The Gospel of Luke (36) The Transfiguration of Jesus Christ 08/20/2023

Well, I asked Bruce Binney if he would come and read our New Testament passage today.

Come on up Bruce We're in Romans chapter 8 now this portion of Scripture is dealing with the believers sanctification and We saw it introduced in Romans 6 and then last week we considered the struggle that Christians have living according to the law of God God's moral standard for Christians.

Well Romans 8 tells us how this is done What the law could not do and that is to enable you to become holy

Christ did through his life his death his resurrection Primarily through giving us the the gift of the

Holy Spirit and Through the Holy Spirit were enabled to live the kind of life that that would please us and certainly please our

Lord Romans chapter 8 and then Bruce if you'll pray for us, please. Thank you

All right, Romans chapter 8 one of my favorites There is therefore now no

Condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus who do not walk according to the flesh

But according to the Spirit for the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death

For what the law could not do and that it was weak through the flesh God did by sending his own

Son in the likeness of sinful flesh on Account of sin he condemned sin in the flesh

That the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us

Who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the

Spirit? For the law for those who live according to the flesh set their mind on the things of the flesh

But those who live according to the Spirit the things of the Spirit For to be carnally minded is death

But to be spiritually minded is life and peace Because the carnal mind is enmity against God For it is not subject to the law of God nor indeed can be

So then those who are in the flesh cannot please God But you are not in the flesh, but in the

Spirit if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you now if anyone does not have the

Spirit of Christ, he is not his and If Christ is in you the body is dead because of sin, but the

Spirit is life because of righteousness But if the Spirit of him who raised

Jesus from the dead dwells in you he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his spirit who dwells in you

Therefore brethren, we are debtors not to the flesh to live according to the flesh

For if you live according to the flesh, you will die But if by the

Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body you will live For as many as are led by the

Spirit of God These are the sons of God For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear

But you received the spirit of adoption by whom we cry out Abba Father The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God and if children then heirs heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ If indeed we suffer with him that we also may be glorified together

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory

Which shall be revealed in us? for the earnest expectation of the creation

Eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God For the creation was subjected to futility

Not willingly, but because of him who subjected it in hope because the creation itself also

Will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious Liberty of the children of God For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now

Not only that but we also who have the first roots of the spirit Even we ourselves grown within ourselves

Eagerly waiting for the adoption the redemption of our body For we were saved in this hope

But hope that has seen is not hope for why does one still hope for what he sees?

But if we hope for what we do not see we eagerly wait for it with perseverance

Likewise the spirit also helps us in our weaknesses For we do not know what to pray

For we do not know what we should pray For as we ought but the spirit himself makes intercession for us with groanings, which cannot be uttered

Now he who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the spirit is

Because he makes intercession for the Saints according to the will of God and we know that all things work together

For good to those who love God to those who are called according to his purpose

For whom he foreknew he also Predestined to be conformed to the image of his son that he might be the firstborn among many brethren

Moreover whom he predestined these he also called whom he called these he also justified in whom he justified

These he also glorified What then shall we say to these things if God is for us who can be against us

He who did not spare his own son, but delivered him up for us all

How shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Who shall bring a charge against God's elect it is

God who justifies? Who is he who condemns it is Christ who died and furthermore is also risen

Who is even at the right hand of God who also makes intercession for us?

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or Nakedness or peril or sword as it is written

For your sake we are killed all the day long. We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter

Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us

For I am persuaded that neither death nor life nor angels nor Principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth

Nor any other created thing shall be able to separate us from the love of God Which is in Christ Jesus our

Lord Let's pray. Oh Lord, we thank you that you're our

Lord our Lord Jesus We thank you Heavenly Father for giving us such a great

Savior as our Lord Jesus And we just ask God that you would bless this time

We thank you Lord for the Word of God that comes forth from this pulpit We just pray that you would help us help us

Lord. First of all to receive it Lord help us By taking your word and sealing it to our hearts

Lord. Help it help us Be affected by the word that we would be conformed to the image of your dear son

We thank you Heavenly Father for giving us a Shepherd who loves your word and just pray

God that you would be glorified in our midst in Jesus name. Amen Well, let's turn in the gospel of Luke to chapter 9

I Understand that pastor

Jason and Laura. We're gonna tune in this morning in Ohio and so we

Greet you and pray for a safe return And we pray for you

Harold in Salida. Also that the Lord would help you through the trials you are experiencing

Well that Jesus of Nazareth is the true promised Messiah Of God's own and God's own son has proved in a number of different ways in Holy Scripture First of course, there were numerous

Old Testament prophecies of the coming Messiah that are shown to have been fulfilled

By Jesus Secondly Jesus proved he was the incarnate

Son of God through a number of miracles. He performed and Through extending forgiveness of sins to guilty ones.

