Matthew 17:9-13 "The Transfiguration Debriefing"

Matthew 17:9-13 "The Transfiguration Debriefing" Marc Transparenti / General The King's Road of Preparation / Elijah (prophet); John the Baptist; Eschatology; Transfiguration / Mt 17:9-13 Jesus and the disciples come off the mountain and have a private conversation about Elijah. Good Morning Calvary Chapel Lake City! • Parents you may dismiss your kids! • If you don't have a Bible... • As a reminder, we are gathering on Friday's at 7pm for "Campfire Worship"...a time to pray, worship, and get to know one another better. I hope you can join us this Friday! • And, next Sunday will be our Fellowship Lunch! Feel free to bring a dish or just come hungry! • If you are new to Calvary Chapel...I'm Pastor Marc, welcome! • Welcome Card! --------------------------------------------------------------- Please turn in your Bibles to Matthew Chapter 17. We are in a section of scripture where Jesus is preparing His disciples and revealing much to them. Starting in Matthew 16:13, Jesus revealed: • Who He is...Messiah God. • The foundation for the church...the rock...Jesus Himself. • He revealed He would suffer and die in Jerusalem at the hands of the religious leaders, but would rise again. • He promised there would be a second coming, and rewards to each.. according to their works. And, I don't know about you, but all my righteousnesses are like filthy rags...I don't trust in my works at all to save me. I trust in Jesus to save me. • And, last week we looked at the transfiguration, where Jesus revealed a sneak peak at His glory, and glory we can expect after physical death. Moses and Elijah appeared in glory and talked with Jesus about His decease...His departure or exodus, and all He would accomplish at Jerusalem. • Peter, James and John were sleeping and woke to this glorious scene, and when Moses and Elijah were departing, Peter spoke out of turn...suggesting they build tabernacles... • But, the Father divinely interrupted and put all attention on His beloved Son... in whom He was well pleased...the Father said, "Hear Him!" • No longer was God speaking through the Law or the Prophets, but through the Son. And, as the Father spoke, the disciples fell on their faces afraid, and when they lifted their eyes... only Jesus remained. Moses and Elijah faded into the background. Jesus is preeminent. • The Old Covenant fulfilled in Jesus who began the New Covenant. Today, we cover Matt 17:9-13 ...just 5 verses... where Jesus, Peter, James, and John... as they are coming off the Mount of Transfiguration, have some final thoughts and questions about that experience. The title of today's sermon is, "The Transfiguration Debriefing." Let's Pray! Matt 17:9 "Now as they came down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, "Tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man is risen from the dead." 1. Jesus and His inner circle of disciples (Peter, James, and John) just had a "mountaintop experience" both literally as they were on an unnamed "high mountain" (quite plausible Mount Hermon as it is truly a high mountain and near Caesarea Philippi...which was where our setting left off in Matt 16)... a. But, this was also a "mountaintop experience" figuratively...because of the intense spiritual experience... seeing Jesus, Moses, and Elijah in glory...Jesus' face shining like the sun...clothes white and glistening... b. And, this glorious spiritual experience is perhaps why reason Peter wanted to make tabernacles...to tent or camp out in that place. i. If you or I encountered glory right now... would we want to come back to reality? Probably not. ii. The problem is... you can't live there...you can't live on the mountain...there is work to be done in the world...there are responsibilities in your life, for your family, at your job...and most importantly...for your King...Jesus said, "Go and make disciples..." iii. "Make disciples" is an imperative...it's a command. It's not a suggestion. A disciple is a student, so the command is for you to be a teacher instructing others in the truths of God's word...to spiritually mentor other people. iv. You can do this by opening your Bible at home and by reading and discussing it with those around you. You can meet with people at work and open the word together...neighbors...your little ones...elderly relatives... v. There is work to be done off the mountain. 