witnessed off the coast of Iceland.
He (Peter) was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.”
Matthew does not want us to miss anything. One of his distinctive words is ‘Behold!’. In the older translations it is often rendered as ‘Lo!’. Many translators regard the word as redundant and leave no trace of the word in their translation but that would be a serious mistake. It has the idea of drawing something to our attention with a note of urgency. So Matthew starts his gospel by speaking of Joseph’s puzzlement about Mary’s pregnancy. Should he quietly divorce her? But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. (Matt 1:20). Similarly at the end of his gospel account the Risen Jesus addresses the disciples, “And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matt 28:20). There are some things which simply must be pointed out so that you don’t miss them!
In Matthew’s account of the Transfiguration he uses ‘Behold!’ three times. This is often obscured in many of our modern translations. So, for example, the NIV fails to include the word at all. The ESV does better and uses it twice in 17:3 and 17:5 but actually it occurs twice even within verse 5. Literally it says that while Peter was still speaking, behold – a bright cloud overshadowed them and, behold – a voice from the cloud spoke. One can see why the translators may have felt that the word was redundant but from Matthew’s point of view he doesn’t want anyone to miss out on the view. He wants everyone to see the extraordinary event that is now unfolding!
So what’s happening now that is to hold our attention? The first thing to notice is that a cloud has overshadowed them. When climbing mountains in Scotland, being covered by a cloud is usually the sign of rain and the need to put on wet weather clothing. But within the Old Testament the appearance of a cloud denoted the very presence of God. At the end of the Book of Exodus we see this link being made. “Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. 35 And Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud settled on it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. 36 Throughout all their journeys, whenever the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the people of Israel would set out. 37 But if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not set out till the day that it was taken up. 38 For the cloud of the Lord was on the tabernacle by day, and fire was in it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel throughout all their journeys.” (Exodus 40:34-38)
The cloud descending on the Mount of Transfiguration proclaimed the very presence of God the Father. Matthew helpfully adds that it was a ‘bright’ cloud, highlighting that the glory of God shone out from it. Putting together the brightness of the cloud and the brilliance of the face of Jesus we can easily understand the fear attributed to the disciples which Luke reports (Luke 9:34).
Further, Luke has already used the word for ‘cover’ or ‘overshadow’ before in his narrative. It occurs as Mary is addressed by the angel Gabriel. “And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God.” (Luke 1:35). So this is a vision which combines the glory of the Father, the Son and the Spirit. No wonder Matthew does not want to miss out on this view!
But it’s more than a view. It’s also a voice speaking out from the cloud. In our next study we will look at the content of what is said but in the meantime we focus on who is addressed. The words that are spoken from the cloud have largely been spoken before at Jesus’ baptism (see Matthew 3:16,17; Mark 1:10,11; Luke 3:22). The words were addressed directly to Him granting assurance of His identity. But here the words from the cloud are directed not just to Jesus but also, particularly, to the three disciples. Here we have the voice of God giving a personal authentication and verification of the identity of the Lord Jesus for the benefit of the three disciples to which Matthew insists that we pay attention.
So in using ‘behold’ twice within this one verse Matthew is in effect summarising the call of the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Behold … the cloud! Behold … the voice! Look at the glory of God and listen to His voice! Look and listen!
Almighty and everlasting God,
you have given us your servants grace,
by the confession of a true faith,
to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity
and in the power of the divine majesty to worship the Unity:
keep us steadfast in this faith,
that we may evermore be defended from all adversities;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.
(Collect for Trinity Sunday)
As we came down the mountain track towards the end of our holiday we stumbled across a group comprising eight men and women of assorted ages. They wore wetsuits, harnesses and protective helmets. It was the first time we had witnessed canyoning. We saw the last man in the party splash his way through a pool of freezing water to join up with the others. Their next move was to descend a long, steep, waterfall section. Having only just arrived at the scene we had no idea who was who. Yet as we looked, it became very obvious which person was the instructor. As some of the group looked nervously with one eye at the volume of water cascading over the sheer edge they were all intently listening for their next instructions. Those a bit further away strained their necks forward in order to catch every word against the backcloth of the sound of the water crashing on the rocks beneath them. Each person in the group clearly recognised the need to listen attentively.
As we rejoin the disciples on the mountain, covered now in the bright cloud of God’s presence, they have now been left with one simple job – listen!
He (Peter) was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.”
In our last study we focused on the significance of the cloud and Matthew’s encouragement for us to look at the scene. Now we focus on what was actually said. In essence the words repeat what was said to Jesus at His baptism but there are some different emphases highlighted in the Gospel accounts together with one very significant addition.
However, in one sense the voice from the cloud says nothing new. It simply underlines what has already been revealed about Jesus from the Old Testament. No new information is being conveyed, but the words from the cloud gather together three strands to enable the disciples and ourselves to view the ministry of the Lord Jesus with even greater clarity. He is prophet, priest and king.
He is the King. The words ‘This is my Son’ are derived from Psalm 2. “As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill.” I will tell of the decree: The Lord said to me, “You are my Son; today I have begotten you. Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.” (Psalm 2:6-9) God the Father is identifying Jesus with the King described in Psalm 2 who will rule the nations. Matthew has already told us that He is the true David, from whom He is descended (Matt 1:1,6,17). Therefore the One whom they had climbed the mountain alongside and whom they had followed for several years, observing His full humanity, is the One before whom all nations would bow down. All power to subdue every opposition is in His hands. He is the King we need.
He is the Priest. The next words describe Jesus as loved, chosen (Luke 9:35) and as pleasing to God (Matthew 17:5). These various descriptions all appear to come together in Isaiah 42.
Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights;
I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations.
He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street;
a bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench;
he will faithfully bring forth justice.
He will not grow faint or be discouraged till he has established justice in the earth;
and the coastlands wait for his law. (Isaiah 42:1-4)
Upheld by God’s love, this servant is chosen and is precious in His sight. Within the context of Isaiah’s teaching, this is known as the first of the Servant Songs which describes an individual who will suffer and offer his life in order to procure forgiveness and new life for his people (see especially Isaiah 53:4-6). The servant’s ministry is the priestly role of presenting an acceptable offering to the Lord. The message of Isaiah is that this acceptable offering is none other than the servant dying in the place of sinners. Such commitment and sacrifice elicits the love and pleasure of the Father. Though Peter has failed to understand why Jesus must suffer (see Matt 16:22) the voice from the cloud reaffirms that this pathway is the only way forwards to bring forgiveness of sins. He is the Priest we need.
He is the Prophet. The final words ‘Listen to Him!’ had not featured at Jesus’ baptism (see Matt 3:17) but now that the disciples were gathered around Him they needed to hear this final word. Again, originally they had come from the Old Testament, this time from the lips of Moses. “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers—it is to him you shall listen— 16 just as you desired of the Lord your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly, when you said, ‘Let me not hear again the voice of the Lord my God or see this great fire any more, lest I die.’ 17 And the Lord said to me, ‘They are right in what they have spoken. 18 I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. And I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him.” (Deut 18:15-18) Moses had promised that someone from God’s people would come who would be a greater prophet. They must listen to him. The voice from the cloud is affirming that this has now happened. Jesus’ teaching may have seemed puzzling to the disciples both then (Matt 16:24-27) and now. Why should I have to deny myself? Do I have to take up my cross? What’s wrong with investing in this life? And the answer from heaven is ‘Listen to Him! … He knows what He’s talking about.’ He is the Prophet we need.
Right at the centre of Matthew’s gospel the fullness of Jesus’ identity and mission is unveiled. No wonder we’re supposed to look … and listen. Is there anything more crucial for us to do?
Blessed Lord,
who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning:
help us so to hear them,
to read, mark, learn and inwardly digest them
that, through patience, and the comfort of your holy word,
we may embrace and forever hold fast the hope of everlasting life,
which you have given us in our Saviour Jesus Christ,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.
(Collect for The Last Sunday after Trinity)
Apparently anything worth seeing on holiday these days needs to be seen from behind the camera on your phone. A family member diving into the pool gets carefully recorded. The beautifully presented main course at the restaurant must be snapped. The amazing view from the campsite is definitely worth a few images. But the current fascination is that ideally all these different scenes need to include ourselves. Everyone is taking a selfie – this is me in Pisa … this is me at the fish market … this is me and an enormous ice-cream … and so it goes on. We’ve simply got to be at the centre of our holiday pictures. After all, it’s my holiday and I want to record where I’ve been and what I’ve done.
Me at the centre is both totally understandable and also the complete opposite of the Biblical pattern of worship. Me at the centre is the very definition of sin. Christ at the centre is the focus of true worship.