Only God can forgive sins and on one occasion Our Lord had challenged his listeners believe the works that you may know and believe that the

Father is in me and I in him Third Jesus's teachings attested to his identity as the

Son of God For he taught not as one of the scribes, but as one himself who had authority and For certainly his resurrection was clear proof that Jesus Christ is the

Son of God As Paul wrote in Romans 1 that Jesus would declared to be the

Son of God with power by the resurrection of the dead But fifth in addition to these proofs of his divine sonship

God the Father himself Was pleased to affirm audibly from heaven on three separate occasions that Jesus of Nazareth was indeed his son in whom he was well pleased and Today we'll consider the second of these three occasions

Which is before us in Luke 9 28 to 36 So here is the account

Now it came to pass about eight days after these sayings that he took Peter John and James and went up on the mountain to pray

As he prayed the appearance of his face was altered and his robe became white and glistening the

Greek word suggests a brightness like like lightning and Behold two men talked with him who were

Moses and Elijah who appeared in glory and spoke of his decease Which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem But Peter and those with him were heavy with sleep

And when they were fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him

Then it happened as they were parting from him that Peter said to Jesus master It's good for us to be here

Let us make three tabernacles one for you one for Moses one for Elijah not knowing what he said and while he was saying this a cloud came and overshadowed them and they were fearful as they entered the cloud and a voice came out of the cloud saying this is my beloved son hear him and when the voice ceased

Jesus was found alone But they kept quiet and told no one in those days any of the things they had seen

We can consider this account Luke's account of this event by examining first the details of the event itself that we just read second by considering the impact that this event had upon the disciples themselves and Then last we'll propose several implications for the of the event for us

And so let's first look at the details of the event The episode we dealt with last week concluded with the words of Luke 9 27, which read

Jesus words said But I tell you truly there is some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the kingdom of God Now we might be tempted to see these words see the kingdom of God to refer to the occasion of the transfiguration

So what we just read is a fulfillment of verse 27 Some commentators take this position

J. C. Ryle a wonderful commentator preacher of the 19th century a

Bishop in the Church of England. He was of this opinion. And so he wrote the phrase after these sayings

This expression seems to make it plain That the word seed in the kingdom of God in the preceding verse were spoken with special reference to the vision of the transfiguration

But Ryle was probably wrong in his assertion the saying probably refers to the

Lord's coming death and resurrection and to Pentecost and the events thereafter

For in Luke's gospel and In his sequel the book of Acts the kingdom of God was ushered in when our

Lord Jesus died upon his cross Triumphed over death in his resurrection and ascended to be seated on his throne in heaven

However, certainly the idea is also present in Luke's gospel that wherever the Lord Jesus was the power and presence of the kingdom of God was also present

The transfiguration serves as a further endorsement for the disciples as to the identity of Jesus as the

Son of God and It confirms to them their responsibility to follow him and So let's consider these details first the transfiguration itself verses 28 and 29 now it came to pass about eight days after these sayings that he took

Peter John and James and Went up on the mountain to pray and as he prayed the appearance of his face was altered and his robe became white and glistening

Luke recorded that this event occurred about eight days after these sayings

Mark and Matthew Record that it was after six days Jesus took with him

Peter and James and John's brother Their account of after six days is not a contradiction with Luke's about eight days

For if you take six days in addition to the partial day before and partial day after It makes

Luke's record about eight days accurate Even though it may not be as precise as the other gospel writers statements

What is important is that this transfiguration occurred shortly after these sayings and that's a point of emphasis

These sayings refer to Jesus teaching the people regarding his impending suffering Death and resurrection and also the importance of following him as his disciples these sayings and So what is shown by this connection?

after these sayings is that Jesus's transfiguration was displaying and Foreshadowing his future glorification.

They would come after his sufferings and death. I Howard Marshall who was a noted

Commentator of the Greek text of Luke's gospel wrote of this Connection and he again uses the

Greek text throughout his commentary the phrase metatooth log off to toss

It's basically how you'd say that should be translated after these sayings and serves to tie the incident

Closely to the conversation which just preceded That's what we just stated

The prophecy of the sufferings and the glory the Son of Man is to be heard in close conjunction with the vision of the glory of Jesus after his

Exodus or after his death our Lord took three of his disciples those apparently closest to him and Took them with him onto a mountain in order to pray

Peter James and John were greatly privileged to have been included in several significant events in the life of our

Savior Jesus had called these three men by name to enter with him in the house of Jairus When Jesus had raised the twelve -year -old daughter from death unto life

In Luke 8 21 we read of that event when he came into the house he permitted no one to go in except Peter James and John and the father and the mother of the girl and Later in the last week of our

Lord's ministry in Jerusalem Jesus when he had gone with his disciples to the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus called these three men to be with him to go farther into the garden and they witnessed the distress that Jesus was experiencing and Jesus came with them to a place called

Gethsemane and said to the disciples sit here while I go and pray over there and he took with him

Peter and the two sons of Zebedee that would be James and John and He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed and then he said to them

My soul is exceedingly sorrowful even to death stay here and watch with me

And here of course in Luke 9 we see Jesus took these three Onto the

Mount where he was transfigured before them. I Was reading about 60 pages of a volume of Thomas Manton.

