Lent 2019 - The Transfiguration
Please stand as we read our newest memory Scripture together …
1 John 1:5-7
“This is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you: God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth.
“But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin.”
And our memory refresher verse(s) for today is(are) …
1 Timothy 2:5-6
“For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all people - this has now been witnessed to at the proper time.”
Please open your Bibles to Luke 9:28-36
In this section of Scripture we will be reading about the transfiguration of Jesus.
But prior to this section we read of Jesus questioning His disciples to see if they REALLY know who He is or not.
Once He determines that they profess that they do know who He really is He tells them that He is going to be crucified soon and will be raised from the dead on the third day.
As it turns out what they thought they knew about Jesus did not really match up with reality and Peter even tries to set Jesus straight.
Jesus then challenges His disciples to take up their cross and follow Him even if they have to give up their own lives to do so.
With that in mind let’s go ahead and read: Luke 9:28-36
So, what do we see here?
Luke 9:28
About eight days after Jesus said this, He took Peter, John and James with Him and went up onto a mountain to pray.
- Jesus was a pray warrior
- If there was ever anyone who you would think did not need to pray it would be Jesus, the Son of God
- Sometimes:
o Jesus would go off on His own to pray
o Sometimes He would pray privately with the twelve
o We see Him praying for the twelve
o We see Him praying for all who would believe
o In Gethsemane, the day before the crucifixion, Jesus took the remaining eleven disciples with Him. He then left eight of them a short distance away and took Peter, James and John further with Him
o This time He took Peter, James and John with Him all the way to the top of the mountain
Luke 9:29
As He was praying, the appearance of His face changed, and His clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning.
Matthew 17:2
There [Jesus] was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light.
What did Jesus look like before the transfiguration?
- No one actually knows what Jesus looked like and I always feel uncomfortable when I see pictures representing what an artist might think He looked like
- In Isaiah 53:2 we don’t get a photo but we do get a description …
o [Jesus] grew up before [the LORD] like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to Him, nothing in His appearance that we should desire Him.
- He was not tall, well built and handsome with a deep resounding voice.
- (Repeat) He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to Him, nothing in His appearance that we should desire Him.
What did Jesus look like during the transfiguration?
- His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light
- So, no one even then knew what He looked like other than the radiance of glory!
What an awesome experience to see the radiance of God’s glory!
Luke 9:30-31
Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus. They spoke about His departure, which He was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem.
- We see that Moses and Elijah appeared in glorious splendor, but, we are not told that it was the same as the appearance of Jesus Himself.
- They are talking with Jesus about “His departure”,
o His exodus from this mortal life
o His eventual exodus from this world back to His Father
- This is an amazing thing, “They spoke about His departure, which HE was about to bring to fulfillment in Jerusalem!”
- When we think of the reasons for Jesus’ death we often think of:
o the guilt of those who planned for and most likely prayed for Jesus death!
o the guilt of those were false witnesses against Jesus.
o the sin of Judas.
o the hatred of Jesus by the Jewish elders and the Pharisees.
o the guilt of Pilate who allowed Jesus to be crucified even though He found no fault in Him at all.
o the soldiers who brutally beat Jesus and nailed Him to the cross.
o our own sin that drove Jesus to the cross. And, yes, we are ALL Guilty!!!!
- Yes, we all were the cause but Jesus fulfilled it by His own purpose as God!
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- Jesus brought this all about to fulfillment because it was HIS PLAN TO SET US FREE AND TO GIVE US ETERNAL LIFE!
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- PRAISE HIS NAME FOREVER!
Luke 9:32
Peter and his companions were very sleepy, but when they became fully awake, they saw His (Jesus’) glory and the two men standing with Him.
- So, what are Peter, James and John up to?
- They are very sleepy but they wake up in time to see what is going on!
- The amazing thing is that they did not ask, “Hey, Jesus, who are these guys?!”
Luke 9:33
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.)
- So, Peter in his usual fashion, has to do SOMETHING!!!
- But … the lumber, the hammers and saws and the nails are all down there somewhere at the bottom of the mountain in some town
- They would need to get all of this stuff to the top, plan out the construction and get them built
- Then they need to provide food and drink for their guests …
- Anyway, Jesus doesn’t rebuke Peter but God the Father goes on with His plan …
Luke 9:34
While [Peter] was speaking, a cloud appeared and covered them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud.
- In the Old Testament we see:
o the presence of the LORD coming down as a cloud over Mount Sinai
o the presence of the LORD coming down over the Tabernacle and the Tent of Meeting
o the presence of the LORD filling the Temple when it was dedicated
- In Matthew 17:5 (AMPC) this cloud is described as, “a shining cloud [composed of light] …”
- Just try to imagine that!!!!
- Peter, James and John would have been very aware of these historical references where the presence of the LORD was manifest in a cloud so no wonder they were afraid!
Luke 9:35
A voice came from the cloud, saying, “This is My Son, whom I have chosen; listen to Him.”
- It is not likely that Peter, James and John would have been at Jesus’ baptism when the Father declared, “This is My Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased.”