When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were terrified. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Rise, and have no fear.”
Only Matthew provides us with the response of the three disciples to what they had seen and heard from the voice from the cloud. Once again it links into one of Matthew’s key themes which he explores throughout his Gospel. At the start of his Gospel we are introduced to the first worshippers of Jesus, the Magi. When they reach Bethlehem and find Him we read that ‘they fell down and worshipped Him’ (Matthew 2:11). At the other end of the Gospel we see the eleven disciples going up a mountain in Galilee to encounter the Risen Lord Jesus. On seeing Him, ‘they worshipped Him’ (Matthew 28:17) where the word includes the idea of falling to one’s knees in homage. Matthew seems to be saying, that’s what you do when you recognise Jesus for who He is.
More than that, another key idea within Matthew is that when you see Jesus for who He really is you are full of awe, so much so that he uses the word ‘terrified’. The people who witness the paralysed man being completely healed are ‘afraid’ (Matt 9:8). When Jesus dies and an earthquake occurs those standing by ‘were filled with awe’ (Matt 27:54).
So here on the Mount of Transfiguration Matthew shows us that this is an authentic experience of encountering the Lord Jesus Christ by revealing to us that the disciples fell facedown on the ground, filled with great terror. Christ in all His glory as Prophet, Priest and King stood before them. Given those circumstances their response was the only sane thing to do. This wasn’t a time to take a selfie to put on Facebook or Instagram. This was a time to recognise the awesome fact that they were in the presence of God Himself.
This authentic response is corroborated by the apostle John years later. His response is remarkably similar. “In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength.
When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, ‘Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.’” (Rev 1:16-18) He encounters Christ in all His glory and his first reaction is not to sing or dance but to fall down in awe and wonder.
Yet if this vision imprints a mark of Jesus’ awesome power and glory, we should also note His response in verse 7. Seeing His disciples facedown He comes over to them and gently touches them and speaks to them with compassion and love. Just as He gently touches in order to bring healing or even life (Matt 8:3; 9:25) so he touches the disciples to restore and strengthen them. Having already been revealed as the suffering servant of Isaiah 42:1ff Jesus deals with them as indicated in Isaiah 43:3 – the bruised reed He does not break, the smouldering wick He does not snuff out. Instead He gently and carefully touches and restores. Just as He reassured those who fell before Him after the resurrection (Matt 28:9,10) so He breathes words of comfort to the three. His glorious greatness goes hand in glove with His tenderness, love and compassion.
Sometimes as believers we are puzzled about the fear of the Lord. Surely fear is a bad thing which should be banished? But think for a moment about a child on holiday at the seaside. The waves are crashing onto the beach and ripping back down the sand with considerable force. The sea is beautiful but it’s right for it to be considered with great caution because of its overwhelming power. There needs to be an appropriate fear or respect. Yet with an adult holding the infant’s hand the sea can be enjoyed and becomes a source of joy. So it is with Christ. He is to be feared but in His hands we are safe to explore and enjoy all His gracious and sovereign purposes.
So, in these verses Matthew with his distinctive voice has narrated the events in such a way as to reaffirm Christ’s glory whilst introducing His wonderful compassion and tenderness. How we need such an encounter today.
Almighty Father,
who in your great mercy gladdened the disciples with the sight of the risen Lord:
give us such knowledge of his presence with us,
that we may be strengthened and sustained by his risen life
and serve you continually in righteousness and truth;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.
(Collect for The Third Sunday of Easter)
You’re at a busy airport terminal at the start of your holiday. Once again there are cancellations and so the hall is packed with travellers keeping an anxious eye on the proceedings. A murmur floats across the vast space and suddenly people are on the move heading in different directions. Instinctively you grab the handles of your carry-on luggage and start moving, trying to catch sight of the nearest departure board. But though a vast percentage of the occupants have drifted off in varying degrees of urgency your flight has not been called. Your focus must remain on the board alone, not on the others around. Your ultimate destination has nothing to do with what may be happening in your peripheral vision and everything to do with the information which needs to be the focus of your attention.
So it is with the three disciples. There has been so much to take in, so many questions to ask of Moses and Elijah. But their focus at the end must remain on Jesus.
And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.
The three disciples have been through an extraordinary experience. One moment drifting off to sleep after the exhaustion of climbing to the summit. The next not knowing exactly where to look as they try to comprehend the unfolding scene. They try to take in the brilliance of Jesus’ clothing as they also shield themselves from looking too directly at the brightness of His face. They then catch sight of two of the greatest figures from the Old Testament who hadn’t been seen for hundreds and hundreds of years and they listen in to the conversation as it develops between Moses, Elijah and Jesus. Then to cap it all they are enfolded in a bright cloud and they hear words from God Almighty directed specifically to them concerning the Lord Jesus. And then … as quickly as the whole scene came together everything seems to evaporate. Each of the gospel writers has the same testimony, using slightly different wording, to the effect that they were left looking at Jesus alone. By now this is Jesus looking as He had done as they had toiled up the mountain. No brilliant clothing or shining face – just Jesus. It was as if the stage had been filled, accompanied by spotlights and sounds, but now all that remained was one solitary character on whom everyone must now focus their attention
Everything that had happened had been pointing to this conclusion. The clothing and face of Jesus had been designed to point out His true divine identity. The conversation with Moses and Elijah had purposely focused on His true work and mission shortly to be accomplished. The words from the cloud for their benefit had reinforced these things and specifically added the priority of ensuring that above all they must listen to Him. For these disciples, and indeed for all who hear their testimony, Jesus could never be the same. Though now looking as He had always looked they now knew far more. Their vision and understanding of Jesus had been expanded and exploded, never to remain the same. As we shall see in a later study, though Peter’s eyes were often dimmed and somehow he even denied knowing Jesus, eventually the Transfiguration came to have an incredibly decisive hold in his understanding of the Lord Jesus that would be pivotal for the early church (see 2 Peter 1:16-18).
Meeting a loved one arriving for a holiday at a large international airport your eyes scan the vast throng. There are many things which could distract you. But you are focussed on one person. Though they may be unknown to almost everyone else there they hold a special place in your heart. This person loves you, though you often feel unworthy of that love. Then you see the individual and your focus is entirely on them. You embrace and look and listen, oblivious to the chaos around you.
So it is with this ending to the incident on the Mount of Transfiguration. We‘re not meant to be looking anywhere else. Our focus is to be on looking and listening to Him. A little later on, Luke recalls the incident at the home of Martha and Mary (Luke 10:38-42). Martha finds herself distracted with many things but Jesus reminds the assembled company that Mary has found the one thing needed. She is sitting at the feet of this Jesus, looking and listening to Him.
Having filled our minds to the full with each aspect of the Transfiguration we also need to refocus on Christ alone.
Almighty Father,
whose Son was revealed in majesty
before he suffered death upon the cross:
give us grace to perceive his glory,
that we may be strengthened to suffer with him
and be changed into his likeness, from glory to glory;
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen
(Collect for The next Sunday before Lent)
What a contrast! The morning and early afternoon were spent at a remote, unspoilt beauty spot. The waves crashed onto the sand. A couple of windsurfers cheerfully battled against the elements out in the bay. The sun slanted across the landscape picking out some of our favourite haunts. But then all too soon after packing up and getting into the car, we’d hit traffic. We made slow progress down increasingly busy roads before we found ourselves in monotonous suburbia. The holiday was coming to an end and we were heading back to the world of work and routines. Holidays don’t last for ever.
So it was for Jesus and the three disciples. Their mountain top experience had been utterly glorious in virtually every way, with the exception of Peter’s foot-in-mouth episode. But now it was time to return to the darkness of the valley.
9 And as they were coming down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, “Tell no one the vision, until the Son of Man is raised from the dead.” 10 And the disciples asked him, “Then why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?” 11 He answered, “Elijah does come, and he will restore all things. 12 But I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they pleased. So also the Son of Man will certainly suffer at their hands.” 13 Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist.
The three disciples have been present at one of the most genuinely awesome events ever recorded. It was an utterly overwhelming experience. As we have seen Matthew has particularly stressed the face of Christ as being like the sun as well as the brightness of the cloud. Adding to this the weightiness of the words of the voice from the cloud and we can imagine the disciples bursting with a desire to let everybody else know what they had seen and heard.
Yet that is not going to be the way forward. There will come a day, after the resurrection, when they can tell everyone what they have witnessed (Matt 17:9) as indeed Peter will do in his final letter (2 Peter 1:16-18). But for the time being they are to be silent. It seems so puzzling to us. Yet we need to understand that the vision was given specifically as a means of reassurance to the disciples to enable them to have complete confidence that the Lord Jesus will indeed return in all His glory. It must not sidetrack them from the fact that Jesus is heading to the cross (Matt 16:21; 17:12). The path to glory will be via the cross, both for the Lord Jesus and His disciples. And so Jesus leads them down the mountain into the valley as He takes each deliberate step forward that will lead to His sacrificial death for us. The disciples must not preach about glory until they understand the cross.
