Scripture contains many mountaintop encounters with God’s glory. The very first time mountains are mentioned is in Genesis 7, in connection with the Flood. Even the highest mountains aren’t high enough to escape God’s judgment. They too were inundated. Only Noah and those with him in the ark were saved, as they were lifted above the mountains on the waters and then set down as the waters receded on the mountains of Ararat.
Abraham had a mountaintop encounter with God. Commanded by God to offer as a burnt offering his own son Isaac Abraham had gone, without hesitating, to the mountain where God had directed him. He climbed that mountain with his son, built the altar, took the knife and was about to slay his son when the Angel of the Lord said, “Stop! Don’t do it!” And a ram was provided as a substitute and Abraham named that place, “The Lord Will Provide.”
Some of the most glorious mountaintop encounters with God take place during the life of Moses. Moses first encountered God when he saw God’s glory in the form of the burning bush, a bush that was on fire yet not consumed. God said to him, “Take off your sandals, Moses. This is holy ground.” It wasn’t that the ground was all that special, but God was there on that mountain, with his glorious presence. And God told Moses, “You’re going to set my people free from slavery in Egypt. Don’t be afraid. I promise you that you will be back here with those people to worship me at this very mountain.”
That was Mount Sinai, and they did come to worship God there. God made his presence known with thunder and lightning and smoke and the sound of trumpets. And Moses went up the mountain, where Exodus 24 says, “The glory of the Lord looked like a devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the sight of the people of Israel.”
When the people came to the Promised Land, the eventual site of the temple would be on Mount Zion. When Elijah had his showdown with the prophets of Baal it was on Mount Carmel.
What better place is there where we might find God’s glory? God is high above us, in places we can never reach. The high mountains touch the heavens and maybe, just maybe, in such a glorious place we might catch a glimpse of the glory of God.
In chapter 17 of his gospel Matthew tells us of another mountaintop encounter with God’s glory. Jesus was transfigured on a mountain and shone with the glory of God while the Father proclaimed him his beloved Son. This is a wonderful account. It’s astonishing in that it’s something completely out of the ordinary, and yet at the same time, considering all those Old Testament mountaintop encounters you might call it a most likely outcome, the most expected thing that could possibly happen. If we marvel at the surprising wonder of Jesus hiding his glory when he came to earth, should we not consider it unsurprising and normal when he shows his glory?
If we do truly believe that Jesus is God, then this event shouldn’t take us by surprise at all. What is surprising is that this mountaintop encounter with God’s glory is not the end. It is not the goal. Instead of standing on the mountain looking up, the focus from this mountain is looking down. Jesus’ transfiguration is aimed at the cross.
This account takes place late in Jesus’ ministry. Jesus had traveled north, far to the north, to the region of Caesarea Philippi, This was about 20 miles north of the Sea of Galilee, in an area populated mostly by Gentiles. Jesus took his disciples there to teach them. And the important question that he asked was, “Who do people say that I am?” to which they gave various answers and he followed that by asking, “And what about you, who do you say that I am?” And Peter confessed for them all, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
This is all just before these events and that context is important because this is why Jesus was doing this. This man Jesus looks like a normal man. He doesn’t look like anyone unique or unusual. He certainly doesn’t look like God. But by faith Peter and all the others confessed, “You are the Son of the living God” and now Jesus would show Peter, James, and John just what that means by bringing them up a high mountain where they can truly encounter God’s glory, his glory, as the onlybegotton Son of God, who is one with the Father and the Holy Spirit.
Matthew says “Six days later Jesus took with him Peter, James, and John the brother of James; and he led them up onto a high mountain by themselves.” Peter, James, and John weren’t the greatest disciples. They weren’t the ones with the most good works or the strongest and most unshakable faith. They were the ones Jesus chose, by his grace, and it seems that these three were selected by him to be leaders of a sort for the others. The high mountain isn’t named, likely part of the Mount Hermon range near Caesarea Philippi. But what happened there really was something utterly amazing.
“There he was transfigured in front of them. His face was shining like the sun. His clothing became as white as the light. 3Just then, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Jesus.”
Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you want, I will make three shelters here: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”
While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them. Just then, a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him.”
This is truly a wondrous event. It’s certainly no less amazing than Moses coming down from Mt. Sinai with his face shining from having been talking with God, or Elijah waiting for God until God came to him not in the wind, not in the earthquake, not in the fire, but in the still, small voice. It’s no surprise that Peter responded as he did, even if Peter didn’t really know what he was saying because he was too dazzled out of his mind to think clearly. Who wouldn’t want to stay there? Who wouldn’t say, “This is what I’ve been wanting, what I’ve been looking for! This is the goal, the glory of God!”?
This event is an amazing one to be sure. It’s unique and out of the ordinary and everything that we want to see. It’s not really surprising though, because it’s what we believe and confess. Just like with Peter and the disciples, we’ve been saying this all along, “Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God.” If anything, Jesus’ transfiguration might arrive with a sense of relief, like when you can’t find your car keys and you’re just starting to think that you’re going to need to tear the whole house apart to find them but then, “Ah, there they are.” It’s the same sort of relief that we’re looking forward to for Judgment Day. Sometimes I have my doubts. In the first place I looked I didn’t see Jesus with his glory. He wasn’t in the second place I looked either. He better be in the third place or I’m going to have to tear this whole house apart, in a panic, hoping that he’s actually there. Yes, I have my doubts, but when Judgment Day arrives and I see Jesus, *whew!* what a relief that will be. “There you are, Jesus. Just like I knew you’d be all along.”
Isn’t that sad, how slow we are to believe? We think that the sight of God’s glory is the thing that will take away our doubts and give us a faith to believe, when it’s actually the Word that does that. When in all of history did a mountaintop encounter with God’s glory give a person faith? No, what God’s glory does is terrify sinners. God is above us, far beyond our reach. The mountains reach up into the heavens and only there might we, just possibly, catch a glimpse of that glory but only if he chooses to stoop down and brush the pinnacle of that mountain with the back of his hand and if he does you had better hope that he does so lightly and in mercy, not in wrath, or he might just crush you into dust, you and the whole mountain you’re standing on.
But the purpose of Jesus’ transfiguration was not to terrify sinners. It was not to demonstrate how unimaginably great he is compared to us, how glorious and mighty and holy, and we so weak and feeble with our guilt-stained hands and corrupt and rotten hearts.
“Listen to him.” the Father said. Listen to him. That’s where doubts are quelled and faith is instilled, not in the sight of his glory but in the power of his word.
Jesus was not at the end of his mission. This was not his goal. Instead, this was for Jesus’ disciples to prepare for the cross that was to come. This was so that they would know what Jesus had left behind. It was so that they would understand how precious is the word from his glorious lips. It was so that they would know when they saw him bleeding and dying that this was not because of the jealousy of the Jews or the cruelty of Pilate but because of the glorious love of God shining from the cross on all people to give them light and life and salvation.
They fell face down and were terrified. 7Jesus approached and as he touched them, he said, “Get up, and do not be afraid.”
This is how our Lord Jesus still deals with us today. He stooped down from heaven much more than just to brush a mountaintop with the back of his hand. He took on our own flesh and blood to die on a mountain as the sacrifice for our sin. And he rose from the dead and he ascended from a mountain with a promise that he will return to take us with him and yet at the same time he is still with us to the end of the age.
Don’t go looking for Jesus on a mountaintop. You won’t find him there. What better place to find him than where he has said? Today we encounter our holy God in his Word and Sacraments. This is where he comes to us. This is were he says, “I have taken your sins. I have borne them up the mountain and nailed them to the cross. I have brought to you glorious, heavenly gifts – forgiveness of sins, new life, salvation.”
As we listen to this Son of God and treasure this Gospel, he also gives us this sure hope; When he comes in his glory and when we see him with our own eyes, it will not be to fall on our faces in terror. We will behold him without fear. Forget three tents, Peter! God’s dwelling will be with us, his people, on that holy mountain that is heaven. “Lord, it is good for us to be here!” Amen.