- They had seen Moses who represented the Law of the Old Testament contained in the first five books of the Bible
- They had seen Elijah who represented the Prophets and the prophetic books of the Old Testament
- They had always been taught to heed the words of the Moses and the Prophets
- Now YHWY, the LORD God of Israel is adding three more words with regard to Jesus, His Son … “LISTEN TO HIM!”
Luke 9:36
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.
- This seems to be one of the few times when Jesus told someone not to tell anyone what they had seen and they obeyed!
However, we do see John and Peter making references to this event later in their writings.
Peter says in 2 Peter 1:16-18
“We did not follow cleverly devised stories when we told you about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in power, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty.
“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.’
“We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with Him on the sacred mountain.”
And John says in John 1:14
“The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
So, where was Jesus heading after this glorious event?
He was headed to His death in Jerusalem where He would die for you and for me!
Have you ever thought about the commonalities and differences between the Transfiguration and the Crucifixion? Believe it or not there are some …
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At the Transfiguration, “Jesus went up onto a mountain to pray.”
At the Crucifixion, Jesus is still praying …
Luke 22:34
“Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”
Luke 23:46
“Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit”
Both the Transfiguration and the Crucifixion took place at the top of a hill or mountain.
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At the Transfiguration Jesus was met by the “giants” of the Jewish religion; Moses and Elijah who, “spoke about His departure”.
At the Crucifixion the Jewish elders and the Pharisees mocked Jesus, saying,
Matthew 27:40
“You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!”
Matthew 27:42
“He saved others … but He can’t save Himself! He’s the king of Israel! Let Him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in Him.”
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At the Transfiguration Jesus was with His disciples, Peter, James and John.
At the Crucifixion the only disciple to be found was John; all the rest had scattered.
In addition there were some women who had followed Jesus including His mother but in essence only one of His twelve closest disciples was there.
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At the Transfiguration Jesus was with Moses and Elijah.
At the Crucifixion Jesus as hung between two criminals.
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At the Transfiguration Jesus was seen in His heavenly splendor and glory, clothed in purest light!
At the Crucifixion Jesus was stripped naked, and the soldiers divided Jesus’ clothing among them and gambled for His inner garment because it was seamless.
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At the Transfiguration Jesus was seen in all of His heavenly glory.
At the Crucifixion …
Isaiah 52:14 CEV in prophecy says,
“Many were horrified at what happened to Him. But everyone who saw Him was even more horrified because He suffered until He no longer looked human.”
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At the Transfiguration God the Father said …
Matthew 17:5b NIV
“This is My Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased. Listen to Him!”
At the Crucifixion …
Matthew 27:54 NIV [Mark 15:39]
“When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, ‘Surely [this Man] was the Son of God!’”
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What an amazing comparison!
And we have to ask ourselves, “Why would the glorious Son of God allow Himself to be abused and insulted and crucified?”
The reason He did it is found on a cross on Calvary, right next to Jesus.
Mark 15:27-30, 32 NIV
“They crucified two rebels with Him, one on His right and one on His left.
Those who passed by hurled insults at Him, shaking their heads and saying, ‘So! You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, come down from the cross and save Yourself!’ Those crucified with Him also heaped insults on Him.”
Both of the criminals are heaping insults on Jesus. But, what do we see later?
Luke 23:39-43 NIV
“One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at Him: ‘Aren’t You the Messiah? Save Yourself and us!”
“But the other criminal rebuked him. ‘Don’t you fear God,’ he said, ‘since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.’
“Then he said, ‘Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.’
“Jesus answered him, ‘Truly I tell you, today you will be with Me in paradise.’”
How did the heart of a hardened criminal, sentenced to death move from heaping insults on Jesus to, “Jesus, remember me when you come into Your kingdom.”?
Imagine hanging on a cross next to a man whose only crime is claiming to be the Son of God?
This man most likely would have seen crucifixions before and he knows that no one being crucified is thinking of anyone but himself. And, yet, here’s this guy, Jesus, on the cross next to you and He is being ridiculed and taunted and he is not cursing the verbal bullies or the soldiers.
Instead Jesus is praying for them to be forgiven because they do not know what they are doing.
He is making arrangements for the care of His mother.
Not only that, it seems as if the heavens themselves are furious at what is happening because the sky has become so dark that it seems like night and not just for a short time but for hours.
Luke 23:44-45a NIV
“It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, for the sun stopped shining.”
The criminal see this Man hanging on a cross, forgiving, caring, not retaliating and an ungodly darkness has spread over the whole land. No wonder the criminal repented and turned to Jesus.
There is so much in this passage of the Transfiguration of Jesus that a person could spend weeks soaking it all in but here are at least three things we need to take away
Luke 9:35
A voice came from the cloud, saying, “This is My Son, whom I have chosen; listen to Him.”
1) “LISTEN TO HIM!!!’ - Jesus has the words of life!
2) We have a glorious Savior (expound)
3) In order to one day see the Glorious Savior we must be saved (expound)
Final comments and Benediction
