Seeing Jesus, Luke 9:28-37

Sermon • Submitted 3 years ago

0 ratings

· 35 views

Notes

Transcript

Scripture Introduction:

Last week JT did a great job of getting at the core message of the text: who is Jesus? And the lens through which you view the world shapes everything. How you answer that question shapes everything…That question really is over much of Luke 9.

Are you seeing things the right way this morning?

Who is Jesus? And it’s interesting to see how Peter answers that question—it’s more prominent in the gospel of Matthew. It’s such a sharp contrast. In one section he is saying, “You are the Christ!”. Jesus says, “Upon this rock I will build my church...” great moment for Peter. And then the next thing you know Peter ends up rebuking Jesus when Jesus tells him that he must suffer. “No way, Jesus. Never. I’m not going to let this happen.” And Jesus says, “get behind me Satan.”

Luke omits that dialogue. But Peter is still an important character in this section. He’s a picture of our interaction with who Jesus is. I find it incredibly helpful because it’s easy to identify with Peter. One moment you get it…one moment you are seeing things rightly…one moment you rise way above your name of Simon bar Jonah and you are PETER…the rock on whom the church is built. And the next moment your view of reality is so askew that Jesus says, “get behind me Satan...”

You come here this morning and you have a certain view of Jesus. Every single one of us has a view of Jesus. He’s a helper. He’s a leader. He’s my counselor. He’s my friend. He’s my enemy. He’s my example. He’s my savior. He’s my king. He’s my....fill in the blank.

And each of us can end up lifting up one of these views in such a way that it causes other aspects of Jesus to come out of focus. And we start seeing things a little askew. He is the suffering Servant…but is He the Risen King? He’s the King in Glory....but is He a bleeding Savior?

Our story this morning will have us eight days after those says of Jesus where he told them he would suffer and die. They are on a mountain…they are praying…the disciples get sleepy—they start to nod off....

As they go into that slumber their understanding of Jesus is probably a bit muddy. They are learning. They are processing. He is the Christ....a great leader who is going to restore the fortunes of God’s people. What does that mean? It’s muddy.

But listen to what happens when they awake from their slumber...

Luke 9:28–36 ESV

Now about eight days after these sayings he took with him Peter and John and James and went up on the mountain to pray. And as he was praying, the appearance of his face was altered, and his clothing became dazzling white. And behold, two men were talking with him, Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. 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. And as the men were parting from him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah”—not knowing what he said. As he was saying these things, a cloud came and overshadowed them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him!” And when the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and told no one in those days anything of what they had seen.

Sermon Introduction:

I don’t see so well. If I don’t have my contacts in I cannot see the big E on the eye test. The doctors these days don’t even test me on that. And each time I go I get this big speech about your retina detaching. The other morning—didn’t have my contacts in—almost put a heap of flour in a cup of coffee instead of sugar.

But there are sometimes “I don’t see so well” isn’t about my eyesight. It’s about the way I’m viewing the world, the way I’m viewing others, the way I’m viewing myself, the way I’m viewing God.

The reality of living as a fallen person in a fallen world is that our vision gets all messed up sometimes…like trying to watch a 3D movie in the theaters without having your 3D glasses on. We don’t see things as they really are…we can see a 3D world with 2D vision.

I’ve shared this illustration before…but switching illustrations for a moment. It’s always interesting to me to see headlines from different newspapers—it’s funny how the same news story will have a different title based on the perspective of the writer. We are in a day in which people certainly… “tell it slant”.

It wouldn’t have been that much different in the first century. Consider the apostle Paul in his letter to the Philippians. Paul was quite likely the greatest evangelist in the early church. His mission travels and church planting efforts spread the gospel all around the known world. As we read in Acts this started stirring up trouble for some local communities. Like in Ephesus when the gospel takes such a root that they had a bonfire of all their magic books. The local idol makers started losing money. And so they worked to shut down the apostle.

Paul was hated by the Jews and he the more he was known the more unpopular he became throughout the Roman Empire. He was a troublemaker. After that Ephesus riot the great evangelist was finally arrested.

What do you think would have appeared on the Jewish news site that morning?

TROUBLEMAKING CULT FOLLOWER FINALLY SLOWED BY AUTHORITIES

What about the Roman news sites?

JEWISH RABBLE ROUSER NOW CHAINED TO ROMAN GUARD

And from our perspective each of those leads would have seemed accurate. But what is Paul’s headline?

I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear. (Philippians 1:12-14 ESV📷)

So the news headlines had the whole thing backwards. The heavenly press would have read something like that:

INFINITELY WISE GOD CHAINS ROME TO GREAT EVANGELIST

Paul was chained to a Roman guard. Rome was now chained to the apostle Paul. From the outside it looked like evil and darkness was winning, but in reality God was doing what he always does—advance His kingdom and promote His glory.

