The Transfiguration of Jesus
Notes
Transcript
Opening Illustration
Opening Illustration
Lee Strobel was a Yale Law School graduate and a journalist for the Chicago Tribune.
When he was a skeptic and an atheist, he undertook an investigation into the claims of so called “prophets.”
He set out to debunk the prophecies of Jeane Dixon, Nostradamus, and the Old Testament writers.
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Jeane Dixon was the easiest target. He found she was right about 6% of the time.
She predicted World War III would start in 1954 and that Castro would be thrown out of Cuba in 1970.
And Jeane Dixon predicted Jacqueline Kennedy would never remarry and the NEXT DAY she announced her engagement to Aristotle Onassis.
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When Lee studied Nostradamus, he discovered his writings from 1555 were mysterious and often mistranslated.
He was intentionally vague and has been misquoted to make his writings fit modern events.
It was easy for him to debunk the prophecies of Jeane Dixon and Nostradamus.
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But when he studied the predictions of the Old Testament, he was unable to refute the evidence.
They aren’t vague or enigmatic:
They are specific and clear.
When Strobel studied them and compared them to the life of Jesus, he became convinced Jesus was who He claimed to be—the Son of God.
And today Strobel is a leading Christian speaker and author.
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Beloved, all of the Old Testament points to Christ...
All the Law points to Him...
And all the Prophets point to Him.
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All throughout Jesus’ earthly we witness many miracles that confirm this...
One of the most significant of those miracles was the Transfiguration.
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So, please turn your Bibles to the Gospel of Luke.
We will conduct our study in Chapter 9 and focus on verses 28 through 36.
Our message this morning is titled, “The Transfiguration of Jesus”
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This message today will focus on the incredible event we know as the Transfiguration of our Lord and Savior...
We will consider the significance of the two Old Testament witnesses who accompany Jesus...
And we will examine the the endorsement of the long promised Messiah by our Heavenly Father.
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So, this morning we will cover three main points:
1) His Glorified Transformation
2) His Two Witnesses
And...
3) His Father’s Endorsement
Opening Prayer
Opening Prayer
Before we consider our text, please join me in prayer...
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Heavenly Father...
You are worthy of all glory and honor...
We are blessed by You...
And we bless You.
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Thank You for allowing Your Son to preview His full glory...
Thank You for allowing this incredible event to be recorded in Your Scriptures...
And thank You for Your proclamation that Jesus is who He says He is.
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Help us follow all your perfect commands...
Help us to model our lives after Your Son...
And help us to stand strong even until the very end by the power of the Holy Spirit.
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And it is in Jesus’s name we pray all these things...
Amen.
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Let’s turn to our text for today:
Reading of the Text
Reading of the Text
28 Now about eight days after these sayings he took with him Peter and John and James and went up on the mountain to pray.
29 And as he was praying, the appearance of his face was altered, and his clothing became dazzling white.
30 And behold, two men were talking with him, Moses and Elijah,
31 who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.
32 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.
33 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.
34 As he was saying these things, a cloud came and overshadowed them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud.
35 And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him!”
36 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.
So, let’s look at our first point...
1) His Glorified Transformation
1) His Glorified Transformation
Verse 28-29: 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.
Before we get examine our text for today...
Let’s start by looking at were we left off last week...
For the previous verse ties into our text...
So, look with me at what it says in Luke 9:27:
27 But I tell you truly, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God.”
As Jesus promised in verse 27, these apostles (Peter, John and James of verse 28) have now seen, if only for a moment, the consummation of the Kingdom...
For they have seen the Son, the Chosen One, Jesus Christ, in His full glory...
So Beloved, the change of appearance that Jesus experiences on the mountain, is an anticipatory vision of His second coming in glory and acts as a “sneak preview” or a “teaser trailer” if you will.
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Further more, the Expositor’s Bible Commentary on Luke says this regarding this passage:
“This glorious transformation of the appearance of Christ is the most significant event between his birth and passion.
In each of the synoptic Gospels, it stands as a magnificent christological statement.
Both the transformation itself and the divine commentary expressed in the Voice from heaven declare Jesus Christ to be the beloved Son of God.
Luke emphasizes a further dimension of the event—the suffering that lay ahead of God’s chosen Servant.”
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Now, I would like us to consider Mark’s account of this almost indescribable event...
So, turn to Mark 9:2-3 which says:
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.
You may have noticed in our text and in Mark’s account that the actual location of the Transfiguration is nowhere identified...
