John once shared the account of some people who had denied Christ for fear of what the Pharisees would think. In John 12:42-43, He said, “Many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.” When the opinion of men supersedes the opinion of God, we are focusing too much on people. This will occur when human praise becomes more desirable than anything which God has to offer. Keep in mind, however, that God offers grace and freedom, whereas people impose rules, regulations and expectations which lead to bondage.
Many years ago, Thomas K. Beecher once substituted for his famous brother Henry Ward Beecher, at the Plymouth Church in Brooklyn, New York. Many curiosity seekers had come to hear the renowned Henry Beecher speak. Therefore, when Thomas Beecher appeared in the pulpit instead, some people got up and started for the doors. Sensing that they were disappointed because he was substituting for his brother, Thomas raised his hand for silence and announced, “All those who came here this morning to worship Henry Ward Beecher may withdraw from the church; all who came to worship God may remain.”(1)
In our message this morning we are going to learn whom we must worship. Some believers, like the individuals who were headed out the doors, will unknowingly worship people. Others, like Thomas Beecher and those who remained in the church, faithfully worship the Lord. If we are seeking to please people then we are actually enslaved to the world and will be ineffective for Jesus Christ and the kingdom. If we happen to be someone caught in the trap of worshipping people, then this message will hopefully be one of deliverance!
You Can Worship the Wrong Things (vv. 1-4)
The best definition of idolatry I have run across is this: Idolatry is “excessive attachment or veneration for any thing.” The two key words here are “any” and “thing,” and this definition is saying that “anything” can become our idol. This includes possessions, power, positions and people. If you don’t believe that people can be worshipped, then let me remind you of the television show American Idol. In the Bible we see that Peter, James and John were devoted fans of Israeli Idol, and could recall popular episodes from the past fourteen hundred years. Let’s look at verses 1-4.
1 Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; 2 and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light. 3 And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. 4 Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, let us make here three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”
What was the significance of Moses and Elijah standing before Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration? To answer this question we must first understand that Moses was considered the greatest lawgiver in Jewish history and Elijah was considered the greatest prophet.(2) The importance here was that Moses and Elijah had come to talk with Jesus about His nearing death on the cross. They had come to comfort and reassure Him that it was indeed His responsibility to die for the sins of mankind in order to make a way for people to approach God and enter into heaven. W. A. Criswell said,
Moses, representing the law, must have said something like this: “I have come to talk with You about Your death. The law requires a sacrifice; the law says it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul; the law says that the substitute for the sinner must die. Lord Jesus, every rite, every ritual, every ceremony, every sacrifice of the law points to You. You must bear the cross, die upon it, else all mankind will perish. The Lamb of atonement, the blood of the Passover, is but a picture of You.”
Elijah, representing the prophets, must have said something like this: “I have come to talk with You about Your death. Every voice of the prophet calls for the [atonement] of sin by the death of the Son of God. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way, and the Lord hath laid on You the iniquity of us all. The chastisement of our sin is upon You and with Your stripes we are healed.”(3)
Moses and Elijah had come to council and comfort Jesus, but Peter, James and John could not have known this because of what they had been taught through Jewish tradition. Moses and Elijah were two great pillars of the Jewish faith, and they were held in high esteem, even in the eyes of Jesus’ disciples. The account says that Elijah was taken up directly into heaven by a whirlwind. Concerning Moses, the Bible says that he died on Mount Nebo (Dt 34:5-6), but one Jewish tradition says that Moses was taken directly into heaven to be with God just like Elijah was.(4) For example, the first century historian Philo stated that Moses did not die a natural death, but was taken straight into heaven.(5)
From the time that Peter, James and John were tiny children they were told about the greatest heroes of the Jewish faith and they had come to idolize them, like little boys will do with comic book superheroes. Did you know that a person’s childhood hero is often the greatest influence in that person’s life, even determining who they will become as far as personality and career choice?(6) These three disciples were not likely to let go of their feelings concerning these great figures of the faith, or let go of trying to be like them in order to impress the people around them.
Peter, James and John saw their childhood superheroes face-to-face on that mountain, and not much else mattered. The only other person who even caught their attention was Jesus, and that was because the disciples had established Him as one of their new superheroes. To the disciples, Jesus was on equal turf as Moses and Elijah; and because each figure was seen as having equal importance, these three disciples wanted to build tabernacles (or places of worship) for each of them in order to venerate them, and thereby please them.
Like Peter, James and John, someone or something has influenced us since our childhood and has molded and shaped us. Maybe we had heroes after whom we have tried to model our life. Perhaps we tried to please our parents or some other significant people, such as teachers or coaches. The mottoes of our heroes, the standards set forth by our coaches and teachers, and even the advice of our parents have affected us. We may have sought hard to live up to certain standards, and maybe we even beat ourselves up emotionally when we couldn’t meet them. We may have allowed our life to be directed more by what people think of us, instead of what Jesus thinks.
When Peter spoke up about making tabernacles for Moses and Elijah, he was seeking to please these two individuals. Yes, Peter wanted to make a tabernacle for Jesus too, but each disciple was equally impressed with Moses and Elijah during that moment, because they had heard about them their entire lives. As a believer, we may be concerned about pleasing Jesus, but we have likely had more exposure to the world and people, and their expectations, than we have had to Christ. Even though we are deeply concerned about pleasing Jesus, we can easily allow ourselves to dedicate more time to pleasing others. When we do this, then we are actually worshipping people.