2. And, as they are re-entering the mission field...Jesus commands them, "Tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man is risen from the dead." a. And, the disciples listened...Luke 9:36 tells us, "But they kept quiet, and told no one in those days any of the things they had seen." b. Mark 9:10 reads, "So they kept this word to themselves, questioning what the rising from the dead meant." i. I like that they kept quiet even though they didn't understand the doctrine of the resurrection. They kept quiet despite their confusion. They didn't feel the need to confer with others...they filed it away. ii. Samuel told Saul, "Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice." I like that the disciples obey their Lord and 'kept this word to themselves.' c. On many occasions, Jesus heals a person and then instructs them to "tell no one," but they run off and tell everyone. But, these disciples keep it to themselves until their Lord permitted...and Jesus did permit them...He said, tell no one "until the Son of Man is risen from the dead." i. So, some time after the resurrection they felt a release to share this account...and Matthew, Mark, and Luke all put pen to paper recording the Transfiguration. d. Only Peter, James, and John saw this vision, and Jesus tells them "Tell the vision to no one..." 'No one' also includes the other disciples...because who knows who they would have told? And, this is hard. We desire to share exciting things...especially amazing God stories...but sometimes we need to hold our tongues even from sharing exciting things, like a vision...even with our ministry partners IF that is what God is instructing us to do. i. Peter, James, and John were entrusted with the vision of all they saw and heard on the Mount of Transfiguration, and they had to keep it tucked away...hidden in their heart until after the resurrection of Jesus Christ. That is hard. That takes discipline. ii. And, silence is a discipline...restraint from gossip or just holding one's tongue is a battle against the flesh. James said, "...the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity." But, there will come a day when you need to hold your tongue. 1. Someone may share an intimate detail of their life, in confidence, seeking your counsel. Sharing this information with anyone would be wrong. 2. Definitely don't "prayer gossip." You know what that is right? "We need to pray for so-and-so, I just heard..." Don't do that...that's gossip wrapped all nicely under the guise of prayer. "Prayer gossip." 3. I could do a whole sermon about how God hates gossip. God has many names for these people... "gossips, busybodies, talebearers, and my personal favorite "scandal mongers." Don't be a scandal or rumor monger. iii. I remember times, when I was on church staff at Calvary Chapel Ellicott City in Maryland...my Pastor shared big and small things with me...sometimes it didn't matter if I told my wife, but sometimes I needed to keep things to myself. And, while it was hard...I did it because the possibility of damage to the ministry, my Pastor, or the other person was too great. 1. And, it's not that I don't trust my wife, but sometimes we mis-speak unintentionally. Have you ever had words leaving your mouth and your brain kicks in and yells at you? "Stop sharing that information!!" And, you try to grab the words and reel them back in. Our flesh is weak. 2. And, as a loving husband, there were times I didn't want my wife to carry certain burdens. Sometimes silence is best. iv. Here are some verses about the wisdom of silence... 1. Pro 10:19 "In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, But he who restrains his lips is wise." 2. James 1:19 "So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath..." 3. James 3:2 "For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body." 4. At Jesus' birth, an angel announced to Shepherds that a Savior, who is Christ the Lord was born in a manger in the City of David, and the Shepherds went to see Jesus and told many people the saying of the Angel, and all marveled. a. And, I like this detail about Mary... Lk 2:19 "But Mary kept all these things [or treasured all these things] and pondered them in her heart." b. Mary stored these amazing events in her heart, she didn't release them from her lips. There's wisdom and discipline in that. e. And, Peter, James and John...they also kept all these things...they treasured up all these things honoring the words of their Lord Jesus...indeed they told "...the vision to no one..." 3. Now, why did Jesus tell His disciples... "Tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man is risen from the dead." a. If you look ahead, beginning in V14, when they come off the mountain, they are again in the midst of a multitude of people. b. Some of the multitudes were becoming increasingly oppositional toward Jesus, and some of the multitudes were looking for a political messiah...someone who could free them from the oppression of Roman rule. i. Messiah will indeed break the bonds of oppression in His 2nd Coming, but the multitudes misunderstood that in Messiah's 1st Coming He would conquer sin and death. c. So, while Jesus does not explicitly say why silence is mandated, there was a place for silence so that God's will could unfold in it's own timing, and not prematurely. It's important, even for us, to not get ahead of God. i. Had the disciples told the vision to the multitudes they would have been working against God's will. 1. The multitudes may have tried to raise Jesus as their political messiah. 