Such Love IV

Subtitle: Let's Be A People of the Word

2 Peter 1:12-21.  This sermon was preached by Pastor Marty Bonner on Sunday, April 23, 2023.

We continue looking at the love of God, particularly as it pertains to salvation.  We have talked about the Incarnation, that God loved us enough to take on the nature of a human.  We then talked about Redemption and the fact that Jesus died on the cross to pay the price of redemption for humanity.  Last week, we looked at God's love in pouring out His Holy Spirit and dwelling within believers.

This leads us to our subject today, God's love displayed in creating the Bible, or the Scriptures.  This is not a gift that is intended to be received and then put on a shelf in order to gather dust.  We are intended to become a people of the Word.  That is, just like we should want to be a people of the Spirit of God, so too, we should want to be a people of the Word of God.

In fact, I would say that it is impossible to be a person of the Spirit, and at the same time, not be a person of the Word. I say this because a growing number of people emphasize that they are spiritual, but not religious.  I would suspect that the Bible is tossed into the "religious" side of their equation. However, the Spirit will point us to the Word, and the Word will point us to Jesus and the Spirit that he has made available to us.

Let's look at our passage.

The experience of the disciples

At the beginning of this section, the Apostle Peter recognizes that his decease, or departure, is nearing (v. 14-15).  It is clear that he is speaking of death from the added language of "putting of [his] tent."  These were clear metaphors that no one seriously rejects.  This has put in his heart a determination to make sure that they will "always have a reminder of these things" (v. 15) after he is gone.  Yes, he is alive now reminding them of what he had taught them, but he will not be alive in the future.

Interestingly enough, Peter uses a word for his upcoming departure that we know as the word exodus.  It is most known because of the second book of the Law of Moses, Exodus.  The word has the idea of a way or road out, and is often translated as departure.  The book of Exodus is about Israel's departure from Egypt, and here Peter sees his coming departure from Earth.  This word is used only three times in the New Testament.  It is used here and in Luke 9:31 where Elijah and Moses appear in glory and speak to Jesus about his "decease which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem."  The word for decease there is "exodus" in Greek.  The third place is in Hebrews chapter eleven where Joseph on his death bed reminds the families of Jacob that God has promised them an upcoming exodus from Egypt.

This is important because Peter uses several words that clearly connect to the Transfiguration in Luke 9, which he clearly speaks about in verses 16-18.  We will look at this in more depth in a moment.

So, how did Peter ensure that they would always have a reminder after his personal exodus?  First, he taught and preached the Gospel to churches, pastors, and bishops.  Though he would depart, other faithful people would be left behind to continue the work.  They do not so much take his place as carry the work forward.

Second, Peter is making sure a written record of his teaching is left behind.  Thus, we have the two letters of Peter.  His first letter is addressed to Christians who have been dispersed into the area of Asia Minor (Modern Turkey) due to persecution.  This second letter is basically written to anyone who is a Christian.  These are not just highly personalized letters from one individual to another.  They represent the basic teaching of the Apostle Peter, along with his sermons recorded by Luke in the book of The Acts of the Apostles.  On top of this, tradition teaches that Mark's Gospel has the Apostle Peter as its main source.  In 1 Peter 5:13, Mark spent enough time with Peter to be referred to as "my son," by him.

I believe that this is why Peter brings up the next section.  In a sense, you could ask this question.  Who wants to read a book from a first-century Israelite fisherman?  In verses 16-18, Peter establishes his credentials for caring about his teaching making it to the next generation and beyond.  An amazing outflow of God's grace has been given to him, and he feels the duty to ensure that it continues after his death.

Peter could have made a long list, but he focuses on one event, what is called the Transfiguration.  This is the word that Luke uses to describe this event.  Mark uses different words, but it is clear that they are describing the same event.  Peter, James and John see the face of Jesus transfigure, or rather transform, into a glowing, shining face of heavenly glory.  Even his clothing is described as becoming white as snow and glowing.  I always picture a mantle on a gas lantern when it is lit.

Now, there is a powerful parallel between the Transfiguration/Transformation event and what happened at Mt. Sinai in the book of Exodus.  The literary ties are too many to overlook.  There is a cloud of God that comes down on the mountain, God's voice is heard audibly from heaven, it is in the context of a new covenant being made between God and His people on earth, there is a mediator of that covenant, and witnesses to the powerful glory of God present, there is a mention of a tabernacle, and we could list more.

