The Transfiguration

Have your Bibles with you turn with me if you were to march up for non-will be looking at verses one through eight and he said that I am truly I say to you, there some standing here who will not taste death till they see the kingdom of God after his come with power after six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John led them up a high mountain by them sales. He was transfigured before them as close became radiant. Intensely white as no one on earth could bleach them there appeared to them a lot you with Moses. They were talking with Jesus and Peter said to Jesus, Rabbi is good that we are here let's make three tense tabernacles, one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah. We did not know what decipher, they were terrified. The cloud overshadowed them, a voice came out of the cloud.

This is my beloved son, listen to him and suddenly looking around.

They no longer saw anyone with them. But Jesus only spray heavenly father. In today's passage we have the privilege of peeking behind the veil getting a glimpse of who Jesus really is father Ike I can imagine the all that Peter, James and John must've failed when Jesus was transfigured before them. They actually saw the Shekinah glory of God radiating from his body. One division, it was reality. The three disciples never got over it. Peter wrote about it last letter that he wrote while he was in prison. Just the remembrance of Jesus transfiguration turn his life upside down.

Surely this was on Peter's mind when they crucified name.

He said to the Roman soldiers crucify me upside down from not worthy to be crucified like Jesus made this passage affect our hearts like it affected Peter's map fill us with power, faith and assurance that Jesus Christ is Lord. May Jesus be exalted in this sermon, I realize that my words can never come near what happened on that mountain, so please help me to get across at least a little of what Peter, James and John be hailed or it is in the precious holy name of Jesus that I pray, amen. You may be seated in Mark chapter 8, we came to the very pinnacle of Mark's gospel. Jesus gathered the disciples together, and he asked them a question do you say that I am Peter stood up, looked directly at Jesus pointed at his face and said you are the Christ, the son of the living God.

This is, I believe the greatest Christological statement in the entire Bible.

Peter was saying we know you are you are long awaited Messiah. You are the son of God, you are King of Kings and Lord of lords. You are creator you are sovereign you are Savior you are God and Jesus said blessed art thou, Simon bar Jonah for flesh and blood is not revealed this to you, but my father which is in heaven.

In other words, that the reason you understand Peter is because God sovereignly let you understand you not call this up out of your own imagination, but God the father gave this to you when the disciples heard this, they were absolutely ecstatic. They believe that Jesus was at this point in time, getting ready to bring in his earthly kingdom. They were all excited about this because they believe that Jesus at this point in time was going to break the yoke of Roman oppression and he was gonna take the power away from the religious leaders and that they were going to receive new political and and religious power like they had never imagined before. And then Jesus Shockley him and he said to them, I am not going to the throne nail. I'm going to the cross. I'm going to be beaten. I am going to be brutally terrorized him to be spent upon I'm going to be Markham go to the laugh that I'm going to die on the cross and then three days later. I'm going to be resurrected from the dead.

The disciples were absolutely devastated their emotions went from the top of the mountain all the way down to the bottom of the valley and then Peter who had just made this great confession. I rebuked Jesus the son of God, and he said no, no, no, Jesus were not to let this happen, don't worry about that. The cross is not necessary and Jesus has to say to Peter get the behind me Satan, your words reveal that you don't understand the gospel. Jesus gathered the other crowd around him and he gave them the on the requirements of discipleship. He said this of them. Anyone comes after May, let him deny himself, take up his cross and follow me. And he he whosoever would save his life will lose it, and whoever will lose his life for my sake shall save it for what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and to lose his own soul, then Jesus turns back to the disciples and he says this in chapter 9 verse one and he said to them, truly I say to you, there some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God after his come with power is been a lot of confusion about what Jesus meant, and just been confusion about it for the last 2000 years really is what Jesus is really talking about here.

Was he referring to the second coming was he saying that that some of the disciples are going to be here alive on earth when Jesus actually returns a second time. We know that the disciples of all been dead for over 1900 years and Jesus hasn't returned yet. So that is certainly not what he was talking about others.

A thought well maybe Jesus is referring to the grade of the that he prophesied that would take place in 70 A.D. when the temple and the city of Jerusalem would be destroyed and that did in fact happen. Titus of Rome came in and when Titus run came in he killed 2.2 million Jews and he absolutely leveled the city. The disciples pretty much in all had to take off out of the city, they win, they begin to spread the gospel. It went out into the four corners of the earth with speed like it had never gone before, and that could have been what Jesus is talking about here because it was a very important event.

Jesus prophesied that in Matthew 24 in Mark chapter 13 and Luke chapter 21. I guess what Jesus was talking about either.

I think that what Jesus had in mind is what we see taking place in these very next few verses, only a few of the disciples saw it, it was the transfiguration that the three disciples saw it, Peter, James and John, I want you to know the transfiguration change their lives. It strengthen their faith and increase their vision. It solidified their understanding that Jesus Christ was indeed the son of God. With that said, let's look at the text I got four points that I want to share with you .1 the Lord's transfiguration. Look at me verses two and three.

