The Transfiguration of Jesus - Part 1

Christian the garbage or markets is the most important event in Jesus's life through this book and visit short about his transfiguration Turning Point of the drive. Jeremiah provides a thorough examination of this miraculous event is often overlooked or misunderstood. For the ultimate mountaintop experience. Listen as David is his message transfiguration of Jesus. There are many events in the life of our Lord that stand out and limp and amazing life on this earth. But when he was transfigured on the mountain and became known for who he was. It was an amazing moment to be sure it's recorded for us in Mark chapter 9 verses 1 to 10 and over these next two days today and then again on Monday were going to talk about the essence of the Transfiguration of Jesus. Most of us are familiar with the miracles of Jesus and from the wedding of Cana to the glorious ascension of Jesus and having all of these things occurred in the life of Christ, but the transfiguration is often forgotten. Though it brought together the two great medical workers of the Old Testament, Moses and Elijah and the miracle worker of the new who was also the son of God for these three to occupy the same time in the same space together is one of the greatest miracles in the Bible, and of all of history were not gonna Passover it talk about it today and then again on Monday.

Let me just get this out of the way at the beginning of our Friday addition, you need to go to church on Sunday.

I hope your churches regathering where we gathered in every which way we can be as much as is possible.

And God is honoring that we have many, many people come in the church, and many others who were on their way back in just a short time. If you are able to be in church. If you have a church that's open.

I hope you there. The Bible says not to forsake the assembling of yourselves together, as the manner of some is don't be in that group.

The manner of some go to church. That's my encouragement to you. God will take care of you if you do that. I can't wait to tell you about the Transfiguration Celesta start that right now.

I was open to Mark chapter 9 hearts open to the teaching of the Word of God together now open your Bibles to the ninth chapter of the Gospel according to Mark. Mark chapter 9. This Bible that we read in that the study is not just a bunch of individual books, but it is one story that begins with the first chapter in the book of Genesis and the story of creation and continues all the way through the Bible to we get to the very end and the setting up of the kingdom of God and the eternal state and that there is a thread that runs through the Bible from Genesis all the way to Revelation to hold it together.

It is one story over many ages and on many pages written over a period of about 1400 years in 40 different human authors having a party and it is still one story with a great deal of integrity and when we read it as one story we really begin to understand. It's the story of God's love for us in his provision for us in the Redeemer and that is the theme for the whole book, but this one story is made up of many stories and each story within the big story is in itself an exciting adventure for us when we read and study it is especially true in the life of our Lord.

If you would open a theology book and look for an outline of our Lord's life. You would read something like this is birth is baptism. His temptation is death is burial his resurrection is ascension and his second coming. That's what they would say an innocence that would be true. Those would be the main stopping points in the main sections that you would study on the life of Christ.

But there is one event that took place in his life that is amazingly almost omitted from all of the discussions.

One incident in Jesus life of which we have very little understanding and I ask a bunch of people have you ever heard a whole message on this in almost every one of them said no.

The Transfiguration of Jesus is recorded by Matthew Mark and Luke is referenced in the New Testament by John later by Peter, and I believe that it is the most important event to occur in Jesus life between his birth and his death. The Transfiguration drama is told in the New Testament through seven character two of the most important personalities of the Old Testament. Three of the most prominent disciples of the New Testament God the father in heaven and God the son on the earth transfiguration takes place on a high mountain. The main character is clothed in clouds and white apparel. A conversation takes place between people that actually lived centuries apart. As we follow Mark's account of this event we cannot help but feel as we begin to understand it more that we should take our shoes off because were walking on holy ground. Perhaps one of the reasons why we don't talk about it very much is because it is such an awesome holy moment.

The message begins in the last verse of the eighth chapter.

This is one of those places in the Bible where the chapter division is unfortunate how many of you know the chapter divisions in the Bible are not inspired somebody put those in after the Bible was written to break up the content so that it would be easier to read and in most places. The chapter divisions are pretty good. Sometimes they're not so good. This is one of those places where they should just let it go in one of the reasons you know that is when you come to the beginning of a new chapter and the first word is and maybe they should elect that alone but is really interesting because in the last verse of chapter 8 Jesus is talking about his coming glory. He says, for whosoever is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his father with his holy angels, and then verse one of chapter 9 and he said to them, assuredly, I say that there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God present with power. Now that statement has created a lot of interesting discussion over the years among theologians. Interestingly enough, that statement introduces the story of the Transfiguration, and all three of the Gospels where the record occurred. Jesus said, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the glory and the power of the Lord. Six days after Jesus made this promise is fulfilled for three of his disciples, Peter, James and John as they are allowed to see the glory of the resurrected Christ. The message concerning the Transfiguration is followed in the text of the discussion of the mountain of the Transfiguration. Now, after six days Jesus took Peter, James and John, and led them up on a high mountain apart by themselves. Henry Drummond, the Scottish preacher of another generation makes an interesting evaluation about mountains. He said God never created mountains for people to live on the top of them. He made them for people to go and stand on the top of them and look around and then go back down where life happens.

