Just a Little Longer
Notes
Transcript
Introduction:
Well, most school graduations have taken place by this point and school is finally over. Maybe some of you have been waiting for months, since the first bought of warmer weather came for school to be over.
You may have been counting down the days. Maybe you have summer plans that you want to get to or a family vacation you are looking forward to.
There is a difference between waiting for something you are looking forward to and waiting to get through some trial that you are enduring.
You look forward to one, and you ask “how much longer will I have to endure” with the other.
Jesus had set his eyes to go to Jerusalem to finish the mission He was sent to earth to complete. The Disciples did not understand that at this moment in time, but Jesus was patient with them.
The message that we want to look at this morning is the fact that we also are waiting for the return of Christ. We wait with excitement to be with Him and with endurance to get through the trials of this life.
We wait just a little longer.
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
1. Align Your Expectations with God’s Plan (v.9)
1. Align Your Expectations with God’s Plan (v.9)
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.”
The people had misunderstood who the Messiah was to be and what He was coming to accomplish
John MacArthur writes:
The Christ that most Jews of that day were expecting was not the Christ who had come. Instead of coming to conquer, He had come to die. Instead of coming in divine glory, He came in humble meekness. And instead of coming to deliver the Jews from political bondage, He came to deliver from sin’s bondage all men who would trust in Him.
John F. MacArthur Jr., Matthew, vol. 3, MacArthur New Testament Commentary (Chicago: Moody Press, 1985–1989), 70.
The Jesus that most people were expecting was not the Jesus that had come. Think about that!
Is the Jesus of the Bible the Jesus that most people worship today?
Jesus is not here to make your life easier. He is not hear to grant you every desire of your sin-sick heart.
Jesus came to save and He comes now to sanctify you and prepare you for life in eternity with Him.
Jesus had just been revealed in all of His glory
Jesus told the Disciples to be silent because it would have hindered His plan of going to Jerusalem to be the sacrifice for our sins.
Jesus did not want the transfiguration to be misunderstood and incite those who had the wrong understanding of the purpose of His coming to try to make Him a king to accomplish their own desires.
The people had already tried to make Jesus king by force after feeding the crowds (John 6:15)
Illustration
I hate to call out this particular segment of society, because unlike most other genres of music, at least they acknowledge Christ to some extent, but this is the way it is with the Jesus of Country Music.
You see these award ceremonies and so many want to thank their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for giving them the ability to write these well-received drinking songs. They sing about Jesus, but their theology is horrible. You can tell they really don’t know Him.
Unfortunately it’s even worse in the mainstream Christian music world. So many of the most popular songs of Christian radio today are being written by people who have very poor theology or who have emotion-driven theology, rather than Bible-driven theology.
I think many of them mean well, but their feelings drive their beliefs rather than the Word of God.
This is how we get our theology so often. It is from the songs we sing. This is why it is so important for us to sing biblically rich songs that have accurate and clear theology. We learn from these songs. We are shaped by them. We don’t want to misunderstand Jesus or God’s plan for the world.
Application
What are our expectations of God’s plan for our own lives?
Do we expect God to get on board with our plan and bless our wishes, or do we submit to His plan for our lives, including any suffering that we might be called to endure?
2. Prepare for the Return of the Lord (vv.10-11)
2. Prepare for the Return of the Lord (vv.10-11)
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.
The belief of Elijah coming before the return of the Messiah
5 “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes.
6 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.”
Again, MacArthur sheds light on this passage by saying that like many Bible interpreters throughout the ages, we have a tendency to want to fill in the blanks where a Bible prophecy might not be clear.
The rabbis had embellished this teaching to mean that Elijah would come physically before the Messiah came to restore things by bringing order out of chaos and performing many miracles like he did during his earthly ministry.
Jesus said that Elijah had already come in the person and work of John
The angel had told John the Baptist’s father Zechariah that John would come in the “spirit and power of Elijah”
17 and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.”
Elijah pointed towards the coming Messiah, just like John had done
Similarities
Both dressed the same
Both preached in the wilderness
Both called out wicked kings and their wives
Both had their lives threatened and were misunderstood
Application
Jesus has promised that He will come again. The question for us today is whether our hearts will be turned to Christ now or will it be too late when He comes.
Will we miss all of the signs that point to the return of Christ?
Will we harden our hearts and not receive Jesus?
You may think, “Well, I’ve received Christ, so I’m okay.”
That’s only part of preparing for the return of the Lord. We must also be found doing the works that Jesus did when He returns.
Jesus has given us a job to be doing while we wait for His appearing.
9 And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight.
10 And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes,
11 and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”
Are you gazing at the clouds or getting ready for His return by serving Him as a faithful steward in His house?
3. Be Prepared to Suffer for the Cause of the Gospel (vv.12-13)
3. Be Prepared to Suffer for the Cause of the Gospel (vv.12-13)
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.
Jesus was clear that John had come and that the people had rejected Him
Many people think of themselves as more holy and willing to obey God than they are
The leaders did not like John because He called out their hypocrisy
Jesus warned that the leaders rejected John and had Him killed
Herod was the main agent, but the leaders gave their approval
If they reject the forerunner who pointed to the Lamb of God, how much more will they reject the Lamb Himself
13 Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you.
Application:
Are you prepared to suffer for Christ today?
Are you prepared to be hated by the world because you live for Christ and point to Christ by your lifestyle?
Conclusion:
We will suffer in this world if we seek to live for the Lord, but we will only suffer for a little while.
We can go through anything if we know that on the other side it will have been worth it.
Why would anyone sign up for this kind of life?
Because Jesus promises to give us abundant life, eternal life, through knowing Him.
Remember what Matthew has already recorded that Jesus had said.
25 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
26 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?
What would you give in return for your soul?
I’ll tell you what God gave for it. He gave His only begotten Son to save you from the curse your sins had brought upon you.
Jesus had to go to the cross so that He could save you. He had to leave that mountain for another mountain.
God invites us to go up with Him and turn our eyes upon Jesus.