It was a great Puritan Commentator and and he gave about six or seven sermons on this passage and he zeroed in particularly on Peter and John and and Manton talked about how they were actually quite close friends and he gave all the reasons from the

Gospels why this is Revealed as such Peter and John John the young man

Peter the older more mature man, but they're always mentioned together Throughout the Gospels.

They were close friends Even on to on to the end Peter later wrote of what he had witnessed on this occasion.

And so this was perhaps 30 years after the fact For 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 it impacted

Peter and John probably alluded to his eyewitness at this event when he wrote these words in John 1 14

The word became flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld his glory The glory is of the only begotten of the

Father full of grace and truth Now the glory the Son of God was shown forth throughout

Jesus's entire life, but maybe he was alluding to this visual experience on the

Mount of Transfiguration Jesus took them with him of a mountain the mountain is not named and Commentators have proposed several different mountains of Galilee as the possible location of the event

The fact is that we do not know for certain which mountain it was though Hermon Mount Hermon is a reasonable suggestion

Another road of the uncertainty of identifying a specific mountain Richard Lenski a

Lutheran commentator He wrote the attempts to identify the mountain which is called high by the other synoptic that would be

Matthew and Mark are quite futile the traditional site of Mount Tabor But the records agree that Jesus was still near Caesarea Philippi That would be farther north and one does not see how he could so soon be considerably south even of even

Capernaum something The slopes of Mount Hermon, which however is entirely too far north

It is sufficient to think of one of the highest points in the mountainous region not far from Caesarea Philippi Where we know that Jesus was at this time

And so the identity of this mountain is not provided by the gospel writers, that's probably good that it's not frankly

For if it had been named there would be a dozen idolatrous shrines erected on the place And that's what you find when you go into the

Holy Land. So called The fact that the mountain is not identified.

However, it did not discourage idolaters There's a church so -called built on the side of Mount Tabor.

In fact, I Read that there's a so -called Church of Transfiguration and the

Church of Elijah several other temples and shrines Peter desired to build three tents to house

Jesus Moses and Elijah not knowing what he was saying But many would come after him who would build large stone structures to commemorate

Where supposedly this event took place not knowing what they were doing Tabor is located southwest of the

Sea of Galilee. It's not all that high a mountain frankly Not far from Jesus's hometown of Nazareth There was a bishop

Cyril of Jerusalem who wrote in AD 348 that That he preferred

Mount Tabor to Mount Hermon as the place where the Transfiguration took place

And it seemed to that was all was necessary shrines to be built there on that Mount Tabor for throughout the centuries

But perhaps Mount Hermon should be viewed as the preferred site this mountain peak stood forth in northern

Galilee to a height of 9 ,232 feet The confession of Peter that Jesus was the

Son of God was at Caesarea Philippi Which again is right at right near the

Lebanese border today which was located at the foot of Mount Hermon and That was six days before the

Transfiguration so it would seem to me that this is the most likely of possible locations really doesn't matter but Probably that was it

Mount Hermon is snow -capped much of the year and I recall reading years ago.

This must have been 45 years ago I read read Alfred Edersheim in his classic book

The life and times of Jesus and Messiah and he described Jesus and his disciples

Traveling up Mount Hermon and here's the narrative It's to me.

It just so wonderfully beautifully sets a scene that you can imagine perhaps

Up into a high mountain apart to pray the Sabbath sun had set and the delicious cool hung in the summer air

As Jesus and the three commenced their ascent from all parts of the land as far as Jerusalem or Tyre the one great object in view must have always been snow -clad

Hermon and Now I stood out before them as to the memory of the traveler in the

West Mount Rosa or Mount Blanc in all the wondrous glory of a sunset

First rose -colored then deepening red next the death -like pallor and the darkness relieved by the snow and quick succession

From high up there as one describes it came over all the scene the warm purple shadows crept slowly on The Sea of Galilee was lit up with a delicate greenish yellow hue

Between its dim walls of hill the flesh died out in a few minutes and a pale steel colored shade succeeded a long pyramid middle or pyramidal shadow shadows slid down to the eastern foot of Hermon and crept across the

Great Plain Damascus was swallowed up by it and Finally the pointed end of the shadow stood out distinctly against the sky a dusky

Cone of dull color against the flush of the afterglow It was the shadow of the mountain itself stretching away for 70 miles across the play and the most marvelous shadow perhaps to be seen anywhere

And the Sun underwent strange changes of shape and thick vapors now almost square now like a domed temple until at length that slid into the sea and went out like a blue spark an

Overhead shown out of the blue summer sky one by one the stars in eastern buoyancy We know not the exact direction which the climbers took nor how far their journey went but there's only one road that leads from Caesarea Philippi to Herman and we

Cannot be mistaken in following it First among the vine clad hill stocked with mulberry apricot fig trees and then through cornfields

Where the pear trees have plants the fig next through oak Coppice and up rocky ravines to where the soil is dotted with dwarfed shrubs