2. People opposing Jesus may have prematurely been on the rise. 3. Jesus would suffer and die at the cross, but in God's timing. 4. Telling this vision to others would have been ahead of God's timing. 4. It's also interesting that Jesus calls the Transfiguration a "vision." Jesus instructed "Tell the vision to no one..." a. The fact that this is a vision is an interesting detail that only Matthew records, and not many scholars want to talk about. i. It seems that the disciples were not merely observing with their eyes, but were having a spiritual and prophetic experience. This whole experience was deeper than physical sight. b. The word "vision" Gk. hŏrama ... Thayer's def. is "that which is seen, a sight, a spectacle... a sight divinely granted in an ecstasy or in sleep, a vision." i. Visions may be 'a revelation' or related to a prophecy. One may witness a supernatural occurence not physically visible to the eye. 1. Today, especially in persecuted areas of the world, God is using dreams and visions with increased frequency to proclaim the Gospel. Muslims, especially, are having dreams and visions of Jesus. a. Just Google "Muslim visions -or- Muslim dreams of a man in white" and you can read numerous articles testifying of this move of the Spirit. b. Their Muslim countrymen have been busy to stop churches and missionaries, but they can't stop God from appearing to people in dreams and visions. 'The very stones would cry out'...God is unstoppable. c. In the OT and NT, God has spoken to His people in visions. i. At the beginning of our present Church Age...specifically at Pentecost... the Holy Spirit baptised the disciples and they spoke in tongues...people thought they were drunk. Peter said they are not drunk and preached, Acts 2:16-17 "But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel [Joel 2:28]: 17 'And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams." 1. An increase in prophecy, dreams and visions is indicative of last days (and let me warn you that we are about to go down a little "end times" rabbit trail, so buckle up). And, the reason we are taking this trip is because if they were in the last days 2000 years ago...how much closer are we today? How much more aware do we need to be of signs of end times? a. 2000 years feels like a long time, but it's not. God didn't forget or lose track of time. God is outside time. What feels long to us is nothing in light of eternity. i. 2 Pet 3:8-9 attests of this, "But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance." b. God is waiting...if you're not saved He is waiting for you. Rom 11:25 states, "...blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in." i. One day, the final Gentile will be saved, and God will move the prophetic clock forward...rapture...Tribulation...return...millennial reign...eternity. 1. Selfishly...may I request that if you are not saved, would you get saved? You may be that last Gentile! 2. Prophetically speaking though, we are in the last days. And, history corroborates with Prophecy...And, I want to mention 2 specific prophecies that truly put a pin on the map of the prophetic timeline to tell you just how close to the end we are...and why we are seeing an increase in dreams and visions globally. a. The first is the re-birth of the Nation of Israel: i. In the year 70 A.D. Israel was destroyed in what is called the "Siege of Jerusalem." ii. A Roman force of about 70,000, led by Titus, sieged and battled a rebellion of 25-30k Jewish combatants over the course of 5 months...ultimately destroying Jerusalem and the temple, and killing all the Jewish combatants. Josephus attests that about 1.1 million non-combatants died in violence and famine, and about 97k were enslaved over the course of the entire Jewish-Roman War which lasted from 66-73 A.D. 1. Today, in Rome...just down the street from the Coliseum, stands the Arch of Titus which was built in 81 A.D. I have a picture of this monument that deifies the Caesar Titus and on the inner arch (2nd slide) you can see a depiction of the plundering of Jerusalem and the temple. I have a close up in the 3rd picture. And, just like historic statues were taken down or destroyed in the U.S., there are people calling to take down the Arch of Titus, so if you want to go see it...better book a flight. 2. Jesus predicted this destruction to His disciples, in Luke 21:5-6 we read, "Then, as some [the disciples] spoke of the temple, how it was adorned with beautiful stones and donations, He [Jesus] said, 6 "These things which you see-the days will come in which not one stone shall be left upon another that shall not be thrown down." 3. After the war...Israelites were dispersed to the Middle East, Africa, and Europe. And, this was not the first Jewish Diaspora or dispersion of Jews out of their homeland...in the OT the Northern Kingdom was destroyed by Assyria and dispersed, and Judah was destroyed by Babylon and dispersed. 