His Transfiguration

We open the Word of God to Matthew chapter 16. I have a rather long portion to read. I'm going to read from 16.13 to 17.8. As you know, the chapter and verse divisions in your Bible are man-made, and sometimes they obscure, and this is one case.

We're thinking tonight about the transfiguration of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the story really begins in chapter 16 of Matthew at verse 13. When Jesus came into the borders of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am? And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah, or one of the prophets. He saith unto them, But who say ye that I am? Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.

Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona, for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father who is in heaven. And I say also unto thee that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ. The reason for that being, in verse 17, only God can do that. From that time forth began Jesus to show unto his disciples how he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders, and chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.

Up till then they had not heard that message. Then Peter took him and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord, this shall not be unto thee. But he turned and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan, thou art an offense unto me, for thou savorest not the things that are of God, but those that are of men.

Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it, and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels, and then he shall reward every man according to his works.

Verily I say unto you, There are some standing here who shall not taste of death till they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom. And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into a high mountain privately, and was transfigured before them. And his face did shine like the sun, and his raiment was as white as the light.

And behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elijah talking with him. Now Luke tells us what they were talking about. Luke tells us, And they spoke of his decease, his exodus, which he should accomplish at Jerusalem.

Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here, if thou wilt. Let us make here three booths, one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah. While he yet spoke, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold, a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

Hear ye him. And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were very much afraid. And Jesus came and touched them, and said, Arise, and be not afraid.

And when they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no man except Jesus only. The word transfigure, which is used in verse two, is a word from which we get our English word metamorphosis. I recall with great delight my high school biology course, not because I learned a great deal, but because the teacher was so comical.

And she taught us that a metamorphosis is a change. First there's the egg, and then there's the larva, and then there's the pupa, and then there's the adult insect. The little worm crawls into one of these upholstered cocoons, and it emerges at the end of the season, or at the beginning of the season, as a butterfly or as a moth.

It's a change on the outside that comes from the inside. That's the important thing. There are two different Greek words for change, for transfigure.

One means to masquerade. That's the change on the outside that comes from the outside. You put on makeup, and a wig, and different clothes, and you're masquerading.

You've changed, but you haven't changed from the inside. This word transfigure means a change on the outside that comes from the inside. And the central fact of the transfiguration is the glory.

That's the whole thing, glory. As our Lord Jesus stood there on the mountain, his inner glory that had been veiled came shining through his body, and shining through his raiment, and shining through his face. He was not reflecting glory.

The angels weren't turning on spotlights. He wasn't reflecting glory. Moses did that.

When Moses came down from the mountain, he picked up some of the glory, and so he reflected it. This was not reflection. This was radiation.

Our Lord was radiating out his glory, which had been veiled in his incarnation when he came to earth. There's no real glory on earth apart from God. All flesh is his grass, and the glory of man is as the flower of the grass.

It's fading away. It's here tonight, gone tomorrow. The only true glory is the glory of God.

Now, for us to understand the transfiguration and how we are a part of it, I think the best thing to do is to call the witnesses. The best thing for us to do tonight would be to look at the transfiguration through the eyes of the people who were involved. In other words, we're going to find here at least five different viewpoints on the transfiguration.

Years later, when John wrote his gospel, he remembered something about the transfiguration. Years later, when Peter wrote his letters, the Holy Spirit reminded him about the transfiguration. James had something to do with the transfiguration.

Though he wrote nothing, we think we know what it meant to him. And Moses and Elijah had something to do with it, and so did Jesus, and so do you. So we'll take these five different viewpoints tonight and discover what the glory was really like.

Let's begin with John. Over in John 1, in verse 14, we have a bit of a remembrance that the Holy Spirit gave to the gospel writer, John 1, 14. And the word, Jesus Christ, was made flesh and tabernacled among us.

And we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. When John remembered the transfiguration, he remembered the glory of the Son, S-O-N. And that's what he writes about in his gospel.

Now, it goes all the way back to Peter's confession of faith. The Lord Jesus Christ took his disciples into Gentile territory. He said, what are people saying about me? Now, if I asked you that question, you'd say, you're terribly arrogant and proud.