And if we pursue the ascent it still becomes steeper Till the first ridge of snow is crossed after which turfy banks gravelly slopes and broad snow patches alternate

The top of Herman in the summer and it can only be ascended in summer or autumn

It's free from snow, but broad patches run down the sides Expanding as they descend

To the very summit it is well earthed to 500 feet below it studded with countless plants higher up with dwarf clumps and as they ascend in the cool of that Sabbath evening the keen mountain air must have breathed strength into the climbers and The scent of snow for which the parched tongue would long

Would would long in summer's heat have refreshed them We know not what part may have been open to them of the glorious panorama from Herman Embracing as it does a great part of Syria from the

Sea of Damascus and from the Lebanon and the gorge of litany To the mountains of Moab or down the

Jordan Valley to the Dead Sea or over Galilee Samaria On to Jerusalem and beyond it but such darkness as that of a summer's night would creep on and Now the moon shone out and dazzling splendor cast long shadows over the mountain and lit up the broad patches of snow reflecting their brilliancy on the objects around That gives you at least a bit of a visual

A perception perhaps of what they saw. Well, we read that he took

Peter John and James and went up on the mountain to pray The place of solitude was sought the place of solitude suitable for private and quiet contemplation

We too on occasion Must be alone spending time with God alone and fellowship with his son

If we would desire him to reveal himself more fully to us Most of us do so daily in our quiet time with the

Lord if we don't we should What was our Lord's primary interest in going apart on this occasion to pray we can only surmise

But it is likely that with his knowledge of his sufferings and death that were to take place in Jerusalem And that he would soon be embarking on his journey to Jerusalem to this end

It stated in Luke 9 51 not too much farther In our account

He determined to be in communion with his father to gather strength and fellowship with him in this endeavor

It was at his baptism while Jesus was praying that the heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended in a bodily form like a dove

Upon him and a voice came from heaven, which said you are my beloved son In you

I'm well pleased and it was on this occasion While Jesus was praying to his father that the father again spoke and commended his son

It's significant that they went up on a mountain oftentimes God manifested himself to his people on a mountain a

Mountain was often the place of divine revelation As one wrote at the top of a mountain a place of seclusion suitable for divine revelation

Jesus engaged in prayer The idea suggested is that a transcendent

God holy and wholly different from his creatures condescends from heaven comes down in order to commune with his creatures and What is also suggested is that man was come away from the world that knows not

God Separating himself on to God so that he might commune together They meet halfway as it were and so in connection with this one might think of Mount Sinai Where Moses ascended the mountain and God came down upon the mountain and there they communed one with the other face -to -face

There's parallels with the Mount of Transfiguration and Mount Sinai It was while in prayer that Jesus was transfigured that is he assumed a different appearance as He prayed the appearance of his face was altered in his robe became white and glistening

Or as the ESV reads and as he was praying the appearance of his face was altered in his clothing became dazzling white

He began to glow his face and clothing He began to radiate brilliant light the very glory of God his father for he was communing with the father in prayer

As one wrote if Jesus was transfigured then it must have been through his reflecting the glory of God in whose presence he was while in prayer and Again the parallel with Moses on Sinai is suggested but whereas Moses is face shown alone to radiate the glory of God from being in the presence of God the people of Israel saw

Moses and His glowing face when he came down the mountain Here we read that our

Lord's face and clothing Radiated Divine splendor and a greater than Moses is here and we read of the appearance of Moses and Elijah in verses 30 and 31

Two Old Testament persons appeared Talking with him and behold two men talked with him.

They were Moses and Elijah Who appeared in glory and spoke of his decease which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem These men two were clothed in glorious splendor the

Old Testament records that Moses had died But here he is talking with Jesus. I Do not know what a person who believes in soul sleep after death does with this verse

Moses should be sleeping in the grave according to some no On the other hand the

Old Testament records that Elijah never tasted death, but was taken by God into heaven and a chariot you'll recall as Elisha watched on The appearance of these two men is significance

Along with him there appeared Moses and Elijah two prominent Old Testament figures both of whom had unusual departures from this world

God buried Moses Both of whom were regarded as types of figures to appear at the end of the age.

This was the Jewish expectation It was through Moses, of course that God had given the law the

Ten Commandments On which the nation of Israel based its relationship with God the

Old Covenant To the Jews Moses was the supreme authority One could appeal to no higher authority than Moses when seeking to discover

God's will on a matter And then there was Elijah. He was the greatest of the prophets in the minds of most

Jews And so these two men In these two men, we have the witness of the law and the prophets what we would regard as the

Old Testament scriptures Testify buried witness of Jesus and So here in Jesus the law and the prophets find their fulfillment

Notice the specific subject with which they were speaking to Jesus. They spoke of his deceased

Which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem the Greek word translated is deceased is interesting

It is a Greek word exodon you can hear the word exodus in the word exodon and Elsewhere this word is used to describe

Israel's exodus from Egypt. And so Moses and Elijah Spokesman for the law and the prophets were speaking to Jesus about his exodus

That is his death upon his cross Through which he would depart from this world. I didn't put it in the notes

But here's but one more bit of evidence in Luke's gospel. It presents. Jesus is the true

Israel of God He's compared contrasted with The nation of Israel the unfaithful son of God.

