SERMON OUTLINE:
The context.
(1). The change (vs 2-3).
(2). The company (vs 4-6).
(3). The cloud (verses 5-7).
(4). The command (verse 7).
SERMON BODY:
Ill:
• Fed up with people telling him he was going deaf;
• A man went to get his hearing tested,
• After examining the man;
• The audiologist place a clock on a desk and asked the man if he could hear it ticking;
• The man replied; “Yes I can”.
• The audiologist then placed the clock at the far end of the room;
• And again asked the man if he could hear it ticking;
• Once again the man replied; “Yes I can”.
• The audiologist then opened the door and walked out of the office;
• Placing the clock in a corridor and asked the man if he could hear it ticking;
• For a third time the man replied; “Yes I can”.
• The audiologist then told the man;
• “There is nothing wrong with your hearing, you just don’t listen to people!”
• There is of course a big difference between hearing and listening!
• Most of us were born hearing well, but listening is something you have to work on!
Ill:
• A school music teacher asked her class the difference between listening and hearing.
• At first there was no response.
• Finally a hand went up and a youngster offered this wise definition:
• “Listening is wanting to hear.”
• As Christians we believe the Spirit of God is always speaking to us:
• (And he does not need to shout!)
• The key is that we must want to hear Him;
• Question: Are we sensitive to the Spirit’s voice?
• He speaks clearest and most often to those people who are willing to obey!
• And if we are not willing to obey, then don’t be surprised if God does not speak to you!
• In our passage this morning, God speaks;
• But it appears there is only one out of the four people who is actually listening!
• I want us to consider four things from this mountaintop experience:
• (5 if you count the introduction – the context)
The context.
• You will not be surprised to know that chapter 9 of Mark’s gospel;
• Follows on from chapter 8 – in other words these verses are connected.
• In case you miss it, verse 2 is a reminder: “Six days later”.
• The disciples have had six days to think over some incredible truths.
• Truth No 1:
• Peter had declared (chapter 8 verse 29) Jesus to be “The Messiah, the Christ of God”.
• That in itself was a milestone moment!
• Grasp hold of that incredible truth:
• Not just a good man or a prophet of God,
• But God the Son – God in a body!
• Quote: Wesley’s carol: “Veiled in flesh the Godhead see, hail the incarnate deity”.
• Truth No 2:
• Note that Jesus spoilt the disciples spiritual high by dropping a bombshell;
• (Chapter 8 verse 31);
• That the Messiah must; “Suffer much, be rejected and then killed”.
• This is not what the disciples were expecting or wanting to hear;
• Truth No 3:
• Then Jesus deflated them even more by saying (chapter 8 verse 34):
• “If anyone” – no exceptions – to the first listeners of these words and to us today!
• “He must forget self, carry his cross and follow me”.
• Jesus was talking about a commitment to death;
• Anyone who picked up a cross under Roman occupation never put it down again;
• They were nailed to it!
As David McCann reminded us last week from this passage:
• Jesus required from his followers total commitment!
• The Church of Jesus Christ is not a social club you join,
• It is a ‘put Jesus first’ lifestyle that you embrace!
• And said Jesus that lifestyle often leads to suffering;
• In fact you may even lose your life (chapter 8 verse 35)
• i.e. Turkish believers we recently met;
• Whose families have rejected them because they have chosen to follow Jesus Christ.
• Truth No 4:
• But after the bitter message of commitment and suffering;
• Jesus gave a sweetener (chapter 8 verse 38) that after the suffering there will be glory;
• The end result for the Christian is never suffering and death;
• Rather it is always resurrection and glory!
• So suffering leads to glory;
• And suffering will be transformed into glory!
• Now having given the disciples the theory regarding;
• Suffering will be transformed into glory!
• They are about to get a practical insight into that truth.
• The disciples are about to see Jesus;
• Who has clearly told them that he will suffer and die;
• In a transformed glorified way!
(1). The change (vs 2-3).
“After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them.
3 His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them”.
Question:
• Why did Jesus take with him Peter, James & John;
• And not all twelve of the disciples?
Answer:
• We do not know why these three were chosen!
