Luke 9:28-36 The Cross, then the Crown!

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Pastor Mike Abendroth, Luke 9:28-36 The Cross, then the Crown!

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I look back in my life and I think what should
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I have done differently? I've been a Christian for 36 years and as I reflect on my life
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I say many things but one is I wish I was a better encourager. I wish
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I could go back in time and spend more time encouraging people, encouraging
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Christians, encouraging you. I would assume you like to be encouraged.
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The question this morning is are you an encourager? I mean we want to be encouraged but are we an encourager?
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Romans chapter 15 says God is the God of encouragement. That's fascinating.
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First Thessalonians chapter 2 it talks about good fathers. One of the things they do is encourage and this morning
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I'd like to encourage you from Scripture. That's what I'd like to do. Matter of fact, first Thessalonians 5 says encourage one another so I want to be obedient this morning to do that very thing and encourage you so turn your
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Bibles please to the gospel of Jesus according to Luke for some encouragement.
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Jesus had so many monumental things in his life that he did or that he said and so far in Luke you can find all kinds of them from healings, monumental exorcisms, wonderful raising the dead, almost unbelievable, power over nature, disease, winds, waves, demons, feeding 20 ,000 people.
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When you look at what happened so far just up in the first nine chapters of Luke you have to say to yourself there are monumental things happening because of Jesus and through Jesus.
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A scholar named Walter Liefeld said that the transfiguration is the most significant event between Christ's birth and passion.
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Whether that's true or not I think it nails the point. Between Christ's birth and his death what's the most amazing thing?
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What's the most significant event? J .C. Rowell called what's the most remarkable thing that happened while Jesus was on earth between his birth and his death?
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And they say it's the transfiguration and this morning I'm excited to talk about the transfiguration because in and of itself
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I think it's neat if I was going to talk to a younger person. It's cool.
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It's well if I wanted to talk to a younger person in my generation when I was a kid it's really groovy. No I wouldn't say that.
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I don't know the new code words for a wonderful amazing attention -getting but it is that very thing.
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It's amazing but what makes it more amazing and I want to show you today is the context for the transfiguration.
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If it's just there and you're thinking Jesus is in eternal glory his deity shines forth on the outside for a quick second for moments maybe a preview of what eternal glory is like in heaven.
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If that's amazing in and of itself today you're gonna find out what's the context of the transfiguration.
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Why is it in chapter 9? Why is it in chapter 16? Chapter 23? Why is it in chapter 5?
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Why here? And the answer is encouragement. Who would ever think that the transfiguration is about encouragement?
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It's about a lot of things that's true but it's here for certainly encouragement.
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I'd like to read the passage first and then we'll work through some context and then we'll get into the outline.
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That's our roadmap today. I'm gonna read the passage, I'm gonna have some introductory comments and then we'll get to the outline.
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It's all designed to try to show you the glory of Jesus which is to encourage you. I don't know, anybody here need encouragement?
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I think we all need encouragement. Those that didn't raise your hand are too afraid to be charismatic. It's like sitting on hands.
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Luke 9 verses 28 through 36. Now about eight days after these sayings he took with him
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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.
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His clothing became dazzling white and behold two men were talking with him.
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Moses and Elijah who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.
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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.
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And as the men were parting from him Peter said to Jesus, Master it's good that we are here. Let us make three tents.
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One for you, one for Moses, one for Elijah. Not knowing what he said. As he was saying these things a cloud came and overshadowed them.
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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.
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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.
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I mean that's just amazing to think about. To imagine being there watching.
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What does it mean? What's the significance? Why is it here? And how does it encourage us?
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So whenever you want to understand the Bible I know you know this because many of you teach the Bible to your children and other people.
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You want to know what the context is. Remember it's come to the culmination of Jesus asking
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Peter on behalf of the disciples, who do you say that I am? And of course
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Peter had it half right when he said you're Christ, you're the Christ of God, you're the Christ son of the
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Living God. But he didn't have it into focus nor did the rest of the disciples have it into focus that this anointed
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Messiah, this great Messiah, this ruling Messiah was also going to be a suffering Messiah.
