The Transfiguration Series

August 26, 2023

Before we come to our story for today, we need to review 3 important conversations that will set the context for what’s to come.

The entire episode occurred at Caesarea Philippi, located 25 miles north of the Sea of Galilee - sitting at the base of Mount Hermon, 9,232 ft.

The first conversation began when Jesus asked His disciples who the people were saying He was. The disciples responded:

"Some say John the Baptist and some say Elijah. Others say Jeremiah, or one of the prophets."

Jesus: “Who do you say I am?"

Peter: "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

Jesus: "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-jona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.”

Next, Matthew, Mark and Luke all tell us that at that time Jesus began to explain to His disciples that he must go to Jerusalem, suffer many things at the hands of the religious leaders and be killed………… and on the 3rd day be raised to life.

That was a lot of hard information to process. Their beloved teacher had just said that he was going to die ---- at the hands of the religious establishment, no less!!! How could this be true? (Obviously, they had all quit listening and missed the “raised from the dead” part.)

Well, it could not be true and trust Peter to be the one to stick his foot in it…………

• Matthew 16:22 - Peter took Jesus aside and began to rebuke him. "Never, Lord!" he said. "This shall never happen to you!"

Peter probably thought he was helping….. He wasn’t.

• Matthew 16:23 - Jesus turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men."

Harsh response? No, I would say.

During His encounter with Satan in the wilderness, the devil had tried, unsuccessfully, to get Jesus to abandon the plan. In essence saying, “You don’t have to die, you know, Jesus. Just bow to me and I will give you everything you’re willing to die for. Easy breezy!!”

“You don’t have to die to accomplish the goal,” was one of the fiercest temptations Satan used against Jesus and now he was using one of Jesus’ closest friends to tempt him again into abandoning the plan. But nothing, not even the good intentions of a mis-guided friend, was going to get in Jesus’ way.

The cross was on the horizon and He was walking steadily toward it ---- YOU matter that much!!!

But Jesus wasn’t finished. It wasn’t just that the disciples and the crowds had a misconception about His mission, they also had a misconception about what it would cost THEM to follow Him, so Jesus turned to the crowd:

• Mark 8:34-38 - …. "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father's glory with the holy angels."

Wow! Talk about a buzz-kill! Can’t you just feel the energy change in the crowd?

Someone might have actually thought, “Let me get this straight….. You AREN’T going to defeat the Romans. You AREN’T going to restore us to our former national glory? You KNOW you are going to die and seem to welcome it, weirdly, AND you expect US to follow in your footsteps? I’m OUT!!”

No doubt, Jesus knew the unsettled and confused mood of the crowd, so He spoke one last time:

• Mark 9:1 - "I tell you the truth,” he said, “some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God come with power."

A whole week went by……. (Matthew and Mark say 6 days and Luke says 8 days)

One day, as evening was drawing on, Jesus took, Peter, James, and John, and led them across the fields, and far up a rugged mountain. The weary disciples silently followed. (DA – ch. 46)

Eventually the sad little procession stopped. Peter, James and John collapsed to the ground, while Jesus continued a few more steps in order to be alone in prayer.

At first the disciples prayed too - after all, that’s why Jesus had brought them to this place. They tried to remain interested in what was going on, but it didn’t take long before their eyes grew heavy and soon they were fast asleep.