Kids Camp Session 3-Matthew 17:1-8

Matthew 17:1–8 CSB

1 After six days Jesus took Peter, James, and his brother John and led them up on a high mountain by themselves. 2 He was transfigured in front of them, and his face shone like the sun; his clothes became as white as the light. 3 Suddenly, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with him. 4 Then Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it’s good for us to be here. If you want, I will set up three shelters here: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” 5 While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud covered 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 facedown and were terrified. 7 Jesus came up, touched them, and said, “Get up; don’t be afraid.” 8 When they looked up they saw no one except Jesus alone.

This morning we are going to see if we LISTEN TO JESUS

Before I tell you what the idea is this morning, let’s recap:

Session 1: I can follow Jesus because His plan is best for me

Session 2: I can trust Jesus even when it’s scary

And

The idea this morning is: I need to listen to Jesus to know how to follow Him

Jesus is God (Triune God)

There is a word that I want us to focus on during this session and that word is “TRANSFIGURATION” Everyone say “TRANSFIGURATION”…

Does anyone want to take a guess at what that word means? —> to change; to form

another fun way to say transfiguration is “metomorpho” So tonight you can walk around and say “metomorpho” all night

In v.2 where scripture says “He was transfigured in front of them” we can assume that something pr someone changed/was formed into something else. The author uses this word to stress a very important thing about Jesus and that is this. JESUS is GOD.

When we try to understand God’s nature, it can be pretty confusing because we are finite creatures, meaning there is a limit to what we can fully understand.

Question: Is God finite or infinite? If God is infinite, does that mean that there a limit to his nature? NOOO

If we know that there is no limit to God, that means God is all powerful, all knowing, and always present. It would also mean that God doesn’t only reveal himself in the person of Jesus, but He reveals Himself in 2 other distinct persons as well.

We as Christian’s believe that God is one being that has three distinct persons. Can anyone name the three persons of God? Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We know that all three are God, but all three are not each other. Jesus can’t be the Father, the Father can’t be the Sprit, the Spirit can’t be the Son, etc. We can spend our entire life trying to understand this, but the conclusion that I come to is this: God is a big God. I am a creature not a creator, therefore I will pray for the faith to believe even when I don’t understand. Father help my unbelief.

Back to transfiguration —> to put it simply, this allowed Peter, James, and John to see God’s nature revealed in the flesh of Christ. I think of John 1:1–5 “1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 All things were created through him, and apart from him not one thing was created that has been created. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5 That light shines in the darkness, and yet the darkness did not overcome it.”

John 1:14 “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.”

2. Jesus is the Plan (Reverse the Curse)

Many times throughout the bible, especially in the Old Testament, this idea of the law and the prophets pop up time and time again. On this mountain, two very important people appear. Who were they? MOSES and ELIJAH

Both served God in different ways throughout the Old Testament and both spoke from God to their people about God’s plan of salvation.

God showed Peter, James, and John that “the guy” that would fulfill the law and the guy that the prophets had talked about was finally here. God’s plan for salvation has finally arrived, in the flesh.

So let’s recap: Who was “The Law’ (MOSES) and Who was “The Prophets” (ELIJAH)

What exactly did “The Law” teach us or better yet, what was the law? the ten commandments, they showed us how to live rightly before God, but what we see is, we can’t even get past a couple of them successfully.

Do not have any other gods before God

Do not make an idol and worship it

Do not misuse the Lord’s name

Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy

Honor your father and mother

Do not murder

Do not commit adultery

Do not steal

Do not give false testimony against your neighbor (Don’t lie)

Do not covet

What the law teaches us about ourselves is that: We are sinners in need of God’s grace and mercy. We can’t fulfill the law, do it perfectly, why? SIN —> miss the mark

Because of sin, we can’t know, love, or live for God properly.

ELIJAH, I almost forgot about ole Elijah,

Elijah represented the prophets of the Old Testament who spoke about the ONE coming called the Messiah. Someone who would come to this earth and die for people’s sins and who would make it possible for people to know, love, and live for God.

BOTH Moses and Elijah represent the Old Testament which point to the coming of JESUS, His purpose to die on the cross, and him being the only way to have a relationship with God. ! Isn’t that amazing?

Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

3. Jesus is the Way

When we study the life of Jesus we are learning:

Who God is, What God says, What matters to God, Who we are, How to relate to God, How to treat other people, How to please God and do His will, etc. the list could go on and on…

I know for a fact Peter, James, and John were STARSTRUCK and amazed at what they were seeing. Peter wanted this moment to be preserved because what does he say in v. 4 “Then Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it’s good for us to be here. If you want, I will set up three shelters here: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” It would have marked where this event happened and it could be remembered for centuries (this was a common practice in other religions)

How does God respond to this statement from Peter? “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased. Listen to him!”

What was Peter, James, and John’s response? “they fell facedown and were terrified” Similar to what we read yesterday when the disciples saw, what they thought was a ghost and were terrified. Jesus responded the same way here in this passage as he did then, “Get up; don’t be afraid”

Why do not have to have to be fearful when following Christ? because He is our comfort and He is faithful. He is the way, the truth, and the life! Christ doesn’t call us to a check off the box kind of faith, He calls us to a relationship with Himself. He doesn’t want a religious work-a-holic, He wants us to pray to Him, ask Him questions, sing about what He has done, yes all of the GREAT things.

What does God say about Jesus in this passage? “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased. Listen to him!”

God wants to show us the importance of knowing the Bible entirely from the law (Moses) to the prophets (Elijah) to Christ and how it all points to Him.

I want you to think of a puzzle. Even though you have all of the puzzle pieces infront of you, you still have to arrange them in the right way, make sure the fit, don’t forget the edge pieces, OH and the box, can’t forget about the box. Sooner or later, the more time you work at the puzzle, you begin to create this beautiful picture that looks like the box. You are connecting all of the puzzle pieces.

The same is true when you read your Bible. When we read, study, and study some more, we start to fit all of the puzzle pieces where they are suppose to go to realize the picture is Christ. It’s always been Christ. Jesus is the one to believe and receive in order to know, love, and live for God.

You may be thinking to yourself “God wants me to hear the Gospel and to believe and recieve Jesus as my Savior and my Lord. God wants me to put my faith in Jesus and to listen to His words for my life.

Well, here is the gospel:

Romans 3:23 “23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God;”

Romans 6:23 “23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Romans 5:8 “8 But God proves his own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Romans 10:9–10 “9 If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 One believes with the heart, resulting in righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, resulting in salvation.”

Romans 10:13 “13 For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

ADMIT YOU’RE A SINNER

BELIEVE THAT JESUS IS THE SON OF GOD AND REPENT OF YOUR SIN

CONFESS JESUS AS YOUR SAVIOR AND LORD