A Glimpse of Glory
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· 17 viewsJesus reveals his true identity to his disciples, so that we would be encouraged to follow Him even in difficulty.
Notes
Transcript
Introduction:
10 years ago, Susan Boyle, an average looking 47 year old villager from Scotland walked across the stage to perform on the hit TV show Britain’s Got Talent. Simon Cowell asked her what was her dream. She responded, “I’m trying to be a professional singer”. People in the audience erupted in laughter.
Then she opened her mouth. She started singing “I Dreamed a Dream” from Les Miserables. Eyebrows started to raise. Jaws started to dropped. Eyes were wide open. The judges who were disinterested and disengaged at first, but were now paying attention. They listened more attentively. And they were blown away because they were not expecting to hear what they heard coming out of her mouth. No one was expecting it. One judge said, “Without a doubt, that was the biggest surprise I had in three years of this show…that was stunning, an incredible performance”. Another judge confessed both her and the audience’s skepticism and said that was “the biggest wake up call ever.”
Britain’s Got Talent. Susan Boyle, a 47 year old villager from Scotland who walked on stage on TV show Britain’s got talent. Then she started singing “I Dreamed a Dream.” and everyone was shocked with jaws dropped and wide open. The video went viral and viewed online hundreds of millions of times. The judges looked disinterested and disengaged. As soon as she opened her mouth, the judges paid attention. They listened more attentively. And they were blown away because at first glance, they were not expecting to hear what they heard coming from the mouth of a 40 year old average looking woman.
She received a standing ovation. The video went viral and was viewed over 240 billion times.
There was more to this woman than meets the eye. There was glory and beauty hidden in the most unexpected people and places.
If that was true of Susan Boyle, how much more so in the person of Jesus Christ.
Well in the similar way, the Disciples often did not get it as we have seen in Mark’s gospel. They were slow to believe. And only after the Resurrection, would they finally see the true identity of Jesus Christ.
Even though the disciples were with Jesus for two years, they still did not see who Jesus really was. Jesus needed to reveal his glory to them.
There is more than meets the eye with Jesus. In this passage, Jesus unveils a Glimpse of His Glory that no one expected, even the disciples.
In , we need to look more closely at Jesus, listen more attentively to Jesus, and follow Him more carefully as he calls us to take up our cross and follow Him. In you truly encounter the glory of Jesus Christ, you will never be the same. And if you see the glory of Christ, then the natural response is to listen and follow.
I. Look at Jesus (vv. 2-6)
II. Listen to Jesus (vv. 7-10)
III. Follow Jesus (vv. 11-13)
Recap
Just a reminder, Jesus just told the disciples that he must suffer and be rejected and die and rise again. But Peter pulled him aside and rebuked Him. Jesus responded and said to Peter, “Get behind me Satan” because he did not want to divert from His Father’s plan.
Then calling a crowd to him, he reminded the disciples and the crowds the cost and conditions of discipleship. And we will pick up where we left off starting in verse one.
Scripture Reading:
And he said to them, “Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God after it has come with power.”
And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and 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. And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus. And Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.” For he did not know what to say, for they were terrified. And a cloud overshadowed them, and 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.
And as they were coming down the mountain, he charged them to tell no one what they had seen, until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. So they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what this rising from the dead might mean. And they asked him, “Why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?” And he said to them, “Elijah does come first to restore all things. And how is it written of the Son of Man that he should suffer many things and be treated with contempt? But I tell you that Elijah has come, and they did to him whatever they pleased, as it is written of him.”
And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and 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. And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus. And Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.” For he did not know what to say, for they were terrified. And a cloud overshadowed them, and 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.
And as they were coming down the mountain, he charged them to tell no one what they had seen, until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. So they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what this rising from the dead might mean. And they asked him, “Why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?” And he said to them, “Elijah does come first to restore all things. And how is it written of the Son of Man that he should suffer many things and be treated with contempt? But I tell you that Elijah has come, and they did to him whatever they pleased, as it is written of him.”
If we are going to see the glory of Jesus Christ, we need to look more closely at Jesus.
I. Look at Jesus (vv. 2-6)
I. Look at Jesus (vv. 2-6)
We are visual creatures aren’t we? Our attention is often fixated on what delights on our eyes. Why is that some women love the shopping malls? Window shopping. To look at what is new and something that will make us want to spend money.
