The Transfiguration of Jesus Christ
Notes
Transcript
Prayer Requests:
Prayer Requests:
Miss Wells
Wildfires on the West Coast
Jeannie Pelkey - She is in her 50’s and has 3 boys age 7-13. She will be having chemo then surgery then chemo. Roy has asked to be put on our prayer list. (Kim Moon)
Turn to and read Mark 9:1-10. Pray.
Message
Message
As we have already seen, Christ’s popularity has hit its peak. He knows that things are going to continually get more difficult from this point forward. He also knows that His time on this earth is quickly coming to an end. He knows that He will soon be returning to Heaven. With that, He knows that Peter, James, and John have great responsibility ahead of them. Peter, James, and John - while they may not have “looked the part” - were to be the individuals used by God to propel the early church forward under the leadership of the Holy Spirit. At this point, though, they were still woefully unprepared.
What we have this morning is a wonderful opportunity for Peter, James and John to have sealed in their hearts that Jesus Christ truly was the Son of God!
And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That there be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power.
It is likely that the disciples received this statement with some excitement because they were expecting Christ to soon establish His earthly kingdom even though Christ had just recently been very clear as to what His future was to include.
And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.
Even after Christ’s death, burial and resurrection, the disciples were still fixated on that matter of when Christ would establish His kingdom.
When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?
I wonder when it finally “clicked” in the disciples’ minds that they needed to stop focusing on Christ establishing His earthly kingdom and just get to work?
And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.
But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
What are you, in your daily life, focused on?
What am I, in my daily life, focused on?
Regardless of what the disciples thought, Christ, in Mark 9:1 was referring to the event which quickly follows: His transfiguration which occurred on the top of Mt. Hermon and at which Peter, James, and John were present. They were the ones to whom Christ was referring in Mark 9:1.
To get a more complete picture of what happened during the transfiguration, let’s take a quick look at Luke’s account. Turn to and read Luke 9:28-36.
Jesus takes Peter, James and John up the mountain to pray.
If Jesus needed to take time to pray - and there are many instances recorded of Christ praying - don’t you think that prayer should be a vital part of our life?
I was reminded of these verses this past week:
Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
While Jesus was praying, Peter, James and John fell asleep.
Prayer is hard work! This isn’t the only time that the disciples were caught sleeping while they should have been praying.
And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour?
Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.
E.M. Bounds, the author of several books on prayer, said:
“Our praying needs to be pressed and pursued with an energy that never tires, a persistency which will not be denied, and a courage that never fails.”
“Spiritual work is taxing work, and men are loath to do it. Praying, true praying, costs an outlay of serious attention and of time, which flesh and blood do not relish.”
As Christ prayed, He was transfigured.
And his raiment became shining, exceeding white as snow; so as no fuller on earth can white them.
Note: a fuller was an individual who accomplished the process of fulling which was a step in woollen cloth making which involved the cleansing of cloth (particularly wool) to eliminate oils, dirt, and other impurities, and to make it thicker.
Luke records it in this way:
And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glistering.
Commentators differ as to whether this effulgent glory was a revelation of the glory that Jesus had worn like a robe of light from all eternity—a revelation of His glory as Creator, a glory that He set aside when He came to earth—or whether this blazing brightness was a revelation of the splendor of His sinless humanity.
To me, it really doesn’t matter exactly what this revelation was. All I know is that it would have been awesome to see! And, we can see Jesus. Every time we open the pages of Scripture we have the opportunity to catch glimpse of Jesus, Our Savior and King!
Now, if we were to see a revelation of Christ in this fashion - the way Peter, James and John did - we should all hope that we would respond in the same fashion as did the prophet Isaiah. Turn to and read Isaiah 6:1-8.
Our first response should be, “Woe is men!”
Our second response should be, “Here am I send me!”
While transfigured, Christ was joined by Moses and Elijah.
And, behold, there talked with him two men, which were Moses and Elias:
Who appeared in glory, and spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem.
Moses represented the Law; Elijah represented the Prophets. Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of all of Scripture!
Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
It is interesting to me that Luke records the fact that Jesus talked with Moses and Elijah about “…His decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem.”
Christ’s ministry had peaked and He was looking ever more eagerly to the cross that lay ahead of Him. Christ, with Moses and Elijah, began to review the plans that had been made; plans that both Moses and Elijah had spoken and written of. However, this wasn’t your typical planning or strategy session; this was merely a review of the formalities that lay between Christ and ultimate victory over Satan! His decease which He should accomplish!
Exploring the Gospel of Luke: An Expository Commentary (1) Glory on the Mount (9:28–36)
His death was no accident; it was an accomplishment. He was in charge throughout the whole appalling affair. The Romans were not in charge. The rabbis were not in charge. The rabble was not in charge. Jesus was in charge. The place itself witnessed the absolute sovereignty of Jesus. The sun was plunged in darkness. The veil of the temple was torn in two. The earth shook. Graves burst open everywhere. He sovereignly dismissed His spirit and died of His own volition before the executioners could finish Him off. His death was indeed an accomplishment and made possible salvation for one and all.
With that, we should be reminded that, in spite of the craziness in the world today that Christ is still on the throne; He is still in control. His plans will be accomplished! For us, we must simply trust Him! He will not fail; He cannot fail!
Now, at some point, Peter, James and John wake up. When they woke up and saw the seen before them, Peter, always the spokesman, asked two questions:
And Peter answered and said to Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias.
Peter, first of all, if it wasn’t good for you to be there, Christ would not have brought you there! Second, do you even know what you are saying? By suggesting that a tabernacle be built for Christ, Moses and Elijah, Peter was implying that Moses and Elijah were Christ’s equals!
Why did Peter ask these questions? Two reasons: He was afraid and he didn’t know what else to say!
For he wist not what to say; for they were sore afraid.
Here is a very simple rule of thumb to live by: When you don’t know what to say it is best to say nothing at all!
Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:
Well, Jesus didn’t need to answer those questions because God stepped in.
And there was a cloud that overshadowed them: and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him.
God’s voice from the cloud endorsed Jesus as the Son of God. Even though Peter, some time earlier, had said, “Thou are the Christ the son of the living God,” this event would forever put away any doubt that these three may have had. (Although they were still to be tested in the days to come!)
But what excellent advice for us all! Hear Him! Listen to Jesus Christ!
How many times had Jesus, in His ministry, said, “He that hath ears to hear, let him hear?!” Maybe now they would!
We need to be reminded of the same. How little do we really allow the Lord to speak to us through His Word? At times it’s not until God allows some tragedy into our lives that we finally say, “Ok, God, I’m listening.”
Would it not be better if we learned to listen before tragedy comes?!?!
And suddenly, when they had looked round about, they saw no man any more, save Jesus only with themselves.
And as they came down from the mountain, he charged them that they should tell no man what things they had seen, till the Son of man were risen from the dead.
And they kept that saying with themselves, questioning one with another what the rising from the dead should mean.
For the time being, this event was for their benefit only. They still had a lot of questions in their hearts and minds but at least, at this point it seems, Christ had their attention. Peter seems to have grasped an understanding of these events after the Pentecost. Turn to and read Acts 3:18-26.
Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;