I was on a couple of skiing holidays before I was married, getting up to the top of the mountain concerned me. I really am terrified of heights, one way of travelling up the mountain was by a t- bar, - that was good for your feet never left the ground, another way was by chair lift. It was awful, you could look down and your feet, skis and all were dangling below you, it seemed a long way down. Perhaps the best way to travel would be by cable car.

I want us to climb into this cable car and travel up the edge of a mountain, as we rise up this mountain, I want us to see what is taking place.

The identity of this mountain is not certain, tradition says it was on Mount Tabor which is just East of Nazareth. Although historians tell us that there was a fortress on this mountain and it is unlikely to be the location, if you visit Israel you will see the Basilica of the Transfiguration on Mount Tabor.

Others feel it is Mount Hermon, in Matthew chapter sixteen we find the Lord and the disciples in Caesarea Philippi, and Mount Hermon is in that locality, but we cannot speak with any great certainty.

As we travel up this mountain, let us look down and see what is happening. Is this famous New Testament happening just to dazzle us or have we something to learn from it?

Fingal’s Cave on Staffa Island, one of the Hebrides, is believed to be the only cavern in the world where one can hear music as the wind plays around the prism shaped pillars. It inspired Mendleson to write his overture, ‘Fingal’s Cave’. We may not hear any music on this mountain, but I trust we will hear a message from the Lord

Perhaps we should explain why this event took place, if we glance back at chapter Sixteen, we discover the Lord speaking at the end of the chapter.

The Lord reminds his disciples that he is coming again, here he is speaking of his coming as king of kings and Lord of Lords. In verse twenty-eight he says, "Verily I say unto you, there be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the son of man coming in his kingdom."

Some of them were going to get a glimpse of the Lord in his glorified state, they would see the Lord in all his glory

Jesus had just told the disciples about Calvary:

They expected deliverance from Roman domination and the setting up of the promised kingdom, Christ was showing them that he would return in glory but firstly, he must needs go to Calvary.

This incident is recorded in Mark’s and Luke’s gospel as well as Matthew’s.

What does Luke tell us?

Here is the first thing I want us to see as we gaze upon this mountain, we see the greatest man who ever lived and what is he doing?

Does this not send out a message to all of us? If Jesus Christ the Son of God needed to pray, do you and I not need to pray? Seventeen times we read about Jesus praying.

• Jesus prayed before his baptism.

Prayer will help us to obey his word.

• Jesus prayed before he chose his disciples.

Prayer helps us make the right decisions.

• Jesus prayed before he suffered.

Prayer helps us when we are suffering.

• Jesus prayed before he was transfigured.

Prayer will lead us to opportunities when we can glorify him.

Look dear saint of God, look on this mountain can you see the Son of God and he is upon his knees praying?

J R Millar has written about how he caught a glimpse of his mother praying and his life was never the same.

Luther said, "I have so much to do I cannot get on without at least three hours a day praying."

We can read about so many, perhaps we know so many who are great men and women of prayer, but if this doesn’t challenge us, we must take a look at the Lord Jesus Christ who is upon his knees in prayer.

Is there not a message for you from this mountain?

Here we discover that the Lord had three disciples with him, Peter, James and John. There were three occasions when these three were present with the Lord.

It has been pointed out that all of these incidents have some relationship to death.

Often it has been said that these were the favoured disciples of the Lord, but what if the choice had been left to the disciples? Could it be that of the twelve, that these three were the only three who really wanted to get close to the Lord?

• James would be the first to die.

Acts 12:1-2 Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church. [2] And he killed James the brother of John with the sword.

How this mountain top experience would have comforted James, death would have held no fear for him.

• John faced imprisonment and hardship on the isle of Patmos, how he would cherish this moment.

• Peter would die on a cross, tradition says crucified upside down.

John 21:18-19 Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When thou wast young, thou girdedst thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest: but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not. [19] This spake he, signifying by what death he should glorify God. And when he had spoken this, he saith unto him, Follow me.