4. Typically, when a nation is taken out of their homeland and put into another culture...they assimilate. But, Jews historically have not. iii. And, here's the modern miracle, in the year 1948 Israel was given back their homeland and was re-born as a nation. 1. From 70 A.D. to 1948 A.D. - 1,878 years the Jews were not in their land... they didn't lose their national identity and they were re-birthed as a nation. This is unheard of historically...this is a miracle...and this fulfills bible prophecy. 2. Scholars on end times and Israel (specifically Dr. Tommy Ice & Dr. Arnold Fruchtenbaum) speak about 2 re-gatherings... First, Israel will be gathered in unbelief, and then in belief. a. Presently, Israel is gathering back to the land of Israel or "making Aliyah" (meaning "ascent") but, this is in unbelief...nationally they deny Jesus as Messiah. 3. In the OT, there are dozens of verses about Jews re-gathering back in the land of Israel prior to the seven year tribulation...a re-gathering in unbelief. a. Ezk 20:34 "I will bring you out from the peoples and gather you out of the countries where you are scattered, with a mighty hand, with an outstretched arm, and with fury poured out." [Fury speaks about God's wrath prior to the Tribulation." b. Zeph 1:14 to 2:1 is one of the most descriptive passages about the tribulation and regathering just prior... "The great day of the LORD is near; It is near and hastens quickly. The noise of the day of the LORD is bitter; There the mighty men shall cry out. 15 That day is a day of wrath, A day of trouble and distress..." [that description continues for 3 more verses, and then in Chapter 2:1...] "Gather yourselves together, yes, gather together, O undesirable nation, 2 Before the decree is issued, Or the day passes like chaff, Before the LORD's fierce anger comes upon you, Before the day of the LORD's anger comes upon you!" c. Presently, Israel is fulfilling these prophecies of regathering...signs of end times. The tribulation is closer than ever. 4. During the Tribulation, many verses speak about Israel regathering in belief of Messiah. Two such verses... a. Isa 27:13 "So it shall be in that day: The great trumpet will be blown; They will come, who are about to perish in the land of Assyria, And they who are outcasts in the land of Egypt, And shall worship the LORD in the holy mount at Jerusalem." b. As the Son of Man is coming on the clouds...Matt 24:31 declares "And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other." b. The second prophecy I want to highlight, a very interesting one...yet to be fulfilled and indicative of end times...Isa 17:1...2700 years ago, Isaiah prophesied that before "the day" meaning the day of the Lord... Isa 17:1 "Behold, Damascus will cease from being a city, And it will be a ruinous heap." i. Damascus, Syria is one of the oldest cities...the oldest capital in the world...dating back to 1500 B.C. It has a historical reputation for remaining populated and has never been totally destroyed... a ruinous heap. ii. Presently, for over 10 years...since March 15, 2011...the Syrian Civil War has been ongoing. Some 500-600k people have been killed and about 6.7 million have been displaced from their homes within Syria, and another 6.6 million have fled Syria as refugees. iii. Yet, Damascus is not a ruinous heap...yet. Prophetically speaking...keep your eyes on Damascus. d. Prophecy is important...dreams and visions are increasing in frequency around the world. Muslims are getting saved because of dreams and visions of a "man in white." And, when Jesus took Peter, James, and John up the high mountain, the vision they saw of Jesus in glory...this was significant. Visions are significant. i. And, knowing the signs of the times is significant...and we know these signs by knowing the word of God. ii. We can test what is happening in the world by comparing it to scripture. Just as we can test the authenticity of visions by comparing them to scripture. iii. Visions can be an amazing way that God communicates, but they do not have the same authority as the word of God...a vision must agree with the word of God, and the word of God, as given by the Holy Spirit, is our authority. 5. End of rabbit trail and back to Matthew. Now that Jesus has instructed the disciples in V9, they seek clarity in VSS 10-13... Matt 17:10-13 "And His disciples asked Him, saying, "Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?" 11 Jesus answered and said to them, "Indeed, Elijah is coming first and will restore all things. 12 But I say to you that Elijah has come already, and they did not know him but did to him whatever they wished. Likewise the Son of Man is also about to suffer at their hands." 13 Then the disciples understood that He spoke to them of John the Baptist." 