We only know that it is a mountain or as in Mark’s account says, it was a “high mountain”...
Considering all the evidence we have from all three accounts of this event in the synoptic Gospels, many scholars believe this “high mountain” was Mount Hermon as it was close to Caesarea Philippi.
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Please note that Mark here (as with Matthew's Gospel) say that six days passes while Luke says about eight days...
This is not a conflict...
You see Church, Luke is counting the day of Peter’s confession and the day of Christ’s Transfiguration as bookends at the start and end of this time period so he says it was “about eight days.”
In Mark and Matthew’s account they are just counting the days in between the two events...
So, both Mark and Matthew’s account and Luke looks account are saying the very same thing.
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Now, I would like you to observe that Peter, John and James are the only disciples given this opportunity to see the Transfiguration...
These three were also the only ones to witness the raising of Jairus’ daughter...
And they will be the only three that were near by Christ during His agony in the garden...
So, clearly these were Jesus’ closest disciples...
His inner circle...
And clearly this event was more than just a little significant...
For example, take note of to the reference to prayer...
Here again, Luke calls attention to Jesus’ prayer right before a significant event...
So, although Jesus performed many incredible miracles, this one really stood out...
And as we progress in out study we will see just why this event was so monumental.
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In Matthew’s account of these events he records in Matthew 17:2 regarding Jesus:
2 And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light.
So, as both Mark and Matthew’s account described it, Jesus was “transfigured.”
This in Greek is “metamorphoō” and is the source of the English word “metamorphosis.”
This is the “shekinah glory” of God that was manifested repeatedly in the Old Testament.
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The “dazzling” or “intensely” white of Jesus’ clothes has the meaning of a brilliant flashing light, similar to lightning and literally means “bright as a flash of lightning.”
Now, consider what the New International Commentary on the New Testament on Luke says:
“In Old Testament and Jewish tradition, one’s countenance is a mirror of one’s heart and a manifestation of one’s relationship to God.
Throughout Luke-Acts, clothes are a signifier of status, dazzling clothes denoting heavenly glory.
Luke’s point, then, is not that Jesus experienced an internal adjustment of some sort that led to his transformed appearance, but that his inner being was made transparent to those who accompanied him.
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In other words, the change Luke describes is a disclosure of Jesus’ status—
Not to Jesus, who already exercised authority on God’s behalf and, in any case, seems unconcerned about such issues;
Not to Luke’s audience, who already knows that Jesus is God’s Son by way of his miraculous conception;
But to Jesus’ followers.”
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At this time, I would like us to take a quick tour throughout the New Testament regarding other instances where Jesus’ glory was mentioned...
So, let’s start by looking at Hebrews 1:3 which says:
3 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,
Jesus is described by the author of Hebrews as the radiance of the glory of God the Father...
For He is the exact imprint of God the Father’s nature.
That is why the Transfiguration event in which Jesus glory was on full display matches so perfectly the events in the Old Testament when God the Father’s glory was on display.
Consider passages like 1 Kings 8:10-11 which says:
10 And when the priests came out of the Holy Place, a cloud filled the house of the Lord,
11 so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord.
And Exodus 40:35 which records:
35 And Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud settled on it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.
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Next, I would like us to look at how John the Beloved, an eyewitness to the Transfiguration, describes Jesus’ glory in John 1:14:
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
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Likewise, John the Beloved had the opportunity to see Jesus’ full glory again when he had the opportunity to witness future events which he recorded in the Book of Revelation.
John said in Revelation 14:14–16:
14 Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and seated on the cloud one like a son of man, with a golden crown on his head, and a sharp sickle in his hand.
15 And another angel came out of the temple, calling with a loud voice to him who sat on the cloud, “Put in your sickle, and reap, for the hour to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is fully ripe.”
16 So he who sat on the cloud swung his sickle across the earth, and the earth was reaped.
Keep in mind this cloud imagery as we will return to this later in our study...
However, first we need to discuss the two witnesses of the Old Testament that enter the scene...
And this takes us to our second point.
2) His Two Witnesses
2) His Two Witnesses
Verse 30-33: 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.
First off, Moses and Elijah represent the Law and the Prophets of the Old Testament...
And both the he Law and the Prophets foretold of Christ’s death...
That was also the item of discussion between Jesus, Moses, and Elijah.
As the Reformation Study Bible says:
“That Jesus’ death is discussed during this revelation of glory shows its centrality for His mission.
It is by His death that glory comes to sinners.”
So, recorded in Scripture is one of the most jaw dropping moments in all of history with the Transfiguration...