When Peter tells people about the power and future coming of Jesus in glory, he is not just following a cunningly designed story that he heard or made up.  He is an eyewitness, along with James and John, of a singularly amazing event.  Hebrews tells us that Moses was faithful as a servant of God to build the House of Israel for God.  Yet, Jesus is faithful as a son building his own house (the Church).  Jesus is not just another Moses.  He is the Greater Moses, just as he told the people "a greater [one] than Solomon is here."  Just as Moses took Joshua partway up on the mountain with him, so the Three disciples become witnesses to a greater glory of God.  Moses is enabled to see the back of God's glory, but the Three are enabled to see God's glory in the face of Jesus.  Of course, Jesus in human form is a mitigated form of the absolute glory of God.  Yet, the event signals that in some way we have been enabled to see the face of God, when mortals really cannot do so and live.  I could go on, but you get the drift.  Moses saw God's glory, but Jesus is the glory of God, the exact image of His person.  In Jesus, we have been given a glimpse of the glory of God.

The Three would go back and tell the other nine disciples what they saw.  Of course, the nine had seen some amazing things as well.  They saw Jesus walking on the water.  They also saw Jesus stand up in a boat and say, "Peace, be still!"  When the wind and waves immediately stopped, they were shocked.  "Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?”  They didn't see the Transfiguration, but it was in keeping with what they had seen.  They would have quickly believed.

The Twelve would go forth and speak these things to the people of Israel.  Yes, there were some that wouldn't admit any miracles of Jesus, but many knew there was something different about Jesus.  They had watched him heal people blind from birth, lame from birth, lepers, demon-possessed people set free, thousands fed with just a little food in the wilderness.  They may not have seen Jesus do all the things that the apostles did, but it would fit with what they knew about Jesus.  This is why the resurrection of Jesus was eventually believed by thousands of early Judeans.  Over 500 people had seen Jesus after the Resurrection.  With such evidence stacking up, it is hard to really claim conspiracy, lying, and trickery.  Just as something amazing happened to Israel in the desert and they came out a nation with laws and religious service to which they all agreed, so the early Christianity cannot be explained by natural means.  Something amazing happened in first century Jerusalem, and it has changed the destiny of humanity!

The Transfiguration to the Crucifixion to the Ascension is a Mt. Sinai moment in which the glory of heaven comes down, meeting with His people, and makes a new covenant with them, really with whosoever will believe upon Jesus as the Christ.  Jesus doesn't just talk with God; he is revealed as the very glory of God itself.  Peter thus speaks of him receiving honor and glory from the Father when He spoke at the Transfiguration.

There are few times that it is clear in the text that God audibly speaks.  Typically it is in a dream, a vision, or through an angel.  Peter hears the voice of God say, "This is My Beloved Son.  Hear him!"  This is essentially the same message as at the water baptism of Jesus, except it adds that last part.  Any Judean of the day would have recognized the term My Son.  They would not have connected it necessarily to being divine, but as being the Messianic offspring of David promised by God in 2 Samuel 7:14.  God promises David that One from his line would be a son to God and God would give him a forever kingdom.  This is also seen in Psalm 2 where the nations of the earth are chafing under God and His King Messiah.  They are warned to kiss the Son before his wrath rises just a little. 

The imperative to listen to Jesus may not have been as quickly recognized, but it is clearly tying back to Deuteronomy 18, where Moses tells Israel that a prophet like him will come later.  He tells them that God will require it of anyone who doesn't listen to this prophet.  Thus, God the Father goes on record before three mortal humans that Jesus is the Messiah and the awaited Prophet who would set up the New Covenant, like Moses had done before.

This is a kind of layered witness.  The whole nation saw amazing things from Jesus, Caiaphas included. A smaller group (the 500) saw even more amazing things than they.  The Twelve saw even more amazing things than the 500, and the Three saw the most amazing things of all.

The prophetic Word of God 

This powerful first-century witness of God's work in Israel leads Peter to then speak of the prophetic Word of God.   Such experiences as Israel had in the first century were the foundation to the Scriptures that Israel received from Moses. This was not a bunch of guys sitting around unable to explain the weird world around them, and coming up with a story to keep the masses under control.  This is modern man's explanation of religion, but it is not God's explanation of where religion comes from.  The Old Testament and the New Testament were proven to be the very Words of God by the spectacular, more spectacular, and most spectacular events that happened with Israel and an amazing mediator at the time.  This is then further added to by prophecy that points forward to things that couldn't be known in advance, and yet come to pass.