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It's going to be a Messiah that's going to be killed and to be crucified and of course raised from the dead.
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And that's what Jesus was saying. Remember back in verse 21, He charged and commanded them to tell this to no one saying the
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Son of Man must suffer many things be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes and be killed on the third day be raised.
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It's right to think that Jesus is the Messiah but He has to be the suffering Messiah. That's the way that all the followers needed to think of Him.
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And then remember last week Jesus the suffering servant will have servants who suffer.
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Jesus the one who is the Messiah is a suffering Messiah and all of His followers will suffer as well.
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Remember verse 23, deny himself take up his cross daily and follow me. He's making sure that the disciples knew what's done to me is going to be what's done to you.
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And so in light of that we have the transfiguration. Why the transfiguration here?
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Even at the end of verse 27 that we looked at briefly last week. But I tell you truly there are some standing here, remember
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Peter James and John are going to be the ones that go on the transfiguration who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God.
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And now they're gonna get a foretaste of that kingdom. We're not talking about the resurrection here or the
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Ascension or 70 AD or Pentecost. A lot of people argue what is verse 27 about?
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It's about verses 28 and following. It's about a preview, a foretaste of coming attractions of glory.
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I'll just give the sermon away and won't hold it back anymore.
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There will be no regrets for denying self, picking up cross daily and following Jesus.
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Not for the disciples and not for you. Is Jesus worth suffering for?
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Is there the end of glory? Is the end eternal life? Is the end being in the presence of God?
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And what God the Son does here is He's going to encourage these men.
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Now let's break that down. Outline for today. I don't know if I can get through it today.
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That means I won't, but we'll try. I just said to my son yesterday, he's a pastor.
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I said, make sure you preach 45 minutes or less. You don't want people walking away going, when will the guy ever end?
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You want him to say, Oh, I wish you would keep going. Six transfiguration truths meant to encourage.
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Six transformation truths meant to encourage. I think the transfiguration shows many things, but one is encouragement.
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I want to give you six of these today and maybe next week as well.
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We'll see how far we get. I don't want to rush because it is a wonderful passage to just kind of think about.
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Transfiguration truth number one meant to encourage. The transfiguration is meant to encourage the disciples.
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If transfiguration truths encourage, who gets encouragement?
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The disciples, number one. Verse 28 and 29.
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Now about eight days after these sayings, he took with him Peter and James and John and went up the mountain to pray.
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And as he was praying, the appearance of his face was altered and his clothing became dazzling white.
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Mark and Matthew help us and it says it was a high mountain. Mount Hermon was the highest mountain around there.
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It's about 9 ,200 feet. Tabor is a smaller mountain and it's Wachusett Heights. It's 2 ,000 feet.
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So probably Mount Hermon could be snow -capped. And Mark and Matthew say that Jesus was transfigured.
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Luke doesn't use that word here, but Matthew and Mark does. Remember, Jesus said he would suffer, be killed, rise, and then glory.
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The disciples, the followers, would have to suffer and be killed. Most, at least, rise in glory.
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I wonder if that glory is worth it. We kind of know what suffering is. We know what to be killed is.
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We know what the downside, the cross, is. I wonder if it's worth denying self, picking up cross daily, and following Jesus.
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Is it worth it? Will heaven's glories be wonderful enough to counteract all the suffering?
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Now, as you know, when Jesus goes off to pray, something big usually is going to happen. It's almost like if you see the word, behold, or watch, or look.
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When Jesus goes to pray, noteworthy, important, pay attention. And Jesus is off praying.
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They're in a high mountain. When you think of mountains, what do you think of? Most people think of skiing.
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Okay, fine. But if you're thinking biblically about mountains, what should you be thinking about? A place of what?