We have Jesus in fully glory having a conversation with Moses and Elijah...
And what are they talking about...
They are talking about Jesus earthly ministry...
They are talking about the who purpose of why the Son of God left heaven and took on flesh...
They are talking about Goth the Father’s perfect and divine plan that was put together before the foundation of the world...
They are talking about Jesus’ death!
They are talking about Jesus’ resurrection!
And the are talking about Jesus’ ascension!
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As Pastor John MacArthur puts it:
“The topic of their conversation, Christ’s departure which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem, shows that His death was the fulfillment of God’s eternal plan, not a breach of it.
What was hard for the apostles to accept, Jesus’ death, was in the divine plan and these Old Testament representatives understood that fact in their perfect knowledge.
Moses and Elijah had been in the presence of God since their departures from this world, where they had known and worshiped Jesus and understood the plan of redemption.”
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Notice too that our text says that Moses and Elijah also appearing in glory...
That is, in the splendor of their glorified bodies...
We know this from passages like Philippians 3:20–21 which says:
20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,
21 who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.
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Additionally, the appearance of Moses an Elijah clarifies Jesus’ identity...
He is not Elijah or another ancient prophet...
Jesus is the long promised Messiah...
He is God incarnate...
He is God in the flesh!
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As Mark records in his Gospel in Mark 9:5-6 which says:
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.
In Peter’s fear and confusion he puts his foot in his mouth again!
You see Beloved, the three “tents” or “tabernacles” was a reference to the booths that were used to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles...
That is when the Israelites dwelt in booths for seven days...
So, Peter was expressing a wish to stay in that place...
And he wanted to equally honor Jesus, Moses, and Elijah.
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However, our text says that Peter did not know what he was saying for Peter erred in equating Jesus with Moses and Elijah.
As the the New American Commentary on the New Testament on Luke says:
“They [Jesus, Moses, and Elijah] were not equals.
The Voice from heaven explains Peter’s error.
In contrast to Moses and Elijah, who were God’s servants, Jesus is God’s Son, the Chosen One.
He is unique.
He cannot be classed with anyone else, even two of God’s greatest servants.
He is not only greater but other.
It is hard not to see in the Voice from heaven at least a hint of an ontological Christology in which Jesus’ essential nature is sharply distinguished from that of Moses and Elijah.”
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So, Peter may have had good intentions but calling Jesus equal to Moses and Elijah was not a complement...
It did not matter how significant each of these Old Testament heroes of the faith were...
It did not matter that Moses spoke directly with God the Father as Exodus 34:29-30 says:
29 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.
30 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.
It did not matter that Elijah was taken up by a chariot of fire to Heaven as 2 Kings 2:11 says:
11 And as they still went on and talked, behold, chariots of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them. And Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.
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Jesus did not just talk with the Father but He is one with the Father!
Jesus did not just go up to Heaven but came originally down from Heaven!
Jesus was and is and will always be on a whole different level for He is God in the flesh!
And that is why Jesus recieved a special endorsement from God the Father...
And this takes us to our third and final point.
3) His Father’s Endorsement
3) His Father’s Endorsement
Verse 34-36: 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.
The question regarding Jesus “Who then is this?” back in Luke 8:25 is first answered by Peter in Luke 9:20 and is now answered decisively by God he Father himself!
And this endorsement came at just the right time.
Consider what scholar Darrell L. Bock says:
“This is an important time for such an endorsement, because Jesus has just announced his approaching death and warned the disciples of the cost of following him.
A word of testimony and reassurance from heaven that Jesus is the messianic, eschatological Son would be an encouragement to them.”
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Now, to get a better sense of what this scene looked like, take a look with me at Matthew 17:5-8 which says:
5 He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.”
6 When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were terrified.
7 But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Rise, and have no fear.”
8 And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.
Peter, John, and James were terrified...
They fell on their faces...
And they did not again raise up their heads until Jesus assured them to have no fear and told them to rise up...
This experience was similar to other incredible displays of God’ presence such as recorded in Isaiah 6:5 which says:
5 And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”
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Now Beloved, the “cloud” or as we just read in Matthew’s account, the “bright cloud” envelops the glory of God and the cloud is associated with the very presence of God....
This is very similar to the pillar of cloud that led the Israelites in the Exodus 14:19-20 which says:
19 Then the angel of God who was going before the host of Israel moved and went behind them, and the pillar of cloud moved from before them and stood behind them,
20 coming between the host of Egypt and the host of Israel. And there was the cloud and the darkness. And it lit up the night without one coming near the other all night.
