How we see the Story

Good morning glad we could be here this morning. This morning we are going to take a little bit of a different look into the scriptures this morning. We are really starting to get close to Easter and today is a Sunday in the life of the church that we recognize that movement toward the beginning of the Easter Season. Today is what is known as Transfiguration Sunday. This is the day that we recognize the story of Jesus’ transfiguration or is revealing of his identity to the disciples as the Son of God.

This idea got me thinking about stories and how we view them.

Star Wars Movie Order

Now if you take one look in my office you can figure out that I am a Star wars fan. I remember the first time I watched episode 4 a New hope and I was hooked. I have purchased the movies multiple times and i always go to see new relases of the movies over the year as they have come out. For good or Bad I always try to give a Star Wars story a shot before i give it my thoughts. However, when it comes to the original there is nothing better.

Being the fan that I am I have over the years watched the movies multiple times. I have read the novels I have played the video games I know quite a bit. An interesting challenge came to me a couple years ago. I wanted to introduce Isaac to the movies and I couldn’t decide the order that I would watch them in.

You see this is a hotly debated topic in the Star Wars community because the order that they are watched in is important to understanding the story. For those who don’t know there are 9 main movies and two off shoot movies. I wont’ be referencing and recent TV shows because they don’t really affect this as deeply. For a new person to star wars they might look at a box set and see movies 1-9 and say i guess i will start with the first movie. Not knowing that this isn’t the first movie in order of release. For that they have to go to episode 4. This is the problem that sparks the debate.

Do you watch them chronologically by time line or chronologically by release?

Chronologically would be episodes 1-9 in order simple and easy. However, it ruins one of the greatest plot twists in movie history. I won’t spoil it just in case someone here hasn’t seen it and wants to.

If you watch it by release dates it is great but makes the first three movies feel flat and a little less interesting because you know where the story is going.

The Question raged on for me. How do I show this to Isaac?

Than I encountered a better solution.

It is known as the Machete order. This is an order of watching the movies that was created by a blog site fan to watch the movies in an order that preserved the plot twist and made you appreciate and build character depth to the movies.

His order is 4, 5, 2, 3, 6, and would ad 7-9 after but his order was created before those movies came out.

Now wait a minute he skipped episode 1?

Yup lots of reasons for that mostly because you honestly don’t need it to enjoy the series.

I looked at this order and it changed the way i thought about the movies. IT changed the story and it made the story make a little more sense. However, i decided that Isaac for his first time would be too confused by that so we went with release order because that’s the way it should be watched.

WE see something similar though in the Bible. We sometimes look at the stories of the Bible and we read them but we don’t ever look at what came to that point.

Today we are going to look at two passages of scripture. The first is an OT passage that will lead us to the other side of the Story in the NT

Malachi 4:4–6 NIV

4 “Remember the law of my servant Moses, the decrees and laws I gave him at Horeb for all Israel. 5 “See, I will send the prophet Elijah to you before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes. 6 He will turn the hearts of the parents to their children, and the hearts of the children to their parents; or else I will come and strike the land with total destruction.”

Setting the Stage

Malachi is setting the stage for one of the great stories of our faith. He first reminds them of Moses. The man who delivered their people from Egypt and his leadership. He is calling them to remember the Law that was given through him from God. That they are to be a people of the covenant.

This calling is not just to tell them to follow a set of prescribed rules but to be reminded that are to be a people that are loyal to God and to follow in his ways. Making the law not just rules but a part of who they are and how they live their lives as they are called to be a holy people set apart.

Than Malachi moves to another great hero of the past in Elijah. One of greatest prophets that they had to look to. Here we see that there is a promise that Elijah will return to call the people and prepare for the day of the Lord to Come. To prepare us for the harsh and gracious reality that one day the Lord will come to Judge the living and the dead and we will give account of who we are. Elijah spoke boldly in his time. This passage is seen as a prophesy that he would come again. That someone would come in the same character of Elijah and prepare the way for the Lord.

Moses and Elijah both setting the stage being prophesied about by Malachi sets up this story from Matthew.

Jesus was beginning to make his way to Jerusalem. On the journey there were moments when he would still teach, preach, and heal. One of these moments he asked his disciples a question.

Who do People say I am?

The disciples looked at him and said

“some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

Jesus asks another question. “Who do you say I am”

Peter in his boldness says “You are the Messiah, the son of the living God.”

He confirms this but asks them not to tell them. Which is a strange thought to think about. He didn’t want them to say anything. The move on and other things happen but this is where the story picks up in...

Matthew 17:1–8 NIV

1 After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. 2 There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. 3 Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus. 4 Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” 5 While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!” 6 When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. 7 But Jesus came and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don’t be afraid.” 8 When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus.

The Transfiguration: Jesus shows who he really is

Here is a story where the divine encounters humanity again. These are the stories that can not be forgotten because they are the stories of God interacting with us. After Jesus verbally confirmed that he was the Messiah he set out with three of his most trusted disciples and physically showed him who he was.

Transfiguration or the complete change of form and appearance into a ore beautiful or spiritual state.

This moment showed Jesus as something more than just a prophet, or a great teacher, or any other Man. It showed his divinity to the disciples.

Can you imagine for a moment what it must have been like for them. Here is this man you have been following for awhile. The whole time you have had your suspicions or beliefs that he was more than what you originally thought because he had done some amazing things and you witnessed them all. You have seen blind men see, lame men walk, People raised form the dead. Than you see this. Not only do you see it you hear the voice of God.

Matthew 17:5 NIV

5 While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!”

Listen to him. Hear what he is teaching you. Follow his instructions.

In fear, the appropriate response by the way, you fall to the ground with facedown. Than in your fear he touches their shoulder. It is just Jesus. They have seen and heard from God and they have been now comforted by not just an angel but the Son of God.

Utterly amazing to think about. It is a moment of revelation of who Jesus was and than the story continues.

Matthew 17:9–13 NIV

9 As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus instructed them, “Don’t tell anyone what you have seen, until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.” 10 The disciples asked him, “Why then do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?” 11 Jesus replied, “To be sure, Elijah comes and will restore all things. 12 But I tell you, Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but have done to him everything they wished. In the same way the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands.” 13 Then the disciples understood that he was talking to them about John the Baptist.

Don’t Tell Anyone!

Don’t Tell anyone? Don’t Tell Anyone? How in the world are we not supposed to tell anyone.

Well there is a specific reason why they were not to tell anyone.

Jesus knew that if people bore witness to who he really was it would create difficulties in the path that was laid out before him. Jesus knew that he was going to the cross. He knew the journey that he was on. He didn’t want anything to hinder that. Instead he wanted them to wait till after his resurrection. To wait till things were clear of who Jesus was and the work that he had done and the impact that the cross would have.

This lead to a question that connects us back to Malachi. That helps us see the beginning of the story and why the order is important.

What about Elijah?

Elijah had already come. John the Baptist had come to prepare the way and the world did not recognize him they weren’t ready for the message that he preached. As so often many in the world are not ready to hear the message of the Gospel. THe path is being set. The Journey is beginning for us as we follow Jesus to the road that leads to the cross. We begin the journey toward that moment when we see Jesus hung on that cross to bear the sins of this world. That no matter what walk in life we have come from we can recieve the forgiveness of sins. That is something to be thankful for. That as we walk in this story we can see where we have come from and where we are to go as we wait for the return of Jesus some day.

Let us pray.