ALPHA MAAMA (A.M.)

Falaite ‘Epeleli 23, 2021 

And he was transfigured before them

Pea na‘e fakakehe hono anga´ ‘i honau ‘ao

Matiu 17 (Matthew 17)

(v. 2-3) 2 And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. 3 And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him.

(v. 2-3) 2 Pea na‘e fakakehe hono anga ‘i honau ‘ao, pea na‘e malama hono fōtunga ‘o hangē ko e la‘ā, pea ko hono ngaahi kofu na‘e hinaekiaki mai ‘o hangē ko e maama. 3 Pea tā na‘e hā kiate kinautolu ‘a Mōsese mo ‘Ilaisiā ‘oku nau talanoa mo ia.

 

*Commentary: David Guzik – Study Guide to Matthew*

He was transfigured before them: The word transfigured speaks of a transformation, not merely a change in outward appearance. The effect was extremely striking; Jesus became so bright in appearance that He was even difficult to look at (like the sun).

“The verb metamorphoo (‘transfigure,’ ‘transform,’ ‘change in form’) suggests a change of inmost nature that may be outwardly visible.” (Carson) It may be that this glory shone forth in the Garden of Gethsemane, when those who arrested Him fell back when Jesus said, “I am.”

“For Christ to be glorious was almost a less matter than for him to restrain or hide his glory. It is forever his glory that he concealed his glory; and that, though he was rich, for our sakes he became poor.” (Spurgeon)

Jesus has His disciples with Him when He shines in His glory. He is not glorified apart from them, because they share in His glory. Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me. (John 17:24)

(Mat 17:3) Moses and Elijah appear with Jesus.

And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him.

Moses and Elijah: Remarkably, these two Old Testament persons appeared and spoke with the transfigured Jesus. Moses had lived some 1400 years before; Elijah some 900 years before; yet they were alive and in some sort of resurrected, glorified state.

It is fair to think that these two particular persons from the Old Testament appeared because they represent the Law (Moses) and the Prophets (Elijah). The sum of Old Testament revelation came to meet with Jesus at the Mount of Transfiguration.

We can also say that Moses and Elijah represent those who are caught up to God (Moses at Jude 9 and Elijah at 2 Kings 2:11). More specifically, Moses represents those who die and go to glory, and Elijah represents those who are caught up to heaven without death (as in the rapture described in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).

From this we see: “Saints long departed still alive; live in their personality; are known by their names; and enjoy near access to Christ.” (Spurgeon)

Talking with Him: Luke 9:31 tells us the theme of their conversation; they spoke of His decease which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. They spoke of the upcoming work of the cross, and presumably of the resurrection to follow.

“And where could there have been found greater subjects than this wondrous death, and his glorious resurrection?” (Meyer)

“They ‘appeared unto them‘ but they ‘talked with him‘: the object of the two holy ones was not to converse with the apostles, but with their Master. Although saints are seen of men, their fellowship is with Jesus.” (Spurgeon)

GOD IS . . . (KO E ‘OTUA, ‘OKU . . )

4        GOD IS INFINITE

            The Worth of Christ

So we must avoid implying that the atonement was made by the human nature of Christ. Natures do nothing in the abstract. We are concerned about the concrete person in all of Christ's acts of mediation: the Son did this, or the Son did that. Christ the person atoned for sin because the atonement needed to be infinite in value. After all, one person died for millions and millions of persons. This is possible because God accepts the sacrifice of his Son; as Goodwin notes, "For as the offence is against an infinite glorious God, so the holy works are wrought by one as Infinite."

We cannot afford, then, to be tentative about the infinity of God. Our salvation rests on the fact that the Infinite One became man to die in the place of sinners, who transgressed against an infinitely holy God, who demanded justice if ever he would forgive us. Only the payment of his infinitely glorious Son would suffice.

In our finitude, we are unable to comprehend an infinite God, yet the gospel enables us to see so much more of God than would otherwise have been possible. As Thomas Goodwin notes,

The "back-parts" of God, which we call his attributes, his power, wisdom, truth, justice, which God calls his glory to Moses and which we cannot see and live: these are infinitely more really and substantially ... set forth to us, by what we know of Christ as a redeemer in the gospel; and do infinitely transcend whatever of them either was, or could have been expressed in millions of several worlds, filled all of them with several sorts of intelligent creatures, such as angels and men.

Thus, in the gospel not only are we saved by the infinite worth of Christ's sacrifice, but also in his death we have "infinitely" more knowledge of God than we could have had without the supernatural revelation of Christ.