And you'd be right. Jesus wasn't taking a survey to see how popular he was. He wanted to see whether or not the word was getting into people's hearts.

And they were confused. The multitude said, well, he's John the Baptist. Nobody could be more opposite John the Baptist.

Well, he's Jeremiah. Well, he was a great deal like Jeremiah. He wept.

He was burdened over the city. Elijah, one of the prophets. Whom do you say that I am? And Peter, enlightened by God the Father and led by God the Spirit, says, you are the Christ of God.

That took a great deal of faith for Peter to say that. Other people had performed miracles. Other people had preached the truth of God.

Our Lord Jesus didn't look like he was different from anybody else. Religious pictures have our Lord walking around a halo over his head. He didn't have a halo over his head.

There weren't angels peeking over his shoulder. He looked like any other man. In fact, Isaiah, Isaiah the prophet, says there was no beauty about him that we should desire him.

He looked like anybody else. And yet when Peter said, thou art the Christ, the son of the living God, he was enlightened by God the Father. God and his grace taught him this.

But Peter hadn't seen that. He saw only a Jewish man who was a teacher and a miracle worker. It was a tremendous step of faith for Peter to make that testimony.

None of us has ever seen Jesus Christ. Peter himself writes and says, whom having not seen ye love. You've never seen the Lord Jesus, and yet you believe on him.

Now, Peter gave this testimony. First, there was the testimony of faith, and then the Lord honored his faith by revealing Jesus as the son of God. First, Peter said, thou art the Christ, the son of the living God.

And then a week or so later, the Lord takes him up on the mountain and he reveals that he is the son of God. It was a confirmation of Peter's faith. Now, of course, Peter was speaking for James and John and everybody except Judas.

Judas was not a believer. And so when John saw the Lord Jesus transfigured, the indelible picture on his heart was the glory of God's son. And that's what he writes about in his gospel.

Some 42 times in the gospel of John, you find the word glory or glorified. In fact, one chapter, it's our Lord's high priestly prayer, John chapter 17. Eight times, our Lord talks about his glory.

Quickly look at it with me. John 17, these words spoke Jesus and lifted up his eyes to heaven and said, Father, the hour has come. Glorify thy son, that thy son also may glorify thee.

Verse four, I have glorified thee on the earth. Verse five. And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self, with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.

John is saying that when Jesus Christ came to this earth, he left glory. Now he brought glory with him. The glory was in the tabernacle of his body, but he left that majestic glory.

And when he was walking here on this earth only once prior to his resurrection, only once did he ever permit that glory to come through. The amazing thing is in verse 10, Jesus dares to say about his disciples, I am glorified in them. Oh, I hope that's true in our lives.

And in verse 22, he says, and the glory which thou gave us me, I have given them. Not I will give them. I have given them.

That's why Paul can write in Romans eight, whom he justified, them he also glorified. I know it's hard to believe as you sit there looking at me, but would you dare to believe the word of God that I have already received the glory and I look at you and you, if you're saved, have already received the glory. He's taken the tabernacle of your body and turned it into God's temple and put the glory down inside.

And he dares to say, I'm glorified in them. My, we stumble and we fall and we fail. And yet he says, I'm glorified in them.

And we share his glory. Verse 24, father, I will that they also whom thou has given me, be with me where I am, that they may behold my glory. Not only do we possess his glory, but someday we're going to see and share in that glory.

That's what the transfiguration meant to John. That's encouraging to me. This world's not full of much glory.

You and I, as Christians don't see a great deal of glory. If you take the letter L out of it, you're closer to where things are today. Gory.

Jesus described civilization as a corpse that's rotting. The eagles are gathered together to gorge themselves on the rotten body of civilization. But, oh, for those of us who are saved, there's glory.

Which means we have a blessed hope of seeing his glory, a blessed responsibility of sharing his glory and glorifying him. To Peter, the transfiguration meant not just the glory of the son, but with Peter, it was the glory of the scriptures. Peter did what he often did.

He opened his mouth to change feet. He had it. He always had something to do.

You ever noticed that Peter was never at a loss for some plan. Now, Peter and James and John were sleeping when this Bible conference was going on. Can you imagine going to a Bible conference where the speakers were Jesus, Moses, and Elijah? And they're discussing the greatest topic in all the world, his death on the cross.

