Transformers

“Glory Revealed”

Welcome Church to our service for today

Lets take some time to invite the Holy Spirit here with us, an experience

I am pastor Joseph

I am blessed to be here

Todays passage is found in luke 9 verses 28-36

Today will be about apologetics, learning the word of God so we may defend the word of God. Teaching vs Preaching = Pastors are called to do both, thus today will be more about gaining knowledge in the word of God

Yet, all of Gods word is applicable to life

Lets read

Luke 9:28–36 ESV

Now about eight days after these sayings he took with him Peter and John and James and went up on the mountain to pray. And as he was praying, the appearance of his face was altered, and his clothing became dazzling white. And behold, two men were talking with him, Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. Now Peter and those who were with him were heavy with sleep, but when they became fully awake they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. 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. As he was saying these things, a cloud came and overshadowed them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him!” And when the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and told no one in those days anything of what they had seen.

This is the word of God

Lets pray

So, this event is recorded in three of the Gospels, or the synoptic gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke

Its is not included in Johns because right away from the get John referred to christ as the messiah so this was not an event he recorded

So lets set the scene....The sequence of events in each transfiguration story is all the same: Jesus goes up the mountain accompanied by Peter, James, and John. On the mountain, Jesus is transfigured before them, and is joined by Moses and Elijah, who speak with Him. A cloud overshadows them and a voice says that Jesus is the voice’s (presumably God’s) son with whom He is pleased. Moses and Elijah disappear, and Jesus and His three disciples journey back down the mountain. On the way down, Jesus instructs the disciples to not tell anyone what they saw. The episode ends with the voice once again proclaiming, “This is my beloved son, in whom I am well-pleased.”

Put our selves in there shoes, explain

Lets look closer as we learn what the transfiguration is/was

first, the word Transfiguration comes from the KJV which comes from the Greek word Metamorphoo (μεταμορφόω) which means to be changed or transformed.

Now why wouldn't they just use transformation or change? because they grabbed the word from the Vulgate (Transfiguratus) which is the latin translation of the bible which was written back in AD 385-405.

so, transfiguration which is Metamorphoo is influenced by the word transfiguratus, which is transfigured.

now lets build context real quick

lets look at the sequence of events that occured to lead up to the transfiguration

Peters confesson

Jesus’ request not to say anything about his messianic identity

Jesus’ prediction of his suffering, death, and resurrection

A warning to those who are ashamed of Jesus and his words

and now the transfiguration which will solidify and confirm Jesus’ messianic identity.

at the end of this passage we see them instructed by God to listen and follow despite there deep rooted jewish beliefs = despite what they think and or believe....Speak on this...

Lets begin to look at some of these verses to gain better understanding

Luke 9:28 ESV

Now about eight days after these sayings he took with him Peter and John and James and went up on the mountain to pray.

Lets Look at this last word real quick, Pray

preach on this

Jesus took three disciples away to pray.

Times of conversation with God—and that is what prayer is—each require a time and place undisturbed by the rush of the day’s traffic.

phones, emails, SM, TV, wonderful tools, but poor help for sincere, concentrated times of prayer.

Jesus didn’t deal with these technological intrusions; he had thousands of people following him around, some of whom wanted him dead.

That’s why he often would withdraw to a remote, lonely place to pray.

Where is your “prayer closet”? Where can you go and have uninterrupted time with God? If you have such a place, enjoy it and protect it.

If not, make whatever arrangements necessary to find one.

Jesus needed it, and so do we.

Now we see that Luke indicates it was about 8 days that word “about” in greek (Hosea) means approximately, it was approximately about days, Mark says it was on the 6th day

explanation, Luke gives a rough estimate, possibly counting the day of last passage and the day of the transfiguration counting a total of 8 where Mark did not count those

Hosea “approximately” lets us know it is not a contradiction in scripture

apologetics = anyone ever tries to call out the differences in the gospels there is always an explanation

Peter, John, and James were important disciples to Jesus

remember it was these three Jesus took with him in the religious leaders Jairus’ house to heal his daughter, and it would be these three it took with him to the garden to pray before his crucifixion

Luke 9:29–31 ESV

And as he was praying, the appearance of his face was altered, and his clothing became dazzling white. And behold, two men were talking with him, Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.

