Luke 9:28-36

Who Do You Say He Is? Will You Follow Him?

Who do the people say Jesus is?

Who do the disciples say Jesus is?

Who does Jesus say He is? Who do we want him to be?

The command, in light of who he is, to deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow him

This week, we answer in further depth, Who does God say Jesus is?

Will you pray with me?

Who Is This Jesus?

Read Luke 9:28-36

A straightforward story or remarkable consequence

8 days verse 6 days (in Mark and Matthew)

Prayer and going up the mountain signify a shift and a revelation

1. The fullness of God’s glory

From suffering comes glory

The appearance of the “pre-incarnated” and resurrected and ascended Christ - Mark 9:3 “and his clothes became dazzling—extremely white as no launderer on earth could whiten them.”

The transfiguration is a tangible sign to the disciples of Christ’s coming ascension, even though the cross would come first

In Jesus, the disciples had the opportunity to see the glory of God in a way that even Moses never could

The descending of the cloud is God in his glory

APPLY?

2. The fullness of God’s Law and Prophets

The prophets are “intact” and have been with God since their deaths hundreds of years earlier - there is something here to say about the afterlife and how God secures his own people

Moses - Law - expand

Elijah - Prophets - expand

the cloud leaves Jesus by himself - the fulfillment

“When Moses and Elijah appeared with Jesus on the mountain, it was as if the whole Old Testament was standing up to say that everything was coming together in Christ.” - Ryken

APPLY?

3. The fullness of God’s purpose

The glory to come is because of His “exodus” (departure) and will be the means of the glorification

The path to Jerusalem

The deliverance of the people

APPLY?

4. The fullness of God’s Word

Hebrews 1:1–2 “Long ago God spoke to our ancestors by the prophets at different times and in different ways. In these last days, he has spoken to us by his Son. God has appointed him heir of all things and made the universe through him.”

Deuteronomy 18:15 ““The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own brothers. You must listen to him.”

The voice of God

“remarkable confirmation of his identity and mission in the world” - Mary Schertz

The Chosen one - back to the Israelites and his people, listen to him - forward to the mission ahead

to listen to Jesus is to hear the voice of God

2 Peter 1:16–19 “For we did not follow cleverly contrived myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ; instead, we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased!” We ourselves heard this voice when it came from heaven while we were with him on the holy mountain. We also have the prophetic word strongly confirmed, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.”

John 1:14 “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. We observed his glory, the glory as the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

APPLY?

Have You Experienced His Cross and His Glory?

So, will you listen to him?

Peter tries to cling to the moment by wanting to build tents, to stay in the glory, but eventually they had to come down the mountain and get back to the mission.

And the mission is most often in the valleys. The mountaintop moment for Peter, and for us, is meant to sustain us in the mundane or hard times of life.

Following Jesus, listening to Him, is to enter into his suffering with him, enter in to the journey to Jerusalem. It’s to carry the cross.

BUT

The cross leads to glory - we can experience neither, FULLY, on earth - but we can identify in his suffering and lean into his presence

There are words of hope for the suffering (from taking up our cross and following) and the journey into glory that Christ leads the way in

For 2 weeks - Read the Scriptures to SEE him, not to study him or apply him, not to “learn” but to “know”

Ralph will remind you again next week

Following Him flows out of experience AND knowledge, not one or the other. We often settle on one or the other though

PRAY AT END FOR MISSION TRIP AND HAVE ANY TEENS GOING COME UP