In verse 19, there is a question about what exactly Peter is saying.  He is either saying that the events of Jesus, especially the Transfiguration, have made the Scriptures even more sure, or, he is saying that the Scriptures are even more sure than his experience on the mountain.  I don't buy the argument that Peter sees the Old Testament as greater than his experience.  Like I said before, Moses wrote the Torah, The Law, in response to a great, spectacular event with God at Sinai.  It was revelation from God in the same vein as Peter, James and John experienced.  It wasn't a science of man that discovered either the Law or the Gospel.  It was a revelation of God.

This brings up the issue of science.  True science can powerfully discover how things work, and how to build technology to do things.  However, science can never tell you if you should do something.  What do you put in a petri dish to determine right and wrong, yes and no?  You are left with men making their best guess, which is a recipe for disaster.  When it comes to the heart of man and his spiritual condition, we need more than science to help us.  We need the revelation of God, which is exactly what Peter received.

Peter was an eyewitness, even an earwitness, of God's revelation.  The Old Testament was completely reliable before, but with the revelation of Jesus it is even more proven than it was before.  This would apply to the writings of the Apostles as well.  What they would write would be the blazing light of truth, powerfully confirmed in the first century as being from God.

If you don't think Peter thought of the writings of the apostles as Scripture, then note chapter 3:5 in this same letter.  There he points out that scoffers are twisting Paul's words in his letters just as they did the "rest of the Scriptures."  They knew that they were righting down the Words of God, just as Moses knew that he was doing so.

In verse 19, Peter tells believers that they would do well to pay close attention to the Scriptures.  The verb here is an intensive looking into something that is important to you.  It is important for believers to spend time in the Word of God.  If you want to know God, then you will want to read His Word because it was written for our benefit.

Peter says that they should do this "until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts."  The "until" is a terminus to what he has talked about before.  Revelation 22:16 tells us that Jesus is the morning star.  So, does Peter mean that we should pay close attention to the Bible until we come to faith in Jesus, and then we won't need it any more?  I don't believe so.  The key is in noting the need for a light in a dark place.  It is true that we need the light of Jesus internally, and the believer receives such at salvation.  However, there is always a sense of "now, but not yet" with things pertaining to believers and the Church.  We are transported into the Kingdom of the Son of God's love, yet that kingdom is not fully realized on the earth.  We become the children of God, but our sonship will not be fully realized until the Resurrection. 

On top of this, we are still surrounded by a dark world in which we are shining the light.  Thus, the rising of Christ in our hearts and the Day dawning finds its complete fulfillment in the Second Coming of Jesus.

Lastly, I would say that darkness is not always associated with moral wickedness.  It is also associated with the lack of understanding in regards to the things prophesied in Scripture.  As long as believers do not have the full light of fulfilled Scripture, i.e., there are still prophecies to be fulfilled, then we need to pay close attention to God's Word, Old Testament and New Testament. 

Some people do  not buy this argument.  They have developed a sense that we have the Spirit of God, so we can just dispense with the Bible.  They see it as passé.  Does Peter make it more clear t hat we should not toss our Bibles and simply follow the Holy Spirit?

I believe this passage and others nip this idea in the bud.  In verse 20, Peter states that no prophecy came about from a person's own interpretation.  This is speaking of an idea that originates from within themselves.  Instead, the Scriptures (Old and New) came from the will of God, the Holy Spirit moving holy men to write.  Do you want to know what did come from the will of men?  False teaching and false prophecy came from the will of men.  Ultimately, even the false prophet is being led and played by the teachings of demons. 

On top of this, Paul in 2 Timothy 3:16 refers to the Scriptures as being inspired.  The word is literally "God-breathed."  Of course, the breath of God is a metaphor for the Holy Spirit.  This is exactly what Peter is saying.  The written Word of God, i.e., the Scriptures, are a product of the Holy Spirit's work over 1500 years.  Why would the Holy Spirit not want to use the holy and spiritual book that was purposefully made for the faith of believers?  Will the Holy Spirit simply start over from scratch with each new believer and try to compress all of that work into your life span?

The Apostles who were filled with the Holy Spirit focused themselves on the ministry of the Word.  They encouraged believers to pay close attention to the Word, and commended those who made sure that preaching lined up with the Word.