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Divine revelation. When you think about Moses going up to a mountain, burning bush, and God speaks.
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You think about Exodus chapter 19, Sinai, and the law, God speaking. Oh, I think we better watch out for revelation here.
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Divine revelation. I don't care if it's Mount Hermon or Mount Tabor. That's not the issue.
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Where? The issue is who's up there, and what is He going to say? And as often happens in the scriptures, the greater the revelation, the fewer the people are in on it.
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I think three ladies, when it comes to the resurrection, hear this inner circle, this triad, Peter, James, and John, could be a big revelation, and it's going to be.
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He's praying over and over and over. My view is He's praying about the passion, the cross, what
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He's going to do in Jerusalem, what will happen in Gethsemane, and His face is altered, and His clothing is dazzling white.
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What's happening here? Now you know that Jesus is the Eternal Son who took on flesh and dwelt among us.
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Jesus is truly God. Jesus is truly man. Jesus is perfectly God and perfectly man, and while we've seen
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Jesus in these scriptures showing His humanity when He sleeps, walks, prays, we're going to get a little foretaste, a little preview of who
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Jesus is from the divine side, and so it's as if His skin is pulled back or through His skin comes full deity, the essence of the glory of God.
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It's what He always was. He possessed the glory of God in eternity because He's God. He will show forth all
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His great glory in the future, but right now the Incarnate Son shows
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His nature, His essence through His humanity.
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Nothing was added. It's not like Moses who had the glory of God on his face reflected.
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This is who Jesus is, the Eternal Son. It's transfigured from the inside, not shining from the outside.
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You want to know what God's like in His essence, in His nature, who He really is? It's showing forth glory. I love 1st
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John 1 5. God is light, and for a moment, and some think it was nighttime, you see just the flash of glory, the brilliance, the dazzling display of who
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He is, the essential glory of God. The Old Testament term would be
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Shekinah, shining, the shining. This is something that happens that if you look at it and close your eyes, you could still see it happening because it's so bright.
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This is who Jesus was before the Incarnation. This is who Jesus is, and He's showing it, and this is what it's going to be like when you're with Jesus, and He's glorified.
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By the way, I think that the disciples, when they see the glory of Jesus, that's what they always thought
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Jesus would be as the Messiah. They didn't know about His suffering. They didn't know about the killing. They didn't know about the cross, but when you think about a
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Messiah, you think about the Anointed One, you think about this great King, this great
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Lord, the one who's prophesied of the Old Testament. You're probably thinking, if you're them, this is the right one.
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This is what's happening, the glory of Jesus, a preview of the future exaltation, one writer says.
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John 17, and now Father glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed, and the glory that I'm showing you right now,
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John 17. Stephen called
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God the God of glory. Paul called God the Father of glory, and now we see the glory of His face was altered, the appearance was altered.
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That's pretty interesting, and there's so much glory, even
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His clothes are affected. They became dazzling white, gleaming. It's where we get the word a flash of lightning.
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If you've ever read Ezekiel chapter 1 and trying to describe who God is, there's all this stuff going on, including flashing fire that comes forth continually, as in the midst of the fire, as it were gleaming metal.
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These are the words that are used here. His clothes, Mark says, became radiant, intensely white, as no one on earth could bleach them.
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I just kind of thought that was funny, the way it was said. Can't bleach it. I mean, if you were at the base of Mount Hermon that day, or Tabor, the mountain is lit up, like Sinai that day in Exodus.
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Why is this all happening? It's for the disciples' encouragement. You want to know if suffering's worth it, self -denial is worth it, if following me is worth it, if persecution is worth it, if martyrdom is worth it?
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I'll give you a little foretaste of what heaven's like, what glory's like. When I'm dead, when
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I'm dying, when I'm suffering, I want you to remember this. It's as if Jesus is saying that.
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There's going to be a cloud, there's going to be the glory. It says in Revelation chapter 1 verse 7,
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He's coming with the clouds and every eye will see Him. Did the disciples need encouragement?