Jesus is the faithful son of God Israel went through its exodus and the wilderness wandering into the promised land

Jesus does his exodus from this world, of course and enters into heaven through Suffering and death he entered he went through that 40 -day wilderness which parallels

Israel's wilderness testing and So Jesus is the Israel of God and the people who believe on Jesus become

Citizens of Israel because of their union with Jesus Christ the true Israel.

That's a whole nother matter but the idea here may be present that just as Moses led his people out of Egypt to their inheritance of Canaan.

So Jesus would lead his followers out of this world The true exodus of which the

Old Testament exodus would but a type the anti type Is passing out of this world through death perhaps into our heavenly inheritance

There's another idea of exiting Matthew Henry wrote of this the death of Christ is here called his exit.

He's going out is leaving the world Moses and Elias old English word for Elijah Spoke of it to him under the notion to reconcile him to it and to make the foresight of it more easy to his human nature the death of the

Saints is their Exodus their departure out of the Egypt of this world their release out of a house of bondage

Some think that the ascension of Christ is included here in his departure For the departure of Israel out of Egypt was a departure in triumph.

And so was his when he went from earth to heaven from his resurrection wonderful parallels

It's certainly clear that the law and the prophets the Old Testament scriptures point to and have their fulfillment in the death resurrection and glorification of Jesus a

Messiah Jesus wants declared to the unbelieving Jewish leaders you search the scriptures for in them

You think by possessing them you think you have eternal life and these are they which testify of me?

And this is what we have in pictorial display before us The law of the prophets

Moses and Elijah testified of Jesus Well, let's consider the reaction of the three disciples

Peter James and John had fallen asleep and Had apparently missed the great portion of conversation that Jesus with had with Moses and Elijah We read the

Peter and those with him were heavy with sleep and when they were fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him and Then it happened as they were parting from him that Peter said to Jesus master.

It's good for us to be here Let us make three tabernacles one for you one for Moses and one for Elijah not knowing what he said

And so the disciples have been asleep when these two men had joined themselves to Jesus It would seem that due to them sleeping they missed the substance of the conversation

Now they're not to be blamed But we wish at least one of them could have been attentive enough to get some details of that conversation but how often have we to missed a blessing from God perhaps a word of instruction or a word of Encouragement because we were either inattentive or busy giving ourselves to other things sleeping instead of listening

But they did awaken and what was it to which they fixed their attention We read carefully now they saw his glory and the two men standing with him

You see the emphasis on Jesus above the two They saw his glory when they woke up and the two men and so what impressed them most was his glory and the two men with him and Even these two men had also appeared in glorious splendor

And one when one really sees Jesus as he is in all his glory things are seen in right perspective

Yeah, Moses and Elijah were great, but they saw Jesus glorified He was preeminent

As great as Moses and Elijah were to these three disciples the glory of Jesus Christ was more greatly pronounced more noted by them

The Apostle Paul would set forth a similar comparison between the new covenant that Jesus Christ is established in contrast

To the old covenant that Moses had administered to Israel 2nd

Corinthians 3 although the moon is bright in the nighttime when the morning Sun rises it causes the glory of the moon to fade

Paul wrote of Jesus over Moses for if what is passing away Referring to the

Mosaic Covenant the old covenant like the moon Was glorious what remains is more glorious the

Son the Son of Jesus and the new covenant that he brought These three disciples woke and they saw his glory and the two men standing with him

And had you and I been at the foot of Mount Sinai and we saw Moses come down We would have been impressed with the glory of his face

As it shone forth People of Israel recognized in fact, they were terrified because of it and if we had been on Mount Carmel when when

Elijah was battling those hundreds of prophets of Baal and He called fire down from heaven to lick up the evening sacrifice.

We would have been impressed with his glory But when one sees the

Lord Jesus in all his glory Moses and Elijah and all that they represent will simply be two men standing with him bearing witness to him

Their glory pales in the presence of the glory of Jesus Christ Apparently the meeting was fleeting Peter wanted to prolong it and so Peter suggests they build three temporary shelters

So that these three Jesus Moses and Elijah could abide together Luke supplies us with the comment that Peter did not know what he was saying

It was a request of Peter born from ignorance and now his ignorance was to be corrected

And so what is suggested is that though Moses and Elijah were great persons in the plan and persons of God They they pale in comparison to the greater

Son of God To whom they bore witness They had preceded

Jesus and pointed to him But now Jesus stood forth prominent and through him the glory of God would be revealed to his people

How these three disciples were able to recognize the identities of Moses and Elijah not related to us

It's quite wonderful, isn't it? It suggests all kinds of things Thomas Matton wrote an entire sermon about it and Possibly our recognition of one another in heaven

Although we'd never known Some perhaps and Hendrickson wrote this How did the disciples know that the two from the other world who suddenly appeared upon the scene were

Moses and Elijah? Did these visitors introduce themselves?