It has been said that the Old Testament is the New Testament concealed and that the New Testament is the Old Testament Revealed.  This is true, but we can miss the understanding that the New Testament is shining light precisely upon the Old Testament.  Without spending the time to know what the Old Testament, you will miss much of what the New Testament says.  In truth, God's Word will put in your heart and mind the concepts and ideas that will give the Holy Spirit leverage within your soul.  Through it, we work with Him in taking possession of our soul, and obtaining the wisdom of God in salvation for us and our community.

It is the Holy Spirit that illuminates our understanding in regards to Scripture.  This work will never end while we are in these mortal bodies.  Thus, let us be a people of the Word of God and a people of the Spirit of God.  Some have acted as if these are in contention, but I believe that I have shown that they cannot be so.

Some have put down being led by the Spirit and emphasize the Word of God only.  Yet, on the other extreme, there are those who over-emphasize being led by the Spirit, even referring to the Bible as being an old, stale word from the Lord.  Yes, we want to hear from the Lord in our hearts and minds, but this process will be fraught with pitfalls and errors if we are not a people steeped in God's Word.  Thus, this is a false dichotomy.

Without the Holy Spirit, the Scriptures will fall on deaf ears when it is spoken and preached.  This is where we should remind ourselves that Jesus is the Word of God long before there was anything to write on.  The Scriptures are a mediated picture of the Lord Jesus himself.  They point to him and help us to keep from getting off track as we are led by the Holy Spirit.  This is God's love, plan, and purpose for us.

The Pharisees are forever proof that quoting a whole book of the Bible and having a graduate degree in theology cannot save you.  Paul stated that the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life (2 Corinthians 3:6).  If you focus on the words without the Spirit of God, then you will end up being a Scripture twister like all of the other false teachers.  Humble yourself by the Spirit, and ask the Lord to help you hunger for His Word, and gain understanding by it.  Let's be a people of the Word!

People of the Word audio

The Spectacular Transfiguration of Jesus Christ

Mark 9:1-13.  This sermon was preached by Pastor Marty Bonner on Sunday, January 05, 2020.

This passage has a unique event that is more than just your average miracle (if such can be said about miracles).  The transfiguration of Jesus demonstrates that supernatural things are not only happening around Jesus, but that there is also something supernatural about him.  He is not a man who has figured out how to get God to help him all the time.  Rather, his origin is supernatural.  He is from the Father and thus he is from heaven.

Let’s look at the passage.

Jesus gives a promise

The scene begins in verse 1 where Jesus gives a promise to a gathering of his disciples and other people.  This is mentioned in Mark 8:34. The stands out as a singular statement against the event that follows it, the transfiguration of Jesus.  The disciples and the people had been kept guessing as to when Jesus might begin to bring in the Kingdom of God that they were expecting.  Yes, they are grateful for miracles and all, but they want to see Jesus get serious about taking on the greater role of Messiah by kicking out the Romans and reforming the corruption of Israel.

The basic promise is that some of those who were in attendance that day would not die before they saw the kingdom of God coming in a powerful way.  This verse is sometimes used to substantiate the claim that Jesus taught the disciples that his Second Coming would happen in the first century.  Atheists see that it failed and thus reject Christ.  Believers that do this will find events within the first century and present them as metaphorical fulfillments of such promises.

Of course, we should note that the Second Coming is not mentioned in this promise.  It is only about the Kingdom of God and how it would be coming in.  This presents a wrinkle.

The New Testament does present an odd twist on the Old Testament promise of the Kingdom of God.  In short, the apostles proclaim that the Kingdom of God has been established in the hearts of believers through the Spirit of God.  Yet, the physical reign of Jesus (Messiah) on this earth and the judgment of the nations has been put on hold, or is not yet.  So, we get this “now, but not yet” presentation of the Kingdom of God throughout the writings of the Apostles.

Does anything happen within the lifetime of those who were living at that time which reflects the Kingdom of God coming powerfully?  All three gospels that record this bold statement follow it immediately with an account that is called the Transfiguration of Jesus.  It is contextually clear that they saw this event as the fulfillment of what Jesus promised.  Modern sceptics may not like this explanation, but it is the one that the disciples themselves give to us.

