The Transfiguration: Powerful Sermon

hey everybody I'm pastor Jeff Durbin with apologia Church I want to thank you all so much for watching the content right here on apologia Studios channel well you're about to watch is a sermon a message from apologia church's worship service and again I want to thank you all so much for watching for liking for commenting for sharing the sermon itself we truly believe that it's important for the Christian Church to have an engagement in the public square with the Word of God so we thank you so much for partnering with us to send this out across the world I just wanted to say something before you actually watch this and that is that I'm not your pastor though I'd love to be I am NOT your pastor and it's very important as you're watching this you know that it's God's design for individual Christians to be part of a local Christian Church under the care of qualified faithful biblical elders and so as much as we love all of you watching these sermons and we're thankful to God that God uses them to bless you to encourage you I do want to encourage you as a minister of the gospel to get plugged into a local body of believers particularly I think important a reformed church would be it would be best but we want to encourage you to get plugged into a solid biblical church where you can fellowship where you can worship where you can serve where you can be connected that is vitally important and actually a biblical command and so as much as again as we love for your participation your partnership and we are so thankful to God that he's using these in your lives we want to encourage you to get plugged into a local church you can though actually partner with apologia church as we proclaim the gospel and provide a defense of the biblical gospel all around the world you can do that by going to apologia studios.com you can partner with us by becoming all access when you do you help to make all of this possible and you get all of our TV shows our after shows and apologia academy all of that and you're a part of all that God is doing with us in the world to proclaim Herald the gospel of the kingdom you can partner with us and I want to say one last word about that do make sure that none of your giving and partnership towards apology a chirp Church interferes with your giving your worship your tithes your offerings to a local body of believers your area so thank you again so much for watching these and sharing them god bless you Gospel according to Matthew chapter 17 making good headway now moving through these chapters and as you get there first gospel in the New Testament Gospel according to Matthew we call this series the kingdom of God even though Matthew chooses in his gospel to use the phrase the kingdom of heaven really is synonymous with the kingdom of God the one of the central themes in the entire Bible is the rule of God in history God coming into history to redeem to save to undo all that was brought into the world through sin and death and evil and so Matthew is telling you the story of the Messiah God Himself wented into history to save his people to restore and renew the world to bring the new creation the kingdom of God central theme so we called the series the kingdom of God in Matthew chapter 17 now after a significant section of scripture where Jesus talks about his church the kingdom of heaven he talks about the power to bind and loose on earth and in heaven he talks about the gates of Hell not prevailing against his church he then tells them that he's going to suffer and die and on the third day be raised he tells his people about coming to take up their cross to follow him losing their life for the sake of finding it he tells them that the Son of Man is gonna come with his angels and the glory of his father and then he'll repay each person according to what he has done and he promises them truly I say to you there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom and now we open Matthew 17 on the tale of that here now the words of the living in the true God and after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John his brother and led them up a high mountain by themselves and he was transfigured for them and his face shone like the Sun and his clothes became white as light behold there appeared to them Moses and Elijah talking with him and Peter said to Jesus Lord is good that we are here if you wish I will make three tents here one for you one for Moses and one for Elijah he was still speaking when behold a bright cloud overshadowed them and a voice from the cloud said this is my beloved son with whom I am well-pleased listen to him when the disciples heard this they fell on their faces and they and were terrified but Jesus came and touched them saying rise and have no fear and when they lifted up their eyes they saw no one but Jesus only and as they were coming down the mountain Jesus commanded them tell no one the vision until the Son of Man is raised from the dead and the disciples asked him then why do the scribe say that a lot of first Elijah must come he answered Elijah does come and he will restore all things but I tell you that Elijah has already come and it did not recognize him but did to him whatever they pleased so also the Son of Man will certainly suffer at their hands then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist as far as the reading of God's Holy Word let's pray together as a church father we come before you Lord as your people Lord humbled by the privilege that we have to have your words in our hands thank you God that you gifted us this revelation that you speak to us or do you speak to all your people all over the world and all throughout