Jesus Stands Alone

JESUS STANDS ALONE

Luke 9:28-36

INTRODUCTION

A. HUMOR: Magician Humor

1. A magician introduced an act in which he would disappear. He said to the audience, “On the count of three, I will disappear!” And he started counting in Spanish, “Uno… Dos…POOF!” And the magician was gone without a trace (tres)!

2. FIRST DAY AT SCHOOL

a. It was the first day of class and the teacher asked students about their parent’s occupations. All went normal until she came to Ethan.

b. “Ethan, what does your father do for a living?” “He’s a magician. He performs tricks, like sawing people in half.”

c. Teacher: “Wow! That’s different! Do you have any brothers or sisters?”

d. Ethan: “Yep, four half-sisters and a half-brother.”

B. TEXT

28 About eight days after Jesus said this, he took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray. 29 As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. 30 Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus. 31 They spoke about his departure,[a] which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem. 32 Peter and his companions were very sleepy, but when they became fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him. 33 As the men were leaving Jesus, Peter said to him, “Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” (He did not know what he was saying.) 34 While he was speaking, a cloud appeared and covered them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. 35 A voice came from the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him.” 36 When the voice had spoken, they found that Jesus was alone. The disciples kept this to themselves and did not tell anyone at that time what they had seen.

C. THESIS

1. PASSAGE BEGINS: “About 8 days after…” Lk. 9:28

a. Peter’s Great Confession (vss. 18-20)

b. Lord’s 1st announcement of Suffering (vs. 22)

c. Disciples devastated (Mt. 16:22; Mk. 8:32)

d. Promise: See Kingdom come in power (vs. 27).

2. The TRANSFIGURATION of Jesus is important because it:

a. Shows Christ is OUTSIDE THE REALM OF TIME. He is standing with Moses (died 1451 B.C.) and Elijah (ca. 896 B.C.).

b. It clearly shows HIS DIVINE NATURE.

c. Shows the world’s MOMENT OF SALVATION has come.

d. It shows JESUS is the LOOKED-FOR MESSIAH of the Jews.

3. Jesus does not stand in a line of peers with Abraham, Buddha, Confucius, or Mohammed. Jesus Christ is utterly unique. The Transfiguration reveals a turning point in human history.

4. We see here that “Jesus Stands Alone.”

I. JESUS’ COMPANIONS ON THE MOUNTAIN

A. JESUS’ COMPANIONS: Peter, James, & John

1. Jesus’ inner circle. There were 500 at His resurrection, 70 evangelists sent out, 12 apostles, and 3 in His inner circle.

2. Each had special giftings

3. These three were invited by Jesus to accompany Him on 3 Unique Occasions: Jairus’ daughter’s resurrection; at Jesus’ Transfiguration; and to pray with Jesus at the Garden of Gethsemane, just before His arrest.

B. THE APOSTLES FALL ASLEEP

1. This is one of the three inappropriate times Peter was found to be sleeping when he was supposed to be praying. The other two times are at the Garden of Gethsemane, and when Peter was going to be executed the next morning in Acts 12:6 (when everyone else in the church was up praying all night! 12:12).

2. HUMOR: SOME OF YOU MAY FALL ASLEEP AT INAPPRO-PRIATE TIMES (like during a sermon). HERE’S THE 7 BEST THINGS TO SAY IF YOU GET CAUGHT SLEEPING AT YOUR DESK:

---"They told me at the blood bank this might happen."

---"I was just trying out the 15 minute power-nap they raved about at the time management course you sent me to."

--- "Whew! I guess I left the top off the White-Out. You probably got here just in time!"

--- "I wasn't sleeping! I was meditating on the mission statement and envisioning a new paradigm."

--- "Gee. Why did you interrupt me? I'd almost figured out the solution to our biggest problem!"

--- "Someone must've put decaf in the wrong pot..." and the number one best thing to say if you get caught sleeping at your desk...

--- "In Jesus name, amen!"

3. IT’S ONE THING TO PHYSICALLY FALL ASLEEP, BUT PAUL WARNED US ABOUT SPIRITUALLY FALLING ASLEEP!

a. Rom. 13:11, “And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.”

b. 1 Thess. 5:6, “Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.”