"Mountaintop Experience"

9.30am Trinity Sunday 7 June 2009

Readings: Mark 9:2-13; 2 Peter 1:12-21 TNIV

What comes to your mind when you hear the term 'Mountaintop Experience?' Has there been an event in your life that could be described this way? These were the only adequate words to capture its meaning to you? It may not have taken place on a mountain. It could have been a camp or a conference you attended, or a time of worship that you did not want to leave because it was so uplifting. What has been a mountaintop experience for you? Were you aware of the presence of God at that time? Take a moment to share with the person beside you what you would describe in this way.

It is true that some of these experiences do happen literally on the top of a mountain. I remember about thirty years ago climbing to the top of Mt Roy just above Glendu Bay, Lake Wanaka, early one morning to catch the sunrise, seeing Mt Aspiring piercing the sky on the horizon, and singing at the top of my voice "How great thou art" as the sun rose; or scanning the panoramic view from the top of Mt Angelus in the Nelson Lakes District, which the camera can never capture in its entirety. A little more scary was our experience last Christmas when we traversed ridges and steep mountain slopes to cross from Boulder Lake to the Anatoki Falls in the Kahurangi National Park. We were away outside our comfort zones at times, especially for those of us not so good at heights, so did not appreciate it as much as we might. These are just moments in time which can be re-lived and treasured in our memories long after we have moved on, because in this earthly life we cannot stay on the mountaintops. In fact it is dangerous to do so, especially when you are tramping as you never know when the weather will change, which it can do in a very short time.

This morning we read of the mountaintop experience of Peter, James and John, an event that most probably took place on Mount Hermon, which is reasonably close to where Peter confessed Jesus to be the "Messiah" at Caesarea Philippi. When we were in Israel last year we could see Mt Hermon in the distance from the Golan Heights. It is the highest mountain in that vicinity, almost 3,000 metres high. What Peter, James and John saw on that mountain terrified them. They had never experienced anything like it before. It was as if the shutters of heaven were opened temporarily permitting them to catch a glimpse of the glory of God shining through his Son, Jesus Christ. The TNIV translation - Peter "did not know what to say, they were so frightened." - does not really capture the extent of their fear. It was not the common fear that grips us when we come across something unusual. A more literal translation of the Greek would be, they were "exceedingly afraid," scared 'out of their wits.' It was not only an awesome moment, something out of this world, but also alarming at the same time. They were out of their comfort zone, and Peter did not know what to do or say.

This is not the first time in the Bible where people have had an encounter with God on a mountain. Mountains feature prominently in the lives of Moses, Elijah who appeared with Jesus. God appeared to Moses "in flames of fire from within the bush" on "Horeb, the mountain of God."[1] Later he spent two periods of forty days, in total eighty days, on top of the mountain receiving God's commands for his people. At the end of the second forty days, when he descended from the mountain, "his face was so radiant, they (ie Aaron and all the Israelites) were afraid to come near him."[2] That time in God's presence had transformed him.

Elijah, likewise, spent time on Mt Horeb when he was fleeing for his life from Queen Jezebel after his great victory over the prophets of Baal on Mt Carmel, another mountain. Elijah had called upon God to reveal himself to his people in an unmistakeable way as the only true God, and God answered by sending fire to consume the sacrifice Elijah had laid on the altar, along with the wood, the stones, the soil and the water in the trench. He then ordered the people to kill all the prophets of Baal. When Queen Jezebel heard of this she determined to kill Elijah, and he ran for his life to "Horeb, the mountain of God."[3] Elijah was ready to give up. Psychologists would call it 'post adrenalin syndrome,' another term for depression. All he wanted to do was die. But God spoke to him in "a gentle whisper," re- commissioning him with work he was to do. These two giants of the Old Testament, Moses representing the greatest Law-giver Israel had ever known and Elijah the greatest of Israel's Prophets, had one thing in common. Their earthly remains have ever been found - it is these two who now meet and speak with Jesus also on a high mountain.

Knowing what was to take place on the mountain, Jesus takes with him the inner circle of his apostolic band, Peter, James and John. Mark tells us that at first "they were all alone."[4] While there were just the four of them there, Jesus "was transfigured before them." His "clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them."[5] The Greek word for "transfigured" is the word from which we derive our English word 'metamorphosis.' It means a marked change in appearance, character, condition, or function. In biology we use this word to describe what happens when caterpillar turns into a butterfly, or when a tadpole changes into a frog. A dramatic change took place in the form of Jesus bodily make up, so much so that it shone through what he was wearing. Mark tries to capture the extent of the transformation of his clothes by drawing on what he readers would know. Bleach was used even back in Bible times, but the whiteness of the glory that shone through Jesus on the mountain was far greater than any whiteness humans could produce. They were "dazzling white." One had to shade their eyes to look upon him, and Peter recounts the awesomeness of this experience in his letter when he writes, "...we were eyewitnesses of his majesty."[6]