If you study the Bible, you discover that you could almost outline the Bible on the basis of mountains.

In fact, it would be interesting as you read the Bible whenever you see a mountain distraught little mountain in the edge of your Bible. For instance, God met on a mountain with Abraham and Isaac, God met on a mountain with Moses on Mount Sinai, God met Elijah on Mount Horeb. He gave up his son for us on Mount Calvary.

It was from a mountain that he ascended to heaven and it's to a mountain that is coming back someday.

The very fact that the transfiguration takes place on a mountain should get our attention.

This is probably an important event. We should take note of this. The mountain were this remarkable event takes place is without question Mount Herman the most beautiful and conspicuous mountain in all of Palestine. Mount Herman is the tallest of the mountains. It rises some 9000 feet above sea level.

Almost 12,000 feet above the Jordan Valley, the climb to the top of Mount Herman would have taken Jesus and his three disciples almost an entire day and even in the heat of the summer you can see the snow on the top of Mount Herman all the way to Jerusalem. Luke tells us that Jesus took these three men to the mountain in order to pray and he also adds that when they arrived at the top of the mountain.

They were heavy with sleep. The message concerning the Transfiguration and the mountain notice.

Thirdly, the men who witnessed the Transfiguration.

After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John, and led them up on a high mountain apart by themselves.

The Lord Jesus chose his three closest earthly friends Peter, James and John. They were the first to be called disciples by Jesus, and they are the first three names you will find on all the lists of the 12 in the New Testament.

It was these three disciples that Jesus took with him when he raised the gyrus daughter from the dead, and during the coming dark hours that precedes his crucifixion. It will be these three same men that Jesus takes with him a little deeper into the garden and asks them to pray, reading back over the previous events in the book of Mark, as we have studied them together, especially for Peter. I believe Jesus chose these three men for a couple of reasons. First of all because of their capacity to receive truth to know that God tells us in his word that he gives us truth. Based on our capacity to receive it. Stop and think about it, Peter, James and John all have their names on a book in the New Testament they received the truth that the things that God taught them they received it and they recorded it and they reproduced it so that we have it today.

I also believe that Jesus chose these three men because they had taken more seriously. Perhaps his conditions for discipleship, which are listed for us in the eighth chapter. Remember Jesus said if you follow me, you have to take up your cross, and deny yourself and follow me. Jesus predicted that he was going to Jerusalem and suffer and die and be resurrected and the disciples were very concerned about that as you remember, Peter rebuked Jesus for saying it and said no you can't do that. Jesus is not right for you. Jesus said to Peter do not think that God things you think a man things, but how we want to look at it, Peter, James and John were discouraged with where they were in their walk with the Lord and the Lord wanted to encourage them. He is going to give them an opportunity to see beyond the death, burial and resurrection of Christ to the risen and glorified body of Christ.

He's going to give them a view of the stars so that they will never forget in the dark days ahead. What is really promised to those who know Jesus, Peter, James and John are going to be given the opportunity to look past the cross past the empty grave and view the risen glorified Savior. They won't understand it completely, but they will never forget it. In fact, more than half a century later, when John the apostle was writing his gospel he wrote these words, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the father full of grace and truth.

John could not forget that day. He said the word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we we Peter James and John. We beheld his glory. Peter also was so taken by this that in second Peter chapter 1 he writes we did not follow cunningly devised fables, when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were high witnesses to his Majesty. When did that happen on the mountain. So this event were Peter, James and John got to go up to the mountain with Jesus was so important to them, made such an impact on them that decades later, they were still writing about the glory in the majesty of the Lord, that they saw on the mountain that day. That brings us to the miracles of the Transfiguration. The question is what is the Transfiguration. That's a biblical word not a word we should stage but what does it mean well. There are two miracles really that take place on the mountain and let's look at the first one the miracle of Christ's appearance at the end of verse two and he was transfigured before them. His clothes became shining exceedingly white, like snow, such as no longer on earth can whiten them now. Luke tells us that Peter, James and John had been sleeping and actually looks words are and when they were fully awake. Jesus was transfigured before them. The word transfigured is a word which means to be changed in an outward way because of an inward mess. It's the actual opposite of the word masquerade masquerade is something on the outside that covers up the reality behind it. Transfiguration is an opportunity to literally see what's inside, it's the inside of the reality of a person being manifest for all to see Jesus did not change in his nature, his nature just became visible to all who were standing with him that day and is the result of his transformation. The Scripture says his clothing became dazzling white wider than anyone in the world could bleach it and the word Transfiguration describes a change on the outside that comes from the inside so for a brief moment, those three men who were on the mountain with him, saw the veil of Jesus humanity lifted and his true essence was allowed to shine through the glory which was always in the depth of who Jesus was, rose to the surface for that one time and it was the only time in his earthly life that ever happened is clothing begin to glow white. It is dazzling or glittering as the word is sometimes translated Luke says it is as bright as a flash of lightning.