• We can only guess:
• Peter:
• In view of Peter’s great confession in chapter 8 verse 29,
• It is probably no surprise he was chosen to go.
• John.
• John had an affinity with Jesus, a real close bond.
• He is referred to as “The disciple whom Jesus loved”.
• Of course Jesus loved all the disciples;
• But John enjoyed a special relationship.
• James (John’s brother).
• James was the first of the twelve disciples to be martyred for Christ,
• In view of what Jesus has just taught about ‘losing your life for Jesus…will save it’;
• Perhaps this warranted this special privilege.
• If we are honest we don’t know why these three had a special privilege;
• They seemed to be the inner core of the disciples.
• And on three occasions (all to do with death);
• Jesus called these three apart from the twelve.
Notice: THE TRANSFORMATION:
• ill: the brightest artificial light the disciples knew was candlelight or an oil lamp.
• They knew nothing of modern powerful spotlights or floodlights.
• So it was not easy for Mark (or the other gospel writers);
• To put this incredible experience into words;
• And the gospel writers describe what physically happened to Jesus;
• In slightly different ways.
• Quote: Mark says (chapter 9 verse 3):
• “His clothes became dazzling white”.
• Quote: Matthew says (chapter 17 verse 2):
• “His face shone like the sun and his clothes became as white as light”.
• Quote: Luke says (chapter 9 verse 29):
• “The appearance of his face changed and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning”.
• The sight before these three disciples was breath-taking.
• It was both frightening and impressive and they were stunned by it.
Note:
• The disciples did not just see a stunning light but also a blinding glory!
• These three men saw Jesus in a way they had not done ever before.
• This was a one-off unique occurrence;
• As the veil of Jesus’ humanity was briefly drawn back,
• In fact this is the only time while Jesus was on earth,
• That he revealed His glory in this way:
Ill:
• School assembly about tadpoles turning into frogs;
• Posh school boy raised his hand and said “I think you find they call that metamorphosis”
• Our English word “metamorphosis.” is this Greek word translated as ‘transfigured’.
• A ‘metamorphosis’ is a change on the outside that comes from the inside.
Ill:
• Moses in the Old Testament once went up Mount Sinai (Exodus chapter 24 verse 1);
• He too took with him three men (Aaron, Nadab and Abihu).
• While on the mountain, the face of Moses started to radiate the glory of God!
• And his three companions were too frightened to go near him!
• Note: Moses only reflected God’s glory;
• It was something on his outside that affected him;
• When Jesus was “metamorphosed,” or ‘transfigured’.
• It was a change on the outside that comes from the inside.
• The glory of Jesus was not reflected;
• But it actually radiated from within!
• There was a change on the outside that came from within,
• As He allowed His essential glory to shine forth.
(2). The company (vs 4-6).
“And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus.
5 Peter said to Jesus, Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters— one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.
6 (He did not know what to say, they were so frightened.)”
The two greatest figures in Israel’s history (Moses & Elijah):
• Suddenly and without introduction appear next to Jesus;
• And enter into a conversation with him.
• Moses was the Law giver – the one who received and passed on the Law.
• ill: Even today the first five books of the Bible are called by Jews ‘The Law of Moses’.
• Elijah was always seen as the greatest of the prophets;
• Even though Elisha did more miracles than Elijah,
• To the Jew Elijah was always the predominate one.
• So Moses and Elijah represent the Law and the Prophets;
• We would say they represented the Old Testament.
• ‘The law and the prophets’ was a description given to the whole of the Jewish Bible,
• The part we call the Old Testament.
In these two men all Israel’s history recognised Jesus as its own consummation:
• The greatest law-giver and the greatest prophet;
• Recognising Jesus as the one they had dreamed of and spoken about!
• So these three men; Moses, Elijah and Jesus;
• Represent God’s dealings with mankind!
Note: three similarities about these two men.
(A). BOTH THESE MEN HAD MOUNTAIN TOP EXPERIENCES:
• The two characters who appear with Jesus in this story,
• Moses and Elijah both had mountain top experiences.
• Ill: Moses received the law on Mount Sinai.
• Ill: Elijah defeated Baal on Mount Carmel.