1. In V9, Jesus identifies Himself the "Son of Man" which is a messianic title that Jesus draws from Dan 7:13. a. Dan 7:13 reads..."I was watching in the night visions, And behold, One like the Son of Man, Coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days..." and the verse continues that He will be given everlasting dominion and a kingdom and all people should serve Him. 2. Yet, scribes taught that Elijah would come before Messiah according to Mal 4:5. a. Mal 4:5 "Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet Before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD." b. So, the disciples are confused about the chronological order...Elijah was supposed to come first, but Jesus, the Messiah was already amongst the disciples, and then at the Transfiguration, Elijah appeared. The order was reversed, thus the disciples seek clarity... i. And, I love that we serve a God who is approachable...who encourages us to "Ask, Seek, and Knock." He's not threatened by your questions. 3. Jesus responds in VSS 11-13 with some difficult sayings, which are easier to understand knowing there is a 1st and 2nd Coming of Jesus. a. V11... "Elijah is coming and will restore all things." i. The near fulfillment was in John the Baptist the forerunner in Jesus' 1st coming. ii. The far fulfillment will be Elijah will come, likely as one of the Two Witnesses in Rev 11, prior to Jesus' 2nd coming.. and fulfilling Mal 4:5-6. 1. Mal 4:5 speaks about Elijah coming before Messiah chronologically, and the following verse speaks about how Elijah will "restore all things." 2. Mal 4:6 "And he [Elijah] will turn The hearts of the fathers to the children, And the hearts of the children to their fathers, Lest I come and strike the earth with a curse." a. This speaks about national repentance and family and spiritual reconciliation. And, in the tribulation, at the 2nd regathering...Jews will believe...there will be a national repentance. b. John the Baptist only fulfilled this prophecy in part...he turned many back to God, but not the entire nation. 3. There may have also been some confusion about how Elijah will restore all things if the "Son of Man is risen from the dead" as Jesus spoke about in V9? a. "Elijah will restore, then Messiah will suffer and die, and then rise again? What kind of restoration is that where the Messiah has to die?" b. Partial fulfillment in the 1st Coming...total fulfillment in the 2nd Coming. It's complex...and the disciples are confused. We're still confused today, and we've had 2000 years to ponder these things. 4. So, I appreciate that the disciples ARE confused...and notice what they do with their confusion... a. Do they have a panel amongst themselves and digress into frustration as people often do when they are confused? NO. b. Do they complain because they can't see the big picture of all that God is doing and they don't fully understand? NO. c. They don't talk amongst themselves, and they don't complain...they bring the matter before the Lord. They go directly to Jesus and ask Him for clarity. d. May I suggest that you take your matters of confusion before the Lord in prayer? i. I remember when I was in Bible college, it had been awhile since I heard God's voice, so one morning in prayer I said to Him, "Lord, I have not heard your voice in a while...let me hear your voice." 1. That same day, in class, He gave me the only vision I have ever had (which ultimately led to both my parents professing Christ), and after class one of the other Bible College students gave me a check for $2000...which he said God told Him to do. 2. The next day, we went to the beach and Amanda and I, independently, had divine appointments with 2 strangers, then we went to a hole-in-the-wall Mexican restaurant (so good), and another stranger, who I never spoke to followed me out and gave me $40 cash. He said, "God told me to give this to you." (If I ever met a literal angel, that guy may have been one...and for reasons deeper than the money...NO...he didn't have wings, and NO... he was not glowing). 3. But, both days left me drained physically. And, at the end of these two days, God impressed upon me, "you cannot physically handle my goodness in your present physical frame." e. Like the disciples, when you have a matter you don't understand, take it before the Lord. And, there are many Bible verses about going to God...here's one... i. Ps 61:1-2 (KJV...because it sounds better) "Hear my cry, O God; Attend unto my prayer. 2 From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: Lead me to the rock that is higher than I." ii. Take your matters before Jesus. b. Back to Matthew. In Matt 17:12, Jesus continues, "But I say to you that Elijah has come already..." i. This speaks about Jesus' 1st Coming where Elijah, in the person of John the Baptist, already came as the forerunner... ii. In Matt 11:13-14, Jesus said, "For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come." A little confusing...hold that thought... c. Jesus also said in Matt 17:12 "...and they did not know him..." i. John 1:19-23 concurs... "Now this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, "Who are you?" 20 He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, "I am not the Christ." 