The Glory of Christ
Notes
Transcript
Introduction:
I’m sure that many of you at some point in your life have watched the transformation of a caterpillar, which is just another name for a glorified worm, into a butterfly.
Maybe you have seen the caterpillar and put it into a jar with some leaves from the plant it was munching on and poked holes in the lid. You stuck a stick down in there too and watched the caterpillar grow and make a chrysalis, or a cocoon.
Many days later the cocoon begins to break open and out pops a beautiful creature that was quite different than the ugly worm that went into the cocoon. A beautiful butterfly has emerged.
We call this process in the cocoon - metamorphosis.
Miriam Webster’s Dictionary defines it this way:
1a: change of physical form, structure, or substance especially by supernatural means
b: a striking alteration in appearance, character, or circumstances
The word metamorphosis comes from the same Greek word that we find in our text this morning that means to be transfigured.
This morning we are going to look at the glory of Christ. As we peer into the glory we will hopefully come away changed ourselves.
(mack truck headlights)
28 Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”
1 And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves.
2 And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light.
3 And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him.
4 And Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.”
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.
9 And as they were coming down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, “Tell no one the vision, until the Son of Man is raised from the dead.”
10 And the disciples asked him, “Then why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?”
11 He answered, “Elijah does come, and he will restore all things.
12 But I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they pleased. So also the Son of Man will certainly suffer at their hands.”
13 Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist.
Pray
Some of you have been to the eye doctor before where you have been given eyedrops to dialate your eyes. Then they have you stare into this bright light while they look at the back of your eyeball.
It’s just such a lovely experience for us people who hate things related to eyeballs; but when it’s all over with, they give you the most awesome designer shades you could imagine. The reason is that your eyes are super sensitive to the light now since they have been dialated and you can’t look at bright lights without it affecting you.
This morning as we look at the glory of Christ, it should change us. We should be like Moses coming down from the mountain of God whose face reflected the glory of God as the people beheld him.
1. The Glory of Christ Revealed (16:28-17:8)
1. The Glory of Christ Revealed (16:28-17:8)
28 Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”
1 And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves.
There has been a lot of debate over what verse 26 means regarding the Disciples who would see the glory of the Son of Man coming in his kingdom. The phrase is loaded with Old Testament allusions.
Daniel 7 describes God as the Ancient of Days.
9 “As I looked, thrones were placed, and the Ancient of Days took his seat; his clothing was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames; its wheels were burning fire.
10 A stream of fire issued and came out from before him; a thousand thousands served him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him; the court sat in judgment, and the books were opened.
But then before the Ancient of Days another figure appears.
13 “I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him.
14 And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.
This is the passage where Jesus gets the title Son of Man. He constantly referred to Himself by this title. We are all able to say in some way that we are sons of God - even the angels are referred to this way in Job. However, there is only one with this Messianic title - Son of Man.
Remember that the name Messiah is really a title that means anointed one. It came to refer to this coming Messiah King who would rule over the people and banish the enemies of God.
Jesus calls Himself by this title many times, but I want you also to notice the shared glory of the Ancient of Days and the Messiah called the Son of Man who is given a kingdom. He comes in glory and is given the peoples, nations, and languages and an everlasting dominion.
So back to Matthew, what does verse 26 mean that there are some standing in that very spot - which is most likely still in the region of Caesarea Philippi - that would not taste death until they saw the Son of Man (which is Jesus) coming in the glory of his kingdom?
Well, remember that chapter and verse numbers were added later. They are not in the original Greek manuscripts. Personally I believe Jesus was talking about the Transfiguration of Chapter 17 when He said this.
There are others who have different interpretations, but look at Chapter 17, verse 1.
1 And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves.
Matthew mentions the 6 days that had passed. Six days since what? Six days since this statement was made at Caesarea Philippi.
Jesus is alluding back to what He had said.
Now, I want you to buckle your seatbelt for a minute. I’m about to take you on a ride that is going to give you some thrills and chills if you love the Word of God and it is going to show you how divinely inspired the Word is.
There are a lot of parallels that are drawn out by Matthew between this account of what happened and another character we’ve already mentioned - Moses.
First there were six days that passed.
On the one hand it shows the immediate context of what had just been said to the event of the Transfiguration, linking them together.