After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves and he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became radiant.

Intensely white as no one on earth could bleach them now. If your conscientious Bible student than you may have looked over at what Luke said. And then what Matthew and Mark has to say and you might've seen with looks like a contradiction for Luke talks about eight days and Mark and Matthew say it's just six days. Is that a contradiction is that Aaron Scripture know what Luke was meaning was that when Jesus made the proclamation that was one day and then when it the transfiguration actually took place.

That was the last day there were six days between that. So once again, there is no contradiction or era in the Scripture with either James and John went with Jesus up the mountain.

These 3 Are Called Inner Cir.

They are the disciples that I believe were most closely knit to the Lord Jesus Christ. They went up this mountain. What mountain was it was Mount Herman amount Herman is 9000 feet tall that it has to it almost all year long, and when the sun is shining at the right eye angle. there will be a particular shadow that goes 70 miles into israel. that's a big mountain jesus and the disciples made that trek up the mountain i'll guarantee you they were huffing and puffing. by the time they got up there with the scripture says here that jesus was transfigured before them. i want you to know i believe that's the understatement is just i don't think they could say it powerfully enough, reminds me of genesis chapter 1 in verse 16 that says this god made two great lights, the greater light to rule the day the lesser light to rule the night made the stars also always read that my thinking while talk about understatement. he made the stars also.

billions and billions of stars and bed thousands of galaxies thousands of universes.

some of the stars hundred times bigger than our sun itself, and this is a statement okay yeah make the stars also. but it was simple to god because all he had to do was just saying a word and boom. the stars were there.

here's what i believe is another understatement.

jesus was transfigured before them brothers and sisters. that is huge.

what happened if you and i have been there and if we had seen what was taking place here. i think it would've gotten to us. i don't think we would ever be the same again. but i think we would fear god more appreciate jesus more and hate sin more than we ever had before is a record for transfigured is metamorphic and is only found four times in the new testament the is found twice concerning the transfiguration and then expand twice more, when, and start talking about the transformation of the of the of the unbeliever into a child of god and what god does in that transformation.

second corinthians chapter 3 verse 18 and then romans chapter 12 verse 22 from his seat. you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of god, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable in the god which is your reasonable service.

be not conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of god that were transformed is that meta-more food. same word is used here. i can't say this powerfully enough so to picture in your mind. jesus stands there, the glory of god begins to radiate through his body. john macarthur said the following, the brilliant glory of his divine nature blaze forth through the veil of humanity and his face became different and shone like the sun. in addition to jesus face his garments became radiant and exceedingly white is no longer on earth can whiten them matthew notes that his garments became as white as light while luke says they became white in gleaming, which means to flasher blame like lightning was that blazing glory peter james and john saul, jesus had possessed essential glory from all eternity but failed it until this moment, his glory will be fully revealed to the whole world in the future when the sign of the son of man will appear in the sky and all the tribes of the earth will mourn. they will see the son of man coming in the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. and you just picture that one me that jesus is standing before you, it was just like any other regular human being is that as tall as most men. he's got harry's got a beer. these wearing his clothes and then all of a sudden the glory of god begins to emanate from his body and begins to shine that this is not glory that descends down from heaven and comes upon him. this is glory that radiates throwing and jesus get starts getting brighter and brighter and brighter till it's brighter than lightning brighter than the noonday noonday sun lite.

if these disciples ever had doubts before about who jesus was, as doubts are gone. they understand his deity.

peter wrote a second letter just a few weeks before he was crucified. maybe just a few days.

one of the things that he mentions in that last letter before his death.

is this glorious transfiguration and first peter chapter 1 verse 16 through 18. he said second peter chapter 1 he says this for we do not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our lord jesus christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty when he received honor and glory from god the father and the voice was born to him by the majestic glory. this is my beloved son, with whom i am well pleased. we ourselves heard this voice from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain. jesus had possessed heavenly glory from all of eternity. we came to this earth is 33 years. he laid aside that glory. sometimes this is called in the canonic passage of the emptying. what did he empty himself of the empty himself of his deity know he has never ceased to be god in thin himself of the privilege of deity. he emptied himself of his glory for those 33 years.

the apostle paul said it this way.

in philippians chapter 2. let this mind be in you which is also in christ jesus being in the form of god, thought it not robbery to be equal with god made himself of no reputation, and and and made himself of no reputation took upon himself the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men. and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. wherefore, god highly exalted him and given him a name that is above every name, that at the name of jesus every knee should buy out the things of heaven things the earth and the things under the earth, and every tongue should confess that jesus christ is lord, to the glory of god the father. this was an event that had these disciples shouting until the day they died .2 the saints association. look at verse four. there appeared to them a lot you with moses and they were talking with jesus. the appearance of elijah and moses has raised some great questions.