(B). BOTH ARE LINKED TO SACRIFICES:
• For Moses it was the Passover lamb (Exodus chapter 12).
• For Elijah it was a bull (1 Kings chapter 18)..
(C). BOTH DEPARTED EARTH IN UNUSUAL WAYS:
• Moses experienced a lonely death on Mount Nebo;
• And was buried by God himself in the land of Moab (Deuteronomy chapter 34 verse 5).
• Elijah did not die but was carried up to heaven in a chariot of fire,
• (2 Kings chapter 2 verse 11.)
• No physical body was ever found for Moses and Elijah;
• Because both departed earth in unusual ways:
(3). The cloud (verses 5-7).
“Peter said to Jesus, Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters— one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.
6 (He did not know what to say, they were so frightened.)
7 Then a cloud appeared and enveloped them”
Those words of Peter have to be one of the great understatements of the Bible:
• “It is good for us to be here”;
• I’ll say it was!
• This was an experience that both himself and John would never forgot:
Ill: John would one day write (John chapter 1 verses 14b):
“We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth”.
Ill: Peter would one day write (2 Peter chapter 1 verses 17-18):
“But we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17For he received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” 18We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain”.
Notice:
• Peter who got it so right six days earlier with his confession of Jesus as the Messiah;
• In these verses gets it so wrong!
• He was enjoying this experience so much that he wanted to prolong it:
• So he says to the other two, “Let’s build some shelters and we can stay here all night.”
• Now his intentions might have been good, but they were also wrong.
• Note: Peter was not selfish in his words:
• He suggests they build three shelters, one for each special guest.
• Not four (include one for himself) or even six (a shelter for everybody).
• Note: it was a foolish statement.
• As if Jesus and these two supernatural visitors;
• Had no other means of protecting themselves against the cold.
• Peter sees a miraculous event and foolishly;
• Wants to protect these 3 mystical people with a few sticks and branches.
• Note: God does was Peter could not do;
• God himself provided a supernatural covering for them;
• Verse 7:
• “Then a cloud appeared and enveloped them”
• Note: Peter’s statement was also foolish;
• Because he was comparing Jesus to Moses and Elijah;
• He needed to learn that Jesus is more than a prophet;
• He is the eternal Son of God – He is far above anyone or anything!
Ill:
• The great artist, Leonardo da Vinci,
• Once took a friend to view his greatest masterpiece. "The Last Supper."
• His friend studied the painting and remarked:
• "The most striking thing in the picture is the cup."
• The famous artist took his brush, and with one stroke wiped out the cup,
• And said,
• "Nothing in my painting shall attract more attention than the face of my Master!"
• Peter had to learn that lesson;
• Jesus is Lord and nothing compares or competes with him!
• The Father will not permit His one and only Son,
• To be put on the same level as Moses and Elijah.
• Quote: “The stars are blotted out when the sun rises,”
• “Jesus only” is God’s pattern. So the supernatural guests disappear!
Quote David Gooding:
“The Lawgiver and the prophet were gone. For all their eminence they were but men. Their role in history had been preparatory to the incarnation, death and resurrection of Christ. Now that he had had come, they retired. The actual redemption of the world would depend on Christ and on Christ alone”
(4). The command (verse 7).
“Then a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and a voice came from the cloud: This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!”
The voice of God spoke different things to those present:
(A). FOR JESUS.
• It was encouraging for Jesus to have Moses and Elijah sharing with him;
• Telling him that what he was doing was right.
• But now he had the voice of God, his Heavenly Father,
• Publicly declaring that what he was planning by going to Jerusalem was the right way.
Ill:
• Kathy & Arlo at their school play.
• Everyone clapping but only looking for their father’s approval.
(B). FOR THE DISCIPLES:
• The voice from heaven leaves them in no doubt:
• The God who spoke in the past through the law and the prophets;
• Is now speaking decisively through his son;
• (ill: Hebrews chapter 1 verses 1-2).
• Jesus is not just a successor but was superior to Moses and Elijah.
• He is the fulfilment of both the law and the prophets.
Question: God has spoken to us through his Son! Are we listening!
Quote:
“The greatest thing you can do for Jesus is the very next thing he asks you to do!”
