MOUNTAINTOP VISION OF JESUS
Lk. 9:28-36
INTRODUCTION
A. HUMOR:
1. There was a man whose wife refused to admit she had hearing problem. He asked his doctor, "How can I get my wife to admit that she’s hard of hearing?"
2. The doctor said, "When you get home tonight, stand just inside the front door and ask, "Honey, what's for dinner tonight?" If she doesn't answer, move into the next room and ask again. Keep asking the question until you’re standing right behind her. That should convince her she’s not hearing you."
"Great!" the man responded. "I think it will work!"
3. So when the man arrived home, he called out: "Honey, what's for dinner tonight?" He listened carefully, but there was no reply. He walked into the living room and repeated, "Honey, what's for dinner?" He still received no answer. He then walked into the kitchen and asked, "Honey, what's for dinner?" Still there was no answer. So he walked right up behind his wife and spoke directly into her ear: "Honey, what's for dinner?"
4. At this the wife turned around and said: "For the fourth time, I said we are having spaghetti!"
5. LESSON: Obviously, it wasn't HER who was hard of hearing, but him. Sometimes we don't "PERCEIVE" how wonderful Christ's sacrifice is, so I want us to consider that today.
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, 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...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. Lk. 9:28-36.
C. THESIS
1. Jesus is unlike anyone whose ever lived. In Him, “God’s Almightiness began to move in a human arm. The love of God beat in a human heart. The wisdom of God spoke from human lips. The mercy of God reached forth with human hands. God’s always been a God of love, but Jesus was God with skin on!” (Ray Pritchard, “When Did Christmas Begin?,” 12/20/98.).
2. The TRANSFIGURATION of Jesus:
a. Shows Jesus is OUTSIDE THE REALM OF TIME. We see Him standing with Moses (1451 B.C.) & Elijah (ca. 896 B.C.).
b. It shows HIS DIVINE NATURE, and
c. It shows JESUS is the LOOKED-FOR MESSIAH of the Jews.
3. Jesus doesn’t 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. Today we’re looking at the “Mountaintop Vision of Jesus.”
I. JESUS’ PURPOSE: ON THE MOUNTAIN TO PRAY
A. PRAYER PRECEDED EVERY IMPORTANT EVENT
1. Jesus went up on this mountain to pray, but when He prayed, heaven was manifested on earth.
2. It was while Jesus was praying, that He was baptized in the Holy Spirit & God the Father testified that Jesus is His unique Son, Lk. 3:21.
3. Jesus prayed all night before He chose his 12 apostles, Lk. 6:12.
4. When Jesus was dying on the Cross, He prayed for his enemies, Lk. 23:34.
5. And Luke tells us that when Jesus went up on this mountain and was transfigured, it occurred while He was praying, Lk. 9:29.
B. NOTHING IS MORE TRANSFIGURING THAN PRAYER
Prayer doesn't always change God, but it always changes us.
1. IT CHANGES OUR VIEW OF GOD
2. IT CHANGES OUR PERCEPTION OF LIFE “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us” Rom. 8:18-19.
3. IT CHANGES OUR VIEW OF OTHERS. We begin to realize the people around us are saved or lost.
4. NOTHING’S AS REFRESHING AS PRAYER. When we begin
our day with prayer, we’re in tune with God & all things work together for our good.
5. PRAYER BRINGS US PEACE. As the song says, "Oh, what peace we often forfeit; Oh, what needless pain we bear. All because we do not carry, Everything to God in prayer."
C. THE APOSTLES FALL ASLEEP
1. Like typical church members, it appears that all 3 (Peter, James, & John) fell asleep when they were supposed to be praying! The 10 Virgins fell asleep waiting for Christ!
2. 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.”
II. 5 PARTS OF JESUS’ TRANSFIGURATION
A. A HEAVENLY ATMOSPHERE WAS MANIFESTED AROUND JESUS AS HE PRAYED
1. This presence was no accident; prayer is the connection between Earth & Heaven. You too can have the presence of Heaven surrounding you if you’ll seek the Lord.
2. How was Jesus praying? He was a. Communing with the Father, and b. Praying for His Disciples, and c. praying for strength to go to Jerusalem (Lk. 9:51).
B. JESUS’ DIVINE NATURE WAS REVEALED
1. Greek – metamorphothe. Phip. 2:5-6, "the form (morphee) of God" shone through the "form (morphe) of a servant."
2. Col. 2:9, "... in Him dwell of all the fullness of the Godhead bodily." The deity of Jesus, previously veiled, now shone through.
3. Matthew says, "His face did shine as the sun and His raiment was white as the light." Light shone from every part of His body, making His clothes appear white.