Or why is it that some love video games? They love being immersed in a gaming experience as they are fixated on a screen? Our hearts often follow what delights our eyes.
Why is that we have an addiction to social media? Why is that people love posting pictures of themselves?
I just finished reading a book entitled Competing Spectacles: Treasuring Christ in the Media Age by Tony Reinke
“According to global stats, we now take more than one trillion digital pictures per year…More than twenty four thousand minutes of new use video is uploaded to YouTube every minute of every day”
We have Netflix Amazon Prime, Facebook video, Youtube Red, and now Disney Plus.
Quoting another author, Reinke says, the Iphone “a chemical driven casino that preys on our base desires for vanity, ego, and our obsession with watching train wrecks.”
Why is that that we love binging on the Netflixes? Why is it that we love spending money on the Superhero movies? Why is it that we constantly check our phones and social media?
We are all searching for glory. We are all looking for glory. Whether it is in the glory of a superhero film, or the glory consumer spending, or the glory of being immersed virtually in a video game, we are all glory seekers.
But we know the glory of this world is temporary and fades as fast as a video clip. The eyes of man are constantly yearning for something that satisfies our deepest desires.
In sum, all of my concerns are dwarfed by this one: boredom with Christ. In the digital age, monotony with Christ is the chief warning signal to alert us that the spectacles of this world are suffocating our hearts from the supreme Spectacle of the universe.” Reinke
And because so many things compete for our eyes and immediate attention, the danger is to be bored with Christ and indifferent with Christ. This is why we need to see Jesus…so Jesus takes his disciples up the mountain.
And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them,
Jesus took Peter and James and John to heal Jairus daughter in , and here he takes the same three up to the mountain to get a glimpse of his glory. These three were the inner circle of Jesus.
The Mountain
They were probably at Mount Hermon, which was Northeast of Caesarea Philippi. It was 9,200 feet above sea level.
The Pillar New Testament Commentary: The Gospel according to Mark Removing the Veil: The Transfiguration of Jesus (9:2–8)
In the Gospels mountains figure prominently in Jesus’ ministry: on mountains he prays (6:46; Luke 6:12; John 6:15), preaches (3:13; Matt 5:1), performs miracles (Matt 15:29; John 6:3), is tempted (Matt 4:8), calls his disciples (3:13; Luke 6:12), sends them into mission (Matt 28:16), and accomplishes his passion (11:1; 14:32; 15:22).
Keep in mind that the mountain had rich OT symbolic imagery if you know your OT well enough.
Do you know anyone else in the OT that went up to a mountain? Moses. Look at Exodus 24.
Then Moses went up on the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain. The glory of the Lord dwelt on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days. And on the seventh day he called to Moses out of the midst of the cloud.
The mountain was a place of special revelation and the place where Moses received the Law. And in a similar manner, Jesus goes up to the mountain and the disciples will get special revelation from God as we see in the next verse. And notice what takes place on the mountain.
The Transformation
And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and 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.
He was transfigured before them. Metamorphou.
The Pillar New Testament Commentary: The Gospel according to Mark Removing the Veil: The Transfiguration of Jesus (9:2–8)
“To transfigure,” from the Gk. metamorphoun, carries the root meaning “to change.” The verb occurs only four times in the Greek Bible (9:2; Matt 17:2; Rom 12:2; 2 Cor 3:18), and in each instance it denotes a radical transformation.
It is where we get the word metamorphosis. You understand that a cateperpillar changes into a butterfly, it undergoes a metamorphosis. Or a tadpole to a frog. A change of appearance takes place. A change of form takes place.
Transfigured is the word metamorphoo, where we get the word metamorpis. You understand that a cateperpillar changes into a butterfly, it undergoes a metamorphosis. A change of appearance takes place.
Jesus was unveiling his true identity to his disciples. He was not just only a man, but he was the glorious Son of God. The Bible tells us that Jesus always existed. He added a human nature in his incarnation.
He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
The same word is used in Romans and 1 Corinthians.
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.
Even when Moses was changed when he came down after his encounter with God, Exodus tells us:
When Moses came down from Mount Sinai, with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand as he came down from the mountain, Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God. Aaron and all the people of Israel saw Moses, and behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him. But Moses called to them, and Aaron and all the leaders of the congregation returned to him, and Moses talked with them. Afterward all the people of Israel came near, and he commanded them all that the Lord had spoken with him in Mount Sinai. And when Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil over his face.