And you go to sleep. And when he woke up, he saw Moses and Elijah and Jesus and glory. And he felt he had to say something.

He'd been better off. He'd said nothing. And he said, let's make three booths, one for Moses and one for you and one for Elijah.

And while he was speaking, he was interrupted. This is my beloved son in whom I'm well pleased. Hear ye him.

Peter, we don't want to come to hear you. You listen to him. By the way, three times in Peter's ministry, he was interrupted.

Here, he was interrupted by God, the father. At the end of this chapter, he was interrupted by God, the son. The tax collector said to Peter, doesn't your master pay taxes? Yes, he does.

And Peter was walking in and he opens his mouth to make a suggestion. And Jesus anticipates him and says, Peter, go down and catch a fish that'll take care of the taxes. He was interrupted by God, the son.

In Acts chapter 10, Peter was preaching in the household of Cornelius and just revving up the motors for a nice long sermon. And the Holy Spirit interrupted him. Peter got to that point where he says, whosoever believeth on him shall receive everlasting life.

And they believed. Peter didn't even have a chance for him to sing just as I am. The Holy Spirit of God interrupted Peter and the household of Cornelius got saved.

And the thing Peter remembered about the transfiguration was the glory of the scriptures. Hear him. He writes about this over in 2 Peter chapter 1, beginning at verse 12.

Wherefore, I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though you know them and are established in the present truth. Yea, I think it fitting as long as I'm in this tabernacle to stir you up. And that Greek verb there means to arouse you from sleep.

You're a good one to tell us that, Peter, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance, knowing that shortly I must put off this, my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ has shown me. Moreover, I will endeavor that ye may be able after my decease. Same word that's used on the Mount of Transfiguration.

They spoke of his decease, his exodus. After my decease to have these things always in remembrance. For we have not followed cunningly devised fables when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty.

For he received from God the Father honor and glory when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory. This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased. And this voice, which came from heaven, we heard when we were with him in the Holy Mount.

Now, if you've had an experience like that, what more could you want? But Peter goes on to say, we've got something better than that. We have also a more sure word of prophecy unto which ye do well that you take heed as unto a light that shineth in a dark place. That dark place is the world, and that word dark is squalid, murky, like a swamp.

Until the day dawn and the day star arise in your hearts, knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not at any time by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. And then he goes on to warn in chapter two about false teachers.

What was it that impressed Peter? The glory of the scriptures. You see, after Peter had given his testimony of faith, Jesus began to teach them a new lesson that he'd never taught them before. He said, all right, men, you believe I'm the Christ of God.

Yes, I'm going to Jerusalem to suffer and die. And again, Peter had a suggestion. Peter said, oh, pity yourself, Lord, far be it from you that that's not in the Bible.

I can't even find that in the Schofield notes anywhere. And the Lord Jesus said, you get behind me, Satan adversary. You're not thinking like God, you're thinking like a man.

You see, Peter couldn't understand why he wasn't talking about glory, glory, glory. Back in the Old Testament, the Messiah would establish a kingdom of glory, glory. And now he's talking about suffering, suffering.

By the way, you read first and second, Peter, you'll find that one theme runs through those two to two books, suffering and glory, suffering and glory, suffering and glory, the glory of the scriptures. And our Lord says, Peter. I want you to know there is going to be a kingdom someday.

I haven't changed my plan. He takes him up in the mountain and he's glorified. And here's Moses, the law.

Here's Elijah, the prophets. Here's Jesus, who fulfills the law and the prophets. Peter, don't you put them all on the same level, a booth for Moses, Elijah and Jesus.

They aren't on the same level. Jesus only. He's the preeminent one.

Peter, my scriptures are going to be fulfilled. One day I will reign on earth in glory. One day Israel shall reign with me.

Peter and James and John represented the church up there. The church will reign with me. Moses died and went to heaven.

Elijah was raptured and went to heaven. And when that kingdom is established, there will be those who entered into heaven by death. There will be those who were raptured.

What joy, what delight should we go without dying? Peter came away from the transfiguration, remembering three words here, he him. And so Peter says, look, I had a vision. You never had that vision.