4. This is the same light - from the face of Christ - that shown on Saul of Tarsus (brighter than the Sun); John saw Him again on the island of Patmos…
12 I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and among the lampstands was someone “like a son of man,” dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. 14 His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. 15 His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. 16 In his right hand he held seven stars, and out of his mouth came a sharp double-
edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance” Rev. 1:12-16. John fell at His feet as a dead man!
5. POINT: IF YOU EVER SEE JESUS in all His Glory, You'll never be the same again!
C. MOSES & ELIJAH APPEARED WITH HIM
1. TWO GREATEST MEN IN O.T.
a. MOSES - spoke face to face with God, the great Law-giver.
b. ELIJAH - The Prophet of Fire, who got his own Rapture.
2. DISCUSS: "His Departure." They spoke of the Cross, the Resurrection, and Christ’s Ascension to the right hand of God.
3. Their Appearance -- Shows History was coming to its climax. God honored His Son with a visit from Moses and Elijah just before Jesus’ great sacrifice.
D. A CLOUD APPEARS, SURROUNDS
1. Not an ordinary cloud: "bright cloud” Mt 17:5. Luminous.
2. Shekinah Cloud, Glory of God.
E. THE FATHER SPOKE: “Beloved Son, Hear Him.”
1. Peter had been awed by the presence of Moses & Elijah, but the Father singled out Jesus! “He’s My Son! Listen to Him!”
2. So we can’t get our eyes on men: THEY’ll FAIL. Elijah feared Jezebel and fled to Mt. Sinai. Moses struck the Rock twice and spoke unadvisedly with his lips (Ps. 106:33).
3. The Father’s statement "listen to Him!" Jesus is the ultimate messenger of God, He is God’s voice – not Elijah or Moses or Mohammed or Buddha! Jesus is God’s ONLY SON and Heir!
III. THEY SAW...ONLY JESUS! NKJV
A. THE GREATNESS OF JESUS
1. After all is said and done, Jesus is the only One left standing! No one else is like Him. Jesus is in a class all by Himself.
2. No one ever spoke like Jesus Christ, did the things He did, or made the claims He made. He was born of a Virgin. No other world teacher ever claimed to be God.
3. The mere mention of Jesus’ name can calm a storm, heal the broken, raise the dead.
4. At the name of Jesus, I've seen sin hardened men melted, derelicts transformed. Light has come back into the eyes of the hopeless.
5. I've heard a mother breathe His name at the bedside of a sick child, and watched as the child quit struggling and the fever left.
6. I've sat at the side of a dying saint, who in the last fleeting seconds summoned her strength, to whisper earth's sweetest name, “Jesus!”
7. Emperors have tried to destroy it; Philosophers have tried to stamp it out. Tyrants have tried to expunge it from the earth. Yet it still stands!
8. And there shall be a final day when every tongue that’s ever spoken will be raised in one mighty chorus to confess, that Jesus Christ is King of kings & Lord of lords.
B. JESUS’ SACRIFICIAL DEATH FOR YOU
1. This One who made every tree—died on a tree. This One who made the rivers and streams, said, “I thirst.” This One who flung that sun out into space, was blistered by the noonday sun. He whose hands formed all things, his hands were pierced by man.
2. Herod could not destroy Him, the Jews couldn’t get rid of Him, the grave could not hold Him, and Hell could not stop Him.” “He is acknowledged by angels, adored by saints, and feared by devils – He’s the living, Conquering Son of God!”
3. How marvelous that HE LOVES YOU! Jesus said, “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you...Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:9,13.
4. ONLY JESUS has the Words of eternal life, died on the cross for your sins; rose from the dead; and at the End of Time -- only Jesus will stand!
CONCLUSION
A. ILLUSTRATION
1. A number of years ago, a news story told of a dramatic incident that occurred in a small midwestern town. The residents of this town were warned to take cover because of a tornado that had been sighted.
2. Living in this town was a young couple with a small baby.
Knowing the tornado was upon them and that they had no time to take cover, they laid the tiny infant on the floor of their living room and covered the baby with their own bodies.
3. The tornado struck with devastating force and leveled a row of homes, including theirs. The next morning as rescue workers were rummaging through the destroyed homes, they heard a muffled crying.
4. They came upon the lifeless bodies of the young couple, with their baby still safe beneath their shattered bodies. They gave their lives for the child. That is what Christ did for us. [Michael Green, Illus. for Biblical Preaching, #1331.]
B. THE CALL
1. Jesus says, “Come to Me, all you who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest” Mt. 11:28.
2. How many would say:
I need a spiritual Healing?
“ “ sins forgiven?
“ “ physical healing?
“ “ God to move in my life?
3. LORD’S SUPPER. Prayer to repent of sins.