On the other hand it is an allusion back to Moses who also went up on the mount, had an encounter with God, and came back different
16 The glory of the Lord dwelt on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days. And on the seventh day he called to Moses out of the midst of the cloud.
Notice the number of days that cloud covered the mountain? 6 days
Here are is the rest of the account Matthew records.
2 And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light.
3 And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him.
4 And Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.”
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.
So in both accounts of Moses and this better version of Moses, Jesus (remember that we have already seen parallels in the giving of the Sermon on the Mount with the giving of the Law at Mt. Sinai) we see some other similar details emerge.
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.
31 But Moses called to them, and Aaron and all the leaders of the congregation returned to him, and Moses talked with them.
32 Afterward all the people of Israel came near, and he commanded them all that the Lord had spoken with him in Mount Sinai.
33 And when Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil over his face.
34 Whenever Moses went in before the Lord to speak with him, he would remove the veil, until he came out. And when he came out and told the people of Israel what he was commanded,
35 the people of Israel would see the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses’ face was shining. And Moses would put the veil over his face again, until he went in to speak with him.
A select group of men are taken from the larger group
Moses took Joshua up on the mountain and the 12 elders
Jesus took Peter, James, and John (the inner circle) out of the 12 Disciples and the other followers who were constantly with Him
The cloud covered the mountain in both accounts
There is a voice that comes from the cloud and speaks
There is a transfiguring of the appearance of the prophet in both accounts
Moses’ face shown from the glory
Jesus’ whole body and garments were transfigured
There is the command to listen to Jesus given in both places at both events
18 I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. And I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him.
19 And whoever will not listen to my words that he shall speak in my name, I myself will require it of him.
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.”
Isn’t that amazing to see the parallels there? We might have just skimmed right over these details without the help of a good concordance or some Holy Spirit memory jolting.
Matthew is drawing the connection to Moses for his predominantly Jewish audience to remind them that there was a better Moses, another prophet that was to come and we would do well to pay attention to him.
Now, there is going to be a similar connection when Jesus refers to John the Baptist as new Elijah.
2 Peter 1:19 puts it this way
19 And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts,
John was the forerunner of Jesus who pointed to Him and gave the Holy Spirit highlighter for us to notice that Jesus is the prophet that was promised in the Old Testament and the Lamb of God that would take away the sin of the world.
Isn’t it interesting that these two men from the Old Testament - Moses and Elijah - would appear with Jesus on this mountain top experience with the key leaders of the Disciples?
There is a little more going on with this as well. Moses represents the Law as the one who was the human instrument through whom God gave it.
Elijah represents the prophets and was one who did many similar miracles to Jesus, though not nearly as many nor as grand.
Both of these men had mysterious endings. Moses died and was buried by God and Elijah never tasted death but was taken up into heaven by the firey chariot of God.
Remember that in Moses’ lifetime, he never got to enter the Promised Land, but in this ethereal experience, he is granted this opportunity to touchdown with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration in a spiritual form.
Both of these men represent the whole Old Testament witness pointing to Jesus.
Remember that passage we quoted earlier from 1 Peter?
Let’s look at the context a little closer. Turn to 1 Peter and see how many allusions you pick up from Peter, who remember was one of them there at the transfiguration.
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you,
5 who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials,
7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
8 Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory,
9 obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
10 Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully,
11 inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories.
12 It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look.
Now look over to 2 Peter.
16 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.
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.
19 And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts,
20 knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation.
21 For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
Whew!
I know that was a lot of cross-referencing, but there is no other book on earth that has such an inter-connectedness than the Bible.
The point I want you to see here is that Peter made the connections. At first it might seem like he was a brick-head.
Peter is so taken back by the whole thing, that he doesn’t want to leave. In another form of allusion to the Old Testament, Peter makes the recommendation that they build three tents. The word here is tabernacle.
I know the place that your mind goes to first is the Old Testament Tabernacle that was the dwelling place of God among the people. That’s good. But the word also was used to refer to the booths that the people would erect and dwell in during the Feast of Booths. Isn’t that amazing!
Peter makes one mistake though. He puts Jesus on equal footing with Moses and Elijah.
Now, if you could meet any Bible figure besides Jesus, who would it be and what do you think it would be like? Peter is dumb-struck seeing Moses and Elijah.