time Lord through your revelation your self attesting revelation thank you God that you have given us the grace to know you to be forgiven in Jesus thank you Lord Jesus that you gave your life for us you rose again from the dead that you're ascended and seated on your throne thank you that all your promises are yes and amen that you keep your word always you cannot lie thank you Lord that you have brought us to yourself we pray God by your spirit that you would teach us today in your word that you'd remove Lord the element of this jar of clay a person who has no earthly right being here holding your word in my hands or telling anybody about it I pray God that you would teach through by your spirit they Lord you'd garden my mind my heart from error that you build your church up change us calls us to love Jesus more and lord I pray that you would invigorate us energize us by your spirit teach us your word and then let those wonderful things come from our mouths in Jesus name Amen so Matthew chapter 17 Jesus now has told his people that some of them standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom so you see this really throughout the New Testament you see it quite a lot actually and it causes no small controversy amongst Christians in terms of how do you manage that how do you manage the fact that Jesus did teach the bible does teach that Jesus was going to return in that generation before they all had died you see it in particular a lot through the Gospel according to Matthew this emphasis upon this impending judgment upon that first century generation your Bible Matthew kicks-off Matthew chapter 3 with Elijah John the Baptist coming in first words out of his mouth repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand repent for the kingdom of God the rule of God is at the fingertip reach it's right there as the reach it's here now repent turn have a change of mind God's rule is now breaking into history that's chapter three of matthew matthew is of course doing that on purpose he knows the entirety of the story and so he's bringing the story together for us this was the Elijah that we expected if you look in your Old Testament right before Matthew opens up you can see it so just do that keep one thing to here in Matthew just move over to your Old Testament where it ends you have that little white piece of paper there that's the intertestamental period and I want you to see it now Malachi we have it now in order at the last of the Old Testament it's look at Malachi and you see in chapter 3 and in chapter 4 this discussion of Elijah this messenger who's coming before the Messiah himself just look at chapter 3 of Malachi just briefly behold I send my messenger verse 1 and he will prepare the way before me and the Lord check that out and the Lord whom you seek this is the one we're waiting for the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple and the messenger of the Covenant in whom you delight behold he's coming says the Lord of hosts that's chapter 3 of Malachi you're ending your Old Testament you've got the Elijah who's coming first then the Lord whom you seek is coming to listen to the words his temple that's what they expected and you have of course a description in Matthew through Malachi 3 we've read it before of the twofold nature of the coming of Messiah it's going to be one purification and salvation for God's people and - it's gonna be judgment upon the covenant breakers so this is the timeline they were accustomed to and Elijah comes first and then the Messiah comes to his very temple it's a two-fold nature it is one judgment - purification and salvation these things are all wrapped up in the coming of the kingdom of God in the history math Malachi chapter 4 look there verse 1 behold the day is coming burning like an oven oven when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble the day is coming shet that cell shut them ablaze as Lord of Hosts so there will leave them neither root nor branch but for you look see twofold again judgment but for you who fear my name the Sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings do you can'tyou twofold nature of the coming of Messiah the messenger the forerunner Jesus and then there's going to be judgment and salvation and now enter Jesus in the text before us Matthew chapter 17 you see Jesus going up to the Transfiguration but before that you have that consistency with the Old Testament revelation Jesus is going to judge the covenant breakers the kingdom of God is gonna break into history some of you will not die until you see the Son of man coming in his kingdom again all of this consistent with the Old Testament revelation what did they know about the Son of Man well they knew Daniel Daniel chapter 7 verses 13 through 14 Daniels night visions one like a son of man comes up to the Ancient of Days he's presented before him into him the son of man is given Dominion glory and a kingdom that all the peoples nations men of every language might serve him his Dominion is an everlasting eternal Dominion it'll never pass away his kingdom his rule will never be destroyed and isn't it amazing in Matthew 16 Jesus just told Peter what about his kingdom he says I will build my church and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it that's consistent with that Old Testament revelation this is the Messiah that they expected although there were certain things about Jesus coming that they just couldn't understand what do you mean you're gonna die what do you mean you're gonna rise again Peter's trying to tell Jesus it'll never happen and Jesus says get behind me Satan was amazing as it wasn't that the Old Testament revelation didn't tell them