For modern people to reject such an explanation, smacks of arrogance.  Who are we to tell people from a culture within which we have never lived that they didn’t actually understand what Jesus said?  Who are we to force our thinking upon the situation?  The disciples present themselves as often misunderstanding Jesus.  They really didn’t “get it” until after the resurrection.  There we have Jesus fully explaining the Scriptures, and another promise that the Holy Spirit would enable them to remember the things Jesus said along with what it meant (John 16:12-13).  The truth they came to see is that the transfiguration was exactly what Jesus was talking about in this promise.  He is not talking about the end times and his Second Coming.

Jesus is transfigured

We are told that Peter, James, and John go up on a high mountain with Jesus six days later.  These three are the “some” that Jesus was talking about in the previous promise.  We are not told what high mountain this is although they were last described as being in the area of Caesarea-Philippi.  So, it could be somewhere in the Golan Heights.  However, the importance of the high mountain is more in its symbolism than it is in its literal location.  There is a clear parallel happening here between Moses going up on the mountain to hear from God at Sinai, and the disciples going up on the mountain and hearing from God with Jesus.  Jesus is the “greater than Moses” one.  Yet, his disciples are the ones who are going to come down from the mountain, and speak to Israel and the nations about what God has told them.

So, what does transfiguration mean?  We should recognize that what is described in this passage did not happen and so they had a word for it.  In seeking to describe what they saw, the disciples take up the Greek word “metamorphosis,” which has the basic meaning of a change of form.  This should not be connected to the concept of shape-shifting, even though the word could allow for it.  Jesus clearly does not change shape, and the word is used in two other places in the New Testament to describe the believer being transformed into the image of Jesus (no literal shape-shifting there either).  Romans 12:2 tells believers that they should not be conformed to this world, but rather to be “metamorphed” by the renewing of your mind so that you might prove what the good, acceptable, and perfect will of God is.  In 2 Corinthians 3:18 the Christian experience is described as one who sees Christ in the mirror of God’s Word and is “metamorphed” into the same image from one level of glory to the next level of glory.  Thus, the change they are describing with the word “metamorphosis” is not about the shape, but rather the outward presentation of the person.  The word appearance would be a better concept here than shape. 

Mark tells us that the clothing of Jesus began to shine exceedingly white.  We can imagine something like a mantle in a gas or oil lamp.  In Matthew 17:2, we are told that his “face shone like the sun.”  Thus, the shining is actually coming from the person of Christ and is affecting his clothing.  Within that culture, such a description would clearly imply that Jesus is not just human.  He is a spirit being from the spirit realm.  Spiritual beings are often described as shining, and even metaphorically referred to as stars or celestial lights.  The intention is clear.  There is something heavenly about this being.  The glorious Son of God was cloaked by human flesh, but in this moment the three disciples are given a glimpse of his true glory, the glory he will have when he returns at the end of the age in order to set up the physical reign of his kingdom. 

This also connects to Moses on Mt. Sinai because there Moses was given a glimpse of the receding glory of God, whereas here, the disciples are given a limited glimpse of the glory of Christ.

It is amazing enough that Jesus is shining like the sun, but then two figures appear and begin talking with Jesus.  The disciples come to know that they are Elijah and Moses (probably through what they say).  These two men are representatives of the Law and the Prophets.  They both were remembered as operating in powerful signs and wonders.  This also underlines what Jesus taught elsewhere.  God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.  Those who have gone before us are still alive.  They are just not in earthly bodies.

So, what are they talking about?  We are not told.  Yet, it is reminiscent of the angels who appeared to Jesus in the wilderness after his 40-day fast and tempting by the devil.  They may be simply encouraging him for the road of suffering that lay ahead.

Although this scene is still happening, we are told that the disciples are very afraid.  In his fear, Peter asks Jesus if they should build three tabernacles for Jesus, Moses, and Elijah.  This glorious appearing of Jesus along with the powerful prophets of old was more like what the disciples had been wanting.  A glowing, shining Messiah should have a tabernacle in which to dwell.  The word for tabernacle is the same word used for the portable temple that Israel used in the wilderness wanderings coming out of Egypt.  It was later replaced by a permanent temple.  Perhaps Peter sees that this could be a religious site of worship, and a political site of the rule of Messiah.  Clearly, they needed to be silent and just watch.  The impulsive nature of Peter causes him to interject an idea that will not even be considered.  Peter does not understand what God is doing, and in a sense is interrupted by the Father Himself in what happens next.  We must be careful that we are not building things that are not what God is desiring, even though they sound thoughtful and worshipful.