Matthew records that his face shone like the sun. I read a paragraph by Frederick Buechner describing this moment in these riveting words. Listen to this. It is as strange a scene as there is in all of the Gospels without even the voice from the cloud to explain it.

The disciples no doubt knew what they were witnessing. It was Jesus of Nazareth. All right, the man they trapped many dusty miles with his mother and brothers. They knew the one they'd seen as hungry and tired and foot sore like they had been, but at the same time. It was also the Messiah of the Christ in his glory. It was the holiness of the man shining through the humanness of the man is space so fire they were almost blinded by the light on that day the real Jesus essence of who Jesus was, was allowed to be seen by those three men received when Jesus was born in Bethlehem, he did not cease to be God he was God in the body. He was God taking flash upon himself.

The Bible says he tasted flesh became a part of us and through his whole earthly life, he never ever arbitrarily used his duty to his own advantage.

The Bible says that he voluntarily limited himself from demonstrating that he was God.

He walked around as a man, he suffered the things you and I and he never ever you know in a moment when he was under pressure and almost all to see who I am and then revealed himself. Only once did he do it and it was on the Mount of Transfiguration, and on that day, day, never to be forgotten by those who were there, the Lord Jesus revealed himself to his disciples as first miracle. But if you read the story carefully you will discover that there was the miracle of Christ's appearance and the miracle of his associates and says in verse four and Elijah appeared to them with Moses and they were talking with Jesus. All of a sudden, in the light that surrounded Jesus, Peter, James and John looked again, and Jesus was standing there with two other people. Elijah, who'd been gone for 900 years and Moses had been gone for 1400 years are standing there having a conversation with Jesus in the light that surrounded him and we might ask why Elijah and Moses.

I want to think like a nib. Jeremiah got noon on that that doesn't seem right. Why Elijah and Moses.

Why were they chose and why not Abraham or Ezekiel, and of course, only God knows the ultimate answer to that question, but here are some thoughts about first of all, both Moses and Elijah had already seen a little taste of the glory of God in the Old Testament on a mountain Moses on Mount Sinai and Elijah on Mount Horeb.

They had seen a little of the glory of God. So this was kind of a reprise if you will for them. Both Moses and Elijah had made famous departures from this earth. The Bible says that when Moses died, God buried him and didn't tell anybody where the grave was somebody said God kissed him on Mount Pisgah and nobody knows where he is to this day somebody said why would God do that. I don't know all the reasons except insured and shut down the concession stand and Israel give me can you imagine go to Israel and one day the tour takes you to the burial place of Moses.

I don't know all the reasons for the other side of it is that Elijah went to heaven in a chariot of fire. So in essence, Moses illustrates what happens when you go to heaven by means of death and Elijah illustrates what happens when you go to heaven by means of the rapture, Moses was the great lawgiver. Elijah was the great prophet. Often times when you read about the Old Testament in the Scriptures, they talk about the law and the prophets in a general statement and here are the two key figures from the law and the prophets, Moses was the founder of Israel's life and Elijah was the restorer of Israel's life together.

Moses and Elijah pictured the continuity and the completeness of the Old Testament and Moses and Elijah are standing together with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration, Peter, James and John had just awakened. See this incredible site can you get into this.

Can you see it in your mind's eye. Now that brings us to the misunderstanding of the Transfiguration and one of the most strange and interesting moments in the Bible, let me just put it this way if you were there. If you were Peter, James and John and you're on the mountain and all of a sudden you see Jesus and his glory is revealed. And then look again and you hear Moses and Elijah have a conversation with Jesus in your spellbound wouldn't you think that would be a moment when you would know what to say and you would just be silent not Peter Gunn say something the Bible says, listen to this, but Peter answered and said to Jesus, Rabbi is good for us to be here and let us make three tabernacles one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah to notice what it says because he did not know what to say. You know, there are some people who talk because they have something to say and there are others who talk because they have to say something.

Peter was the latter. Peter was that way when the heat is always seem to say the wrong thing and oftentimes at the wrong time or the right time to make any difference. He was like so many of us. He didn't stop to think before he spoke, and he was reprimanded in a very firm way more about the Transfiguration on Monday. I hope you be with us then as we continue walking through the verses of the book of Mark this last section of Mark in search of the Savior. So have a great weekend. Will you only reminded you, you need to go to church, Turning Point television is available over the weekend. You will find us if you look and I were always doing the same thing teaching the word of God, encouraging the people of God, thank you for joining us both today and throughout the week will see you on Monday.

The message you just heard originated from Shadow Mountain Community Church with Dr. David Jeremiah serves as senior pastor is not happening point keeps you spiritually strong like to do any point PO Box 3838, San Diego, CA 92163 or visit our website at David Jeremiah.old/radio ask for your copy of tokens you find in Jesus every five euros for gift of any amount purchase the Jeremiah study Bible and the English standard version. The new international version and the new King James version with hopeful notes and articles by Dr. Jeremiah visit David Jeremiah.old/radio data on Gary who join us Monday as we continue the series in search of the Savior Turning Point with Dr. David Jeremiah for taking time to listen to and from these increased in size and