As they proceed, Jesus also straightens out their thinking about Elijah. Having seen Elijah on the mountain the disciples must have been reflecting on the teaching in Malachi 4 which promised a future Elijah-type ministry. It was on this basis that the teachers of the law said that ‘first Elijah must come’ (Matt 17:10). Might that mean for example that the Elijah whom they had actually seen on the mountain was also going to follow them down and start preaching? All sorts of questions must have been in their mind.
At this point Jesus highlights the way in which the Scriptures are to be fulfilled. An ‘Elijah’ would come with a ministry to restore people back to a relationship with God before the appearance of the Lord. That fitted exactly with John the Baptist’s ministry with his message of repentance and forgiveness. He has been presented as the forerunner, dressed like Elijah, who would prepare the way for the coming of the Lord Jesus (Matt 3:1-12). It is Matthew who makes this connection absolutely clear by inserting a summary at the end of our passage (Matt 17:13) to show that the promised ‘Elijah’ was none other than John the Baptist.
But Jesus does more than simply help the disciples to get the order of events and characters. He reminds them that John the Baptist had been rejected and suffered, his imprisonment being recorded at Matthew 4:12 and his death at Matthew 14:1-12. His enormously powerful ministry had led to suffering and death. So it would be with the Lord Jesus Himself, ‘So also the Son of Man will certainly suffer at their hands’ (Matthew 17:12). The pattern of suffering and death revealed in the forerunner will be seen in Christ.
All this brings us to the point of this passage. The disciples are itching to speak of glory whereas the Lord Jesus is preparing for His death on a cross. The disciples want to speak about what happened on the mountain top whereas the Lord Jesus knows that His true identity will only be fully revealed as He heads down into the valley. The disciples love the mountain top and enjoying great experiences, whereas the Lord Jesus loves sinners and is prepared to go down into the darkest valley for our salvation.
The Reformer Martin Luther spoke of the contrast between theologians of glory and theologians of the cross. One speaks of success and victory, the other speaks of suffering and death. Only one represents the correct route, both for Christ and the believer. Which route are you on?
Most merciful God,
who by the death and resurrection of your Son Jesus Christ
delivered and saved the world:
grant that by faith in him who suffered on the cross
we may triumph in the power of his victory;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.
(Collect for The Fifth Sunday of Lent)
‘I wonder who we’ll see first when we get back home?’ In practice it will usually depend on what time we are driving back. Sometimes it will be an acquaintance walking through the town from the shops. Or perhaps it will be a neighbour parking their car and giving us a welcoming wave of recognition. It might not be until the following morning as one of us heads out to replenish supplies for the fridge. And of course when there is an opportunity to snatch a conversation there is all the local news to catch up on. ‘Have you heard how ill so and so is?’ Unexpected people with unexpected news await you.
So it was as Jesus and the disciples headed down the mountain and into the valley. They encounter an unexpected family struggling with devastating news.
37 On the next day, when they had come down from the mountain, a great crowd met him. 38 And behold, a man from the crowd cried out, “Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, for he is my only child. 39 And behold, a spirit seizes him, and he suddenly cries out. It convulses him so that he foams at the mouth, and shatters him, and will hardly leave him. 40 And I begged your disciples to cast it out, but they could not.” 41 Jesus answered, “O faithless and twisted generation, how long am I to be with you and bear with you? Bring your son here.” 42 While he was coming, the demon threw him to the ground and convulsed him. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit and healed the boy, and gave him back to his father. 43 And all were astonished at the majesty of God.
Having descended from the mountain, Matthew, Mark and Luke all include the incident where Jesus heals a boy with a demon (Matthew 17:14-21; Mark 9:14-29; Luke 9:37-43a). Mark’s is the longest and most thorough account but we will stay with Luke, who introduces a number of features not included by the others which are of particular interest.
It is Luke who informs us that this boy is not just the father’s son but his only child (Luke 9:38). It’s the sort of detail that Luke points out on a number of different occasions. The widow of Nain’s son who dies, but is then raised by Jesus, is also an only son (Luke 7:12). Similarly, it is only Luke who points out that Jairus’ daughter, also to be raised from the dead, is an only daughter (Luke 8:42). This has the effect of raising the level of emotional engagement considerably. This father in this story only has one son and the boy is suffering intensely at the hands of an evil spirit. No wonder the man begs Jesus to do something.
And so Jesus calls for the man to bring the boy to Jesus, except in Luke’s version he says, ‘bring your son’ (Luke 9:41). This is the essence of his identity, a much loved son. On healing the boy it is also only Luke who tells us that Jesus ‘gave him back to his father’ (Luke 9:42). What we are to behold is the deep bond of love between the father and his only son.
Staying with Luke, he also rounds out his account with a fascinating detail. We read that all were astonished at the majesty of God (Luke 9:43). This word only occurs twice elsewhere in the New Testament but one of these occurrences comes from Peter’s own account of the Transfiguration at 2 Peter 1:16 when he states that ‘we were eyewitnesses of His majesty’. Amazingly the same majesty and glory of Christ that could be observed by Peter on the mountain summit, with Jesus’ face and clothing shining brilliantly, would also be observed within the darkest valley, as the burning love of Christ for this young boy released him from Satan’s grip. Luke doesn’t want us to think of Jesus’ majesty as solely to do with external appearances but he wants us to see that it also has everything to do with Jesus’ loving heart.
And there’s one more thing which we must also notice from Luke’s wonderful account. The word for ‘only child’ (Luke 9:38) occurs outside Luke on four other occasions in the Gospels. On each occasion it refers to the Lord Jesus Himself (John 1:14,18; 3:16,18). Jesus is the ‘only son’. Luke has already reminded us that Jesus was going to accomplish His exodus (Luke 9:31) and of course that would be in fulfilment of the Passover Lamb dying in the place of the firstborn son in each house in Egypt (Exodus 12:12). The only ‘only son’ who is going to die in the Gospels, in fulfilment of the Exodus and the Passover, will be the Lord Jesus. Consider in our story the love of that human father for his only son. Consider the even greater love of the Heavenly Father for His only Son, the Lord Jesus, the one whom He has proclaimed on the mountain in the words, ‘This is my Son!’ (Luke 9:35). At such enormous cost, the Father and Son together, willingly and voluntarily, face the rending of their relationship in order to heal a family disrupted by evil and reunite father and son. Here is the majesty of God, that Father and Son enter into the darkest valley in order to enable other fathers, sons, mothers and daughters to experience life on the mountain top, released, healed and restored to live in the presence of God. Here is the pattern of the cross with the Lord of Glory giving up everything, descending into the darkness in order to raise us to glory.
Heavenly Father,
whose blessed Son was revealed
to destroy the works of the devil
and to make us the children of God and heirs of eternal life:
grant that we, having this hope,
may purify ourselves even as he is pure;
that when he shall appear in power and great glory
we may be made like him in his eternal and glorious kingdom;
where he is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.
(Collect for The Second Sunday before Advent)
We had never expected to be there. We bumped into some friends whilst on holiday in Switzerland. Due to an unexpected violent thunderstorm the open air event that they had been attending had to be postponed. Now they had spare tickets and we were invited to join them on the rearranged evening. So it was that we were present for a performance of ‘La fete des vignerons 2019’ at Vevey. As we had gathered at the auditorium we didn’t quite know what to expect. Over the following three hours we were quite simply blown away by the extraordinary performance that we witnessed. At one point there were over five thousand performers on view at the same time, all in costume, accompanied by four choirs. It was an amazing evening to be remembered, all the more as it had not been in our original holiday itinerary. When we returned home we spoke of what we had seen and heard to any who were willing to listen politely!
Peter had not expected the Transfiguration of Christ to happen. But when it did he was swept up in the event so that later he could tell everybody what he had seen and heard. He had been there and it made all the difference both to him and the church.
16 For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17 For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,” 18 we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain.
Peter was a comparatively young man when he experienced the event of the Transfiguration. As we shall see it was something that remained with him until the very end of his days. As he drew near to the end of his life he even referred to his death as his departure (2 Peter 1:15) but the word he actually uses is the same as the one Jesus used at the Transfiguration – his exodus (Luke 9:31; 2 Peter 1:15). Peter is not just aware of his forthcoming death but is looking forward to the goal of his ‘exodus’, the abundant welcome ‘into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ’ (2 Peter 1:11).
