Sermon Central
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Don't Miss The Main Point Part 2 Series
Contributed by Donald Rapp on Apr 6, 2011 (message contributor)
Summary: What was the real purpose of the Transfiguration?
Do Not Miss the Main Point Part 2
The Book of Mark
I. Introduction.
A. Understanding the connections between the Old and New Testaments is critical for the proper understanding of many NT principles.
B. All of the major doctrines that we hold to in the NT find their origin in the OT.
1. It isn’t just a collection of great stories.
2. It isn’t mythology either.
C. Someone once said “The NT is the OT revealed and the OT is the NT concealed.
D. It is somewhat easier for us to see and understand this than it was for those who lived in the early 1st century.
1. We have the completed NT canon.
2. We have the luxury of the Epistles which explain many of the connections to us.
E. The 1st century Jews including the disciples had a strong affinity for the OT but their theology was skewed by a misunderstanding of the OT teaching concerning the Messiah.
F. As a consequence of this when Jesus started to teach the disciples about the events which lay ahead concerning His death and resurrection they were appalled and confused.
G. This lead to Peter’s rebuke of the Lord and Jesus’ rebuke of Peter.
H. The intent of the Transfiguration was two fold.
1. To give encouragement by allowing the disciples to have a glimpse of His glory to assure them that there was hope in the trouble and trials that lay ahead.
2. To help them to make the connection between the OT and the present with regard to His purpose.
I. We saw last week that He accomplished this by His appearance with Moses and Elijah – two of the most beloved OT characters and by the discussion they had.
J. This is crucial for the disciples – the question is did they get it?
K. I want us to look at Peter’s response and then God’s instruction.
II.Peter’s response vs.5.
A. Always the impulsive one.
1. Peter felt he had so say something vs.6.
2. They were afraid as a result of what they had experienced.
B. Luke says they were heavy with sleep sort of half in and half out of it.
1. This could have been due to the overwhelming experience that caused them to faint.
2. Or it could be the same sort of apathy that manifests itself in the garden.
3. Mk 14:37
C. Luke indicates that they woke up at the very end of the conversation with Moses and Elijah.
D. Peter in his ignorance suggests that they make three booths so that they can all stay there.
1. Peter is not responding to a question as the English text here suggests.
a) The word translated answered means to respond or speak.
b) He is simply responding to what he has witnessed.
2. It is cool that we are here – in the vernacular of our day.
3. This suggestion indicates that Peter considered these three to be equals.
4. Luke says that he said this as Moses and Elijah were departing so it may have been his way of prolonging their stay.
5. The word tabernacle means tent or covering
a) He isn’t referring to the Tabernacle that was erected in the wilderness.
b) He was referring to structures similar to those used in the Feast of Tabernacles.
c) Why build tabernacles?
(1) This happened 6 months before the Passover.
(2) The feast of tabernacles took place during that month so Peter made the connection here.
6. The interesting thing is that he is still inadvertently doing the work of Satan.
a) Satan’s goal all along is to thwart the plan of God.
b) It started in the garden in chapter three of Genesis and continues down through the halls of time.
c) Here again Jesus is offered an opportunity to just bask in His glory to forget the cross and enjoy the moment.
d) Peter was still focused on avoiding the suffering and death.
(1) Here is the opportunity.
(2) Jesus can just forget all that and set up His kingdom now.
e) The gospel writers are very clear that this was totally wrong on Peter’s part.
f) Don’t forget the most important thing here is the cross not basking in glory.
7. Peter would have been much better off if he had simply paid attention to what was happening and not said anything.
III. God’s instruction vs.7.
A. As Peter was still making this rash and ignorant suggestion a cloud over shadows them all and God speaks to them directly.
1. This was not a vaporous cloud like we see in the sky every day.
2. Rather it was the same cloud that the Israelites saw in the wilderness and at the Tabernacle and the Temple.
B. This passage is full of OT symbolism.