In fact, we see further similarities with the Exodus account and the account recorded in the synoptic gospels...
For example, the brightness of this cloud and the sleepiness of the disciples suggests that this event may have occurred at night.
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Furthermore, this declaration by God the Father made it clear that what Jesus said was to be obeyed above all for He was and is and will forever be the only begotten Son of God...
For Jesus had complete authority from God the Father to interpret the Scriptures and declare God’s truth for the Father was well pleased with Him.
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So, look with me at what Peter later records in his own epistle regarding this amazing experience of the Transfiguration...
Look with me at what is recorded in 2 Peter 1:17–18 which says:
17 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,”
18 we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain.
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Now, the phrase “Listen to Him” means to give attention to Jesus’ teaching above all else...
As the ESV Study Bible says:
“Even above the Law (Moses) and the Prophets (Elijah) of the Old Testament...
(Not that they are any less the Word of God, but that Jesus’ teaching supersedes and rightly interprets the Old Testament for the new age of the kingdom of God and the new covenant).
Jesus is not merely equal to Moses and Elijah;
He is far greater.
All the Old Testament pointed to him.
“Listen to Him” also alludes to Deuteronomy 18:15 [which says]
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—
[This indicates] that Jesus is the prophet that Moses predicted “the LORD your God will raise up for you.”
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Additionally, the phrase “Listen to Him” is not only a command...
It is a correction of the human tendency to substitute human opinion for divine revelation!
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Another insight regarding the phrase “Listen to Him” is found in this deceleration referencing back to Peter’s refusal to accept Jesus’ teaching concerning his death back in Mark 8:32–33 which says:
32 And he said this plainly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.
33 But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”
Peter truly had no idea what he was doing when he tried to rebuke our Lord and Savior...
So, here we see that God the Father makes it clear that Jesus is to be obeyed...
Our Lord is no fallible man...
His words are perfect for He is perfect!
His words are true fro they come directly from the Father of whom He is one with!
As Jesus Himself says in John 8:18:
18 I am the one who bears witness about myself, and the Father who sent me bears witness about me.”
Likewise, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords says to His deniers in John 5:37–38:
37 And the Father who sent me has himself borne witness about me. His voice you have never heard, his form you have never seen,
38 and you do not have his word abiding in you, for you do not believe the one whom he has sent.
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Beloved, you may be already thinking this...
But the endorsement of God the Father of Jesus is similar to what transpired at Christ’s Baptism...
Recall with me what Luke 3:22 says:
22 and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”
Truly this event is similar but it is not exactly the same thing...
You see, whereas these words were spoken to Jesus at the baptism by the Father, here they are addressed to the disciples...
Additionally, this heavenly pronouncement combines language from Psalm 2:7 which says:
7 I will tell of the decree: The Lord said to me, “You are my Son; today I have begotten you.
And it combines language from Isaiah 42:1 which says:
1 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.
So, the use of this specific language and the reference to these prophecies would have been very obvious to those with messianic expectations.
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The Baptism and Transfiguration are not the only events that God the Father openly declared His support of Jesus’ mission...
Turn to John 12:27–32 and take a look at this dialogue which says:
27 “Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But for this purpose I have come to this hour.
28 Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.”
29 The crowd that stood there and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.”
30 Jesus answered, “This voice has come for your sake, not mine.
31 Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out.
32 And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.”
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Now, I would like you all to please take note that our passage says that “Jesus was found alone.”
This simple act actually carried a significant meaning...
Theologian Robert H. Stein makes a great observation when he says:
“The account centers on Jesus, not on Moses and Elijah and not even on Moses, Elijah, and Jesus.
The law and the prophets pointed to Jesus.
He is the essence and the heart of God’s revelation.
Anything that detracts from Jesus ‘alone,’ such as Peter’s suggestion in Luke 9:33, loses sight of the fact that believers in the early church were called ‘Christians’ because Jesus ‘alone’ was the ground of their faith.
Therefore when anyone seeks to add something, making the Christian faith ‘Jesus +,’ a basic misunderstanding of the Christian faith has occurred.”
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Finally, our passage says that the disciples “kept silent and told no one in those days anything of what they had seen.”
Why were they silent?
Why did they not talk about this incredible event with anyone else?
The Gospel of Mark has the answer to those question...
Just look at Mark 9:9-10 which says:
9 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.
10 So they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what this rising from the dead might mean.
So, two observations can be made...
First, Jesus was the one who commanded them not to say anything for this was not the right time...