The reason that he is writing, however, is that God’s people are facing a serious challenge. False teachers have entered the church (2 Peter 2:1). Simply put, their message was that the Lord Jesus would not be returning – it was simply a ‘myth’ (2 Peter 1:16). Therefore there would be no judgement coming at the end of history (2 Peter 3:3,4) and consequently the moral boundaries for living could safely be moved without any unpleasant repercussions. No return … no judgement … no boundaries. It all sounds to have a very contemporary ring to it!
In order to combat such pernicious teaching Peter adopts a threefold strategy. At the beginning and end of his epistle he rebuilds confidence in the believers that the Lord Jesus will return and that their great purpose is to live for Him (2 Peter 1:1-11; 3:11-18). Second, he rebuilds confidence that God’s word in both the Old and the New Testament can be trusted in this area (2 Peter 1:12-21; 3:1-10). Third, at the centre, on the basis of the trustworthiness of God’s word, he shows how such false teaching has always led to God’s judgement (2 Peter 2:1-22).
Fascinatingly for our purposes, the main Gospel incident that Peter relies upon in his argument is the Transfiguration and so he reminds his hearers in order that they can remember what happened (2 Peter 1:12-15). In the Gospel accounts, the Transfiguration occurs directly after Jesus’ promise to return ‘in the glory of His Father’ (Matthew 16:27). It provided reassurance to the disciples, including Peter, that what He had taught about His return was completely trustworthy (‘Listen to Him!’) and that His glorious identity was fully in keeping with His role as King and Judge. It is no accident then that in order to dispel the notion that the return of Christ was a ‘cleverly devised myth’ he also turns to the Transfiguration. Prove that the Transfiguration occurred and all the ingredients for an understanding of the return of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ are in place.
So, notice what Peter says. He and the other two disciples were eyewitnesses (2 Peter 1:16). They saw what happened. Further they were ‘ear witnesses’ – they heard the voice that spoke to them about Jesus (2 Peter 1:18). They were with Him on the holy mountain. Their eyewitness evidence was not simply for themselves but, as we can see here, was to be of permanent assistance for the church for all time. Their testimony helps to rebuild confidence that the record of God’s word is completely reliable and that it testifies to Christ’s glory and honour which we know now by faith and will one day see by sight.
Ultimately the choice that the church faced was between the ‘false words’ (2 Peter 2:3) or fabricated stories of the false teachers and the ‘cleverly devised myths’ (2 Peter 1:16) that it was alleged Peter was teaching about the return of Christ. The choice is resolved by the apostle Peter’s eyewitness testimony about the Transfiguration. How vital, therefore, is this teaching within the New Testament. In Peter’s hands we see that the Transfiguration is an absolutely vital bulwark in protecting the church from both doctrinal and subsequent moral error. If we don’t listen to the eyewitness evidence of the apostles, we’ll end up listening to anything.
Almighty God,
you show to those who are in error the light of your truth,
that they may return to the way of righteousness:
grant to all those who are admitted
into the fellowship of Christ’s religion,
that they may reject those things
that are contrary to their profession,
and follow all such things as are agreeable to the same;
through our Lord Jesus Christ,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.
(Collect for The Second Sunday of Lent)
The holiday had been years ago. Yet its essence had been captured in a photograph which stands in an old, slightly battered wooden frame that has rested on a ledge in my study for several decades. The subject of the image is my wife, steering a boat across a small stretch of water. The wind has caught her hair and there is a wide smile across her face. It’s a totally informal shot which no doubt could and should have been more expertly taken by the photographer (me!). Perhaps for others it would appear to be yet another totally unremarkable holiday snap. But for me it captures her beauty, joy and love. It freezes into a few square inches who she is and what she continues to mean to me.
Peter had no camera or video equipment to record the events of the Transfiguration. Yet his memory was clearly imprinted with the most wonderful sight. Using his favourite ascription in 2 Peter, he speaks of ‘our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ’. This image had burned into his soul.
For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17 For when he received honour and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”
As an older man Peter encountered false teachers emerging within the church who denied Christ as their Sovereign Lord (2 Peter 2:1). How was it possible for leaders to act in such a way? Yet Peter had travelled that very same path himself.
‘I do not know this man’ (Mark 14:71). These are the astonishing and desperately sad words that came from the lips of Peter on the night Jesus was arrested. Instead of honouring Christ he had denied Him. Luke records the moment when Jesus looked across the courtyard straight at Peter and he immediately broke down in tears (Luke 22:61,62). Of course Peter knew Jesus and through God’s mercy he would be brought back into a close walk with Him, in which he would learn to treasure everything to do with the Lord Jesus as precious (1 Peter 1:19; 2:4,6,7).
Indeed, the theme of knowing Jesus and growing in the knowledge of Christ would become the key thought that he would develop in his final letter to the church. Each of the New Testament authors has a distinctive vocabulary, but for Peter becoming a Christian is about coming to know Jesus. ‘May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus. His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence’ (2 Peter 1:2,3). Further, growing as a Christian is about increasing in the knowledge of Jesus (2 Peter 1:8). Finally, the culmination of the Christian life is all about meeting the Lord Jesus Christ (2 Peter 1:11) on that great day when knowing Christ by faith will turn to sight. Knowing Jesus personally as our Lord and Saviour is central. No wonder he sums up everything with his final call for believers to ‘grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ’ (2 Peter 3:18). What a change from that sad day when Peter had defined himself as someone who didn’t know Jesus, to his final days when his identity had become completely wrapped up with knowing Christ and encouraging others to grow in their knowledge of Him.
And who is this Jesus whom Peter speaks about? He is the One who is the focus of His own Father’s attention. Peter recalls the words of the voice that he heard on the mountain as, literally, ‘My Son! My beloved!’ (2 Peter 1:17). That is how the Father constantly regards His Son, delighting and rejoicing in Him – He loves Him! And if that is how our Heavenly Father views His Son the strong implication is that this should make an impact on how we also regard Jesus. Do you love Him?
Many will remember the famous interview with Bert Le Clos after his son, Chad, had won a gold medal in the 200m butterfly at the London 2012 Olympics. Bert, the father, simply could not contain himself. ‘He’s my son! He’s so beautiful!’ The words, smiles and tears left no one in any doubt about the love of father for son. How much more the love of the Father for His Son. Such love is not a cool, constrained emotion. Nor should our love for Christ be simply formal. It should be an ever-growing passion for Christ given all that He is and all that He has done.
It is one thing to look at Jesus in all His glory as Lord. It is another then to listen attentively to His word, hearing His call which will bring us to Him in glory. Yet ultimately knowing Jesus should lead to loving Him. The title ‘Saviour’ is actually only used concerning the Lord Jesus sixteen times within the New Testament. Remarkably five of those occurrences fall within 2 Peter (1:1,11; 2:20; 3:2,18). Through His sacrificial death Jesus has saved His people and our response is not simply to trust and follow Him but to love Him. Peter loved Jesus. His greatest sadness was to see others fail to give the honour and majesty that Jesus deserved. His greatest joy was to see glory being brought to Christ.
God our creator,
who in the beginning
commanded the light to shine out of darkness:
we pray that the light of the glorious gospel of Christ
may dispel the darkness of ignorance and unbelief,
shine into the hearts of all your people,
and reveal the knowledge of your glory
in the face of Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen
(Collect for The Fourth Sunday of Epiphany)
“On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise the child, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he was conceived.
When the time came for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, ‘Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord’), and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: ‘a pair of doves or two young pigeons’.
Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:
‘Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,
you may now dismiss your servant in peace.
For my eyes have seen your salvation,
which you have prepared in the sight of all nations:
a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and the glory of your people Israel.’” Luke 2:21-32
Dreams don’t correspond to reality. The dream is that we will have absolutely everything organised for our Christmas festivities. The Christmas tree will have been purchased or unearthed from the attic, in good time and be tastefully decorated. The presents will have already been bought and lovingly wrapped and labelled, with no one forgotten. The guest room will have been cleaned and readied with each bed carefully made. The food will now be lovingly prepared, with timings for Christmas lunch worked out in minute detail. “Everything’s ready!” But of course, it’s a dream, because, using the words of Robbie Burns, “the best laid plans o’ mice an’ men gang aft a-gley”; in other words, something always goes wrong.
We’re not told Simeon’s age, but we get the strong impression from Luke that this devout man is well advanced in years. He’s seen all sorts of things go wrong in his life. As someone looking for ‘the consolation/comfort of Israel’ (see verse 25) he was no stranger to all the struggles and hardships that God’s people had been experiencing over the years. But now a poor, young couple bring a tiny baby into the temple courts. We know they are poor because they cannot afford a lamb for their offering (see verses 22-24 and Leviticus 12:8). Simeon approaches them and gently takes the infant into his arms. His song is beautifully poetic (known, from the first two words in Latin, as the ‘Nunc Dimittis’), but in effect he’s saying “everything’s ready”. His dream has become a reality. The light has now entered the world. Salvation has come because Jesus is here.