Whenever Moses went in before the Lord to speak with him, he would remove the veil, until he came out. And when he came out and told the people of Israel what he was commanded, the people of Israel would see the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses’ face was shining. And Moses would put the veil over his face again, until he went in to speak with him.
Matthew tells us that when Jesus was showing his glory,
Matthew tells us
And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light.
Luke tells us this took place while Jesus was praying:
And as he was praying, the appearance of his face was altered, and his clothing became dazzling white.
And as this was taking place, two witnesses appear and were talking with Jesus.
And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus.
Why Eljiah and Moses?
Well, Elijah was a great prophet of the Lord. Deepak reminded us last week he was a bold prophet who confronted the apostate King and wicked Queen Jezebel. He was the One who confronted the prophets of Baal. And Elijah was unique because he was assumed into heaven by chariots of fire ().
Faithful servants of God who were rejected and suffered. Moses from grumbling Israelites. Elijah from the wicked King.
Moses on the other hand was the Israel’s lawgiver. He received revelation from God. Both men experienced rejection. Both men confronted the people of God. And both men were faithful to God in spite of opposition. So Moses represented the Law and Elijah the Prophets.
“Remember the law of my servant Moses, the statutes and rules that I commanded him at Horeb for all Israel.
“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes.
And Luke tells us they were discussing the departure of Jesus (Exodus of Jesus). Jesus would accomplish the second exodus or the second deliverance. This would not be deliverance from Egypt, but a deliverance from sin!
who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.
Luke
Peter’s Foolish Response
And Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.”
Have you ever been starstruck? And have you ever met that person in real life? And you were at loss for words? So you didn’t know what to say and you just said some things before you were even thinking? That’s what Peter did.
The Gospel of Mark Notes
The Hebrew word rabbi taken over into Greek literally means “my great one” or “my lord.”
Peter always had something to say. Peter often spoke before he thought. He called him Rabbi and believed that he was equal with Moses and Elijah. Peter had a foot in his mouth. He didn’t know what to say. So he looks like a fool for speaking.
For he did not know what to say, for they were terrified.
And as the men were parting from him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah”—not knowing what he said.
Luke
The word tent is the same word tabernacle. Jews celebrated the feast of the booths or tabernacles, and Peter wanted to enshrine these three. What Peter failed to realize in the moment was that Jesus was more than a Rabbi and he was greater than Moses and Elijah.
Non-Christian—If the Bible is true, and if this account of Jesus is true, then Jesus is more than just a man. He is unveiling his true identity. And if He is God, then you cannot be indifferent, or apathetic, or bored with the person of Jesus because He makes demands and claims upon your life. Peter would even say this experience not made up:
For we did 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. For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,” we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain.
The Bible is composed of eyewitnesses documents who saw and heard Jesus. Like the audience who laughed at Susan Boyle and completely ignored her because of her appearance, you can laugh at Jesus and ignore him. But if He really is more than a man, there are eternal consequences for failing to see Jesus for who He is.
Will you like the judge of Britain’s got talent repent of your cynicism and look more closesly at Jesus? Looking at Jesus literally be your biggest wake up call ever.
Christian—You become what you behold. It is sanctification by gazing. Transformation by looking intently at the person of Christ. Paul after expounding 11 chapters of Roman says if you look at what Jesus did for you in salvation, then you have to change! What are you looking at all week? In a world of constant demands and things competing for our attention, we need to keep our eyes fixed upon Christ.
“You don’t become like Christ by beholding TV all week. And you don’t become like Christ by beholding the Internet all week. You don’t become like Christ when you fill your life with things of this world. You become like Christ when you behold the glory of Christ, and you expose your life, moment by moment, to his glory”. Platt
There is glory in the Bible. We need to keep our eyes constantly renewed and illumined by the only book that can transform us. The Bible reveals the glory of Jesus Christ to us.
“The glory of Christ is such, that it is of a transforming nature. It’s of a powerful nature: it changes all that behold it into the same image; it reaches to the bottom of the heart, to the most inner soul; it is a sight that purifies and beautifies.” Jonathan Edwards
If we get a glimpse of Jesus glory, we will never be the same. And we can only see if we are granted the gift of faith.