It was while Peter, James and John were trying to come to terms with what was happening that Moses and Elijah appeared and spoke with Jesus. We are not told how they knew it was Moses and Elijah, but obviously this became clear in what they saw and heard. Both Matthew and Mark do not tell us more than that Moses and Elijah spoke with Jesus. However, Luke in his gospel tells us what they were talking about. He says, "They spoke about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfilment at Jerusalem."[7]I The significant thing about Luke's statement is that the word translated "departure" in our English Bibles is the Greek word "exodus," which we will return to in a moment. It is then that Peter, at a loss to know what to do, blurts out about it being good for them to be there, and offering to "put up three shelters - on for (Jesus), one for Moses and one for Elijah." He wanted to hold on to that moment so that it would not end, like many of us who wish that our mountaintop experience would never stop. Then we are told "a cloud" appears. This throughout Scripture has always been a symbol for God's presence, and they hear the voice say, "This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!"[8] And just a quickly it was all over. There were only the four of them there. For a brief moment the eternal realm pierced that of time, and these three men were afforded the opportunity to receive insight into the purposes of God, which the Gospels have faithfully recorded for our instruction. As they descend from the mountain Jesus tells them not to tell others what had happened, not until after his resurrection. They still did not understand about his "rising from the dead," but they use the opportunity to ask another question that had been on their minds, having just seen the prophet Elijah with Jesus. What not he to come before the Messiah? In Jesus' reply they learn that Elijah had indeed come in the person of John the Baptist, and that what happened to him would also be his own fate. It was too much for these three men to understand at that time, but in due course it would all became clear.

The key question for us today is why is this incident recorded in Scripture, and what are we to take from it?

First this was a critical moment in the life of Jesus. Just as Peter's confession of Jesus to be the Messiah was a turning point in the disciples understanding of who Jesus was, so this is a watershed moment in Jesus' ministry. Some would say that his conversations with Moses and Elijah, and the voice from heaven affirming him, both confirmed for Jesus that he was on the right path. The cross would be the means by which he would return to the Father. Any reservation about that was now dispelled. The fact that both Moses and Elijah talk with Jesus about his "departure" shows what is uppermost in their minds. This is the purpose for which Jesus came. This was the moment of destiny for his earthly life. The "exodus" that was about to happen would not be a physical and geographical one like that of Israel being released from slavery in Egypt; but a spiritual one when Jesus through his death and resurrection would liberate all who believe in him from their slavery to sin and death. As the might of Egypt was brought low through the plagues and overthrow of Pharoah's army in the Red Sea, so Jesus death on the cross would defeat the powers of darkness that hold the world in its power, and you and I, in bondage to sin and death. This would take place in Jerusalem, and so from this point onwards in Jesus' life the shadow of the cross looms larger and larger. Luke captures it well when shortly after the 'transfiguration' he writes, "As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem."[9] There was no hesitation on his part. The word "resolutely" highlights this fact. He determined to go through with it. There could be no turning back. He was living out his own words that he stated a short time later. It is only those who put their hand to the plough and who do not look back who are fit for the kingdom of God.[10] You and I are deeply indebted to him for this. He came to set you free from the penalty and power of sin, and one day from its presence. Only he could do that for you, and it is something for which I am and will be forever grateful.

There are two further truths that come through this account, and that is that the division or separation between earth and heaven is only 'paper thin,' if I can use that way to describe it. The heavenly realm impinges on human life constantly, and from time to time God opens the curtain a little so that we might catch a glimpse of it. This passage tells us that it is the realm of the living not of the dead.[11] Moses and Elijah are alive and well, as are all God's saints, and they are there on the sideline cheering us on, saying, "You can do it! Don't give up! Hang in there! Run well!"[12] Jesus is the One on whom we are to focus our attention as we run the race of life.

But even more important is the truth as to who Jesus is. Matthew, Mark and Luke all record the account of the transfiguration. John does so by inference when he writes, "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling with us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth."[13] "We have seen his glory," says it all. Or the words of Peter quoted earlier, "we were eye witnesses of his majesty." This is their personal testimony. With their own eyes they saw the glory of God revealed through his Son, Jesus. Paul later adds his testimony after his vision of the risen Christ on the road to Damascus: "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."[14] This story of the transfiguration is included in the Gospels so that we along with the disciples might know who Jesus really is. As we have noted before, this was Mark's concern when he wrote his Gospel, as it was for all the others. John puts its clearest when he wrote, "...these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name."[15]