this it was that it was so glorious huge complex complex and perfect and amazing they couldn't have possibly understood it all which makes Jesus in his earthly ministry so powerful why because if you read in the Gospels John chapter one in particular where it gives you this revelation of who Jesus is in the beginning was the word and the Word was with God and the Word was God the same was in the beginning with God it says that all things came into being through him and without him nothing came into being that's coming to be and it says and the word became flesh and dwelt among us we beheld here glory and then it tells us that grace and truth came through Jesus Christ it's a powerful testimony in John chapter 1 I want you to see it keep your finger there in Matthew just to get an explanation of just what is happening here in Matthew 16 and 17 so finger here in Matthew 17 and move to John over to your right Matthew Mark Luke John very very interesting gospel different than the Synoptics different than the first three in many respects but I want you to see it but as it goes along with everything happening here in Matthew 17 in terms of this watch the father says to the disciples this is the son of my love I love him I am pleased with him listen to him in John chapter 1 John gives that same story same thing it says in verse 14 and the word became flesh and dwelt among us and we have seen his glory glory as of the only son from the father full of grace and truth John bore witness about him and cried out that's John the Baptist John bore witness about him and cried out this was he of whom I said he who comes after me watch here it is ranks before me because he was before me and from his fullness we have all received grace upon grace for the law was given through Moses grace and truth came through Jesus Christ no one has ever seen God the only God who is at the father's side to catch that the only God Jesus who is in the bosom of the Father he has made him known the Greek words there behind that he has made him known are essentially the same thing we talk about when we talk about exegesis what's that what's that mean drawing out of the text what does it mean right God's Word speaks and we draw out of the text we don't add our stuff into the text and I Sajith the text we have it explained to us draw out so in this text here we see that John says he ranks before me because he was before me he is Jesus grace upon grace and he says what he says he's at the father's side and he Jesus has explained the father to us Jesus watch exegetes the father he exegetes the father to his people he explains this is what the father is like just consider for a second Moses prophet amazing prophet of God Wow all of us if we can if we have to confess if he walked in this room today we would probably be sewing all we'd probably do the same kind of fall to our knees saying let's build a tent list or something to like commemorate this moment of Moses or Elijah or David or Isaiah Jeremiah these are amazing prophets of God but you know what they're not they're nothing like Jesus ultimately ultimately there are four shadows of Jesus and what he is as perfect prophet priest and King but they are nothing like Jesus they can't explain the Father like Jesus wine this gets to everything with it's in Matthew chapter 17 the father says listen to him I want you to listen to my son let him be the foundation through which you view everything else stop focusing in upon Moses as supreme revelation and Elijah the law and the prophets if you want to know what the law and prophets are you listen to my son how do you know my son is trustworthy why because he is in the bosom of the Father in our keun-ho log-off's kai hollow Gao same prosto naome Kai Thais ain't Hollow Goss John chapter 1 in Greek as far back as you want to go forever with no stopping Jesus he's already there he was already there he is pristine theone toward the father face-to-face with the father in intimate relationship with the father and he is fully gone you want to know the father you listen to the one who has been an intimate fellowship with the father from all eternity and I wanted to say this this isn't something we could possibly grasp there's no way you can come Brandes try you can't are three-pound creaturely brains cannot fathom and understand comprehend fully the glory of the Trinity the fellowship between father and son Jesus knows the father perfectly and so when they go up to this high mountain for the Transfiguration they get just a blip just a blip just a moment where they actually see the tear in the physical the physical world is split for just a moment just a glimpse just a small taste of what Jesus who Jesus actually is earth space-time splits and they get a glimpse of who they have been walking with the Transfiguration and what does the father want is people to do not to build a tabernacle for Moses and Elijah and memorialize them ultimately you have my son the son of my love the one that I am pleased with listen to him it's a powerful thing you see what's what's what's important for us to get is this about the scriptures and it's gonna come back always a topology a church we're always going to talk about this the Old Testament glorious revelation of God still contrary to popular preachers of today still relevant today still true today still to be appealed to today still and always it is the Word of God and it is always true however when you look at the Old Testament revelation what you're looking at is the beginning of this grand revelation of God this potent revelation of God you have Moses a prophet who speaks with God on a high mountain with the glory cloud of God receiving stone tablets