People don’t see Jesus not because He is not glorious, but because people are blind to glory.
In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
Wuest’s Word Studies in the Greek New Testament Chapter Nine
This effulgence of glory came from within, and was an inherent possession of the Lord of Glory. The word “shining” is stilbō (στιλβω) and is a participle, indicating that the shining was active.
2 Corinthians
New Testament II: Mark (Revised) As Sun to the Eyes
AS SUN TO THE EYES. AUGUSTINE: What this sun is to the eyes of the flesh, that is the Lord to the eyes of the heart.
If people don’t see the glory of Jesus, the problem is not the Sun. But the eyes that do not see properly. Faith is the gift God gives us to restore our sight.
Church—Let our service revolve around his glory. Let our songs be about the glory of Jesus. Let our prayers be about the glory of Jesus. Let our teaching and preaching be about the glories of Jesus. Let our ordinances help us see Jesus correctly.
Confessions—That is why at CFBC we want to read the historic confessions to preserve and fight against wrong and competing views of who Jesus is. The early creeds like Nicene Creed and Chaceldon creed where confessions trying the preserve the true identity of Jesus Christ. Because a wrong understanding of Christ is not only heresy, but it will damage our souls and not truly change us. We need a glorious Christ.
Transition: If we are going to follow Jesus, we must behold Jesus by looking at his glory which was unveiled briefly to his disciples. But second of all, if we are going to be changed by Jesus, we must listen to Jesus....
II. Listen to Jesus (vv. 7-10)
II. Listen to Jesus (vv. 7-10)
II. Listen to Jesus
II. Listen to Jesus
And a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, “This is my beloved Son; listen to him.”
Cloud was symbolic of God’s presence in the OT. The cloud was what overshadowed the Mountain at Mt. Sinai. It was what led the people of Israel through the Wilderness. It was what filled the Tabernacle as the Lord was speaking with Moses. It was what filled the Temple after Solomon’s prayer of dedication and sacrifice.
The word overshadowed is the same word that was used when Mary became pregnant with Jesus.
And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God.
Luke
God’s presence was with the disciples and a voice came from Heaven saying:
This is my beloved Son! Listen to Him!
The voice appeared to Jesus at his baptism
And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”
And again, this language is found all throughout the OT. The language of beloved is the same word used of Isaac.
He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.”
Behold my servant, whom I uphold,
my chosen, in whom my soul delights;
I have put my Spirit upon him;
he will bring forth justice to the nations.
The Son language is found in the Psalms:
I will tell of the decree:
The Lord said to me, “You are my Son;
today I have begotten you.
Why do the nations rage
and the peoples plot in vain?
The kings of the earth set themselves,
and the rulers take counsel together,
against the Lord and against his Anointed, saying,
“Let us burst their bonds apart
and cast away their cords from us.”
He who sits in the heavens laughs;
the Lord holds them in derision.
Then he will speak to them in his wrath,
and terrify them in his fury, saying,
“As for me, I have set my King
on Zion, my holy hill.”
I will tell of the decree:
The Lord said to me, “You are my Son;
today I have begotten you.
Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage,
and the ends of the earth your possession.
You shall break them with a rod of iron
and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.”
Now therefore, O kings, be wise;
be warned, O rulers of the earth.
Serve the Lord with fear,
and rejoice with trembling.
Kiss the Son,
lest he be angry, and you perish in the way,
for his wrath is quickly kindled.
Blessed are all who take refuge in him.
Listen in the OT was synonmous with obeying. Think about and in Deuteronomy 18:15:
“The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers—it is to him you shall listen—
Jesus was fulfilling the OT.
And suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone with them but Jesus only.
Jesus was only there. God didn’t say, listen to Moses and Elijah and Jesus. He say listen to Jesus. Because the Law and the Prophets pointed to Jesus. The OT pointed to Jesus. The NT revealed Jesus.
The glory of the Lord dwelt on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days. And on the seventh day he called to Moses out of the midst of the cloud.
The Gospel of Mark 3. The Transfiguration: The Glory of the Son. Ch. 9:2–8
The transfiguration, however, has disclosed a new aspect of God’s truth: Jesus is himself the new Tabernacle of divine glory. His word and deed transcend all past revelation. This was the truth with which the disciples were confronted when they realized they were once again alone in the presence of Jesus.