21 And they asked him, "What then? Are you Elijah?" He said, "I am not." "Are you the Prophet?" And he answered, "No." 22 Then they said to him, "Who are you, that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?" 23 He said: "I am 'The voice of one crying in the wilderness: "Make straight the way of the LORD..." '" ii. The priests and Levites did not know who John was, and asked him point blank, "Are you Elijah?" And, John replied, "I am not." "Pastor Marc, this is really confusing...is John Elijah or not?" Great question...hold that thought. d. Jesus also said in Matt 17:12 they "did to him whatever they wished. Likewise the Son of Man is also about to suffer at their hands." i. The religious leader rejected John the Baptist, and we see this clearly in Matt 21:25-27...in this scene, Jesus is in Jerusalem and the Chief Priests and elders question Him on His authority. Jesus says He will answer if they answer a question of His first: "The baptism of John-where was it from? From heaven or from men?" And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' He will say to us, 'Why then did you not believe him?' [they rejected John] 26 But if we say, 'From men,' we fear the multitude, for all count John as a prophet." [the people counted John as a prophet, but they did not] 27 So they answered Jesus and said, "We do not know." ii. And, lets not forget that John the Baptist was beheaded by Herod, and likewise Jesus would suffer and die at the hands of the religious leaders and Roman authorities. e. "So, Pastor Marc...is John the Baptist Elijah? Or, is he not Elijah? Which is it?" The answer is, "Yes." i. John came as a type of Elijah, but he was not Elijah the man. ii. The key verse that clarifies this point: When the angel Gabriel appeared to Zacharias, John's dad, in Luke 1:16-17 he said, "And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God [not all, but many]. 17 He will also go before Him [Jesus] in the spirit and power of Elijah, 'to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,' [Mal 4:6] and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord." iii. John was a shadow or a type of Elijah...a near or partial fulfillment of Mal 4:5-6. The final fulfillment will take place before Jesus' 2nd Coming, when either Elijah directly returns (likely as one of the two witnesses), or another person is raised up in the spirit and power of Elijah. iv. The sad thing about John coming in the spirit and power of Elijah, and Jesus coming as Messiah, was that the nation rejected both of these men. 1. We read earlier in Matt 11:13-14, Jesus said, "For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come." 2. All the law and prophets prophesied about the coming Messiah, but the nation of Israel, as a whole, was NOT willing to receive it. a. Had they accepted Jesus in faith...I'm not sure how God would have done it, but everything would have been different. John would have been the predicted Elijah to come...the far fulfillment. Because accepting John, even more would have meant accepting Jesus as Messiah, but Israel rejected Jesus as the Lord and Savior...just as God knew they would. i. Sad indeed, but it opened the door for the gospel to go to all the world...to the Gentiles. b. The Old Testament speaks thoroughly and predicatively about God's love for all nations...His love for the stranger, the foreigner...Gentiles. i. In Isa 49:6 the Father addresses His Servant...Messiah...Jesus... Isa 49:6 "Indeed He says, 'It is too small a thing [It's not enough] that You should be My Servant To raise up the tribes of Jacob, And to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles, That You should be My salvation to the ends of the earth.' " 1. Messiah would not only restore the nation of Israel, but would also be the Savior to the Gentiles...to all the earth. ii. At least 5x in Genesis, God promised Abraham... the father of the nation... "In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed..." Messiah would come from the Jews, and bless all nation. iii. And in Rom 11:17 Paul declared that through faith "...you [you non-Jews], being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them [Jews], and with them became a partaker of the root and fatness of the olive tree..." 1. We share in all the blessings Jesus Messiah has to offer...we are grafted in...adopted into His family. 2. And, what can we say but, "Thank You Jesus...Praise God!" Let's Pray! As the three disciples and Jesus come off the mountain...in these 5 verses today...we observed a debriefing of the glorious Transfiguration. • Jesus instructed...For now...tell no one. Silence is a discipline. There is a time to speak and a time to restrain our lips. The disciples had questions and confusion, and the Lord welcome the dialogue. Your Father in heaven welcomes dialogue with you as well. Take your questions and confusion to Him. Page . Exported from Logos Bible Software, 10:09 PM July 24, 2021.