2 Peter 1:16-18 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. [17] For he received from God the Father honour 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. [18] And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount.

If we want to be prepared to face whatever lies before us we need to keep close to the Lord. As we gaze up this mountain we see the Lord in prayer some of his disciples are there, but look down and there are nine who have not climbed up this mountain.

The Lord was on this mountain, there was a prayer meeting on this mountain. Perhaps the effort was too much; it would be easier to lie down than to take time to pray.

Can you see the application here? The Lord was present, prayer was wont to be made, but some of God’s people were missing!

If you would read on you would discover down in the valley was a demon possessed boy, but the nine could do nothing for him, they were powerless. We need to keep close.

Matthew 17:2 And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.

Transfigured means to change from one form to another, this change takes place from within. What a wonderful sight it must have been to behold the Glory of the Lord, this glory was radiated not reflected.

Moses, like the moon, reflected the glory of another, with Christ it was his own glory.

Is there not a message from this mountain for all of us as we gaze upon his glory and yet we gaze upon him on that cross:

Isaiah 52:14 As many were astonied at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men:

This same Jesus that was glorified on this mount was crucified at the place which was called Calvary.

They nearly missed it because of their sleep, I wonder how much they did miss?

They slept and perhaps didn’t get a full appreciation of his person, is this true of you, is this why you can sin so easily?

In the garden they slept and missed his passion.

Luke 22:45-46 And when he rose up from prayer, and was come to his disciples, he found them sleeping for sorrow, [46] And said unto them, Why sleep ye? rise and pray, lest ye enter into temptation.

Oh instead of seeing the intense and earnest suffering of the Lord we are sleeping, is that why you would do so little for him?

In the parable of the ten foolish virgins we see some who slept while others were perishing.

Is this not a general problem today? We are sleeping, not fully appreciating his person, not understanding his passion or caring for those who are perishing?

Is there a message from this mountain for you?

Matthew 17:3 And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him.

Luke 9:30-31 And, behold, there talked with him two men, which were Moses and Elias: [31] Who appeared in glory, and spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem.

They talked about his exodus, his death, they were speaking about Calvary.

But the wonderful thing about this is we see Moses who had died:

And yet here Moses is very much alive, there is life after death. Not only that, these two men are recognisable they are named, yes we will know each other in heaven, they are having an intelligent conversation.

We will meet our loved ones, we will know our loved ones, and we will talk to our loved ones. Hallelujah it’s great to be saved.

What a Great Prospect, are you missing a loved one? If they died in Christ one day you will be reunited with them.

We have a lovely picture of the millennial reign of Christ here on this mountain.

Just to be near the dear Lord I adore, that will be glory, be glory for me.

Is there not a message on whom we should give the pre-eminence to?

Peter couldn’t keep his mouth shut:

Peter wanted this scene to remain, but Christ had already told him about the cross, no cross, no crown and no suffering, no glory.

Peter got the message, but see how he put these two men on a par with Christ.

God interrupted Peter, Christ must have the pre-eminence.

What place has Christ in our lives?

How often we say that to the Lord, "Lord I do love you but I just cant fit you in." May we gave him his rightful place.

The word transfigured is used elsewhere in scripture, one day we will be glorified, these bodies will be replaced, but spiritually we need to be transfigured now.

1. Surrender.

Romans 12:1-2 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. [2] And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

The word transformed is the same word as transfigured.

2. Study.

As we behold him in the word [mirror] we become more and more like him as we are changed [same word] .

2 Cor. 3:18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

Is there that practical sanctification in your life?

How much change will we have to undergo?

Two cars of an excursion train plunged into an open bridge, the signal man said he waved a red fag, the train driver said, "no, it was a white flag meaning all clear." 18 people died. They examined the flag and yes it was red but it had faded and could be mistaken for a white flag.

Is our testimony fading? Do we not need to be transfigured, transformed, changed?

Do we not need to reflect more of his glory in our lives? Lest others may be mistaken and miss Christ because of us.

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