When Moses came down from Mount Sinai, with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand as he came down from the mountain, Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God. Aaron and all the people of Israel saw Moses, and behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him. But Moses called to them, and Aaron and all the leaders of the congregation returned to him, and Moses talked with them. Afterward all the people of Israel came near, and he commanded them all that the Lord had spoken with him in Mount Sinai. And when Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil over his face.
Whenever Moses went in before the Lord to speak with him, he would remove the veil, until he came out. And when he came out and told the people of Israel what he was commanded, the people of Israel would see the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses’ face was shining. And Moses would put the veil over his face again, until he went in to speak with him.
The Pillar New Testament Commentary: The Gospel according to Mark Removing the Veil: The Transfiguration of Jesus (9:2–8)
After repeated ignorance and misunderstanding, the disciples receive a visible manifestation of the true nature of Jesus that has until now eluded them.
The Pillar New Testament Commentary: The Gospel according to Mark Removing the Veil: The Transfiguration of Jesus (9:2–8)
In the Gospels mountains figure prominently in Jesus’ ministry: on mountains he prays (6:46; Luke 6:12; John 6:15), preaches (3:13; Matt 5:1), performs miracles (Matt 15:29; John 6:3), is tempted (Matt 4:8), calls his disciples (3:13; Luke 6:12), sends them into mission (Matt 28:16), and accomplishes his passion (11:1; 14:32; 15:22).
The Pillar New Testament Commentary: The Gospel according to Mark Removing the Veil: The Transfiguration of Jesus (9:2–8)
“To transfigure,” from the Gk. metamorphoun, carries the root meaning “to change.” The verb occurs only four times in the Greek Bible (9:2; Matt 17:2; Rom 12:2; 2 Cor 3:18), and in each instance it denotes a radical transformation.
Non-Christian—You cannot read the Bible as just a religious book among many. Or you cannot know truth apart from Jesus. If your eyes don’t see the glory of Jesus, the Bible will be a dead textbook to you or a biography you find at barnes and nobles of a great historical figure. Only when you read the Bible with a Jesus lens, will you see the glory that the 66 books of the Bible is one book ultimately about the greatest person who ever lived and existed in human history. And this person was not just a man, but He was the God-man.
Christian—Jesus if the fulfillment of Scripture. He is the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets. He wasn’t just a prophet or a teacher, but he was THE prophet, THE king, The supreme Lawgiver. He didn’t come to abolish the Law, but the Fulfill the Law!
Wuest’s Word Studies in the Greek New Testament Chapter Nine
This effulgence of glory came from within, and was an inherent possession of the Lord of Glory. The word “shining” is stilbō (στιλβω) and is a participle, indicating that the shining was active.
Many of us were raised in traditions where we saw the Bible as a bunch of disconnected stories. But there is one grand story of the Bible and One grand hero of the Bible.
So whenever we are reading the Bible, if we are never getting to Jesus, then we are missing the point of the Bible.
yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life. I do not receive glory from people. But I know that you do not have the love of God within you. I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not receive me. If another comes in his own name, you will receive him. How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God? Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father. There is one who accuses you: Moses, on whom you have set your hope.
You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life.
Whether we are reading the Law, or the Psalms, or the Prophets, how is this helping me to listen to Jesus? Genesis helps us see Jesus in the promised seed who would crush the serpents head. Exodus helps us see Jesus in the passover lamb. Leviticus helps us see Jesus in the Day of Atonement. Numbers helps us see Jesus in the rock being struck as Jesus bore God’s judgment. Deuteronomy helps us see Jesus as God will raise THE prophet who we should pay attention to. The psalms help us see Jesus in the Messiah, who is the Annointed One and the Suffering One. The Prophets help us see Jesus in showing us that the Servant of the Lord would be punished for the sins of His people. Do you see Jesus? If you in the NT, the Gospels reveal Jesus, the Acts shows the preaching of Jesus, the Epistles explain Jesus, and Revelation is the final unveiling of Jesus in His full glory. The Bible is a book about JESUS!
Books—ABC Story Bible. Jesus Storybook Bible. Biblical Theology.
A disciple is not only a learner, but one who listens to Jesus. And Jesus has spoken through the OT prophets, and the NT apostles. If you study your Bible more closesly, Moses is saying Listen to Him!