But you don't need it. You don't need it. I saw him in glory.

You didn't do that, but you don't need it. You've got the scriptures. And this book, this objective revelation of truth is far greater than any vision you might have.

You forget visions, you can twist visions, you can misinterpret visions. This book never changes. And Peter said, I thank God for the glory of the scriptures that point to Jesus Christ.

We have a sure word of prophecy. There will be a kingdom someday. I confess to you there, sometimes I take detours in the city of Chicago.

Sometimes you have to, but sometimes I take detours. There's certain parts of the city I don't want to see. Now, maybe I'm selfish.

Maybe I'm blind. Maybe I'm not even acting like a Christian, but there are some places in the city of Chicago that just get to me. I thank God the day is going to come when our Lord Jesus Christ is going to reign in glory.

There will be no more cancer wards in our hospitals because there'll be no more hospitals. A friend of mine wrote me recently and said, they're about to establish a policy where I'm living of having funerals on Sundays. I hope that never comes to Chicago.

Thank God the day is going to come. There won't be any funerals or graveyards or undertakers or emergency squads. There won't be any crime or policemen or criminals.

Jesus shall reign where the sun does his successive journeys run. And the kingdoms of this world will become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ. And he shall reign and it'll be in glory.

How do I know the scriptures tell me I'm standing with Peter, the glory of the scriptures. How about James quickly? Let's listen to him. We have no writings from James.

We have no record of any writings of his in the Bible. There's one thing we know about James, the first of the apostles to die. Over in Acts chapter 12, Herod arrest James and he beheads him and then he arrests Peter and he's going to keep Peter in prison and Peter's released.

James was the first of the apostles to die. Now gather your little gray cells together in your mind and follow closely. Three times in my Lord's ministry he took Peter and James and John by themselves.

One was the transfiguration. One was in the household of Jairus. Jairus's daughter died and the Lord threw everybody out except mother and daddy and Peter and James and John and they went into that little bedroom and Jesus raised that little girl from the dead.

The third time was the garden of Gethsemane when our Lord was going to pray and face the cross and he asked Peter and James and John to come and pray with him and again they went to sleep. Why these three? Interesting. If you want to remember these three, remember Philippians 3 10.

That I may know him that's the transfiguration. The power of his resurrection. Jairus.

The fellowship of his sufferings. Gethsemane. But you see each of these events has one thing in common.

Death. Death. You see James remembers the glory of suffering.

Now listen to it. Our Lord takes them up in the mountain. What's he discussing with Moses and Elijah? What would you discuss with Moses and Elijah? I'd probably discuss some way to avoid death.

Elijah you never died. How'd you do it? Our Lord discusses with them his decease. His exodus that's going to take place in Jerusalem.

Luke uses the word accomplish. They're discussing suffering. They're discussing discussing the son of God suffering.

A few years later when James was arrested put in prison and the guards said yeah you're gonna die. You're gonna die. And James remembered on the Mount of Transfiguration Jesus was glorified as he discussed suffering and death.

In the household of Jairus Jesus was victorious over death. In the garden of Gethsemane Jesus was surrendered to death. That's why we Christians aren't afraid of suffering and death.

Because we see in suffering and death there's glory. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us. For though the outward man is perishing the inward man is being renewed day by day as we look not at the things that are seen.

For the things that are seen are temporal. The things that are not seen are eternal. On the Mount of Transfiguration he was glorified in suffering and death.

We aren't afraid of death because he's victorious over death. Little girl arise. When they led James out and put his head on the block and chopped off his head he wasn't afraid to die.

For he knew that death had no sting. The grave had no victory. When you know Jesus Christ.

In the garden of Gethsemane James learned that our Lord was surrendered to death. Oh father if it be thy will let this cup pass from me. Nevertheless not my will but thine be done.

Peter tried to defend him and Jesus said the cup that my father has given me shall I not drink it? He yields himself to the crowd. That's what James did. That's what you and I have to do.

The glory of suffering. We must hurry. Moses and Elijah the glory of salvation.

You know Moses and Elijah and Jesus had a great deal in common. All three are identified with mountains. Mount Sinai, Mount Carmel, Mount Calvary.