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Well, tradition says John died of old age at Ephesus after being at Patmos. Andrew died on a cross.
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Bartholomew was flayed alive. James, the elder son of Zebedee, was beheaded at Jerusalem.
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Thomas was run through the body with the lance. Philip was hanged.
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Thaddeus was shot to death with arrows. Men, you need strength, you need encouragement.
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I wish you know that all the self -denial, all the suffering, all the pain is going to be worth it. Glory. Let me just show you a little foretaste of glory.
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And you might say, I could use some encouragement, not just the disciples. Transformation Truth number two. It's meant to encourage you,
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Christian. Not just the disciples, but you. No one likes to suffer.
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No one likes the pain. No one likes the martyrdom. No one likes to be killed, shot through, flayed alive.
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Is it worth it? Remember back in verse 25 of Luke.
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Is it worth to lose my life? I'm gonna lose my life. I mean, look at all those people out there in the world doing all these great things.
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And the ungodly prosper. The sinners are doing all these great things. Is it worth it for me to lose my life?
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Verse 25. Is it worth it for me to forfeit my life? It doesn't seem like it's a big payoff.
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Is there a payoff? I could put it this way. Is your view of Jesus so great that you say to yourself, he's worth living for.
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He's worth dying for. He's worth suffering for. R .C.
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Sproul said at the Transfiguration, God gave Peter, James, and John a glimpse of the majesty of Jesus so that they would know the suffering servant is also the glorious King.
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We need that reminder as well. Calvin said the Transfiguration was not only to confirm the faith of the
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Apostles, but to give us a glimpse of the heavenly glory that awaits all who are in Christ.
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Years ago, I had to go to the ER. Well, I do that all the time.
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But this one that I'm talking about now is, is I had something stuck in my throat.
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And I'm in San Diego. And I've told the story before. But they gave me ketamine. And I thought they were gonna give me something else.
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But they gave me ketamine. And sometimes ketamine does wonderful things for people. And other times, it's just this dark thing that happens.
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And so I'm laying there. And I start going down what they say is the ketamine hole. And I feel like I'm on a bobsled, feet first, going down, down, down, down, down.
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I can't feel myself breathe. And I keep saying to myself, while I'm on all these drugs, absent from the body, present with the
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Lord, but I'm going down some tube. I'm some kind of slide, a water slide, that's all encapsulated.
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And you're, you know, six flags going. And I'm thinking, what in the world is going on? I thought it was supposed to be to live as Christ and to die as Gain.
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And I'm just zooming down this tube over and over and over. And I kept thinking, what's going on? What's going on?
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There's no lights. And I started to wake up a little bit. The only thing
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I could see, it was not bright lights at all. I could see my black Vans, tennis shoes, that I still had on in the
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ER. We're talking here Shekinah, glory, bright.
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If you don't think you're supposed to look at a welder who welds, this is a glimpse of how great it's going to be.
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Something that is for you, Christian, in the future. So whatever trial, whether it's martyrdom or anything less, that even that the
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Lord sovereignly puts in your life, you go, it's worth it. Is it worth being a Christian?
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Is it worth denying self? This is to strengthen us.
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This is to bolster us. To God be the glory, great things
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He has done. The song says, great things He has taught us, great things He has done, and great are rejoicing through Jesus the
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Son, that purer and higher and greater will be our wonder, our transport, when
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Jesus we what? See. That's the idea. Jesus is saying to His disciples, when you literally follow me,
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He's saying to all Christians and believers, when you literally follow me, the way is always the cross and then glory.
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But glory is true. The way is self -death, self -denial, but there's also great praise, great worship.
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In heaven will you ever regret denying self, picking up your cross, following Jesus?
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In heaven will you ever regret, you know what, I probably just should have sinned more?
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You'll never say that, rather. You'll never regret, I want to obey God. I want to do the right thing.