The Prophets are saying Listen to Him!
The Apostles are saying Listen to Him!
And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.
Luke 24
Church—Let us make sure are sermons are about Jesus. If the preacher does not get to Jesus, then it is not a Christian sermon.
A Sermon without Jesus is like a hospital without medicine. Sin is a deadly disease and Christ is the only cure. Steve Lawson
A hospital without doctors or medicine is not a hospital.
“The motto of all true servants of God must be, ‘We preach Christ; and him crucified.’ A sermon without Christ in it is like a loaf of bread without any flour in it. No Christ in your sermon, sir? Then go home, and never preach again until you have something worth preaching.” [7/9/1876; sermon #2899]
Spurgeon? A sermon witho
A
“Leave Christ out? O my brethren, better leave the pulpit out altogether. If a man can preach one sermon without mentioning Christ’s name in it, it ought to be his last, certainly the last that any Christian ought to go to hear him preach.” [undated; sermon #768]
One of the most important things we do every Sunday is to hear God’s Word. We want to hear so that we can obey. We want to see Jesus, so we can obey Jesus!
And as they were coming down the mountain, he charged them to tell no one what they had seen, until the Son of Man had risen from the dead.
And as they were coming down the mountain, he charged them to tell no one what they had seen, until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. So they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what this rising from the dead might mean.
Here, Jesus commanded them to be silent. The disciples did not have a category of resurrection. Jews believed in resurrection, but not until the last day and final judgment.
And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.
And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.
But this is before the cross and resurrection. Now that Jesus has completed the work the Father gave Him to do, we are commanded not to stay silent, but commanded to speak.
Isn’t it interesting that we are commanded to speak, yet we stay silent. We don’t open our mouths with the glorious news of Jesus Christ.
Transition: If we are going to follow Jesus faithfully, we need to see Him for who He really is. When we see Him, we will listen to Him. And if we listen to Him, we will follow Him even in difficulty.
III. Follow Jesus (vv. 11-13)
III. Follow Jesus (vv. 11-13)
And they asked him, “Why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?” And he said to them, “Elijah does come first to restore all things. And how is it written of the Son of Man that he should suffer many things and be treated with contempt? But I tell you that Elijah has come, and they did to him whatever they pleased, as it is written of him.”
As they were coming down the Mountain, Jesus gives them a lesson about what it means to follow Him through the Valley.
We speak of Mountain Top experiences. This is the love and experience everyone feels after a retreat, or a camp, or VBS, or after a Biblical counseling conference. It is a experience of God. But we know we can’t live off mountain top experiences. We must learn to follow Jesus in the Valley and the ordinary. We must learn to follow Jesus on Sunday as well as the Mondays.
Tito Nelson asked me are you you still living off the mountain top experience from the conference? 37 churches in attendance. People singing with the top of their lungs. God’s Word powerfully delivered.
I told him I was off the mountain at 9:15 Sunday morning when people were late to Sunday school. Back to ordinary church life.
So the disciples raise a question:
And they asked him, “Why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?”
The scribes or teachers of the Law believed that Elijah would come before the Day of the Lord. He did not die, but was assumed into heaven by chariots of fire.
“Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts.
“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes.
And noticed Jesus response:
And he said to them, “Elijah does come first to restore all things. And how is it written of the Son of Man that he should suffer many things and be treated with contempt?
He said they were right. He does come to restore all things. They were right. And as Deepak spoke about Elijah’s great confrontation with the prophets of Baal, the next chapter we find Elijah running away from Jezebel:
Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “So may the gods do to me and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by this time tomorrow.” Then he was afraid, and he arose and ran for his life and came to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there.
Elijah would be rejected and suffer just like the prophets. And Jesus says that just as Elijah would be rejected and experiencing suffering, so too the Son of Man would experience suffering before he achieved glory.
How is it written refer to OT texts like , and , and even .
He was despised and rejected by men,
a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;
and as one from whom men hide their faces
he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
Surely he has borne our griefs
and carried our sorrows;
yet we esteemed him stricken,
smitten by God, and afflicted.
But I tell you that Elijah has come, and they did to him whatever they pleased, as it is written of him.”
Elijah has come. John the Baptist fulfilled the prophecy. John was the One who came in the Spirit of Elijah, yet he was executed by Herod for boldly proclaiming the truth.