All three are identified with refusals. Moses refused the riches of Egypt. Elijah refused to worship Baal and bow down to the queen.

Jesus refused the offer of the kingdoms of this world. All three are identified with our faith. Moses is the one who helped to found the faith.

He gives us the law. Elijah protected the faith. As a prophet he defended the truth of God's word.

Our Lord Jesus fulfilled it. He's the one about whom the law and the prophets wrote. All three of them had rather unique endings to their lives.

Moses had a secret burial. Nobody knows to this day where Moses was buried. Elijah never did die.

He was raptured to heaven. He wanted to die. God said, no I've got a chariot ride planned for you.

Took him up to heaven. Our Lord Jesus died and was buried and arose again and ascended back to heaven. But the one thing they all have in common more than anything else is all three of them were involved in an exodus.

That's the word that's used. They spoke of his exodus which he should accomplish at Jerusalem. Moses the exodus of Israel from Egypt.

Elijah the exodus of Israel from idolatry. Jesus Christ the exodus of sinners from the kingdom of Satan. For he has delivered us from the kingdom of darkness.

He's translated us into the kingdom of his dear son. And there they were Moses the prophets. Elijah the law.

Elijah the prophets. Jesus the fulfillment of the law and the prophets. They were discussing the exodus that he was going to accomplish.

The exodus from Egypt was accomplished by lambs dying. The exodus from sin is accomplished by God's lamb dying. They applied the blood to the doorposts of their homes.

Jesus' blood is applied to our hearts. But in both cases salvation by sacrifice through faith. Maybe somebody here tonight has never had that exodus.

You're still in the bondage of sin. Oh I say to you Moses and Elijah remember the transfiguration the glory of salvation. That's kind of a picture of heaven here and the beautiful thing is when we see the Lord Jesus we're going to be like him.

You see heaven is the glory within revealed without. We're all going to be transfigured. Heaven's a place of glory no darkness.

Hell is a place of darkness no glory. The glory of heaven is the glory of Jesus Christ and he's given that glory to us and we're going to share it. The darkness of hell is the darkness of sin and Satan.

When the sinner dies and goes to hell the darkness on the inside is revealed on the outside and it makes that darkness even darker. No need for anyone to go to the darkness of hell when you can trust Christ and have an exodus. There's a fifth viewpoint here.

To Jesus Christ what did the transfiguration mean? Oh do I even dare talk about our Lord's experience? I doubt that there's language or thought or concept profound enough to discuss it. We can wade in the water for a minute or two. To Jesus Christ it meant the glory of surrender.

It was sort of a pre-Calvary encouragement to him. He had just said to his disciples I'm going to Jerusalem to suffer and die and the father says to him I'm well pleased with you. The road that's coming up is rough.

They're going to reject you and persecute you and beat you and spit on you and humiliate you and crucify you. But my son just to give you that little bit of encouragement now. Remember these were the days of his flesh.

These were the days when he was in a human body. Just to give you that bit of encouragement my son here's some of the glory. And he permitted the glory to shine through the person of Jesus Christ.

The glory of surrender. This is what our Lord meant when he said to the disciples when Peter rebuked him. If you're going to come after me you better deny yourself and take up your cross daily crucifixion and follow me.

Where? To a cross. You try to save your life Peter you'll lose it. But if you lose your life for my sake and the gospels you're going to save it.

Peter the glory is not found in pampering yourself it's found in surrendering yourself. I'll prove it to you. Let's go up on the mountain.

There on the mountain when our Lord Jesus was yielded to the Father the glory came through. The glory of surrender. Now someone says does that make any difference to you and me? Yes it does.

Wouldn't you like to be a person with a shining face? When Stephen was being stoned his face as they beheld him in witness was as the face of an angel. It wasn't reflection it was radiation. Would you like to have the kind of a face that people look at and say there's something different about him about her? There's a glow there's something heavenly about that person's face.

His face was shining and his garments were shining. In the Bible garments are a picture of our habits. Paul says take off the old clothes of sin put on the new clothes of grace.

Wouldn't you love for your garments to be shining in glory your habits? The cloud was even shining. Clouds come to our lives. Everybody has clouds but thank God when you're on the Mount of Transfiguration the cloud is shining and the voice comes through the cloud.