Did the disciples know this by intuition? Did they gather this information from the word spoke by each

Moses and Elijah in his? Conversation with Jesus had the looks or personal appearance of the two heavenly visitors been transmitted to the disciples by tradition

Whether oral or written so that this for this reason it was very easy to recognize them and tell them apart

Had the identification been divinely revealed to them or last but not least fanciful

I think it's kind of fanciful Was Moses carrying in his hand a copy of the law did Elijah descend from heaven in the mount in his fiery chariot?

All we know and need to know is that in a manner not revealed to us

The three disciples recognized the two visitors We then read of impulse of Peter proposing a means to prolong this meeting

Again verse 33 it happened as they were parting from him Peter said to Jesus master. It's good for us to be here

Let us make three tabernacles one for you one for Moses one for Elijah not knowing what he said

That the disciples had been asleep lessons to a measure their cope their culpability for not understanding fully what was transpiring before them

They were not intentionally unbelieving but they had perhaps been somewhat negligent in failing to be alert

Our Lord would later rebuke these same disciples for a similar failure and get seminate

He would confront their infraction and the danger in which it placed them When Jesus rose from prayer and had come to his disciples he found them sleeping from sorrow

He said to them. Why do you sleep rise and pray lest you enter? Temptation Perhaps Luke is suggesting that Peter was deserving of a measure of rebuke maybe the commentator

Norval Geldenhais thought so the disciples who had for some time been sleeping because it was night and they were fatigued later on Probably owing to the glow of the heavenly vision awoke and saw the

Savior and the two celestial messengers while his divine glory radiated from him to contemplate this heavenly sight a special gift was granted to these three disciples and in addition the faculty was given to them of recognizing the two heavenly beings as Moses and Elijah So when they realized that they really had the privilege of moving in this heavenly company

Peter ever impulsive said without comprehending the implication of his words Master it's good for us to be here.

Let us make three tabernacles one for thee one for Moses one for Elijah To him.

It is so wonderful to contemplate the heavenly glory that he wants to continue thus He and his fellow disciples will make three tabernacles so that the

Savior and Moses and Elijah may stay there always And he and James and John may serve them

From now on he wishes to remain forever in heavenly company and then

Geldenhais makes this statement Indirectly his proposal is again an attempt to influence the Savior not to choose the way of suffering

But they can continue to live in divine glory Perhaps that's a stretch but Clearly it was not in the purpose of God for those two glorious ones to remain

Well, then we read of the cloud of the voice of God Even while Peter was suggesting this we read of the appearance of a cloud and a voice that is spoken in the cloud

Well, he Peter was saying as a cloud came and overshadowed them and they were fearful as they entered the cloud

And a voice came out of the cloud saying this is my beloved son hear him When the voice had ceased

Jesus was found alone But they kept quiet and told no one in those days any of the things they had seen

Let's consider the cloud It records of course verse 34 the veiled presence of God the

Father Having revealed his presence and yet undisclosed in a direct vision of himself

While he was saying this a cloud came and overshadowed them and they were fearful as they entered the cloud

And so even as Peter spoke this cloud descended enveloped the three standing There it signified the manifestation the presence of God The cloud obscured a clear vision of God's presence for no mortal man can look upon God fully and live

This cloud is nothing other than this kind of glory of God, of course Which is referred to so frequently in the

Old Testament It's referred to also in Acts 1 when Jesus is Rises up into the cloud and the sky into the presence of God We might just cite a few examples

In next is 16 as soon as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation the people of Israel They looked toward the wilderness and behold the glory of the

Lord appeared in the cloud also Exodus 24

Moses went up on the mountain the cloud covered the mountain the glory of the Lord Dwelt on Mount Sinai and the cloud covered it six days

On the seventh day he called Moses out of the midst of the cloud Now the appearance of the glory of the

Lord was like a devouring fire on the top of the mountain the side of the people of Israel Moses entered the cloud and went up on the mountain and Moses was on the mountain 40 days and 40 nights

And so this you kind of glory of God was a visible manifestation of the presence of God with his people

It disclosed hit God but at the same time hid God from fully revealing himself and Throughout the 40 -year wilderness wandering of Israel the cloud covered

Israel from the hot Sun each day And at night it was manifested as a pillar of fire, which would give light and heat to the camp

The cloud abode over the tabernacle the place of Israel's worship and When God would lead the people from that camp to a different location

The cloud would pick up and move on and they would follow the cloud You can read of this in Exodus 40

We won't read that at this time and then later still after Israel had possessed the promised land and dwelt in the land for generations the

Lord had Solomon build a fixed temple in Jerusalem and Replaced a temporary and mobile tabernacle that had served the nation for so long

And after the temple was dedicated God brought his present to the temple in the form of the Shekinah glory

And we won't read that passage But it's there at first Kings chapter 8 when the priest came out of the holy place a cloud filled the house of the