So, right away we start off with Luke being different than Mark and Matthew

Luke notes that his appearance changed Matthew and Mark use Metamorphoo they also talk about Jesus garments becoming white and glowing

Luke does not, remember he is greek, He probably withheld this information and or changed it as to not have his greek readers associate it with pagan myths and legends

now in verse 30 it mentions two men, Moses and Elijah

these two men are important, but why?

Well for starters both had an encounter with Yahweh (God) on a mountain top

both had seen and experienced the Glory of God already

and 2. These men represented the sweeping vista of God’s plan of salvation across the ages.

Moses represented the law, or the old covenant, he wrote the pentateuch and predicted the coming of a great prophet

And Elijah represented the prophets who foretold the coming of the messiah Mal 4.5-6 ““Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.””

Both men were prominent figures in Jewish history both went with God in extraordinary ways = Elijah taken up in a whirlwind, Moses was buried by God Deut 34.6 “and he buried him in the valley in the land of Moab opposite Beth-peor; but no one knows the place of his burial to this day.”

Luke 9:32–33 ESV

Now Peter and those who were with him were heavy with sleep, but when they became fully awake they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. 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.

Preach on praying a longtime they were sleepy

Peter was possibly talking about the feast of tabernacles which was one of three major Jewish feasts which celebrated the conclusion of the agricultural year. The Jews would build booths, tabernacles, or tents, temporarily to commemorate their deliverence from Egypt by the hand of God

Peter could have been thinking of this

Speak on Peter comparing the three to be equals, here he calls Jesus master (meaning teacher)

In his drowsy state he must have forgotten Jesus’ true identity as the messiah

Luke cuts him some slack noting “he did not know what he was saying” paraphrasing

Talk about Peter not wanting these men to leave

He wanted to stay in that moment

Luke (Jesus is Transfigured on the Mountain / 9:28–36 / 111)

Peter, James, and John experienced a wonderful moment on the mountain, and they didn’t want to leave.

Sometimes believers have such an inspiring experience that they want to stay where they are—away from the reality and problems of daily life.

Knowing that struggles await in the valley encourages them to linger on the mountaintop.

Yet staying on top of a mountain prohibits ministry to others.

Christians need times of retreat and renewal, but only so they can return to minister to the world.

When you leave an inspiring mountaintop experience, be ready for the challenging real-life experiences in the valley.

Your faith must make sense off the mountain as well as on it.

Luke 9:34–36 ESV

As he was saying these things, a cloud came and overshadowed them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him!” And when the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and told no one in those days anything of what they had seen.

Now in those times to the disciples, a cloud represented the Glory of God

the same glory that had guided Israel out of Egypt (Exodus 13:21),

had appeared to the people in the wilderness (Exodus 16:10; 24:15–18; 34:5; 40:34–38),

had appeared to Moses (Exodus 19:9),

and had filled the temple (1 Kings 8:10).

no wonder they were afraid

the voice of God himself, gave divine approval of his Son,

separating him from Moses and Elijah by saying that Jesus was the Son, the Chosen One, and that the disciples must listen to him.

The voice affirmed, both at the Baptism and at the Transfiguration, that Jesus was the one sent by God and the one whose authority came directly from God.

The glory disappeared, the cloud went away, the voice finished speaking, Moses and Elijah left, and Jesus looked once again like a traveling rabbi.

With The conversation with heaven over, Jesus was alone with his disciples.

The mission had been talked about, the way to Jerusalem and the cross laid out.

Jesus would return to glory, but he would first follow the path of suffering and seeming defeat on this earth.

Only then could he fully accomplish the plan of salvation. Only by dying could he return to eternal life.

Only by dying could he give us life.

Talk about Jesus all of this begin his journey to the cross, for us, for our eternity with him

look back and talk about the view of the disciples

preach it

end

HOLY SPIRIT TAKE OVER....