THE ULTIMATE TRANSFORMER
Let's cross the biblical bridge into the glorious terrain of the New Testament - a land flowing with amazing grace. Here we make the greatest discovery of all. Jesus Christ is the ultimate Transformer! This eternity-deciding truth becomes abundantly clear as we follow the action-packed saga of His epic life and ministry.
At a wedding feast, He transforms water into wine (John 2:1-11). In a ''desert place,'' He transforms a small meal into an abundant feast for five thousand hungry souls (Matthew 14:13-21). Later, near the sea of Galilee, He performs a similar transformation to feed the need of four thousand people (15:29-38). During a tempestuous voyage through the raging sea, He stands tall and transforms the threatening turbulence into a great calm (Mark 4:35-41). Consequently, the collective fear of the disciples is transformed into exclamatory wonder (Matthew 8:27).
For those bereft of vision, He transformed the darkness of blindness into the light of sight. For the deaf and dumb, He transformed silence into sound. For those crippled by disability, He transformed the immobility of lameness into the freedom of autonomous movement. For those stricken with leprosy, He transformed loathsome uncleanness into the pink of health. Thus cleansed, these societal outcasts were granted a new lease on life.
It's no stretch to state that, wherever the Master went, supernatural transformation followed soon after. Darkness turned into light. Deception gave way to enlightenment. Defeat was displaced and replaced by victory. Disbelief changed into belief, doubt into faith. Disease was transmuted into wholeness. Disability became ability, debility became strength. Despair was supplanted by hope. Doom was overcome by destiny. Demons went out and deliverance came in. Even death was altered by the Prince of Life.
Who possessed greater awareness of Christ's transformative touch than the devil himself? This explains why, during the spiritual confrontation in the wilderness, we see The Tempter attempting to persuade the Lord to misuse this awesome power. ''...If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made [transformed into] bread.'' (Matthew 4:3) But Jesus didn't come to our world to transmogrify inanimate objects - even though doing so would have met His physical need for sustenance. Au contraire! He was manifested to transform human lives.
A life touched by the Master's hand is forever changed. It was true when He walked upon the earth, and it is true today. Consider this: the word conversion - commonly used to describe the Christian experience - is also a synonym for transformation. Truly they cannot be separated.
Jesus is the supreme difference in the human life. He is the difference between spiritual light or spiritual darkness. He is the difference between the dawn of hope or the midnight of despair. He is the difference between weeping with sorrow or leaping with joy. He is the difference between Heaven or Hell - both the literal ones in the next life and their temporal versions in this life. He is the difference between life or death, blessing or cursing. What's the difference? He is the difference. What difference does He make? All the difference.
Who else can transform a demon-ravaged maniac into a right-minded member of society? Who else can replace a dozen years of sickness with a new life of vibrant health? Who else can undo nearly two decades of debilitating infirmity with a single command? Who else can liberate a guilty sinner from the condemnation of the self-righteous and that of her own conscience? Search the world over and you will find not one. But Heaven's Transformer did these things.
''This same Jesus'' made a world-changing and history-shaping Christian missionary out of a murderous, anti-Christian zealot. Perhaps you know his work - he authored the majority of the New Testament. History knows him as Paul the Apostle. Make no mistake about it: what Jesus Christ touches is surely and miraculously transformed.
When the Lord walked upon the earth, He was a transformer in every sense of the word. He brought transformation into the hearts and lives of others. At the same time, He underwent supernatural metamorphosis Himself.
Firstly, when He laid aside His heavenly glory, a transformation had to transpire. Philippians 2:7 tells us that He ''took upon him THE FORM of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men.'' To use the language of this chapter, we can state He was transformed into a human man in order to save the human race. (Note the word form in the aforementioned Super Scripture.) The King of glory assumed the physical form of an earthly servant. The Creator of men was ''made'' - transformed - in the likeness of men (see Colossians 1:16-17).
Next, let's hike to the peak of a gloriously glowing mountain - the scene of our Lord's incredible ''transfiguration'' in front of the disciples. The geographical identity of this summit has been lost to history. But the mind-boggling details of the supernatural event which takes place here are well documented in the Super Scriptures. No less than three of the four Gospel writers record it - namely, Matthew, Mark and Luke. Each one contributes a particular facet to the account.
Three of the disciples are up here on this mountain with Jesus - Peter, James and John. Far removed from the needy multitudes below, it is an ideal place to pray and connect with God, free from distractions. In fact, Luke tells us, this is the very purpose behind the Lord bringing this trio of disciples up here - ''to pray'' (9:28). What exactly does He pray? The Bible doesn't give us that information. But something incredible, inconceivable and incomparable begins to happen during the Son's conversation with the Father. As He prays, a literal and physical transformation is initiated.
Something is happening to the holy face of Christ. At a later date, this face will be covered with blood on the way to the Cross. But right now, in this moment and on this mountain, the face of Christianity is undergoing a miraculous and glorious change. Luke records the appearance of the Master's ''countenance'' is transformed (9:29). There is something conspicuously different about His face. Matthew contributes the supplemental detail that ''his face did shine as the sun'' (17:2). Imagine it! The sun is so bright that the human eye cannot look directly into its radiant light without suffering damage. And this is the same level of luminous magnificence emanating from the face of Grace!