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The trials were worth it. What Jesus is showing these men, what we try to show you here weekly, is you need to have a big view of Jesus to get through life.
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Lots of times people come in and they'll say, we need help with marriage, with dealing with anxiety, dealing with depression, dealing with financial issues, dealing with whatever the trial is.
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And it's good to give some advice. I think we should do that. That's appropriate. But included in that advice is,
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I want to make sure you have a big view of Jesus. Big God. Because then you see the problems in light of who
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He is and what He's done. Peter writes, blessed be the
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God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ according to His great mercy. He's caused us to be born again to a what?
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A living hope. What's that hope? Glory! Shekinah! I mean the whole pick up cross and follow me, pick up cross daily.
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Remember, let's just go back to that horizontal beam that the people had to carry through the streets of Rome, carry through the streets of Jerusalem, carry wherever they're going to be publicly executed.
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Is it worth it? Glory in the future, heavenly hope bolsters.
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If I say word association, let me tell you, say a word, what comes to your mind? Immediately when
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I say the word, Jesus, I wonder what comes to your mind. Could be all kinds of things that'll be true, but I hope they're things that honor
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Him and talk about His dominion and His worth. Is He worth dying for?
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And by the way, He'll keep you to the end. Did He keep Moses? Moses had been dead for 1 ,500 years, and there's
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Moses on the mountain. Elijah's been dead for 800, maybe 900 years, and there He is alive on the mountain.
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He'll keep His promise. Is there another world beyond the grave?
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Death is swallowed up in victory. Oh death, where is your victory? Oh death, where's your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law, but thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our
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Lord Jesus Christ, and I could add the glory. Christian, it's worth self -denial.
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It's worth picking up your cross daily. It's worth following Him, is it not? Number three, transfiguration truth number three, the transfiguration account is meant to encourage
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Jesus. The transfiguration account is meant to encourage Jesus. What in the world?
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By the way, does Jesus need encouragement on earth? Do humans need encouragement? Is Jesus just a robot?
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Let's think about this. Jesus needed encouragement, and He got it. Wow, never thought of that.
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Luke 9 30, and behold, pay attention, don't look around, look right here.
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Two men were talking with Him, Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of His departure, which
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He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. Don't forget,
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Jesus is not only divine, He's truly human, right? To be our representative substitute, we need a
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God -man, and here we see Jesus, and He's talking with these men.
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Wow. What does the text say again, if I look at it? Who appeared in glory and spoke of His departure, which
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He was hopefully going to accomplish, which He was going to attempt to accomplish,
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He was going to try to accomplish, He was going to think about accomplishing, He might accomplish,
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He possibly could accomplish. No, what He would accomplish, and what is bearing witness to this?
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Everything in the Old Testament, Moses and Elijah. Moses summarizing the law,
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Elijah summarizing the prophets, do you know everything in the Old Testament was bearing witness that Jesus, the
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God -man, would one day die on a cross for sinners and be raised from the dead at Jerusalem? And the wild thing, and I think at least my
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ESV footnote says it, He appeared in glory and spoke of His what?
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Departure. What's your footnote say in your Bible, if you have one? Spoke of His what?
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Exodus. Wow. You mean
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Exodus, the saving act where God rescues Israel out of Egypt with His mighty right arm?
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A rescue attempt? Yeah. Except this is not that. This is not out of bondage from Egypt.
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This is bondage to sin and Satan and death and hell. There's another Exodus, a greater Exodus, a spiritual
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Exodus. Jesus, everything in the
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Old Testament that I wrote, inspired by the Spirit of God, Moses would say, that Elijah says, everything
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I wrote about, it's all pointing to what you're going to do, and you're going to do it. You are going to accomplish it.
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It's done. It's said. I'm sure if you look at the
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Gethsemane account, you would realize how absolutely difficult it would have been for Jesus, and it was for Jesus, to understand that He wasn't just going to die, because dying's one thing, but dying underneath the wrath of God.