some have said that elijah and moses were in their final glorified resurrected body. i don't believe that over and set in first corinthians chapter 15 verse 20 the scripture says this about jesus, but in fact christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep so jesus was the first to experience a new physical glorified resurrected body. it was a body was absolutely perfect.

he could eat with that body could walk with that body could walk right through a wall with that body he could be here one second, thousands of miles away. there were no limitations. that was the body he had jesus had the first physical glorified body out.

we know that jesus christ and people from the deadening erased that the son of the widow's name from the day it just a few months. he's going to raise lazarus from the dead.

but what, what, resurrection was that they are body's physical bodies were dead lying there on the ground day. it. and jesus brought life into those same dead bodies and they came to life. you know what they died again.

so what, bonnie did moses and elijah have. i believe that it was a spiritual body. it was functional and it was recognizable, but it was nothing like what's going to come and what they got coming at the resurrection. it was nothing as great as jesus glorified resurrected body was nothing as bright as our bodies going to be when christ returns and we are resurrected from the dead, so to understand the essa on to back this up with a passage of scripture in luke chapter 16 luke chapter 16. read the story of the rich man and lazarus. and i don't believe that's a parable because jesus didn't tail are use actual names in parables that i believe this is a true story. rich man died and and lazarus died. the rich man went to the torment side of sheol, which is called hail. there was a gulf fixed between the two was the other side and that's called abraham's bosom or paradise. the rich man went into the hail side of sheol and the scripture refers to his body parts his fingers.

his eyes, his tone and then he spoke to father abraham that was across the gulf and when he spoke to him. he uses mouth and he used vocal cords. i want to know this is not the rich man's final state. the rich man is feeling hail today and he's in a spiritual type of body but the day is coming when there's going to be resurrection from both the just and the unjust is going to receive a physical body, a body that will be a terminal, a body that will never die a body that can experience torment and amhara in memory for ever and ever and ever.

that's this is not his final state. nothing hail right now but when you will be thrown into the burning like a fire.

he will have a different body physical body.

what about us. what about believers was, what will we be like when we when we die. if you were to die today and you were to go to heaven. what would you you be like.

i believe you would have a spiritual spiritual body. it would be functional, it would be recognizable, but nothing is great is what you're going to have the resurrection of the just in the last day so apparent how important is that i think is true tremendously tremendously important.

what about believers who die we will have that kind of spiritual body, but a second corinthians 58 says to be absent from the body is to be present with the lord. so what state are we and when we enter god's presence. it's a spiritual state of spiritual state and at our physical body is going to die. go back to dust, but we going to be ready spiritually to be to be with him.

we go there immediately. i don't think it's like a ghost letter.

i think when we go and i see my dad.

they are in heaven, i'm gonna recognize him as dutch agnew he's gonna recognize me as doug agnew and it's convey, it's going to be exciting. once again, is not our final state. what we got coming of the resurrection is will be even much greater than that. so i believe that moses and elijah appeared to jesus and peter, james and john and recognizable spiritual body. so how did peter and john and james know who they were. i had never met him before they know who they were. i think jesus may have introduced moses and elijah, peter, james and john and luke's gospel, the scripture provides more detail for us.

we are told that they talk to jesus about his death.

i talked to jesus well. can you imagine that these two great old testament prophets come back and they start talking to jesus about what's he's got to expect in the in his crucifixion. i can imagine a conversation jesus. this is going be the toughest thing that anyone on the face of the earth's ever had to deal with and there have been people who have died and that there had been many of god's people have suffered and they've even been martyred, but your death is not to be like that jesus your death is going to be first of all, a substitutionary atonement you're gonna die as the substitute for your people you're gonna die in order that that that that that you you might give them your righteousness and take their sin that you might give them your heaven and take their hail that you might give them your joy and take their misery. and secondly, that your death will be a propitiation, you will die in order to appease the wrath of god against the thirdly it will be a redemption. you will die in order to ransom them out of the slave market of sin in the fourth it will be a reconciliation your day at the shedding of your blood will reconcile a holy god to a sinful man, but i have to believe that the disciples heard that conversation and they knew that moses and elijah were talking to jesus about what was that i happened to him on the cross that blows my mind even think about it. once again, let me give you a macarthur quote. it was no lawgiver like moses and the prophet comparable to elijah. they are the most reliable possible witnesses to christ suffering and glory. nothing could have brought the apostles more assurance and confidence that jesus death will feel god's purpose and hearing it from moses and elijah right .3 a fearfully trip interruption. look at verse five and six peter said to jesus, rabbi, it is good that we are here. let us make three tense one for you, one for moses and one for elijah three did not know what to say they were terrified never lost for words of peter jumped up and he interrupted the conversation between the son of god and and to great old testament prophets think about that if the lord jesus christ was standing right in front of you. he began to emanate the glory of god and then moses and elijah, two great prophets of god, that they all of a sudden appeared with him. you think you might want to break in the conversation. tell them what to do. i don't think i want to do that. but this is peter. and peter was the he was being kind. he was offering a service. he said, lord, let me make three tabernacles one for you, one for moses and one for elijah, that was me and politely dictate something. it was also be in cunning why did peter say that once again peter doesn't like what he's hearing what was jesus, moses and elijah talking about. they were talking about jesus upcoming crucifixion.