This is great news for us. God is on a mission and it will not be thwarted. Regardless of what the news headlines read, know that there is always another story taking place. It is a story which overrides all other stories, even though it is quite often the one playing in the background.

But if you’re anything like me it’s easy to fall asleep and miss this perspective. We can grow cold and dull and our vision get cloudy and we start reading the wrong headlines...

MAN DIES FROM CANCER

CHILD OF GOD USHERED INTO KINGDOM, SUFFERING NOW OVER

US EMBROILED IN POLARIZED DEBATES

GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO SHOW THE LOVE OF CHRIST

PANDEMIC SHUTS DOWN WORLD

OPPORTUNITY TO REORIENT OUR LIVES

It’s all in how you see things. But as I said earlier, there are times when I don’t see so well. I’m sleepy, I’m in a stupor…and I don’t see the glory of God right in front of me.

Yes…sometimes

Sometimes human frailty keeps us from seeing His glory, but that is no match for God’s sovereign purpose.

Luke here mentions that it was “about eight days after these sayings”. The other gospel writers say it was six. What’s up with that? Why say “about eight days”? Because for Luke that number is significant…it’s not a significant number in Judaism but Luke mentions its q few times in his gospel…it also plays a prominent role in the restored temple of Ezekiel 40. And that’s likely significant because of what is being communicated here…Jesus is the dwelling of God with humanity. He is the fulfillment of all of this.

Peter, James, and John....John who would later write that God “tabernacled among us”…God made His dwelling among us…were the witnesses to this.

Who is Jesus....ask these three that question before this moment and they tell you, “He is the Christ…He is a man…He is a very special man…He is a great teacher…He is a prophet....”

But what begins to happen in verse 29 changes everything. His outward appearance is beginning to match his inner glory. The word there for appearance is one that only appears 5 times in the NT. Luke uses it here and at Jesus’ baptism…the Spirit in the “form” of a dove.

And it also appears in Exodus when talking about the dimensions of the tabernacle. There is a definite connection here with the transfiguration, the baptism of Jesus, and the OT tabernacle.

The Son of God is the dwelling place of God with humanity. He’s not just a man…He is God in the flesh. He is what all of the OT was pointing to. He will be the means by which God is able to dwell with humanity.

So Jesus is appearing in glory…and he is talking to two figures from the OT. How did the disciples know that it was Elijah and Moses…we don’t know. But they knew. Maybe Jesus told them. Nor do I know how long they had been meeting. The text doesn’t tell us. But they too are appearing in glory and they speak of his exodus...”another rare word in the NT”. They are talking about his death.

“about to accomplish”.

Do you talk that way about death? “Exodus I’m about to accomplish”? Maybe you might call the death of someone an exodus from this life into the next…but accomplish. That means it’s doing something. His death is going to have meaning.

I don’t know how long this whole thing had been going down…how long were Jesus and Moses and Elijah chatting on this mountain…Jesus’ face all aglow…his heavenly being shining through.

Imagine if they wouldn’t have woke up. They would have missed the whole thing. Their eyes would have been closed.

Truth isn’t determined by what our eyes see, perceive, etc. Jesus WAS meeting with Moses and Elijah. What God was doing here wasn’t deterimined by whether or not the disciples are awake.

At times this happens…we are sleepy. We are frail. We are sick. Depression…the lights go out. Emotions overwhelm us. And in those moments we are much like the disciples…they can’t see quite right.

WHEN THEY BECAME FULLY AWAKE...

Luke wants us to catch that. They SAW his glory

2 Peter. This was such a moment for Peter that he spoke of this again in one of his letters. In 2 Peter he speaks of how this was such a confirming moment for him. We saw Him in His glory---this wasn’t just a myth. This was reality. Their frailty—their sleepiness could have caused them to miss it....but

God wanted them to see this. God wanted them to get a glimpse of this glory. How do we know that? v27.

This isn’t kids waking up and accidentally seeing Santa Clause at night. This is intentional. Peter is absolutely right when he says in verse 33....it is good that we are here.

I’m too weak so I can’t see God. Our frailty is no match for His sovereign purpose. God is able to break through our weakness to show His greatness. I can’t give you something to DO here....it’s really just a plea, a prayer, LORD wake us up....help us to see…help us to see your glory. Open our eyes to how you are working and moving among us. Pierce through the darkness. Awake our slumber...

The second thing we see in this text...

2. Fallen human focus at times keeps us from seeing His glory, but that is no match for God’s sovereign purpose.

So here is Peter…seeing all of this. And then as they are walking back down the mountain Peter just has to talk. Much has been made of this…as if Peter was a bumbling idiot who just had to speak.

But he’s not rebuked by Jesus for what he says. But their evaluation of this scene is definitely contrasted with that of God’s voice…as we will see in a moment. Peter gets it…and kind of doesn’t.

They are walking down the mountain…it’s seeming like it’s slipped away…and they were asleep for half of it. He knows this is a significant event…he knows he is witnessing glory…and he wants to capture it, he wants to bottle it.