Our tiny plans may well be derailed. But as we leave Simeon and Luke, we know that the stage has now been set for God’s glorious saving purposes for all time. Advent is the season when the Lord whispers to each of us, “everything’s ready”, because Jesus has come, is coming and will come again.
What had Simeon been promised?
How does Simeon describe Jesus?
Look at all the Christmas lights that have been put up. Describe what the lights look like on one of the houses near you, and see if the others can guess which house you’re describing. Simeon had been promised that he would see God’s rescue plan before he died – when he saw Jesus he was described as a light for all nations!
“When it was time for Elizabeth to have her baby, she gave birth to a son. Her neighbours and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy, and they shared her joy.
On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him after his father Zechariah, but his mother spoke up and said, ‘No! He is to be called John.’
They said to her, ‘There is no one among your relatives who has that name.’
Then they made signs to his father, to find out what he would like to name the child. He asked for a writing tablet, and to everyone’s astonishment he wrote, ‘His name is John.’ Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue set free, and he began to speak, praising God. All the neighbours were filled with awe, and throughout the hill country of Judea people were talking about all these things. Everyone who heard this wondered about it, asking, ‘What then is this child going to be?’ For the Lord’s hand was with him.” Luke 1:57-66
Naming children can be fraught with difficulty. “We liked the sound of…” may work well with one’s friendship group but may run into difficulties when confronted by the hard stare of a disapproving aunt who is not amused that the traditional family name, perfectly acceptable for multiple generations, has not been used. Something like that is happening in our passage today.
Elizabeth has given birth to a boy to the enthusiastic delight of everyone around. But naming him “John” seems to be a marked departure from the normal names associated with the priestly line of Aaron (see 1:5) and causes consternation in the village. Everyone around was expecting the new child to take inspiration from the past and model his ministry on what had happened before. But in naming him John, in obedience to the message from the angel (see 1:13), there is the recognition that John’s ministry will not be defined by the past but by something that God would do in the future. His role would be to prepare people for something new, for the coming of the Lord (see 1:17).
That would indeed be John’s role, described in more detail in Luke 3:1-20. He would be the great herald, the town crier, announcing the imminent arrival of royalty and the urgent need to get ready. Were Charles III to make an official visit to Sevenoaks, we could be sure that in the ordinary course of events there would be months of preparation before the red carpet was literally unrolled to welcome him. John’s ministry is specifically an Advent ministry. He announced the coming of Jesus … and his words echo down through the centuries urging us even today to get ready to encounter King Jesus, in readiness for the day when He will arrive in all His glory. As we get ready for Christmas, let us make sure above all that we are getting ourselves ready to meet the Lord Jesus face to face.
What was surprising when they named the baby?
What is special about this baby?
“His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied:
‘Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel,
because he has come to his people and redeemed them.
He has raised up a horn of salvation for us
in the house of his servant David
(as he said through his holy prophets of long ago),
salvation from our enemies
and from the hand of all who hate us –
to show mercy to our ancestors
and to remember his holy covenant,
the oath he swore to our father Abraham:
to rescue us from the hand of our enemies,
and to enable us to serve him without fear
in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.’” Luke 1:67-75
“Look, I’ll visit you over Christmas and I’ll sort out the problem.” It sounds good but lots of promises are forgotten, and even if remembered it may be that the repair is simply too difficult and you’re back to square one. But in this section Zechariah, filled with the Spirit and able to talk, rejoices that God has remembered his promises and is now on his way to sort things out.
He starts by announcing that the Lord has come – in the ESV it is rendered “He has visited and redeemed His people.” God has visited in the conception of the Lord Jesus, who is preparing to make His appearance on the first Christmas Day. In doing this, the Lord has remembered his holy covenant (v.72) and the oath he swore to Abraham (v.73). It’s a reminder that the Christmas story was planned right from the beginning. Just as many people start making their Christmas plans much earlier in the year about who’s coming, what presents to purchase, what food to buy … so the Lord had planned everything well ahead of time – it was all under control.
But what was the purpose of this visit? Just as a Christmas meal with all the trimmings entails all sorts of items being piled upon your plate including turkey, stuffing, potatoes, bread sauce, gravy, all manner of vegetables … not forgetting the pigs in blankets, so Zechariah piles up the words to describe what the Lord is bringing on His visit. it’s described as ‘redemption’ (v.68), ‘salvation’ (v. 69, 71), ‘mercy’ (v.72) and ‘rescue’ (v.74). All of these great Bible words are a full meal in their own right as Zechariah pours out his song in praise to the Lord.
This advent we have the opportunity to feast on the riches of what the Christmas story entails. It’s also the time to remember that one day the Lord will visit us again….
What has God done?
What promise has God kept?
“‘And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High;
for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him,
to give his people the knowledge of salvation
through the forgiveness of their sins,
because of the tender mercy of our God,
by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven
to shine on those living in darkness
and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the path of peace.’
And the child grew and became strong in spirit; and he lived in the wilderness until he appeared publicly to Israel.” Luke 1:76-80
It’s almost the shortest day and it’s darker for much longer than it’s light. Sometimes it gets so overcast that it feels dark the whole time. Indoor lights are on more or less the whole time. Some people don’t mind this one bit but others find it a struggle. It feels oppressive, depressing and sad, and we can’t wait for the sunrise to come a bit earlier and for the days to lengthen.
Isaiah had spoken of a time seven hundred years before when “the people walking in darkness” would see a great light, and of a light dawning “on those living in the land of deep darkness” (see Isaiah 9:2). Now Zechariah realises that his child, the future John the Baptist, would be the very person who would be able to announce that the light had arrived (see verse 79). The imagery is beautifully described. We can picture a scene shrouded in darkness and then the sun peeking over the horizon. As the sun rises, so the darkness gradually recedes and we start to notice things previously hidden from our gaze. Slowly the temperature also rises though we can still see our breath in the cold air. No longer uncertain where we are treading, we can now see exactly where the path is, with no danger of stumbling or slipping.
So, it is with the promised coming of the Lord Jesus. No longer do we need to edge forward surrounded by the darkness of our sins and God’s displeasure. As the light of God’s mercy dawns in Jesus, so our sins can be forgiven (see v.77) and our feet are able to find paths of peace (see v.79).
Each evening, as we put on the lights to help us move around the house, so Advent is a reminder that the light of Christ has already come and that we no longer need to live in darkness, whatever the season or the time of day.
What special job is John given?
God’s mercy is his undeserved kindness to us. How is his mercy described here?
“In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to their own town to register.
So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.” Luke 2:1-7
We feel so small. Just one person on a crowded commuter train rattling along up to London. Just one person in a busy mall at Bluewater, dodging the other shoppers. Just one person tuning in to BBC News at 10, along with millions of others across the country. All the big decisions about the direction of the country whether economically, politically or socially are taken by others.
The big decision had been taken by Caesar Augustus (see verse 1). Was it for political, economic or military reasons? Whatever the reason, all the little people across the empire had to comply with his whim. And so we see in that traditional image beloved of Christmas card designers, Joseph and a heavily pregnant Mary accompanied by a donkey making their way from Nazareth to Bethlehem. They must have felt so small. Pushed around by imperial dictat, undertaking a lengthy, arduous and uncomfortable journey at a point in Mary’s first pregnancy when everyone who sees them would sense the unfortunate timing of the decree. But Caesar’s in charge, so what can you do?
And yet in God’s providential ordering of all things (see Romans 8:28) it is actually the Lord God who is in charge. He has planned that His Son would be born in Bethlehem (see Micah 5:2). David had come from Bethlehem (see v.4), where he had been anointed, filled with the Spirit, before defeating God’s people’s great enemy, Goliath (1 Samuel 16, 17). And Jesus, from David’s direct line (see v.4), will also be born in Bethlehem, anointed and filled with the Spirit (see Luke 3:21, 22) such that He would defeat the greatest enemies of God’s people – sin, Satan and death itself.
During Advent, we look beyond the political headlines and celebrity news and we consider the slow, certain unfolding of God’s great rescue plan.
God had promised in the Old Testament that his rescuing king would be born in Bethlehem. How does God use human choices to keep this promise?
How does this encourage us that God will keep his promises?
“And there were shepherds living out in the fields near by, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.’
Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
‘Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace to those on whom his favour rests.’” Luke 2:8-14
We love rescue stories! Our hearts are warmed as we hear of people facing great danger being rescued through the heroism and self-sacrifice of others. Some stories gather global significance due to the extremity of the situation and the sheer difficulty of bringing out anyone safely. Our thoughts go to the thirty-three Chilean miners trapped for sixty-nine days during 2010, over half a mile underground with limited supplies of food. Or perhaps we are reminded of the thirteen members of the Thai football team in June 2018 who were trapped in a remote part of a cave system over two and a half miles from the entrance. In both situations, the story of the rescue captured our hearts and thrilled our imaginations.
How important it is, as we hear the news announced by the Angel to the shepherds, “a Saviour has been born to you” (verse 11), that we don’t allow ourselves to become overfamiliar with what is being announced. Due to the fact that we know the story and can recite the carols off by heart, this extraordinary news has become something ordinary and commonplace. Yet it is simply the most momentous news ever!
The climax of Advent is that God has sent a Rescuer – wonderful news if you know that you need rescuing. And in a world covered in deep moral darkness, living in the fog of our own confusions and trapped, unable to escape from our past or our present, to know that there is a Rescuer, a Saviour, who has come for us, is precious indeed.
One day, He will return … and just as surely as the news of the rescues of the Chilean miners or the Thai footballers resounded around the world, so the song of the Angels will be proclaimed in the light of their fulfilment: ‘Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favour rests.’
What do the angels announce to the shepherds?
Why is it described as good news?
“When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.’’
So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.” Luke 2:15-20
“Look, it’s snowing!” Lots of remarks about the weather can either be ignored or safely parked in our minds. But if someone tells us that it’s snowing, it’s got to be checked out, usually personally and immediately. And, once we’ve established that it really is snowing, there are probably other people whom we want to tell, perhaps adding a photo or video for good measure.
Having received the message from the angels that a Saviour had been born not too far away in Bethlehem, the shepherds had options. They could have ignored what had happened and treated it as a scam designed to lure them away from the flock. Or perhaps they could have sent one of their number to see what the fuss was all about. But Luke records their conversation for us (see verse 15) and the decision for all of them to go in order to check out the reliability of the report.
In line with Luke’s desire to pass on only eye-witness testimony (see 1:1-4), the focus in almost every verse is on what the shepherds saw with their eyes. The sign that they had found the right baby (as presumably there were other tiny infants in Bethlehem that evening) was that the little one would be lying in a manger. That’s exactly what they find and see, just as they have been told (see verses 15, 16, 17 and 20). And having seen, they cannot restrain themselves. As a result they spread the word, telling everyone they meet (see verses 17, 18, 20).
And after the noisy shepherds have moved on, Luke leaves us in the stillness with Mary. Like a person captivated by the wonder of standing in gently falling snow, so Mary treasures the privilege of being softly covered by God’s amazing purposes of love … and this Advent so can we.
What do the shepherds do?
How are the shepherds feeling? How is Mary feeling?
The opening lines of the traditional Christmas carol “God rest ye merry, gentlemen, let nothing you dismay!” somehow seem a little glib. There’s plenty that does dismay us about the world and our own experiences. Yet if we push on past these opening lines, the carol continues in its multiple verses to record the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ, faithfully presenting the details from the gospels according to Matthew and Luke. Most striking of all is the refrain: “O tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy! O tidings of comfort and joy!” The message of Advent, as we consider both the first coming of the Lord Jesus at Bethlehem and His second coming at the end, is all about the comfort that the Lord is able to provide and the joy which flows from all that He has done.
This series of daily devotions for the Advent season are drawn from both Old Testament and New Testament, from Isaiah and Luke. They interact with promises of comfort and point to the joy available in and through the Lord Jesus. These devotions are deliberately short and concise, interacting with a few verses each day but hopefully they are long enough to be the means of enabling each of us, wherever we are, to encounter the living Lord Jesus. My hope is that we would find security and rest in the comfort He alone provides in a world full of pressures and problems. My hope is also that we would rediscover the joy of knowing Jesus as our Lord and Saviour.
You may wish to use this prayer which I use before each sermon,
“Lord, may your word be our/my guide,
May your Spirit be our/my Teacher,
And may your Glory be our/my supreme concern,
Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.”
Angus MacLeay: Autumn 2023
“And Mary said:
‘My soul glorifies the Lord
and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour,
for he has been mindful
of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
for the Mighty One has done great things for me –
holy is his name.’” Luke 1:46-49
It’s one of those special moments when you are present at the opening of a Christmas gift which you have carefully chosen for someone you love. The wrapping paper is ripped/carefully removed (delete according to preference). Then we witness the wonder of the recipient beginning to realise what they have been given, which then erupts into “This is amazing!… Everybody, look what I’ve been given!” soon followed by hugs/kisses/handshakes (delete as applicable). As adults we can generally find the words to express our gratitude and delight but for young children their excitement transmits to every part of their body as they start jumping up and down, arms waving and a smile permanently fixed on their face.
Something of that exuberance is evident in Mary’s song. It is known as the ‘Magnificat’, from the Latin translation of the word for ‘glorifies’ or ‘magnifies’ in verse 46. When you look through the lens of a powerful telescope the object remains the same size, yet the image you see is enlarged by the magnification so that you can see it all the more clearly and delight in aspects which you could barely discern with the naked eye. Through magnification it now dominates your field of vision. Something similar is happening with Mary as her joy in the Lord finds expression in these beautiful words expressing delight in what she is now able to see all the more clearly about God.
Advent is the season for us to ‘magnify’ the Lord. Like Mary, the Lord has seen us in our lowly, humble position and He has drawn near to comfort, rescue and save. As we carefully, or not so carefully, re-open the gift of the Lord Jesus and the salvation He brings, let us respond with hearts overflowing with joy as we ponder the works of the Lord not from a distance but close up in all their glory.
How do you think Mary is feeling?
What excites her about God?
Hey! Welcome to StNics@11! We believe that knowing Jesus is LIFE! We are longing to be a community of diverse people who are being made more like Jesus. We hail from many countries and span many ages but we long for one thing: to encounter God’s grace to us in Jesus! We’d love to meet you one Sunday!
We are members of the congregation and serve to assist Matt in leading StNics@11. We are passionate about seeing StNics@11 grow spiritually to become like Jesus. The role of the CLT is both practical and spiritual as we seek to offer pastoral care, practical organisation and ensure all are welcomed and valued.
We gather to pray together in the church building on evening the first Tuesday of the month. We alternate from gathering as a congregation to gathering as a whole church family. Please come when you can and leave when you must.
“‘His mercy extends to those who fear him,
from generation to generation.
He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
He has brought down rulers from their thrones
but has lifted up the humble.
He has filled the hungry with good things
but has sent the rich away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel,
remembering to be merciful
to Abraham and his descendants for ever,
just as he promised our ancestors.’
Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home.” Luke 1:50-56
Despite our best efforts to resist, we inevitably breathe in the air of our materialistic culture. We’re often convicted of the excesses of our own extravagance when we are given a window into the conditions that many in our world experience, and especially if they have undergone the trauma of war, famine, drought, flood, disease or some other disaster. We shake our heads and recognise the adage that ‘the rich get richer, the poor get poorer.’ In despair we wonder how such systemic injustice can be overturned but we can’t see how it could ever be done.
Yet Mary sees things which we can’t see. She has seen a God who delights in turning things upside down. In God’s world high and mighty rulers will be brought down and the rich will be sent away with nothing (doesn’t that sound like the story of Jesus meeting the rich ruler? – Luke 18:18-30). Meanwhile the lowly, humble people are lifted up (perhaps like the tax collector and the children in Luke 18:9-17) and the hungry are filled with good things (perhaps like the beggar in Luke 18:35-43). When Jesus’ rule breaks in, things are turned upside down. As mercy flows from God’s throne of grace down the generations (see verses 50, 54), so the rich and powerful are swept away whilst the poor and vulnerable are now afloat, sailing into a new creation of justice and order under the watchful, loving eye of the Lord Himself.
Advent is good news for the humble and hungry (verses 52, 53) but bad news for everyone else. As we consider the first coming of Jesus it’s a reminder that as we humbly acknowledge our spiritual poverty, so Jesus is able to draw near to forgive, cleanse and restore and fill us with spiritual riches. As we consider the second coming of Jesus it’s a reminder that one day every injustice will be righted and everyone will stand in awe at the justice, power and compassion of the Lord.
What has God done to…
… the rulers and the proud?
… the lowly and the humble?
Who is this good news for?
God turns things upside down! He brings down the rulers and lifts up the humble. See what things in your house you can turn upside down… Cups? A stack of books? Yourself? Be careful not to break anything!