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30 ,000 people were crucified, but only one had the wrath of God as it were dumped out on Him, and He knew it was coming, and even in the garden as He's praying, you can hear
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His heart there, and how difficult it would be. Before we get to Gethsemane, we have
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Moses and Elijah saying, you're going to do it. You're going to accomplish it. History is all pointing to this.
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You're going to accomplish it. Now, why do pastors quote people?
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Well, pastors quote people, or any speaker quotes people, for a couple different reasons. One, because these people say things better than the speaker does.
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Two, to lend credibility. So you don't think I'm just making it up, so let me have some people lend credibility to this account that Jesus needs encouragement.
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Calvin, it was also a support and encouragement to Christ Himself, who was clothed with our flesh and about to undergo the bitterness of death, to encourage the
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Lord. The Father's going to say, this is my beloved Son, my chosen one, listen to Him.
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That was encouraging, was it not? R .C. Sproul. The transfiguration was not only for the disciples, it was also for Jesus.
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It was a visible affirmation of the Father's love, a divine encouragement on the road to Golgotha.
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And then one last one, Sinclair Ferguson. If I had a Scottish accent,
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I would say it the way he would, but I don't. I could have said, if I could talk with a smoker's cough like R .C.
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Sproul, I would. It was also for Jesus. If you think
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R .C.'s bad, you should hear his mentor, John Gershner. He was, I mean, camel no filter for Gershner.
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The true human, the perfect man, needed the encouragement.
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Ferguson writes, the transfiguration was not merely a vision for the disciples. It was a moment of confirmation for Jesus Himself, strengthening
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His resolve and a glimpse of the joy set before Him. Think about that.
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Even Hebrews chapter 12, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him.
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And Moses and Elijah summarizing everything with the Father's good pleasure and His good words.
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Yes, Jesus, you're going to accomplish this, and there's glory to follow. Cheering, encouraging, strengthening, fortifying.
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Let's just read all of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy. Let's just read all of the prophets, and all of them are going to say, the
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Eternal Son is going to take on flesh and die on behalf of sinners. You're going to be able to do it.
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Now back to that word, departed. Spoke of His departure, spoke of His exodus.
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Now when we talk about our loved ones dying, sometimes we'll say they passed, they died.
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Sometimes we say, but not often, dearly departed, dearly left.
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My question is, what does death accomplish? For us, death doesn't accomplish anything, except of course bring us to glory, but death doesn't accomplish, death ends.
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Death doesn't do something, it ends something. But for the Lord Jesus, the Eternal Son, the
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God -Man, death accomplishes. Isn't that wonderful? What does death accomplish?
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It accomplishes something in Jesus's life when He dies for sinners and says, it is finished.
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This Jesus that says, no one takes down my life, I lay it down on my own accord. There's a greater exodus that the
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Lord Jesus is going to do. Jesus got the encouragement,
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Jesus got the bolstering. Verse 35, if you jump down to there, a voice came out of the clouds saying, this is my
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Son, my chosen one, listen to Him. Wonderful. Jesus, you're going to need strength and courage as you die for the sins of all those who would ever believe.
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The two men, verse 30, were talking with Him. I'd like to make a couple other comments. The idea for Matthew, Mark, and Luke is they were talking for a long time.
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It wasn't just a short little conversation, they were talking for a long time to encourage
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Jesus. Transfiguration truth number four. First truth is, the disciples got encouraged from the transfiguration
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Second one, we get encouragement. Third one was, Jesus got encouragement.
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Now number four, transformation truth number four, what happened at the transfiguration will be the focus of heaven.
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And to me, that's encouraging. What were these men talking about? I love
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S. Lewis Johnson. He said, you think they have ought to spoken about how the
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Jericho juleps and the Jerusalem jimbos were getting ready for spring training in the baseball season?