So he says, “it’s good that we are here…let’s make three tents.” What is going on there? Well it goes back to the OT with the Feast of Tabernacles. It’s a way to signify God’s presence. But what many see here happening with Peter is that he is not wanting to let this moment go. Not only because it’s an awesome moment but because he is wanting to go straight to glory. He cannot fathom the suffering of the Son. He’s not okay with the “exodus…the departure…of Jesus…and what it is to accomplish.” He wants to camp out in glory.

He’s not totally wrong. He’s just early. But there is another little misstep here. Why three tents? Peter sees…but he doesn’t totally see yet.

Moses…the Law. Elijah…the Prophets....and Peter puts Jesus on par with them. Set up three tents. This is great. He’s of a stature of Moses and Elijah. It’s part 3....even if he’s thinking the ending chapter…he’s missing the point of the story.

Jesus isn’t on par with Moses and Elijah. They aren’t talking as three equals. Jesus is far more. Moses was pointing to Jesus. Elijah was pointing to Jesus. Jesus is the fulfillment of all of their ministry. It’s all about Jesus. You want to make a tabernacle—make one.

But I want you to notice what happens here. Peter is out of focus. His biblical history—his understanding of how it all comes together is out of focus. His view of suffering and glory is out of focus as well…it’s blurry. He wants to camp in glory—he’s blind to the cross. He’s not okay with the departure.

But notice what happens...”as he was saying these things a cloud came and overshadowed them...”

What is happening here? In part God is answering Peter’s request for a tabernacle. That’s how the early church read this…They saw this as God graciously providing a type of covering and tabernacle for them…but it was still terrifying.

I love in the gospel of Matthew that they are just overwhelmed here…they are seeing so much glory and they are terrified....this is like in Isaiah 6. They are undone by holiness. But then in Matthew’s account…Jesus touches them…he puts his hand on them and all is well.

Luke only tells us that they were afraid…they didn’t want to enter. Ever do that? Pray for something. Pray over your head…you get what you had asked for and then you are terrified to enter into it?

Here a voice comes from the cloud and says, “This is my Son, my Chosen One, listen to him”. So much is going on here. God is identifying who Jesus is. He isn’t on par with Moses and Elijah…he far exceeds them. He is the Son. And they are told, “listen to him.”

Friends it’s not a stretch for us to see in this a little of how we ought to read our Bibles. When you come to Moses....listen to Jesus. When you come to Elijah…listen to Jesus. He is the interpreter…he is the fulfillment of the Old Testament. It all points to him…it’s all about Him.

But here is what I want us to notice here. Their focus wasn’t a barrier to God’s sovereign purpose. On that moment he wanted to reveal to Peter, James and John who Jesus really is. God brings everything into focus.

So again…that’s our prayer this morning. Bring things into focus. Take away the fuzzies and help us see clearly. We want to see Jesus.

Jesus was found alone.....

what does that tell us…when everything falls, when everything fades..Jesus remains standing. All the smoke, all the miraculous, all the shiny stuff, all the glory....the one left standing is Jesus.

And they kept silent? Why? Why keep silent about this? Again it has to do with the nature of the gospel and that it isn’t the time for glory....they can’t get the Transfiguration before the Cross.

You see this is positioned here for a reason. It’s a glimpse of where they are going. That’s why Peter will speak similarly in 2 Peter when he talks about his own “departure” his own “exodus”. Because this is a picture of what is to come....glory.

But it doesn’t happen without the Cross. You can’t stay on that mountain. This story is positioned in between Jesus’ statement of suffering and dying…it’s book ended by that.

Something else is going on here and it’s that Jesus is the means by which the presence of God comes. That’s why you don’t build the tabernacles up on the mountain. No…Jesus is God in flesh. The dwelling place of God with man. You don’t have tabernacles anymore because Jesus fulfills all that. He is the presence of God. He is the Son. Listen to him.

So are you seeing clearly this morning? Are you seeing Jesus as he really is? Are you seeing the whole story? At times I don’t see so well....my focus is out of whack…my human frailty is screaming louder than the truth of redemption. But it isn’t less true because I’m having a hard time seeing it.

Our human frailty and our poor focus is no match for the sovereign purpose of God. He will accomplish what he has set about to accomplish.

Open our eyes, Lord.

Light of the knowledge of the glory of Christ shine in our hearts…why do I pray this? Why do I pray that God would take a heart of stone and make it a heart of flesh....because fundamentally I believe that salvation is God’s work. If he doesn’t open our blinded eyes---we can’t see. And so I’m praying that God would do that very thing this morning. That you’d behold our God and somehow the scales would come off and you’d see Jesus for who He really is.

That’s something that is true in salvation…but I think there are times as believers when our eyes get cloudy and we aren’t able to see as well. Show us Christ.

Related Media

Related Sermons