“At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed: ‘Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favoured, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfil his promises to her!’” Luke 1:39-45
A British Olympic athlete has triumphed abroad. Already the media is full of photos and stories about the victory. Yet all that pales into insignificance at their homecoming. As soon as they land at Heathrow, there are crowds to greet the person, waving flags and rejoicing. The joy is infectious, with people who would otherwise have no interest in sport joining in the celebrations.
At this point in Luke’s narrative Jesus has only just been conceived in Mary’s womb but, tiny as he is, he has entered this world. And his arrival, his homecoming, is celebrated with infectious joy. No sooner has Mary his mother stepped across the threshold than the baby in Elizabeth’s womb, John the Baptist, leaps for joy. In fact, Luke stresses it by way of repetition in verses 41 and 44. Further, twice he records Elizabeth’s own response in verses 42 and 45 as she overflows with delight in Mary’s news, “Blessed are you… Blessed is the one who has believed…” Our next passage will go on to describe Mary’s own joy (see verse 46, 47). It’s a beautiful scene of infectious, contagious joy!
The end of Luke’s Gospel will also be marked by joy – the disciples can hardly think straight because they are full of joy and amazement as they see the resurrected Jesus in front of them (24:41). The final note of the Gospel simply describes the disciples returning to Jerusalem with great joy (24:52).
Advent is certainly a season in which we can be reminded of the comfort which comes from the provision of a loving, compassionate Saviour … but it is also a season to be characterised by infectious joy as we celebrate the breaking into history of the infant Jesus (the incarnation) and the breaking through the barrier of death of the resurrected Jesus (the resurrection). Advent is about comfort and joy.
What happened when Elizabeth saw Mary?
Why are they so excited about this baby?
“Burst into songs of joy together,
you ruins of Jerusalem,
for the Lord has comforted his people,
he has redeemed Jerusalem.
The Lord will lay bare his holy arm
in the sight of all the nations,
and all the ends of the earth will see
the salvation of our God.” Isaiah 52:9,10
We’ve all got our own preferences when it comes to Christmas puzzles and games. Some may wish to avoid them completely whilst for others it’s all part of the fun. Some families enjoy a raucous game of charades whilst others prefer something a little bit quieter … like a jigsaw puzzle. There is something quite calming about figuring out how it all fits together, leading to a sense of contentment when the finished picture matches the image on the box.
Isaiah once again provides us with the image on the box lid. There are people singing, people being comforted, the prospect of redemption and, on the horizon, people across the whole earth experiencing the salvation of the Lord.
And over 700 years later Luke finds all the various jigsaw pieces and starts to put them together in his Gospel. Following the birth of Jesus who had been seen by the shepherds only hours afterwards, he is taken into Jerusalem. There Simeon bursts into song. Luke tells us that he has been waiting for the consolation, or the comfort (same word), of Israel (Luke 2:25). In his song he recounts that this child will be the means of salvation for all nations across the world (Luke 2:29-32). Further, Luke tells us that Anna was there in the temple. She spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the “redemption of Jerusalem” (Luke 2:38)… the identical term used by Isaiah. Luke has found all the jigsaw pieces and put them together for us so that we can see God’s wonderful plan emerging.
At the heart of the plan, as we would expect, is the prospect of “comfort” (Isaiah 40:1, 52:9). Amid all the pain and puzzlement experienced both then and now, it’s what we need. For many in our world and on our street it’s the missing jigsaw piece which they can’t find. But you know where to find it, don’t you? Perhaps you could be the one to tell them where it can be found?
Why can God’s people sing songs of joy?
How does God bring them comfort and salvation?
The opening lines of the traditional Christmas carol “God rest ye merry, gentlemen, let nothing you dismay!” somehow seem a little glib. There’s plenty that does dismay us about the world and our own experiences. Yet if we push on past these opening lines, the carol continues in its multiple verses to record the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ, faithfully presenting the details from the gospels according to Matthew and Luke. Most striking of all is the refrain: “O tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy! O tidings of comfort and joy!” The message of Advent, as we consider both the first coming of the Lord Jesus at Bethlehem and His second coming at the end, is all about the comfort that the Lord is able to provide and the joy which flows from all that He has done.
This series of daily devotions for the Advent season are drawn from both Old Testament and New Testament, from Isaiah and Luke. They interact with promises of comfort and point to the joy available in and through the Lord Jesus. These devotions are deliberately short and concise, interacting with a few verses each day but hopefully they are long enough to be the means of enabling each of us, wherever we are, to encounter the living Lord Jesus. My hope is that we would find security and rest in the comfort He alone provides in a world full of pressures and problems. My hope is also that we would rediscover the joy of knowing Jesus as our Lord and Saviour.
You may wish to use this prayer which I use before each sermon,
“Lord, may your word be our/my guide,
May your Spirit be our/my Teacher,
And may your Glory be our/my supreme concern,
Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.”
Angus MacLeay: Autumn 2023
“Comfort, comfort my people,
says your God.
Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,
and proclaim to her
that her hard service has been completed,
that her sin has been paid for,
that she has received from the Lord’s hand
double for all her sins.” Isaiah 40:1,2
Living at a distance is a pain. When we would love to pop round, we can’t, because the friend or family member lives several hundred miles away. It’s great to chat on the phone or use FaceTime but endless separation is wearisome. How we long to see family and draw near and embrace.
God’s people had been deservedly suffering following their promised exile to Babylon (Is 39:5-7). They had repeatedly drifted away from the word of the Lord, wise in their own eyes, though covered with the respectable veneer of religion (Is 1:13-17). Yet their religion was no defence to the scathing declaration of God’s anger (see for example Is 5:20,21). So, God’s people would experience exile, living at a distance from Jerusalem as a sign of their distance from God. And living at a distance is always a problem, whether it is being separated from family or friends or whether it’s sensing God’s remoteness.
Yet suddenly a new note is heard. A voice calls out “comfort”. A new day is promised on the basis that somehow their punishment has come to an end due to the fact that all their sins had been paid for. With their debts removed, their sins forgiven, there is the prospect of relief and comfort, no longer estranged but the opportunity of returning to the loving embrace of the Lord.
Perhaps we also know what it is to live at a distance from the Lord. We sense that the Lord is remote but also recognise that our spiritual troubles are often self-inflicted. Perhaps we think, “if I were God, I’d probably keep a distance from me.” But the word of the gospel is that comfort is available. The Lord Jesus has paid for our sins on the cross and even today by His Spirit (“the Comforter” John 14:26 KJV) He is able to draw near and enable us to experience the many blessings which flow from being forgiven, loved and treasured by the Lord. Advent needs to begin with experiencing the message of the gospel, the message of comfort, that we no longer need to live at a distance from the Lord.
What does God say to Israel?
How would it have made them feel?
“A voice of one calling:
‘In the wilderness prepare
the way for the Lord;
make straight in the desert
a highway for our God.
Every valley shall be raised up,
every mountain and hill made low;
the rough ground shall become level,
the rugged places a plain.
And the glory of the Lord will be revealed,
and all people will see it together.
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.’” Isaiah 40:3-5
The old road was narrow with twists and turns, hold ups and accidents, and the journey seemed to last for ever. But now the new road is being constructed. The heavy earth-moving bulldozers are changing the landscape, the tarmac is being laid and now the new motorway is open, conveying travellers smoothly and quickly to their destination.
That’s the sort of picture which Isaiah conveys, using imagery which describes the opening of a new highway. And this highway has a convoy of vehicles on it. A crowd is gathering, straining their necks to see who’s coming. A cry goes up, as the crowd recognise who is on their way – it’s the Lord Himself! All the preparations in getting the road ready make sense. They were designed to enable the Lord to return in all His glory.
Mark goes to this passage at the start of his gospel (Mark 1:2,3) in order to introduce the ministry of John the Baptist and his call for the people to get ready. Getting ready to meet the Lord would involve repentance, with every sin moved out of the way to enable an encounter with the Lord.
As we prepare for visitors or guests around the table later in the month, we know what needs to be done to get ready. Clutter needs to be sorted, surfaces cleaned, beds made, tables laid and food purchased. Yet Advent is the season for getting ready to meet the Lord when He returns in all His glory. The Lord is coming … Advent is the opportunity not just to prepare for Christmas guests but to prepare ourselves to meet the Lord Jesus (2 Peter 3:10-14).
What will that person be like?
Who do you think that person might be? (Look at Mark 1:1-9)
“A voice says, ‘Cry out.’
And I said, ‘What shall I cry?’ ‘All people are like grass,
and all their faithfulness is like the flowers of the field.
The grass withers and the flowers fall,
because the breath of the Lord blows on them.
Surely the people are grass.