But notice the response of the Disciples when Jesus is transfigured and His glory is revealed and when the voice of God is heard from heaven saying once again the words that were uttered at the baptism of Jesus.
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.”
God is giving His unconditional stamp of approval to Jesus and instructing us to listen to Him.
Peter and the others immediately fall down as dead men.
6 When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were terrified.
This is the normal response when the glory of God is revealed. People don’t high five God, they fall down as dead men. We do that because we are an unclean people with unclean lips, as Isaiah said, in the midst of an unclean people before a thrice holy God.
But as the Shamwow commercial guy says, “Wait, there’s more!”
There are more allusions.
You see, only Moses face was transfigured when He met with God and it was fading. I won’t take you to Corinthians were Paul uses this as an allusion of the fading glory of the Old Covenant, but Moses went up the mountain normal and was changed by meeting with God. He would come back with a face radiated the glory of God and had to wear a veil over his face. The glory would fade and Moses would go back to meet with God and get recharged.
What was happening to Moses was that he was being changed into something he wasn’t and was getting glory from meeting with God.
In Jesus case it was a little different. When Jesus is transfigured, He is not changing, because as God in the 2nd Person, He does not change. He was pulling back the curtain and revealing to the Disciples who He really is.
You all have seen the movie The Wizard of Oz where the great and terrible Oz is pulling the levers behind the curtain and sounds so frightening to Dorothy and the others. They sneak a peak behind the curtain and see a short little skimpy man that is trying to make himself seem incredible.
Well with Jesus, this miracle working wonder of a man who people stand in awe of only gets better when you pull the curtain back. You and I can’t handle what we see! We see behind the curtain, not a fraud, but the Wonder Working glory of God Himself.
We can’t handle what we see!
This is the glory of the Son of Man on display that Jesus was talking about in Matt. 16:28.
Another allusion we have is the response that Jesus gives to the Disciples, who are like dead men here.
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.
Jesus touches them and removes their fear.
In Daniel when he sees the Man of God radiating the same shekinah glory of God and he falls down like a dead man, look at what happens next.
7 And I, Daniel, alone saw the vision, for the men who were with me did not see the vision, but a great trembling fell upon them, and they fled to hide themselves.
8 So I was left alone and saw this great vision, and no strength was left in me. My radiant appearance was fearfully changed, and I retained no strength.
9 Then I heard the sound of his words, and as I heard the sound of his words, I fell on my face in deep sleep with my face to the ground.
10 And behold, a hand touched me and set me trembling on my hands and knees.
11 And he said to me, “O Daniel, man greatly loved, understand the words that I speak to you, and stand upright, for now I have been sent to you.” And when he had spoken this word to me, I stood up trembling.
12 Then he said to me, “Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and humbled yourself before your God, your words have been heard, and I have come because of your words.
I’m not one that normally shouts, but this is a “Glory!” moment.
Do you see the connection?
Jesus is the one that sets us on our trembling knees.
Now we spent a lot of time on that first point and we still didn’t exhaust it all, but I want you to see the application of this first point as the second point and our closing takeaway.
2. The Transforming Power of the Glory of Christ (v. 5)
2. The Transforming Power of the Glory of Christ (v. 5)
Remember what God said we should do with Jesus?
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.”
We should listen to Him.
I know that we would love to meet a lot of Bible characters. I know that we would love to talk to them and we would love to see visions and dream dreams to learn to hear from God.
But God has given us something far greater.
Remember the 1 Peter passage? These old forms were all pointing to Jesus.
Hebrews 1:1-2 says
1 Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets,
2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.
God used to use these old ways and He sometimes still does on rare occaisions, but primarily and almost exclusively, He now speaks to us through Jesus, the Word of God.
The Bible is the written testimony for us of His Words as He carried along the prophets.
Friends there is so much more we could look at in the Book of Hebrews that this points to but I’m going to close with one last Scripture for us.
2 Cor 3:18 says this
18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.
You and I are to behold the glory of Jesus and be changed by it from one degree of glory to another!
Conclusion
The only way this can be done is for you to know the Lord Jesus personally. You have to have had an encounter with the glorified Christ - not at the Mount of Transfiguration, but at Mount Calvary.
You have to take up your cross daily and set your mind on things above where Christ is, seated at the right hand of the Father.
Will you do that today? Will you gaze upon Him in all of His glory?
If you come through His cross, there is no reason to fear any longer.
