I recall travelling from Bundaberg to Brisbane by the over-night train many years ago. In the same carriage were a mother and her young son. I don't know if it was his first trip along this line, but he was full of questions. But mother was tired and longing for a few winks of sleep so that she face the day in the big city. Near morning, as the train came through Bald Hills, the boy saw a vertical line of red lights. Can you tell me what it was? It was the ABC radio transmitting tower. "What is it, Mum?" he asked. But she was tired of his questions and was looking out the other window. "I don't know, son," she said, trying to put him off his questions.
I suppose there are many times when we ask, "What is it?" But then there are other times when we ask, "What is it really?" I have been in some houses where they have a poached egg stuck onto their frig. What is it really? A frig magnet.
Who is Jesus? we may ask. That's an easy enough question. There were plenty of people around full of all the information. He's the carpenter's son from Nazareth. When Joseph died, he followed him in running the business. His brothers are James, Joseph, Simon and Judah. He has sisters too. He has never married and has lived at home with his mother Mary. In Nazareth he has had a reputation for integrity and honesty. He has always been regular at the synagogue services. In recent times he has left home and the business. He has become a wandering teacher with a band of twelve followers. Stories are told that he heals the sick.
Well, those were all easily discoverable facts about Jesus. From what we know about the circumstances of his birth, we are aware that Joseph wasn't in fact his natural father, but then the people of Nazareth didn't know otherwise. So we accept it as a fair account.
But, who is Jesus really? That is the more pressing and important question. In Matthew 16.13ff we read about when Jesus went with his disciples away from the crowds to the remote town of Caesarea Philippi. That is right up near the headwaters of the Jordan River. He asked them, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?"
And they gave him some of the answers, "Some say John the Baptist. Others say Elijah, while others say Jeremiah or some other prophet". People knew John has been put to death by Herod. Jesus was a very different character from John, but his opening message was the same - "Turn away from your sins, because the Kingdom of heaven is near!" Linked to the figure of John was the promise that Elijah the prophet would return before the coming of the Messiah. So perhaps this one really is Elijah. Yet he is a different kind of character from either John or Elijah. You are always conscious of his warm, compassionate heart, his understanding spirit. That reminds us of the "weeping prophet", Jeremiah.
"What about you? Who do you say I am?" Speaking for all the disciples, Peter said, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God."
They understood and yet - they were still so far from understanding!
To Peter, Jesus says, "Good for you, Simon, son of John! For this truth did not come to you from any human being, but it was given to you directly by my Father in heaven." But soon Peter protests when Jesus foretells his suffering and death and Jesus rebukes him, "Get away from me, Satan! You are an obstacle in my way, because these thoughts of yours don't come from God, but from man." And Jesus goes on to tell them that following him will involve them in a cross, too!
It was six days later that Jesus took Peter, James and John with him up a high mountain. Long tradition has affirmed Mount Tabor as the place where this incident happened. Tabor is only about eight kilometres from Nazareth - a visible landmark to which Jesus may have gone several times before his ministry began.
There were only the four of them there together - "they were alone" (17.1). But suddenly the scene changed. "As they looked on, a change came over Jesus: his face was shining like the sun, and his clothes were dazzling white." At that moment it was as if the curtain was being drawn and they were for the first time seeing Jesus as he really is - truly the Son of the living God!
It made a very profound impression on them. When Peter wrote his second letter, he recalled it, "We have not depended on made-up stories in making known to you the mighty coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. With our own eyes we saw his greatness. We were there when he was given honour and glory by God the Father, when the voice came to him from the Supreme Glory, saying, 'This is my own dear Son, with whom I am pleased!' We ourselves heard this voice coming from heaven, when we were with him on the holy mountain" (2 Pet.1.16-18).
John alludes to it in his Gospel, "The Word became a human being and, full of grace and truth, lived among us. We saw his glory, the glory which he received as the Father's only Son" (Jn.1.14).
It was Peter who broke the awesome silence - "Lord, how good it is that we are here! If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." Mark and Luke add that Peter didn't really know what he was saying (Mk.9.6; Lk.9.33). He hadn't got the point of the whole situation.
Luke records that the subject of the conversation with Moses and Elijah was "about the way in which [Jesus] would soon fulfil God's purpose by dying in Jerusalem" (Lk.9.31). It would be nice - even tempting - to stay up the mountain, rather than go to Jerusalem to die! Yet Jesus had left the glory of eternity to come to earth to die for sinners. And now the curtain was drawn - just a little - and they had a glimpse of that glory. A cloud came over, hiding them all, and they heard a voice, "This is my own dear Son, with whom I am pleased - listen to him!"
For a moment they had seen who Jesus really is and then the curtain had closed again. A hand touched them. They looked up. There was no one but Jesus - looking "back-to-normal". Yet what was "normal" when they ever thought about Jesus again?
"Don't tell anyone about this vision you have seen until the Son of Man has been raised from death." No, they don't understand it yet. If Jesus is truly the Son of God, how can this bit about "dying" fit in anyway? It comes back to the old temptations - "If you are God's Son, order these stones to turn into bread", "If you are God's Son, throw yourself down…" (4.3,6). Surely he ought to be more invincible than Superman!
Get up and come down the mountain! Yes, Elijah has already come - didn't you recognise him? - and he was killed by Herod. That's right! He was John the Baptist. They are going to ill-treat the Son of Man too!
We want to live on the mountain. We want to live in the glory. We want to share the glory. But he calls us to the plain. It's not very "plain", but it is full of needy people.
The Son of Man laid aside his glory. He emptied himself. And he calls us to sacrificial service. "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served; he came to serve and to give his life to redeem many people" (Mk.10.45).
All that glory was true. Somehow we see ourselves up that mountain, living a separated and holy life. But we are to take the knowledge of who Jesus really is to all the ordinariness and routine of our daily lives, listening to him and doing his bidding.
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