I've been through clouds. When they first came they were so dark and I saw a storm coming and then the cloud didn't have a silver lining. The cloud became glory and from that cloud God spoke.

Wouldn't we like to have that kind of an experience that Jesus had? You say well it's impossible. No it isn't. This word transfigured is used in two other references in the New Testament.

If you'll mark them and remember them and practice them I think they may help you. One of them is very familiar it's Romans 12 1 and 2. How do we have a transfiguration experience today? Is it possible? You say well I'm not very close to any mountains. Should I go up on the Hancock building? You don't have to go up in the Hancock building.

Right where you are. Right where you are you can have a transfiguration experience. An interesting thing happened this morning after Mr. Shaw gave his word of testimony this morning.

In the visitor's reception a listener came and said God spoke to my heart and while I was sitting there while I was standing there I surrendered myself to Jesus Christ. You see it can happen right where you are. I beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies of God that you present your bodies a living sacrifice wholly acceptable unto God which is your reasonable service and be not conformed to this world but be ye transfigured.

That's the word metamorphosis. Be ye transfigured how? By the renewing of your mind that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God as we give to God body and mind and will and as we let the word of God work in our minds we're transfigured as he thinketh so he is as the Lord changes our minds he changes our lives. It doesn't stop there though go over to 2nd Corinthians chapter 3. 2nd Corinthians chapter 3 verse 18.

Here's the second occasion for this word transfigured. 2nd Corinthians 3 18 but we all with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord are being transfigured into the same image. What image? The glory of the Lord from glory to glory even as by the spirit of the Lord.

Let me put it into a simple sentence for you when the child of God looks into the word of God and sees the son of God he is transfigured by the spirit of God into the glory of God. You want a transfiguration experience? Just spend time every day looking into the mirror of the word of God. You know what'll happen? When Moses came down from the mountain he didn't know his face was shining.

They had to tell him. Most Christians who are walking close to God don't know their faces are shining. In fact many of them have the idea they're not really walking with the Lord as they should.

2nd Corinthians 3 18 simply says when I take time every day to worship just to get into the presence of the Lord in the word the spirit of God takes the word of God and transfigures my mind and my inner man and you go from glory to glory from glory to glory until one day you'll take that step into the most excellent glory and your transfiguration experience will be complete. We're too busy for this though. We'd rather have evangelical makeup than radiance.

Well there are ways you can do it. You can get your little evangelical cosmetic kits and make yourself up to look like a saint. It can be done but after a while it gets pretty cheap and when you get caught in a rainstorm it starts to run and people can see it and they say uh-uh that's not the real thing.

You can wear a mask but that's not transfiguration. No. What our Lord is saying is this just as I surrendered to the Father and the glory came through so if you and I just yield to him spend time in the word let the spirit of God work in our lives that glory starts to shine through.

We go from glory to glory. Yes you can have a transfiguration experience in your kitchen. The kitchen can be transfigured and God's glory can move in.

The cab of your truck, your school room, a hospital room, yes even a graveyard. The glory can move in when we've yielded to him. The glory of surrender.

Many times Christians have the idea we either have to die or wait for the rapture before we can have the glory. Please don't be like that. Don't be like that.

The glory can come now. Yes it is only glory by and by but there's glory here and now. The transfiguration.

Do you come apart with the Lord Jesus and see Jesus only? Do you listen to his word? It says while he was praying he was transfigured. Do we pray? That seems to be the formula. Come apart, get into the word, pray, surrender and God will transfigure you and you'll not have to worry about spots and blemishes and warts and things because the glory of God will just change us like unto his glory.

Well we have the glory of the son. Let's worship him. We have the glory of the scriptures.

Let's feed on it and depend upon it. We have the glory of suffering. Let's not fight it.

Let's yield. We have the glory of salvation. How wonderful that we have had that exodus and right now the glory of surrender.

Gracious father so often our lives are ordinary and sometimes even less than ordinary. We want our lives to be touched with glory. We want that Christ shall be magnified in our lives in glory.

Help us in our daily devotional life to see Jesus only and oh holy spirit by the word transfigure us. Help us to share the glory and to show the glory. Make us different for Jesus sake.

Amen.