Lord the presence of God And so we see the cloud signified the manifestation of the presence of God The cloud obscured a clear vision of God's presence for no mortal could look upon him fully and live through the experience

But God was there Again somewhat here on the Mount of Transfiguration as the

Sinai experience Well, then this voice comes out of the cloud the voice of God The voice came out of the cloud saying this is my beloved son hear him and when the voice had ceased

Jesus was found alone But they kept quiet and told no one in those days any of the things they had seen

So the divine endorsement Comes with the words, this is my beloved son and Then the divine directive comes with the words hear him

God declared through whom he reveals himself and he'll hold all people accountable as to whether or not they adhere to this directive

God still commands you and me hear him The words of God have as much force upon you and me today as it did on Peter James and John on the

Mount of Transfiguration Behold my son hear him Your eternal destiny hinges on whether or not you believe

God and obey God's command to look to Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior This is my beloved son

Matthew includes in whom I'm well pleased hear him People all over the world claim to be seeking

God God speak to me God reveal yourself to me and they claim he does God responds.

This is my son hear him There's no knowing God and there's no hearing from God apart from the revelation of God his son

Now indeed God has revealed himself in creation and God has set a stamp on the consciences of all people

Everywhere of his presence and certainly God spoke on many occasions in many ways through his spokesman the prophets in the past But their words were preparatory and but a partial revelation of God and his will

But with the coming of his son Jesus Christ the full revelation of God and his will has been declared to the world

This is in accordance with the writer to the Hebrews in Hebrews 1 verse 1 and 2

God who at various times in various ways spoken time passed to the fathers by the prophets. Yes.

He did speak various ways piecemeal fashion at different times has in these last days spoken to us by his son and The Greek form of this his son gives

Emphasis to the quality of revelation given by his son through his son Whom he has appointed heir of all things through whom also he made the world

And so may our God help us to learn the lesson that God himself taught these three disciples This is my beloved son hear him

No sooner is The voice heard than the cloud disappears and Jesus stands alone

When the voice had ceased Jesus was found alone But of course the impact of this event

Continued with the disciples and has done so to this day Well, those are the details.

Let's consider now the impact on the disciples first The immediate response, of course, they kept silent

They kept quiet no one in those days and and told no one in those days of the things that they had seen

Now interestingly speak Luke speaks Specifically draws attention to the reaction of the disciples as to what they had seen in Matthew's account

Matthew recorded the reaction of the disciples somewhat differently their immediate response was silence.

Yes, but also fear Matthew 17 6 when the disciples heard this they fell on their faces and were terrified and but take note of Matthew's emphasis the

Disciples response is not to what they had seen as Luke emphasizes, but rather to what they heard even the voice of God Interesting little detail

Here's the fuller account of Matthew while he was still speaking behold a bright cloud overshadowed them and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud saying this is my beloved son and That first he was speaking is actually

Peter This my beloved son in whom I well, please hear him and when the disciples heard it they fell on their faces and were greatly afraid but Jesus came and touched them and said arise and do not be afraid and When they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only a few more details

And then secondly certainly the event resulted in an unquestioned Allegiance and obedience on the part of these three disciples to Jesus Christ now

They held him in high regard before but can you imagine the regard they held for him after this event?

I Imagine it was up to not sure to They must have wondered at what they had just witnessed and pondered the implications of what they had heard

These men were Jews For them their ultimate and final authority was the law and the prophets

They Held what today we regard as the Old Testament scriptures to be their final authority

But now they've come to see that the Lord Jesus in his teachings were to be the supreme rule for their lives

Hear him. This was not a diminishment of the law the prophets

They bore witness to him The disciples came to recognize that the fulfillment of what the scriptures had pointed had arrived in the person of Jesus of Nazareth Now they were to hear him

Christ Jesus was their final and ultimate authority Now if these disciples had been responsible to hear and obey the law of God how much more responsibility now lay on them

To hear and obey Jesus and that's exactly what the writer the

Hebrews declared Hebrews 2 therefore we he's talking about Christian New Testament Christian We must pay much closer attention to what we have heard lest we drift away

For since the message declared by angels proved to be reliable he's talking about the law of Moses much of which was transmitted to from God to Moses through angels and every transgression or disobedience

To the law received a just retribution. How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?

It was declared at first by the Lord. The Lord Jesus was attested to us by those who heard apostles

While God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will

How much more responsible are we? Some Christians wrongly think that somehow

God has gone soft in this gospel age You know, I'm sure glad we don't live under the law like the

Old Testament writers Hebrew says you're more accountable because of the

The greater revelation the more full revelation we have in Jesus Christ. Hear him In Hebrews 3 therefore holy brothers

Who share in a heavenly calling? That's every true Christian God's called you to salvation

Consider Jesus the the the apostle and high priest of our confession who is faithful to him who appointed him

It's faithful to his father Just as also Moses was faithful in all

God's house For Jesus has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses As Much more glory is the builder of a house has more honor than the house itself for every house is built by someone

But the builder of all things is of God now Moses was a faithful servant Moses was faithful at all

God's house as a servant to testify of things that were spoke to be spoken after But Christ is a faithful son over his house

Whose house we are if indeed we hold fast our confession and boasting in our hope

There's greater accountability for us Who have who read of the fullness and the revelation of Jesus Christ as a son of God?