At this point, a cloud overshadows them and a voice speaks from the cloud to them.  It says, “This is my beloved Son.  Listen to Him!”  The suffering and death that Jesus was going to experience would threaten their perseverance in listening to Jesus and following him.  This event serves to show that, no matter how inglorious the life of Jesus would look, he was the very glory of God.  The disciples could trust the one who would become the crucified Lord of Glory.  This is also God’s word to you and I.  God commands all men everywhere to repent of their sins and listen to Jesus.  This also connects back to the cloud that led Israel through the wilderness and would descend on the tabernacle when Moses would meet with God to receive His words.  The cloud was a visible sign that God’s presence was there.  No Israelite would miss the connotation of what is happening here. 

On top of this, Moses told Israel in Deuteronomy 18:15 that God would eventually raise up another prophet like him and that they should listen to him.  This is the exact same message that the father gives to the disciples.  Listen to Him!

The scene suddenly disappears.  The cloud, Moses, and Elijah are all gone.  Jesus is not glowing anymore.  At this point, Jesus instructs his disciples that they should not tell anyone about this event until after the Son of Man has risen from the dead.  They are still stupefied by these references that Jesus keeps making about the Son of Man being killed and then rising from the dead.  It just goes to show how hard it is for us to see things that are right in front of us when we are not expecting them, or they are so far outside of our frame of reference.  Later, the disciples would tell all about this event as they spoke to Israel and the nations.  Peter clearly mentions this event in 2 Peter 1:16-19 where he says, “We did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty.  For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.’  And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain.  And so, we have the word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your heart.”

The disciples question Jesus

In verses 11-13, the minds of the disciples are still spinning with the spectacular event that they have just seen.  Thus, a question surfaces in their minds to ask Jesus.  Why is it taught by the scribes that Elijah must come before Messiah?  Such teaching was no doubt based upon Malachi 4:5-6.  It basically says that before the Wrath of God comes, Elijah would appear and turn the hearts of the fathers back to their children and the hearts of the children back to their parents.  Wow, what an apt description of our problems today.  Satan ever seeks to divide us along lines that God intended for us to be unified.  Our hearts should be toward one another, instead they are often only towards ourselves, and even worse, against one another.

Jesus clearly affirms the teaching, but he gives them more understanding.  He does so by reminding them of the passages that teach about the suffering of Messiah.  To understand the prophecy about Elijah returning before Messiah, one needs to understand the suffering of the Messiah to whom he would point.  The prophecies concerning the Messiah had two aspects about them: the suffering of Messiah and the glorious rule of Messiah, the dealing with our sins and the destruction of the wicked.  We know that this dual aspect required two comings of Jesus, or we could say, required a pause before God completed the mission.  Thus, there would be something similar with Elijah.

In a way, Elijah had already come.  There are several other places where Jesus speaks of John the Baptist and whether or not he was Elijah who was to come.  The best way to sum up these passages is to put it this way.  John was not literally Elijah, but he did come in the power and the spirit of Elijah.  He came out of the wilderness in animal skins and called Israel to repentance.  “Repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand!”  Jesus was the Messiah of Israel, but they rejected him.  Because of this rejection, Jesus would leave them and come back to them at the end of the age.  Similarly, this prophecy of Elijah would require Elijah to come before the Second Coming as well.  This may seem strange, but Revelation 11 speaks of two witnesses or prophets who would show up in the end times and powerfully call Israel and the world to repentance.  It is quite possible that these witnesses are Elijah and Moses.  In support of this conjecture, we see the fact that the two witnesses of Revelation 11 will do signs and wonders similar to that of Elijah and Moses.

As we close, it is important to understand the glory of Christ.  From his glory, he stepped down into this world and into human flesh.  He restrained his glory so that we could see, hear, and interact with him.  This moment of clarity about the true glory of Jesus is intended to give the disciples and us confidence in Jesus even after the stark reality of the cross slams into the faith we have.  Though we did not see this event, those who did are faithfully witnessing to us that they are not making up fables and stories.  Rather, they are telling us what they saw with their own eyes.  May God strengthen our faith in a day and age that seems hell-bent on rejecting the message of John the Baptist, and, more importantly, the Lord Jesus Christ.  You may not be so close to the image of Christ that you are glowing yet, but one day we will shine like the stars because we kept our faith in Jesus to the end!

