When You can't Stay on the Mountain

Four Realities of the Transfiguration Matthew 17:1, Luke 9:28-36, Mark 9:1-2

When Jesus Takes You Up The Mountain Alone 2 When Jesus Is Transfigured 2c - 4 When You Realize You Can't Stay On The Mountain 5-9 When People Realize You Have Been With Jesus 8-10

Warren Wiersbe writes on the Transfiguration Incident, "This may well have been the greatest "Bible Conference" ever held on earth! Even apart from the great glory that was involved, here you certainly had the greatest speakers: Moses, the Law; Elijah, the Prophets; and Jesus, who came to fulfill the Law and the Prophets. You had the greatest topic: Jesus' "decease"Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary – New Testament, Volume 1, (Colorado Springs, CO: Victor, 2001), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, 208.

While in our study of the Transfiguration we have seen many things:

What it's like for Jesus to take you up the Mountain Alone - 2

It's To Show His Glory - It's To Teach A Truth - It's not just a fireworks display, it has a purpose and a reason. It's To Further His Kingdom - We studied, "When Jesus is Transfigured - " 2c-4

Transfiguration and Transformation come from PRAYER Tonight I want to look at When You Realize You Can't Stay on the Mountain 5-9

There are three main things that stand out to me in this short passage that I want to deal with tonight;

Company- Jesus took the disciples up the mountain to pray and be alone. While he was transfigured before their eyes, they had some company -

Moses Elijah

Now the other two gospels actually switch the order of these two. Whether it is significant or not scholars are conflicted. Luke 9:31 tells us they were discussing Jesus' Death. The Greek word for this death is the same as "exodus." " Jesus would lead the people of God out of the bondage of sin in a new exodus through His death (a new Passover) and resurrection, and He would constitute a new people called the church." Moses signified the Law - Elijah signified the Prophets

Both were great delivers

Moses had led Israel out of bondage to Egypt, Elijah had delivered them from bondage to false gods; but Jesus {who is the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets} would die to set a sinful world free from bondage to sin and death. Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary – New Testament, Volume 1, (Colorado Springs, CO: Victor, 2001), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, 208. With their appearing, the Law and Prophets are signaled as being fulfilled in the coming of Messiah who has brought the kingdom of God near (cf. Mark 1:15).

This is not Mount Sinai all over again. No, this is a gospel mountain, not a law mountain. Here the law of God and the grace of God converge in the One who is God incarnate and the fulfillment of all the Old Testament promised. Look at Him and believe His gospel. EXALTING CHRIST Commentary Mark

Peter is amazed and probably as we would say in Missouri, "Bumfuzzled" and blurts out his thoughts and feelings to everyone.

"Master" or "Rabbi" or "my great one" or "my esteemed teacher." Now according to Matthew - Peter has already had his "Whom say ye that I am" discussion with Jesus shortly before this incident. Whether in his haste to talk he slipped back into his old speech, or what he had said hadn't reach his heart yet. By using the term "master" or "Rabbi" peter seems to not yet fully understand who Jesus is yet. Let us build three tents. This would have

Put Jesus on the same level as Moses and Elijah (NAC) Would have made a temporary experience a permanent situation, detouring Jesus from the cross (NAC) THE EXPOSITORS COMMENTARY

"The desire to erect new tents of meeting where God can again communicate with men implies that Peter regards the time of the second exodus as fulfilled and the goal of the Sabbath rest achieved." But before that rest is achieved, the suffering and death of the Messiah must take place. Peter again stumbles at the necessity of a suffering Messiah.

Daniel L. Akin writes, "We will never understand the person and work of Christ apart from the cross and resurrection. Leave them out, and He is at best a moralist and at worst a self-destructive fool. Leave out the cross, and there is no atonement. Leave out the resurrection, and there is no victory over sin. In sinful weakness we would avoid the cross, stay on the mountain, and make ourselves comfortable. In contrast Jesus will embrace the cross, ascend Calvary’s hill, and drink the cup of suffering filled with the wrath of God."

Cloud - The cloud suggests the shekinah glory.

In the Old Testament Clouds are symbols of God's presence, protection, and authority (Exod 13:21; 16:10; 19:9, 16; 24:15–16; 33:9). In the New Testament clouds are associated with the return of Christ (13:26; 14:62; Acts 1:9–11; 1 Thess 4:17) NAC We do not need man-made tents (v. 5). Rather, we need the presence of the living God,

Closure - They are told to keep this quiet until after the resurrection.

It wasn't that they couldn't tell, they just had to wait to tell. There is something interesting about this Secret Messiahship of Jesus. He wanted and I'm sure it was in the plan of God - to wait until after the resurrection to show himself to be The One.