The disciple still did not fully grasp Jesus ultimate mission and spreading this miracle at this moment in Jesus ministry would have caused the Jews to even more passionately call for Jesus to be a warrior messiah and the Romans would have wanted Jesus dead which was not yet the right time according to God’s perfect plan.
Second, the Peter, John, and James were not to remain silent forever...
They were to declare this amazing miracle after Jesus was raised from the dead in which they would at that time actually understand the full scope of this incredible divine act.
Closing Illustration
Closing Illustration
So, as this message comes to a close...
I would like to share this that I came across in my study this week:
In the Winter of 1966, a voters registration card arrived in the mail at the home of Vernon Dahmer.
On the surface, something like this is no big deal; it happens every day.
But this was different, for a number of reasons.
It was different because Vernon Dahmer was a African-American in Mississippi, and this was the first year he could vote just like any other person, without the encumbrance of oppressive poll taxes or backhanded laws of discrimination.
It was different because Vernon had worked hard to make this a reality.
It was different, tragically, because Vernon Dahmer had died only weeks before.
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He died on January 11 of horrible burns to his lungs.
The night before, several members of the White Knights of the KKK carried out a plan to punish Dahmer for his efforts to bring equal voting rights to the black community.
In the middle of the night, several KKK members began firing guns at the house, while others threw firebombs through the windows.
Vernon grabbed a shotgun and ran to the front of the house to provide cover fire while the rest of his family escaped out a back window.
They all lived.
But Vernon was overcome by smoke and flames.
Hours later, he was dead.
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It’s so heartbreaking that he never got to see all of his efforts come to fruition with his own eyes.
But so many others benefitted from his sacrifice, bravery, and leadership.
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When we read the story of the transfiguration, we are actually reading the story of our own redemption and forgiveness and the new life that Christ won for us with his blood.
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It’s a beautiful thing!
But the truth is that your transfigured life has already begun.
It matters for your future, but it also matters right now, it matters today.
You have the hope of God’s plan for you alive in you today.
And this leads us to live differently today, to share the love of Christ in our lives today.
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This was certainly true of Vernon Dahmer’s widow, Ellie.
Because in August 1998, 32 years after such cruel men attacked her home and stole the life of her husband and her children’s father, something amazing happened.
She met one of the attackers face to face for the first time.
A reporter by the name of Jerry Mitchell found one of the participants in the crime, a guy named Billy Roy Pitts.
And Billy testified in the trial of Sam Bowers, the ringleader of the White Knights of the KKK in Mississippi.
Bowers was convicted and jailed.
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But as Billy Roy Pitts left the courtroom after his testimony, he happened to walk right by Ellie Dahmer and her family.
But he didn’t keep walking, he stopped and turned to her and, with tears in his eyes, he told her how sorry he was for what he did and asked her forgiveness.
It was an awkward and intense moment.
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But what happened was so breathtaking, no one who was there will ever forget it, I’m sure.
This woman who endured so many days over so many decades missing her husband, with tears in HER eyes said,
“I forgive you.”
And then the children who missed their dad so much, and thought about all the things he never got to see, and they never got to share with him said,
“I forgive you.”
And the grandchildren who never got a chance to meet this great man, who had to know him only though pictures and stories, said,
“I forgive you.”
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And in its own way, we can say this was truly a testimony to their faith in Christ, to what God revealed to them, and all the faithful in the transfiguration.
Because what we see in this brief moment is HOPE.
Hope sure and certain. Hope born on the cross.
Hope for folks like the disciples, and Elijah and Moses from the Gospel reading.
Hope for people like Ellie Dahmer and her husband Vernon.
Hope even for folks like Billy Roy Pitts.
Hope even for people like you and me.
Closing Prayer
Closing Prayer
Let’s pray...
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Heavenly Father...
If anyone hearing this message right now does not know You in a saving way...
Then I beg you to have mercy on those lost and suffering...
Have mercy on those who at this moment in time are your enemies...
But whom you with a word can transform into the most faithful of followers.
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I appeal to Your Name’s sake!
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For those hearing this message who already know You...
Remind them of the hope that is our driving force...
Remind us that every promise in the Word of God has been fulfilled or will be fulfilled without a doubt...
Thank you for having mercy on us and turning your once harden enemy into a child in your royal house.
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Again, I appeal to Your Name’s sake!
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And it is in Jesus’s name we pray all these things...
Amen.
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To God be all the glory.
Amen.
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Please join us for one more song from the Praise Band.