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Or you think they'd be talking about their Beersheba Bears and the Dan Donkeys we'll do in the coming National Football League? No, they're not thinking about stupid things like that.
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Perhaps they're speaking about politics. When will Pilate get the ax? And who shall succeed Herod? Johnson.
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No, the theme in heaven is the theme of the cross. And that's the thing they're interested in. The interest of heaven gather around the person and work of the
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Lord Jesus and the glory of the great God who is on the throne and the manifestation of his attributes and of his essential being.
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The focus matter of the discussion of these men is the focus matter of heaven.
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And of course you know the passage in Revelation chapter 5, worthy is the Lamb who is slain to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and glory and honor and blessing.
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I heard every creature in heaven on the earth and under the sea and in the earth and all that is in them saying to him who sits on the throne and to the
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Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever. What's the focus of heaven?
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What's the focus of the cross? What's the focus of the transfiguration? It's all the same. The Lamb standing as if slain.
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Transfiguration truth number five. We can gain some encouraging insight into believers who've died because of this account.
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Transformation truth number five. We can gain some encouraging insight into believers who have died. First the text verse 32.
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Wonder what the disciples were doing up to this point. Now Peter and those who were with him were heavy with sleep and when they became fully awake they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him.
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So they're really really sleepy it's not like a light nap and and they wake up and I don't know about you but if something major has happened and you wake up it's kind of discombobulating.
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Remember the one time I was Monday I was sick Kim wakes me up at like 5 30 in the morning says honey
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I hate to do this to you but the water pipe in the basement burst and the basement's flooded.
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I mean I just had how do you kind of wake up to that and I don't know you've had similar situations. Could have been higher elevation, nighttime, sleepy, rubbing their eyes, weighed down with sleep.
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That's how a doctor talks about sleep and that's Luke the physician. Verse 33 and as the men were parting from him
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Peter said to Jesus remember he just woke up. Master it's good that we're here.
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Let us make three tents one for you one for Moses one for Elijah not knowing what he said as he popped the clutch of his mouth.
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FF Bruce the scholar who's typically reserved with his words said this is a whole scheme of stupidity.
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I want to just settle down here for a while because it's glory. He's already forgotten that it's suffering then glory.
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Let's make three tents. They're all equal. They're all in the same playing field. Moses, Elijah, and Jesus like they're all the same.
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He doesn't know what he's saying. Part of it is dazzling glory. Part of it is who knows what's going on with him.
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Feast of booths you just settle in. Kingdoms here. A preview of the kingdoms here.
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What about the transfiguration truth? How were they recognized
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Moses and Elijah? How do we know it was Moses and Elijah? Well the text says it but how did they know?
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Maybe in the conversation names came up. Maybe supernaturally given to them.
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But I think you're able to recognize other people in heaven don't you?
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Are you gonna know less in heaven than you do on earth? Now some of this is just inference but I did think it was fascinating.
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I read this about some lessons here. They lived on Moses and Elijah even though they left the earth hundreds of years before.
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True. They could be identified without any formal introduction. True. They could speak to one another.
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True. Their intelligence was not impaired. True. They knew about coming events.
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True. They showed no dread in the presence of the glory of Christ. True. And they were able to commune with Christ.
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True. If any of those are true for heaven, if all of them are true, how insightful, how wonderful, how encouraging.
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Transformation truth number six. You didn't think I could do it did you? I didn't think
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I could do it. I didn't want to do it. I want to like build a tent here for next week too.
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Settle in. One for you, one for me, one for Moses, one for Elijah. Oops. He did not know what he was saying.
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Transfiguration truth number six. God the Father gives the ultimate answer to the question who is
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Jesus. God the Father gives his answer to who is
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Jesus. The ultimate answer. The answer. So far in Luke we've got all kinds of people saying who is this even the winds and the waves obey him?
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Who is this person? Who do you say that I am? And the people were astonished and said could this be the son of David?
