Passages, Preaching, Poems, Prayers: The Transfiguration of Our Lord

Passages…

And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart, and was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.

And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him. Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias.

While he yet spake, 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 sore 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, save Jesus only.

Matthew 17:1-8

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 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. And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount.

We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts.

2 Peter 1:16-19

Preaching…

When Peter saw our Lord with Moses and Elijah, he exclaimed, “Lord, it is good for us to be here,” as if he implied that it was better to be with Jesus and Moses and Elijah than to be with Jesus only. Now it was certainly good that for once in Peter’s life he should see Christ transfigured with the representatives of the Law and the Prophets; it might be for that particular occasion the best sight that Peter could see, but ordinarily an ecstasy so sublime would not have been good for the disciples.

Peter himself very soon found this out, for when the luminous cloud overshadowed him and the voice was heard from out of the heaven, we find that he with the rest became afraid. The best thing for Peter was not the excessive strain of the transfiguration nor the delectable company of the two great spirits who appeared with Jesus, but the equally glorious, but less exciting, society of Jesus only.

Depend on it, beloved, that ravishing and exciting experiences and transporting enjoyments, though they may be useful as occasional refreshments, would not be so good for every day as that quiet but delightful ordinary fellowship with Jesus only, which should be the distinguishing mark of all Christian life.

Charles Spurgeon

A Poem…

‘Christ, Whose Glory Fills the Skies’

Christ, Whose glory fills the skies,
   Christ, the true, the only Light, 
Sun of Righteousness, arise, 
   Triumph o’er the shades of night! 
Day-spring from on high, be near! 
Day-star, in my heart appear!

Dark and cheerless is the morn 
   Unaccompanied by Thee; 
Joyless is the day’s return, 
   Till Thy mercy’s beams I see; 
Till they inward light impart, 
Glad my eyes, and warm my heart.

Visit then this soul of mine, 
   Pierce the gloom of sin and grief! 
Fill me, Radiancy Divine, 
   Scatter all my unbelief! 
More and more Thyself display, 
Shining to the perfect day!

Charles Wesley

A Prayer…

O Nata Lux  

Latin hymn appointed to be sung
at Lauds on the Feast of the Transfiguration