The grass withers and the flowers fall,
but the word of our God endures for ever.’” Isaiah 40:6-8
Some things simply don’t last. At some point in early December we get round to putting up our Christmas decorations. We hope that it’s done in a tasteful manner – various multi-coloured, tinselly decorations have remained firmly in the Christmas box for many years and are unlikely to see the light of day any time soon. But of course, none of the decorations will be there by mid-January. They are temporary, whilst the furniture is relatively permanent.
Isaiah is working with similar contrasts. The announcement of comfort and the call to get ready represent wonderful news but on what are they based? If this hope is based on a new-found faithfulness of God’s people or on the emergence of a new leader, then these hopes will soon be dashed, since “all people are like grass”. There is an in-built transience to humanity seen in the cycle of life and death.
But if hopes are based on the enduring word of God, then that’s different! God’s promises, and His faithfulness to those promises, don’t come and go like flowers or ebb and flow like the tide. The fact that the word of the Lord is permanent and enduring gives us confidence that the promise of “comfort” is not illusory or for the short-term. The Lord’s people both then and today can have confidence that, unlike our Christmas decorations, God’s provision of comfort will last for ever (and see 1 Peter 1:23-25 where the same passage is quoted). Advent may be linked in our mind to our transient Christmas decorations, but it is founded on the unchanging word of the Lord, on which we can build with confidence.
What are people like?
What is God and his word like?
You’ll need some cut flowers – either from the garden, or bought from a shop! Have everyone in the house estimate how long they will last. As you watch them die and fall over the coming days, and find out who had the best guess, remind one another that God’s word lives forever.
“You who bring good news to Zion,
go up on a high mountain.
You who bring good news to Jerusalem,
lift up your voice with a shout,
lift it up, do not be afraid;
say to the towns of Judah,
‘Here is your God!’
See, the Sovereign Lord comes with power,
and he rules with a mighty arm.
See, his reward is with him,
and his recompense accompanies him.
He tends his flock like a shepherd:
he gathers the lambs in his arms
and carries them close to his heart;
he gently leads those that have young.” Isaiah 40:9-11
The lookout at the front windows calls out to everyone in the house, “They’re here!” Seconds later, in an even more animated voice “…and they’ve brought loads of presents!” It’s a wonderful scene as Grandad and Grandma (and the presents) are welcomed to the house for their Christmas visit after their long journey.
That’s basically the scene that Isaiah is depicting in these verses. The person on the city watchtower can finally see the Lord God approaching. It was known that the Lord was on His way (see vv.3-5) but now He’s in view. And what does He have with Him? Both his arms are in use. With one arm, His “mighty arm”, He is ruling and displaying His sovereign power, like a gardener entering into an overgrown section of the garden wielding a scythe or machete to hack down the weeds and brambles. With the other arm He is gently gathering and holding some lambs. Isaiah picks out the tenderness of the scene by describing their position as ‘close to his heart’.
This vision of the arrival of the Lord resonates with us in Advent. As we reflect on the identity of the baby born that first Christmas, we sing of “Jesus, strong and kind”. As we consider the glorious figure of the returning King, there is no doubt that He will continue to wield all power. Yet neither is there any doubt that the Jesus before whom we will one day stand, continues to be “gentle and lowly” (Matt 11:28, 29). Advent is the time to train our eyes on the Lord Jesus, confident in both His ability to save but also in the gentleness and tenderness of His love for us.
What is the good news?
What is that God like?
“How beautiful on the mountains
are the feet of those who bring good news,
who proclaim peace,
who bring good tidings,
who proclaim salvation,
who say to Zion,
‘Your God reigns!’
Listen! Your watchmen lift up their voices;
together they shout for joy.
When the Lord returns to Zion,
they will see it with their own eyes.” Isaiah 52:7,8
I would probably never see the man ever again but what a welcome sight he was. After jumping down from the cab and then rummaging around at the rear of the van he triumphantly emerged bearing a large parcel. “It’s for Mister Angus!” The Amazon delivery had arrived on schedule. The Christmas gift for a family member which we had ordered weeks ago had finally arrived!
Something like that is happening in our verses today. We’ve jumped from a very similar passage at Isaiah 40:9-11 where the announcement of the Lord’s arrival was made. The focus in our current passage is on the messengers with their special announcement of the coming of God’s reign and the accompanying gifts of peace and salvation. Those receiving this news, the watchmen, respond in joy and get ready to witness this arrival with their own eyes.
Every detail of this prophecy is fulfilled over 700 years later on a hillside near Bethlehem. Luke records angelic messengers on the mountain bringing “good news that will cause great joy for all the people” (Luke 2:10). They announce peace, good tidings and proclaim salvation through the arrival of a Saviour (Luke 2:11, 14). And in response the shepherds, the watchmen who are ‘keeping watch over their flocks’ (Luke 2:8) decide to check things out with their own eyes (Luke 2:15, 17) and having seen they lift up their voices in praise to God (Luke 2:20).
The Christmas gift has arrived! Better than an Amazon parcel, it’s the coming of a Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ. What Isaiah promised, Luke has recorded so that we can have complete certainty about the things that we have been taught (Luke 1:1-4).
What does someone with beautiful feet say?
Who brings peace and salvation? (Look at Luke 2:11-14)
“Arise, shine, for your light has come,
and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.
See, darkness covers the earth
and thick darkness is over the peoples,
but the Lord rises upon you
and his glory appears over you.
Nations will come to your light,
and kings to the brightness of your dawn.” Isaiah 60:1-3
“We’re going into Carlisle to see the Christmas lights being switched on.” An hour later we joined thousands of others on a cold, dark evening in the centre of the city. The Mayor made a short speech and suddenly, with one brief movement, the whole city centre was ablaze with light. Jamie, then aged 3, looked a tad disappointed. “It was just one switch?” I guess he had been expecting the Mayor to spend a couple of hours sprinting around every shop, turning each light on by himself one by one.
Our passage also describes a sudden transformation. The darkness which covers the earth, with echoes of Genesis 1:2, is described as “thick darkness”. It’s impenetrable and presses down upon you like a heavy blanket. Yet suddenly, in a moment, the light is on (echoing Genesis 1:3 “let there be light”!) The light is shining, dispelling the darkness because the Lord has come in all His glory. As a result, we see nations and kings flocking to the light, escaping the darkness, wanting to discover more and live in the light of His glorious presence.
Matthew describes how this prophecy started to be fulfilled. Wise men (traditionally “kings”) see a new light in the sky, a star. They follow the star (Matthew 2:2, 9) which brings them to the King, the Lord Jesus, the first of many from the nations who will make the same journey. And history will climax on the day when people from all the nations will come to the Light in the new Jerusalem (Rev 21:22-24), when Jesus the Lamb, returns in all His glory.
The thick darkness of the world is very real. Yet in one moment it can be dispelled. Not through one switch … but through one person, the Lord Jesus. “For God, who said, ‘let light shine out of darkness’ made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6).
Can you see the opposites in these verses?
Who is it who changes the darkness to the light?
“‘How will this be,’ Mary asked the angel, ‘since I am a virgin?’
The angel answered, ‘The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. For no word from God will ever fail.’
‘I am the Lord’s servant,’ Mary answered. ‘May your word to me be fulfilled.’ Then the angel left her.” Luke 1:34-38
Over the years we’ve become used to the need to change our plans over the Christmas period. Sometimes it has been due to atrocious weather conditions disrupting travel plans. More recently it was due to covid. “Can we meet up?” ”How many of us can be together at the same time?” “Are you testing negative yet?” So often our plans were derailed and our promises needed to be revised.
The most striking part of today’s passage is the announcement in verse 37, “For no word from God will ever fail.” To which Mary responds, “May your word to me be fulfilled.” We live in a context where so many words fail. They may be the words of politicians or economists, weather forecasters or football pundits. But their words always fail at some point. So it is with our own words and promises, failing due to a traffic jam or foiled by the intended present being sold out.
Yet here Mary is assured that the extraordinary, wonderful promise of a Saviour, who will reign for ever, will not fail. Indeed, Luke records Jesus’ words at the end of his Gospel, “everything must be fulfilled this is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms” (24:44). The word of God in the Old Testament has not failed, shown in the coming of the Lord Jesus who fulfils every word. And the word of God in the New Testament will not fail, shown in the fact that the resurrected Lord Jesus is currently reigning in heaven.
Though we don’t know the inner workings of God’s gracious purposes and plans, we can be confident that there will be no derailment, no delays and no disruption to God’s word. This Advent we are reminded that amid all the uncertainties of life, like Mary, we can stand with confidence on and under the good promises of God.
What does Mary know about God’s word?
Does this remind you of any of God’s promises in Isaiah?