If Elijah would suffer, and John would suffer, how much more would the Messiah suffer?
Suffering comes before glory—Jesus needed to die first before He would be exalted. He was giving the disciples a glimpse of His glory, because the One who was glorious from all eternity, would be humiliated and shamed. And the glorious One would be treated as the scum of the earth when they hung him on the cross.
Why?
Because He would pay the penalty of your sin. He would die for all your sins. But the humiliated One did not stay dead because He was not just a mere man. The Humiliated One rose again gloriously from the dead! He was the God man who achieved our salvation and victory and defeat of sin and death!
If you are not a Christian, repent and trust in the glorious One who was humiliated and shamed to bear your sin. But now His name is the name above every name and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the the Father!
Follow Jesus in the Valley—And we must learn to follow Jesus in the valley. We must be so compelled by a vision of Jesus, that we would be willing to suffer, be persecuted, and even die for his name’s sake.
It happened to John. It happened to Jesus. It happened to the disciples
Glory of Jesus Motivate You—And only a vision of Jesus will help us live such a life.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
Suffering is a sign of fellowship with God—Suffering is not necessarily a sign of abandonment by God, but fellowship with God. Whether on the mountain we see the glory of Jesus, or whether we are in the valley where His glory is veiled, we must believe that the clouds will one day pass and the Sun will shine again.
Church—The apostles creed says that Christ suffered. The church will receive the world’s opposition if we are seeking to please Jesus.
Will you follow Jesus faithfully even in difficult times? Even when you are not in the mountain with Jesus, but in the valley with Jesus?
New Testament II: Mark (Revised) As Sun to the Eyes
AS SUN TO THE EYES. AUGUSTINE: What this sun is to the eyes of the flesh, that is the Lord to the eyes of the heart.
Will you bear the cross before you wear the crown?
Will you share in his suffering before you share in his glory?
Summary:
Only a glimpse of His glory will enable us to live such a supernatural life as we gaze and look intently upon the glory of Jesus Christ.
And only when we see Him, will we listen to Him and follow Him whether in the mountain top or in the valley.
I would like to close with a puritan prayer from the Valley of Vision.
Conclusion:
Lord, High and Holy, Meek and Lowly,
Thou hast brought me to the valley of vision, where I live in the depths but see thee in the heights;
hemmed in by mountains of sin I behold thy glory
Let me learn by paradox
that the way down is the way up,
that to be low is to be high,
The Gospel of Mark Notes
The Hebrew word rabbi taken over into Greek literally means “my great one” or “my lord.”
that the broken heart is the healed heart,
that the contrite spirit is the rejoicing spirit,
that the repenting soul is the victorious soul,
that to have nothing is to possess all,
that to bear the cross is to wear the crown,
that to give is to receive,
that the valley is the place of vision.
Lord, in the daytime stars can be seen from deepest wells,
And the deeper the wells the brighter thy stars shine.
Let me find thy light in my darkness,
thy life in my death,
thy joy in my sorrow,
thy grace in my sin,
thy riches in my poverty,
thy glory in my valley.
“A steady diet of triviality shrinks the soul. You get used to it. It starts to seem normal. Silly becomes funny. And funny becomes pleasing. And pleasing becomes soul-satisfaction. And in the end the soul that is made for God has shrunk to fit snugly around triteness.” John Piper
“A steady diet of triviality shrinks the soul. You get used to it. It starts to seem normal. Silly becomes funny. And funny becomes pleasing. And pleasing becomes soul-satisfaction. And in the end the soul that is made for God has shrunk to fit snugly around triteness.” John Piper
“In this place of competing spectacles, we find a spiritual war. Satan blinds hearts by filling eyes with worthless things. His veil over human hearts today is a veil of pixels, and the chains of his spirutal bondage are tethered to the world’s theater.. But in a culture where relevance is measured by timely spectacle consumption, the spectacle of Christ’s death has severed forever our bondage to the world’s spectacle industry, this premier bondage of Satan” 133 Reinke
In sum, all of my concerns are dwarfed by this one: boredom with Christ. In the digital age, monotony with Christ is the chief warning signal to alert us that the spectacles of thsi world are suffocating our hearts from the supreme Spectacle of the universe.” Reinke