Transfiguration

Welcome

Intro

Honor PASTORS!

CONTEXT for MARK

This is a fun story we get to go over tonight! I’m actually not sure I’ve heard a message solely on this passage - but this is going to encourage you and we’re going to have some fun

Mark 9:2–8 ESV

2 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, 3 and his clothes became radiant, intensely white, as no one on earth could bleach them. 4 And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus. 5 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.” 6 For he did not know what to say, for they were terrified. 7 And a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, “This is my beloved Son; listen to him.” 8 And suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone with them but Jesus only.

READ AND PRAY

I think compliments are one of the biggest differences between guys and girls

Like when girls compliment each other

Girls don’t dress up for guys - they dress up for girls

When guys compliment each other

But guys hold onto compliments way longer than girls do

I remember being 12 years old and some lady said I have pretty eyes

Girls go one day without being complimented and they think they’re suddenly ugly

EVERYONE NEEDS ENCOURAGEMENT — What do people usually say “that just made my day.”

Encouragement is like getting a breath of fresh air

It’s almost a reminder of like, “oh yeah, its all good.”

So this story in the Bible is so incredible - Like OGs are showing up to the party now. We have Moses dropping in to say what’s up. Elijah, the dude who called fire down from Heaven is here!

And on top of all of that —- Jesus is glowing dude

And all of this was to strengthen - to encourage - the Disciples

Jesus - for this brief moment -relieved to the Disciples what was waiting for Him after the Cross. He showed them His Glory.

Jesus was really doing 2 things when He showed the Disciples His Glory

He was proving He was God

He was showing them what was to come FOR THEM AS WELL

The Transfiguration was to strengthen the Disciples. Jesus showed them what was waiting for Him after the Passion: Glory. Which in turn is what is waiting for you and I after death: Glory.

So let’s break down these 2 ideas …

Jesus is God… but no, like REALLY

Moses and Elijah are some of the coolest, most important dudes in the OT

But why are they here?

They represent the law and the prophets — EXPLAIN

And also - the Disciples are here! — the Church!

So ALL 3 (law, prophets, the Church) are present and shows us the future glory of the resurrection

Verse in Deuteronomy - “in the mouth of 2 or 3 witnesses” — 2 witness from the old and 3 from the new

With Moses and Elijah here — think about how FOOLISH the Jews look for blaming Jesus for not following the law and the prophets — Remember that is why THEY KILLED HIM!

This shows that Jesus is just as much the God of the OT as He is of the NT!

The OT isn’t God being mad and angry and then Jesus shows up to calm Him down — No! God is the same!

Jesus is the God of Moses! Jesus is the God of Elijah

Jesus is not someone to take lightly! He IS GOD

Sure - Jesus came be your homeboy, I guess. Yes, He calls us friends! WHICH IS CRAZY because He is King of the universe and He is GOD

Let us be careful and make sure that we don’t paint Jesus in a small, simplistic, box that is comfortable with US

“Well, I just don’t see how MY Jesus could send someone to Hell.”

I’m not interested in worshiping YOUR Jesus - I’m interested in worshiping the actual Jesus, which is the Jesus of the Bible!

No, there should be a holy fear when we approach God. Not being afraid - NO WE CAN COME BOLDLY. But we fear Him. That is to say - we respect Him.

When I was a kid, I respected my dad enough to listen to what he had to say … also, because if I didn’t I knew I’d be disciplined.

Like a good coach correcting his team

GOD IS A GOOD FATHER THAT WILL STEP IN A DISCIPLINE - COURSE CORRECT - HIS KIDS

We have to see Jesus rightly

The same God of the OT is the same God of the NT — and it’s Jesus

They are seeing the promised Glory of His resurrection — AND ONE DAY — our resurrection

2 Peter 1:16–18 ESV

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.

And look who God, the voice from Heaven, addresses …

This event is clearly for the benefit of the Disciples. God is addressing them.

He affirms that Jesus is His son and then tell them to listen to Jesus.

Jesus was a teacher - that’s what He did. Why is God reminding them to listen to Jesus? What was the last thing Jesus had been teaching …

Mark 8:31 ESV

And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again.

He began to teach them … What was he teaching them?

That He was going to suffer and die.

Post-Post-Camp High

Being in youth group — there’s always this camp high

And post-camp high

But I believe God is stirring us to have a post-POST-camp high

After all the hype has died out and we are left alone with our hardships and sufferings — our faith remains

Jesus had begun teaching them about His death. Knowing He was going to die. Knowing the Disciples would be tested. Things were about to get really difficult. Life was about to be challenging

So to strengthen to Disciples He reminds them of what is to come

He shows them a taste of what awaits those who live and die for the Lord

He reminds them of where our citizenship truly lies:

Heaven. Glory.

That one day you and I will not know pain. We will have glorified bodies unstained by sin. Free from hardships and suffering.

That what we might encounter in this lifetime, while it may be hard and pain may come — we serve a God that is greater and we have a reward waiting for us.

The Transfiguration is in Scripture to strengthen us for seeing Him go to the Cross. Knowing that the Cross does not have the final word!

Look at the verses before! It’s all about His death and resurrection

But also to understand that this Glorification is our destiny too.

One day every Believer will be resurrected in Glory.

But it comes to us AFTER DEATH. So we are going to have to pass through suffering and pass through death to receive that Glory.

Jesus endured the Cross - died - was then raised to life - and now sits in eternal Glory at the right hand of God

Likewise - you and I will face trials and suffering and hardships in this life — But if we holdfast to the Word of God. If we stay conformed to Jesus — There is Glory waiting for us after death

Hey newsflash — Life is hard sometimes. Things are going to challenge you.

It’s not a matter of if - it’s a matter of WHEN.

And when suffering hits your life — what do you do?

What do you turn to?

We unite our sufferings to Christ on the Cross and we offer up our sufferings in union with Christ on the Cross

We all have suffering and death in our future. So it’s important to be prepared and understand what awaits us after the suffering. This is why we trust in Christ.

The Transfiguration is not just a cool little story of Jesus glowing on a mountain — it is preparing us for sufferings. For hardships. It is to strengthen us to TRUST IN JESUS!

I’m trusting in Jesus to get me through the hardships of life because I know there is a promise of Glory, of Life, of Peace, of HEAVEN! waiting for me.

Eventually you have to go down the mountain … It’s nice to stay up there with this beautiful thing that is happening, but Christ had to come down and suffer and die.

Not just a simple camp high

Not even a post-camp high

But something that lasts in hardship

“God, help us to love you for who You are and not just what You can give us”

ALTAR:

Respect Jesus

Endure Suffering