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Luke chapter 4 they were speaking well of Jesus wondering at the gracious words that were falling from his lips and they were saying is this not
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Joseph's son? Who is he? And now the
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Father answers. Verse 34 as he was saying these things.
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As Peter was saying what things? It's good for us, let us make three tents, one for you, etc. etc. A cloud came and overshadowed them and they were afraid as they entered in the cloud.
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And a voice came out of the cloud saying this is my son, my chosen one, listen to him.
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And when the voice is spoken Jesus was found alone and they kept silent and told no one in those days anything of what they had seen.
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As they were talking the bright, as Peter was talking, the bright cloud overshadowed them, Matthew says.
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You think there's parity and equality between Moses, Elijah, and Jesus? The Father steps in to make sure you understand this is my son.
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Moses and Elijah go away. Peter says exactly the wrong thing.
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The Father corrects him. Often Jesus would have to interrupt Peter. Often Jesus would have to correct
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Peter. This time it's the Father. They're not on the same level. Of course
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Moses and Elijah point to Jesus but they're just menus by God.
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This is my son, my chosen one, listen to him. Out of the cloud and of course we're thinking with the cloud in the tabernacle in Ezekiel.
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We're thinking about the cloud, the pillar of fire, the pillar by day, by night.
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This is the Messianic King. Even though he's going to suffer, he's the
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King. He's the Messiah. He's my beloved son. He's my chosen one. My beloved son straight from Psalm 2, straight from Psalm 110.
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My chosen one straight from Isaiah 42, in whom my soul delights. The chosen one.
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Listen to him. Well what do you know Deuteronomy 18, the Lord your
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God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, Moses said, from your countrymen and you shall listen to him.
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The divine endorsement, listen to Jesus. No one else is talking now because Moses and Elijah are gone.
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They bear their testimony, Jesus fulfills it. Peter asked a question, who is this?
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The Father answers. Hear him.
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Now Matthew says this, we don't get this in Luke, but I want to read this because it's amazing. When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were terrified.
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They were already afraid. Now they're uber afraid, extra afraid. And what does
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Jesus do? What does Jesus do when Peter makes a mistake, we would have made the mistake.
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James and John would have made the mistake. Terrified. And now what do you think Jesus does? I told you so.
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You deserve it. At least I didn't have to spank you this time, my father will and did.
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Weak disciples, sinful disciples. Disciples that still can't really get suffering and Messiah going together.
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They're terrified. They're on their faces. Can you imagine what would scare you so much that you just go down on your face?
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I used to work in a haunted house in Omaha, Nebraska, and they would dress us all up and we would hide in the little nooks and crannies and everything like that.
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And then when people would walk through, we would scare them. And our goal was to try to get them to hit the deck.
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Matthew 17, 7. How does Jesus deal with people? Jesus came and touched them, all three, and said, rise and have no fear.
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You're fine. I know I just showed you my glory, my deity, the divine essence
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I share with the Father, co -equal. But here's Jesus.
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I mean, sometimes you just need a human touch, don't you? Sometimes you just need to somebody just go visit somebody in the hospital and think they've just been touched by nurses only, doctors and I'm just gonna put my hand on their shoulder and say,
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I love you. And when the voice had spoken,
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Jesus was found alone. They kept silent, told no one in those days anything of what they'd seen. Pretty amazing passage.
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I'm not going to give any closing. I'm not going to give any summary. I'm just going to say that the glory of Jesus gave a preview of coming attractions for all those that say it's a hard life, is self -denial, picking up cross daily, following Jesus, going through trials, getting persecuted, dealing with sin in the world.
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Is it worth being a Christian? Let's pray. Father, I thank you for your word.
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I thank you that you gave us the greater Moses. I'm encouraged. I need encouragement.
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I know Bethlehem Bible Church does as well. The second coming, the eternal state, the one word,
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Father, that describes it is glory. Jesus's glory. We look forward to that day.
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Encourage these dear saints and help them to encourage others by talking about who