Transfiguration Audio

The Identity of Jesus II

On the heels of Peter’s confession that Jesus was the Messiah and the Son of the Living God, we have this event where three of the disciples actually see the divine glory of the Son of God shining through the humanity of Jesus.  It is one thing to believe that Jesus is divine, it is quite another to see what these men saw that day.  The apostle John refers to this when he says in John 1:14, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”  The glory of Christ’s wisdom, healings, exorcisms, and control over nature come to its apex in this visual demonstration of the power of Christ called the Transfiguration.  Let’s look at the passage in Luke 9:28-36.

The True Glory of Jesus

It is somewhat difficult to comprehend exactly what it is to say that Jesus is both human and divine.  Of course the disciples came to the fuller understanding of just who Jesus was over time.  But they clearly proclaimed him as fully man and yet fully God.

What did this exactly look like?  Well in some ways Jesus looked and acted like a normal human.  He walked to places he wanted to get to.  He got hungry and tired.  He grew up like any other kid from an infant to an adult.  The utter humanity of Jesus made it hard for those who knew him from Nazareth to accept him as Messiah and Son of God.  His humanity was real and it clothed or cloaked the divine being that resided within.  Yet, he did amazing things that could not be explained as human whether then or now.  Jesus healed people on command and not just the trickery of lengthening someone’s leg.  He traveled the country side healing everyone who was brought to him.  He also commanded demons to leave possessed individuals and they came to their right mind.  He showed amazing command over nature, whether in multiplying the bread and the fish to feed the multitudes or commanding the storm to stop and it obeyed.  All of these things begged the question, “What sort of man is this?” 

Yet, this event becomes the apex of events, up to this point, that helped the disciples to see Jesus as more than a man.  Here the glory of Christ as the Son of God is allowed to shine through his humanity.  Our passage today describes several things regarding this glorious event.  First, the face of Jesus is “altered.”  In Matthew and Mark the greek word used is literally “metamorphosed” and means to change form.  Between these two words we see that the face of Jesus changed and yet it remained a face.  It was just different.  Another point is that his robe became brilliant white and actually cast light from Jesus.  If you picture how the mantle of a gas lamp glows you probably have the right picture.

I think it is important to recognize that in this instance Christ does not get rid of his humanity in order for his glory to be seen.  Rather, he allows his true glory to shine through his humanity.  Even today, Christ retains a glorified body that allows his divine glory to shine through.  The only difference is that this glorified body cannot die and does not grow old.  Luke mentions this in relation to the second coming of Christ in chapter 21:27, “They will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.”  John glimpsed this again when Jesus appeared to him on Patmos in Revelation 1.  Sometimes we are tempted to think that we will not be glorious until we die and get rid of this body.  The truth is that the human body was designed to allow the glory of Christ to shine through it.  God is saving us both in body and in spirit.  Yes, greater glory lies ahead for us.  But God wants to “shine” through us gloriously today.

Now another component of this episode is that Moses and Elijah appear and speak with Jesus.  Of course the disciples would not know their identity at first and thus they are called men and then identified.  Why?  Some have pointed out that Moses and Elijah represent the Law and the Prophets.  Both of which pointed to the coming work of Jesus, the messiah.  Another thought is that Moses represents those who have died and are carried to glory (see Jude).  Whereas, Elijah represents those who are caught up and carried into glory.  Notice that Elijah and Moses are glorious as well.  They are probably shining as well because of their faith in Christ.  He has shared his glory with them.  Now this is a promise that is held out to believers throughout the Bible.  Daniel 12:3 says that, “those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament, and those who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever.”  Yet, their main reason for being there is to speak with Jesus regarding the work of dying on the cross that Christ still had ahead of him.  Most likely this is an even that is revelatory for the disciples, but encouraging for the humanity of Jesus.  Now at verse 32 we sort of transition to the disciples.  So let’s look at their side of this.

The Disciples Witnessed His Glory

Clearly Jesus intended for these 3 (Peter, James, and John) to witness this spectacular event.  Later John would emphasize this in 1 John 1:2, “the Life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal Life which was with the Father and was manifested to us.”  Of course he is talking about Jesus.