This is my beloved son in whom I'm well pleased hear him is what God says And then another lesson drawn from this event was expressed by Peter in his epistle

Peter wrote that as great an experience as this was on the Mount of Transfiguration We saw

God the Father conferred glory upon his son Peter declared that the Bible Holy Scripture is more authoritative than even a personal experience even the experience of Peter James and John on the

Mount of Transfiguration the Bible has more authority for you and me than personal experience

This is what he wrote We did not follow cleverly devised myths

When we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus But were eyewitnesses of his majesty on a transfiguration

For when he received honor and glory from God the Father and the voice was born to him by the majestic glory

This is my beloved son with whom I'm well pleased. We ourselves heard this very voice born from heaven for we were with him in the holy mountain

But notice verse 19 and we have something more sure Even the prophetic word.

This is the Bible To which you will do to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place

Until the day dawns the morning star rises in your heart until Jesus comes You better believe and follow the

Word of God That's more significant and authoritative than even if you were on that mountain watching and hearing

Jesus And hearing God the Father No in this first of all, no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone's own interpretation

No prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men of God As they were carried along born along by the

Holy Spirit And so as great as this personal event of Peter seen with his own eyes a transfiguration of Jesus Peter says the written

Word of God the Holy Scriptures The Holy Bible is more certain and firm authority than what even he himself had witnessed on that occasion

We have ought to have the highest regard for the Holy Word of God Holy Scripture. It's God speaking to us

Well, we have to wrap things up quickly here. What about the implication of the event for us? Well, it suggests how we're to view the

Old Testament Moses and Elijah they bore witness of Christ and the

Old Testament bears witness of Jesus Some argue the Old Testament is a

Jewish book. Well, yes, but it points to Jesus Christ Paul says a veil still continues in the minds of Jewish people when they read the scriptures.

They can't understand it But that veil is taken away. They see and understand the Old Testament clearly when they come to Jesus Christ Jesus Christ is on every page

As the title of that one book it was written a couple years ago. So wonderfully testifies The Old Testament is not to be seen as less authoritative and less inspired than the

New Testament All scripture is given by inspiration of God and Paul is referring to our

Old Testament But we should understand the Old Testament points to and is realized in Jesus Christ it bears the witness it bears witness to the

New Testament words and deeds of Our Savior and therefore the

New Testament is to be the lens through which we read and interpret the Old Testament and then secondly

This instructs us. It provides a model by which we as Christians may May follow in order to commune with our

God We should too should seek to commune with our

God with his son our Lord Jesus And we already addressed this or spoke to this briefly the implications are pretty clear and then thirdly the glory revealed in Jesus and in Moses and Elijah confirms it

That this too is our destiny We think of Moses and Elijah being glorified

Well, that's no different than what you and I are going to receive Wonderfully Maybe not on the same degree or level.

There's different degrees of glory for Christian some will will shine as the brightness of the firmament

But others will shine as the stars forever and ever according to Daniel 12, I think verse 3

But on the day of the resurrection of the dead after we stand in judgment Exonerated of all our sin through the righteousness of Christ that's given us through faith alone

God will confer glory to all and to every one of his people As Paul wrote our citizenship is in heaven and from it

We await a Savior the Lord Jesus Christ who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body

By the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself You and I are going to be amazed

When we see one another In eternity we'll be glorified

Well, this event must have been a great source of encouragement strength for our Lord. Jesus also Having finished his ministry in Galilee.

He would soon depart to Jerusalem where he'd suffered die Apparently he went up the mountain in the light of this to pray to his father

Perhaps receive an assurance that indeed the time was come that he would have to depart And we'll consider that in a couple weeks in Luke 9 51

We see that of course he was encouraged in his work by the tender endorsement of his father Before he set out on a journey to Jerusalem where he would suffer and die but rise again

Amen, what a glorious account Let's pray

Thank you our father for this this revelation of your glory our father the glory of your son our

Lord Jesus Christ and We just pray our God that you would help us to not only see

Jesus in his glory, but hear him as well to look to him as The one who is our our leader our guide who has gone on before us our

God blazed a trail as it were from this world even into your presence and now we are following him on our

Pilgrimage of faith through this life through this world onto a glorious destiny that you've promised us who have turned from sin and Believe on Jesus Christ as our

Lord and our Savior Help us our God be encouraged that regardless of what may come upon us

Even as the Lord Jesus declared earlier in this chapter They help us to take up our cross daily and follow him

Our God through this fallen world with all its trials and temptations and difficulties

But with a confident assurance our God that will will stand glorified in your presence because of who

Jesus is What he did for us and who he stands for us on our behalf