The Glory of Heaven

The Glory of Heaven

Hard times make strong men.

Strong men make easy times.

Easy times make weak men.

Weak men make hard times.

The Russian war on Ukraine.

I’ve watched in horror. I’ve been shocked. I’ve been sad. I’ve been angry. I’ve been a lot of emotions. But I’ve not been hurt personally, as far as i can see.

And maybe that’s the problem. We don’t see the stake we have in this because we aren’t personally feeling the pain with bombs and bullets and brokenness. We are watching another war from our living rooms insteadof the battlefield.

I listened last night to a woman who is hiding underground somewhere with her three children. She was live on the air last night late… just before she came on the newscaster had some guests on and they were discussing the possible outcomes for America, specifically the rise in prices on store shelves and the price of gas in particular.

When that shot ended they went to her and asked her what she was hearing and feeling in her bunker as they awaited what was most likely to be a russian bombardment of epic proportions. And she stole the interview.

She opened with something like this: I am sorry, but I have to say this. The existence of my country, my government, my friends, my family is at stake. We have lost people everywhere. People we talked to yesterday are gone and we will never see them again. And you are discussing the possibile outcome of higher prices in grocery stores in America and the gas at the gas pump.? (She was incredulous). The rest of the world needs to realize that if you don’t help us you are next. What you see is coming to you next, or to your children.

Luke 9:28 ESV

28 Now about eight days after these sayings he took with him Peter and John and James and went up on the mountain to pray.

You pray with those you trust. Those you can confide in. He had done this in Luke 8.51 and in the garden of gethsemane Mark 14.33 when he prayed.

Luke 9:29 ESV

29 And as he was praying, the appearance of his face was altered, and his clothing became dazzling white.

Matthew used the word “metamorphothe”, or transfiguration here. Luke doesn’t. You wonder what word he used? well, he just gives us a description.... Jesus face was altered.,. his clothes become dazzling white.

Luke 9:30–31 ESV

30 And behold, two men were talking with him, Moses and Elijah, 31 who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.

Luke 9:32 ESV

32 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.

Heavy with sleep. They may or may not have been asleep totally, but they were somewhere in the range of sleping. and thescene of the glory of Jesus, Moses and Elijah glory… well, they woke up pretty quickly.

Luke 9:33 ESV

33 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.

Moses and Elijah are leaving. Did Peter say let’s build three tabernacles for everyone because they were leaving? Who knows.

The problem is how inappropriate his suggestion was. (NOT KNOWING WHAT HE SAID).

His problem is not “Master”. It is not “it is good” that was the problem. It was the three shelters… the language presumes that they were to be equal, putting Jesus on par with Moses and Elijah.... and secondly, they were temporary facilities. But finally, it appears to give the intention to perpetuate the situaion as though there were no departure for Jesus coming.

Luke 9:34 ESV

34 As he was saying these things, a cloud came and overshadowed them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud.

clouds… in the Bible, there was the cloud in the wilderness after the exodus. clouds are also associated with the future coming of the Son of Man and the two prophets in Revelation .

Luke 9:35 ESV

35 And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him!”

A voice, God’s voice… a direct message from God. no intermediary, no other involved. God. /and He expressly says that Jesus is His Son, God’s Son.

Listen to Him is not only a command, it is a corrective to the human tendency to substitute human opinion for divine revelation.

Luke 9:36 ESV

36 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.

Finally, the only one left is Jesus Himself. The disciples are silent, and the center of attention here is Jesus ALONE.

The Glory of Heaven Is Revealed Through The Cross of Calvary

Peter wanted Jesus to hold on to the glory apart from the suffering, but this is not God’s plan.

The Message: The Bible in Contemporary Language Chapter 9

He blurted this out without thinking.

Our own personal “transfiguration” comes from inner renewal (Rom. 12:1–2), and that comes from the Word (2 Cor. 3:18).

Our own personal “transfiguration” comes from inner renewal Rom. 12:1–2

Romans 12:1–2 The Message

1 So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. 2 Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.