It is interesting that this happens during a time of prayer.  Like the Garden of Gethsemane on the night he was betrayed, Jesus asks these three to spend time with him in prayer.  It is clear that they are not used to spending time in prayer as they have trouble staying awake.  Yet, they are awakened by the sudden appearance of the glory of Christ accompanied by two saints.  Now sleep is used in the bible as a metaphor for spiritual sluggishness and lack of alertness.  Thus prayer is continually connected to those who are awake and alert.  Perhaps this is a prophetic picture of Christ’s 2^nd Coming.  Christ himself asked the question of whether or not he would find faith when he returned.  If the time was not shortened even the very elect would not be saved.  This idea that even faithful Christians would struggle with sleepiness in the last days leading up to Christ’s 2^nd coming, is seen in the parable of the 10 virgins.  Yes, 5 were ready and 5 were not, but all of them were asleep.  It was the sudden announcement of the bridegroom’s presence that awakened them.  I believe that God helps us in the weaknesses of our flesh.  Just as Jesus put up with the disciples weakness in the flesh, so he knows our weakness as well.  Yet, the Spirit of the Lord will always be faithful to wake us up so that we do not miss out on the glory of Christ.

One of the important things about this event is that Jesus had previously told his disciples that some of them would see Him coming in his Kingdom before they died.  Here these 3 disciples are given a glimpse of what it will be like when the Son of Man returns with his holy ones, both angels and saints.  This glimpse is so powerful that Peter thinks it is happening for good.  But it wasn’t time yet for the Kingdom of God to be fully instituted here on earth.  I say not fully, because Jesus did start the Kingdom of God here on earth.  However, it is a spiritual kingdom in which Christ rules by his Spirit in the hearts of believers.  It is not a kingdom that is run by men and rules over the peoples of the earth.  Yet, the day is coming that Christ will return and complete the Kingdom of God on earth.  Peter’s desire to build three shelters for Jesus, Moses, and Elijah, demonstrates what he thinks is happening.  They are here to stay and Jesus is ready to reveal his true glory to all the world.  Yet, the physical kingdom is to be delayed.  A time of spiritual harvest must happen first; a time where people are called by the Spirit of God to embrace the spiritual leadership of Jesus Christ in their lives.   As Peter is in the middle of announcing his plan for Jesus and the others, an ominous cloud not only comes over them, but is low enough that they “enter it.”  I believe that this is intended to be connected to the pillar of cloud that led Israel in the desert.  It only settled on the tabernacle and represented the presence of God.  A change is being seen here as Christ allows his disciples to enter into the cloud of God’s presence with him.  The voice of the Father once again announces to those who have ears to hear that Jesus is His beloved son and that they are to listen to him!  I am sure that Peter meant well, but these words are too cutting to miss.  Our flesh is always quick to try and jump in and do for God what we think He needs.  However, God instructs us to knock it off and just listen to Jesus.  He is the commander and the One with the plan.  We are to follow him and not what we envision for him.   Today, there are too many great leaders that are jumping in and telling the group what they need to do for Jesus without first asking the question, “What is Jesus telling us to do?”  It is easy to point to the general instructions of the Lord and then say that the details are up to us.  There is some truth in this.  However, like Joshua sending troops against Ai, we ought to stop from time to time and ask God if there is something that we are missing before we rush ahead.  Peter had a good intention, but rotten timing.  Satan is looking for such people who have good intentions but are not submitted to the leadership of Jesus.  They are easily received by others and easily manipulated by him.

Let me close by encouraging us to quit looking at our failures and weakness in the flesh and using that as an excuse for hanging back.  You were designed to shine forth the glory of Christ.  In this flesh we are not going to glow physically (unless it serves God’s purposes to do so).  But the glory of who Christ is and his wisdom can be seen in us if we will daily lay our flesh at his feet and ask for his help.  God is not surprised that we are weak and fleshly.  Christ came precisely because of this.  Thus let us throw off the excuses and fears and choose to follow him in every area of our life.  Instead of second guessing Jesus and his apostles, let us throw off those things that are hindering us and make the choice to surrender to his leadership.  It is he who is the cornerstone and it is he who set the apostles about him as a foundation for us today.  Quit these false distinctions that try to distinguish between things Paul said and what Jesus said.  These apostles were speaking at the direction of Christ and the Spirit of Christ.  When we reject them we are ultimately rejecting the Christ who commissioned and sent them.  Don’t be deceived.  God is not mocked.  He will not receive those who through clever sophistry develop arguments to redefine their sin as righteousness.  That is not the path of glory, but rather the path of destruction.  Let the glory of Christ shine through you today!

Identity Jesus II audio