You Should Worship Jesus Only (vv. 5-8)
In today’s society many seek to identify themselves either by a favorite band or a favorite brand. Paul said, “Therefore let no one boast in men” (1 Cor 3:21a). Paul informed us of the object of His true boasting, declaring, “God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Gal 6:14a). The object of one’s boasting is the object of one’s affections, and we need to be careful to look only unto Christ. This is a lesson that Peter, James and John had to learn the hard way. Let’s look at verses 5-8.
5 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, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!” 6 And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces and were greatly afraid. 7 But Jesus came and touched them and said, “Arise, and do not be afraid.” 8 When they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.
Here we find a significant statement: “While He was still speaking . . . a voice came out of the cloud” (Mt 17:5). While Peter was in the middle of trying to please others, he was interrupted by God. When we go too far in trying to please people, God will stop us in mid-sentence. The Lord will somehow reveal to us that we have been neglecting Jesus. He could speak directly to our heart, or through circumstances by causing us to fail in our attempts at pleasing someone. He might allow us to climb the ladder of success only to show us that no one really cares when we get to the top. He will reveal to us that our life is empty without the joy of the Lord in our heart.
When God cut Peter off mid-sentence, the Bible says that a cloud overshadowed “them.” We might understand this verse as saying that the cloud covered Moses, Elijah and Jesus while God spoke to the disciples. It could also be interpreted as meaning the cloud surrounded Peter, James and John as God’s voice emanated from the cloud. When this verse refers to “them” it is referring to Moses and Elijah. God hid Moses and Elijah from the disciple’s sight so they could only see Jesus standing before them, because God wanted them to realize that there is only One whom they should be seeking to please and worship and that is His beloved Son.
When God spoke to the disciples they “fell on their faces and were greatly afraid” (Mt 17:6). They were not as much afraid of the voice of God as they were of the revelation which they had just heard and been shown. They realized they had neglected God’s Son, and they were cut to the heart. They were humbled because of their mistake, and afraid because they were out of God’s will. When God speaks to us about our failure to worship Christ alone, we too should be deeply sorrowful and also afraid that we have missed many of the Lord’s blessings that He had intended for our life.
Next, we see something astounding! When the three disciples humbled themselves and realized their mistake, they knew that they had missed many blessings for not following Jesus wholeheartedly, but all hope for them was not lost. When they humbled themselves, they experienced Jesus more closely and intimately than ever before. We see that “Jesus came and touched them” (Mt 17:7)!
When we stop worshipping the world and stop living our life by the expectations of others, and acknowledge our mistake, and then seek to follow Jesus in reckless abandonment, then we will experience His touch in our life. Jesus’ hand will be upon us, and because His hand is on us His power will rest on our life as well. Bruce Wilkinson says that throughout the Bible the phrase “the hand of the Lord” is a biblical term for God’s power and presence in the lives of His people.(7)
When Jesus touches our life then we will live in His power and presence, and we will find fulfillment that cannot be found in pursuing worldly recognition. We will find such joy that when we lift our eyes it will be to “Jesus only” (Mt 17:8). Our sole desire will be “Jesus only.” In his song “In Christ Alone,” Michael English declared,
Oh, I could stop and count successes like diamonds in my hands; but these trophies could not equal to the grace by which I stand. In Christ alone I place my trust, and find my glory in the power of the cross. In every victory, let it be said of me: My source of strength, my source of hope, is Christ alone.
When our passion is to please Jesus instead of people, then we will readily sacrifice our worldly recognition for the sake of the kingdom. We will give our very life for the glory and exaltation of Jesus Christ. Michael English continued to sing, “Now, I seek no greater honor than just to know Him more; and to count my gains but losses, to the glory of my Lord.”
Time of Reflection
If you are tired and weary of trying to please people, and you realize that you have not found joy from the recognition of others, then Jesus is speaking to your heart right now and telling you that you need to stop worshipping people, and instead worship Him. He is your true source of joy, and He loves you for who you are.
Jesus asks you to come to Him just as you are. He doesn’t tell you that you can only speak with Him or be near Him if you dress just right, talk just right and act just right. People will tell you these things, but Jesus won’t. If you desire true fulfillment, then you must sacrifice your worldly glory for the kingdom. I encourage you this morning to come to Jesus and feel His touch in your life, and be held “in the grip of grace.” And if you need to confess Christ as Savior for the very first time, I invite you to come.
NOTES
(1) Michael P. Green, Illustrations for Biblical Preaching (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1997), pp. 407-408.
(2) William Barclay, The Gospel of Matthew, vol. 2 (Philadelphia: Westminster, 1975), p. 160.
(3) W. A. Criswell, Expository Notes on the Gospel of Matthew (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1972), p. 103.
(4) J. C. Fenton, Saint Matthew (England: Penguin, 1963), p. 276.
(5) Philo of Alexandria, The Works of Philo (Peabody: Hendrickson, 1995), p. 95.
(6) Rick and Kathy Hicks, Boomers, Xers, and Other Strangers.
(7) Bruce Wilkinson, The Prayer of Jabez (Sisters, Oregon: Multnomah, 2000), p. 54.