peter nardi expressed his opinion to jesus about this is a jesus. don't say that we want to hear about the scroll stuff we will protect you. will keep you from from being killed. we will let the roman soldiers get you what will keep you from this jesus when jesus did.

jesus calling satan adversary.

and he said peter you're trying to hinder the gospel. he said if i don't go to the cross. if i don't do that the nobody will be able to go to heaven if i do not shed my blood that everybody will have to suffer their own hail with them sales luke tells us that peter did not realize what he was saying. the transfiguration took place in the month tishri during the time of the feast of the tabernacles and while that was going on. it represented or commemorated something very special and what was that that was the exodus when god delivered the children of israel out of their bondage of slavery in egypt.

so peter's offer to make three tabernacles for them was an attempt to get them to stay here on earth so that elijah and moses could help jesus to set up the kingdom of god mail is what he wanted is what peter wanted. moses had led the children of israel out of its bondage in egypt. he had done that and so that the kingdom of god could be set up in israel is why he did it and what did elijah do elijah was instrumental and and and using contest tween bailing god. he brought that contest about an order that god might send them fire from heaven and destroyed a sacrifice and then when he did that, then everybody would know that god was truly god and then he went on to kill 450 prophets of bail so peter hopes that these two men, moses and elijah have come to help jesus set up his kingdom. a kingdom mail funds. this was not the spiritual kingdom that jesus is going to set up call the church. what peter is talking about is a physical kingdom in israel. peter was dead wrong kingdom that elijah and moses were talking to jesus about is not to be worn by the sword. it was going be one by the cross. so once again. peter is an era hey hey i hate his his heart was filled opposition to jesus going to the cross.

you know what is. think about it and i try to put myself in peter's place. i came early, blaming peter look to this situation and he said jesus means everything to me.

nobody is ever love me like jesus. jesus taught me the truth of god's word.

he taught me what the will of god is for my life.

he heal my mother-in-law that nobody is ever love me like jesus.

i'm sure peter was thinking. i don't want to seem suffer. i want to seem die. i don't want to seem go to the cross. i can't hardly blame .4 sovereign manifestation verse seven through eight, a cloud overshadowed them in a voice came out of the cloud. this is my beloved son, listen to him and suddenly looking around. they no longer saw anyone with them.

but jesus only the cloud that overshadowed them as the same cloud that led the children of israel out of it when they were going in the wilderness from one place to the next it was it was that cloud that guided them. this is the same cloud on the day of atonement. one time a year that would come into the holy of holies in the tabernacle, and that would hover between the wings of the cherubim that was on the mercy seat on the ark of the covenant that would assure the people of the of israel that their sins had been forgiven for that year. that cloud is called the shekinah glory. the bright shining cloud of god and what a cloud and glorious cloud. it was in focus when god speaks from heaven. he speaks from the shekinah glory cloud and what is he say this is my beloved son, listen to him and the disciples look and they see jesus standing there, moses and elijah. they blink their eyes. all of a sudden, moses and elijah are completely gone. they just disappeared and there is jesus and jesus only what was jesus talking about that god told the disciples to listen to was talking about the cross is talking about his crucifixion. john was one of those disciples did john get it latte.

what if you didn't get it all at this point in time. he sure got it later wrote one of the greatest verses that we have in the entire bible. john 316 for god so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son whosoever believe that the near him should not perish but have everlasting life. paul said in first corinthians chapter 1 verse 18 for the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness. but in us who are being saved it is the power of god than peters in prison. maybe just days before they crucified him upside down and he thinks back to this time and he says this for we are not saved with perishable things like silver and gold. we have been saved by the precious blood of jesus. we ask you something. what it. peter learned i think this is what peter learned it's all about the cross folks have you been to the cross.

if you trusted jesus christ as your lord and savior.

if you turn from your sin, repented and put your faith in jesus christ and him alone. what he did for you by dying for you on the cross of being resurrected from the dead, if not, why not spray, lord, we know what you allow the Inner Cir., Peter James and John behold your glory on the man transfiguration.

You did because you love them but you also were given them a tool for ministry.

The more we beheld your glory, the deeper will be our motivation to serve you. So my prayer this morning is this show was your glory, that we might be transformed worse in the precious and holy name of Jesus I pray, amen