Leaning into jesus
Notes
Transcript
And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light.
And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. 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.”
Mathew 17:3-4
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.” When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were terrified.
But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Rise, and have no fear.”
Matthew
But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Rise, and have no fear.” And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.
(1) The reason (for the transfiguration)
(1) The reason (for the transfiguration)
And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves.
And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.
Reasons for the transfiguration: (1) Recognized the spiritual attacks (2) Realized his disciples needed encouragement
This encouragement was going to be necessary:
(a) Peter was going to be crucified upside-down
(b) James would be sawed in half lengthwise
(c) John was going to die on the island of Patmos alone
(2) The reality (of the transfiguration)
(2) The reality (of the transfiguration)
And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light.
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.
Exodus
“Apart from some mediation on God’s part with us, apart from something between us and the unbridled presence of God, we would melt away like a wax figurine in front of a blast furnace.” (Veli Karkkainen)
Reality of the transfiguration: The glory of God is not a small thing
(3) The realism (of the transfiguration)
(3) The realism (of the transfiguration)
And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. 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.”
who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.
And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. 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.”
Job
And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. My heart faints within me!
See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.”
Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.
Heaven is the earthly life of the believer glorified and perfected.
Realism of the transfiguration is: (1) How we can easily miss the glory of God
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.
Realism of the transfiguration is: (1) How we can easily miss the glory of God (2) How we can become misguided by our own efforts to contain God’s glory
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.”
Matthew
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. 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,” we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain.
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. 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,” we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain.
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. 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,”
Peter recognized the reason - to encourage him
we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain.
Peter recognized the reality - how the glory of God is not a small thing
Peter recognized the realism - how the glory of God is something which can be missed
Peter recognized the realism - how we can become misguided by our own efforts to contain it
What does this mean for us here this morning?
What does this mean for us here this morning?
We need to lean into Jesus with our faith
And Jesus answered, “O faithless and twisted generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him here to me.”
He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.”
What does this mean for us here this morning?
What does this mean for us here this morning?