There's more. The widened eyes of the disciples observe an additional change. There is something happening to Jesus' clothing. What say you, Matthew? "...his raiment was white as the light.'' (17:2) Mark, what do you have to say on this point? ''And his raiment became shining, exceeding white as snow; so as no fuller on earth can white them.'' (9:3) Now we toss it to you, Luke. ''...his raiment was white and glistering.'' (9:29) The tranquil terrain has become a temple of transformation. The privileged disciples, blessed beyond measure to witness this transcendent event, are transfixed.
Wait, there's more to this miracle. Suddenly Moses and Elijah - two Old Testament patriarchs, long gone from earthly life - appear with Jesus, talking with the One they prophesied about. A supernatural cloud descends on the mountain, out of which a mighty voice speaks. It's the voice of the Father, testifying to His beloved Son. What power could have effected such a glorious transformation? Luke gives us a clue: ''Who appeared in glory...they saw his glory...'' (9:31-32) To God be the glory; it was His glory that manifested this miraculous metamorphosis of our Super Savior.
The grandiose goings-on upon the mountain, as weighty and sacred as they are, will not be the last transformation of our Lord in this earthly realm. Neither will it be the grandest.
The empty tomb of the Resurrection, within which our faith is eternally established, testifies to the ultimate transformation.
If the crucified body of Christ remains in that grave, any other instance of transformation will be temporal and shallow indeed. Hallelujah, He doesn't stay in there! The glory of God invades the tomb housing His beloved Son, dispelling the darkness of death. This is Heaven's exclamation mark on the greatest story ever told. The empty tomb offers hope and healing to the empty heart.
Consider this: physical transformation was needed for the Resurrection. Jesus could no longer ''use'' the same body which hung upon the Cross. The damage sustained had been too much. The crown of thorns had punctured His head. The Roman nails had pierced and ripped His extremities. His back had been lashed and lacerated. The hairs of His beard had been ruthlessly pulled out (see Isaiah 50:6). The flesh-rending tip of a spear had been thrust into His side. The same body which was enveloped in glory on the Mount of Transfiguration was now covered in blood, sweat and the derisive spit of His executioners. The prophet Isaiah, peering into the future and describing the promised Messiah's condition of suffering, employed such words as stricken, smitten, afflicted, wounded, bruised, oppressed, slaughter, travail, cut off (53:3-12). He would need to exit the tomb with a different body than entered it. Transformation was required.
To manifest a butterfly, does God discard the caterpillar and start over? Of course not. The fluttering butterfly is the same creature who once crawled upon the leaves - only now he has attained a renewed, advanced form. Likewise, ''this same Jesus'' Who was laid in the tomb walked out of that tomb. He didn't discard His battered, bruised and crucified body. Instead, He is risen with a glorified, transformed body. (You can only transform what already exists.) To this point, He retained the scars of the Crucifixion, while also able to bypass closed doors, suddenly appearing as if from thin air (see John 20:19-20,26-27). I encourage you, dear reader, to study the fifteenth chapter of Paul's first letter to the Corinthians. It will bless you with glorious insight into this wondrous subject. "...There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body." (1 Corinthians 15:44)
The resurrected body of Jesus could do some ''super'' things on this earth. The Bible tells us that He appeared to the grief-stricken disciples in multiple forms.
» Mark 16:12 (emphasis mine)
12 After that he appeared IN ANOTHER FORM unto two of them, as they walked, and went into the country.
This explains why we see, on multiple occasions, those who were the closest to Him during His ministry, failing to recognize Him during post-resurrection encounters. Mary Magdalene stands face-to-face with the risen Redeemer, yet mistakes Him as a gardener (John 20:14-18). A pair of disciples walk and talk with Him, in close proximity, but nonetheless think He is a random stranger (Luke 24:13-31). On another occasion, when Jesus instantly ''materializes'' in the middle of the room, the sheltered flock fear He is a spirit. Clearly they don't recognize Him (Luke 24:36-37). If the miraculous Master had only one form - the form with which His inner circle were familiar during former times - then assuredly this misidentification wouldn't have occurred.
Ponder the fantastic properties of this transformed body. Jesus could eat food with His disciples, yet also vanish into thin air. He could be physically handled, yet also pass through closed doors. He could walk and talk; His body had ''flesh and bones''; and He still bore the marks of the Crucifixion. But He could also, as previously highlighted, change (transform) into multiple forms while manifesting Himself to His followers. He is the ultimate Transformer!
After the days of manifestation were complete, He ascended back to Heaven, taking His exalted seat at the glorious right hand of the Father. And we have been promised that ''this same Jesus...shall so come in like manner'' as He departed (Acts 1:11). When at last that blessed day dawns, we will experience a glorified transformation in like manner as our Super Savior. It won't take very long, either. ''...we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.'' (1 Corinthians 15:51-52)
Oh happy day!
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