from God to reveal to the people of God the law of God which could not save anybody but the law of God which is good which God says in Deuteronomy for was supposed to be there whiz in the sight of the people's people were supposed to see the law of God given from Moses to the people of God not as a curse but as their wisdom people were supposed to see the law of God nurses say my goodness what nation is there that has a God so near to them as the Israel Israelites and what nation is there that has laws justice statutes so wise and perfect as this law however the thing is you still have the problem of sin the people of God are still in sin the people of God haven't experienced what you and I have today the resurrection that we have today being made alive with Jesus joined together with him in his death and his resurrection they haven't experienced the outpouring of the Spirit of God they have Moses they have word from God that's a blessing but they still have something else where they have physical temple it's a temple that somebody can knock down and it was not down in history destroyed set on fire gold melting between the cracks it's taken down they have a city that can be destroyed not a heavenly city yet a temple that could be taken down they have a priest who's a sinner who has to offer sacrifices for himself first they have prophets of God priests from God but these guys come and they go they live and they die Yom Kippur is the Day of Atonement and when does it happen Yom Kippur annually every year it's a reminder this isn't done this isn't okay we're not right how do I know because you know what there's a holiest place that I can't even enter and God builds this sanctuary to display what a ritual to remind us gotta watch this here's this important what the temple in the Holy of Holies what heaven heaven itself can't contain God do you get that heaven itself can't contain God God isn't stuck in the holiest place in the Old Testament he's not hanging out there not able to escape it's a ritual it is a walking through a sign the priest is going in before the people of God to represent them before God and he's going before a veil that blocks them from the holiest place it's supposed to shout to God's people it's not done there's something between you and I it's not as though our God is contained in this perfect box shaped room it's not as though the animal sacrifice is taking away any sin the blood of bulls and goats could never take away sin and they knew it why that thing is an image of God that goat the scapegoat is not the image of God that thing they're leading away from the people of God to watch their sins depart from them as far as the East is from the West that's not image of God that animal dying without spot and blemish is still not image of God this is all patterns it's all dress rehearsals it's all rituals to do what to testify about something far superior and more beautiful and more eternal because what do you have now in Jesus the perfect prophet what do you have now in Jesus the perfect priest what do you have now in Jesus you have what the floor runner Elisha John the Baptist said of him what happened when they first introduced Jesus and John the Baptist testifies as a matter of history about who it is that they're dealing with he says behold the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world this is what we are waiting for just consider it Moses amazing prophet of God Elisha representing the prophets amazing prophet of God Elijah's the man he's the bomb he is seriously if Elijah had a church today you should go to his church because he's the man he really is but you know what's amazing about these two prophets all they could do is lay down the rudimentary things because what Jesus who's in the bosom of the Father hasn't come yet he's not there yet all they can do is give you the ritual the symbol and it is so rich just consider Moses for a second what Moses telling to do Moses says get a lamb no spot no blemish they don't know why all they know is God says and I do that's it he says I do I don't know why he says get a lamb no spot no blemish got it check lamb no spot no blemish by the way don't break its bones okay don't break its bones no spot no blemish check don't break its bones check then take the blood of the lamb no spot no blemish you haven't broken its bones haven't broken its bones okay take the blood of that lamb now and you put it over your doorposts put the blood of the lamb over your doorposts and then when my judgment comes I will pass over that house on account of the land with no spot and no blemish no broken bones and you'll then be freed from your slavery in Egypt to enter into the promised land with God they don't know why it's a beautiful thing Moses said to do it so they did it but here's the thing that wasn't the thing that wasn't the substance it was only pointing to the greater reality of what we have in Jesus Jesus as the Lamb of God with no sin no stain no deceit in his mouth as isaiah 53 says and he dies when in history on passover and when he was on that cross the roman guards broke the legs of the criminals with jesus they broke their bones but they come to jesus and they did not break his bones on Passover and then had Passover that blood was spilled for the people of God so that as we come near to Jesus and trust in the one who's in the bosom of the Father his blood covers us and the judgment of God passes over us we are redeemed pulled out of our slavery to sin to enter into the promised land of relationship with God we have a heavenly City which can never be destroyed we have a temple in the heavens Jesus all of us are little stones Peter says being built up into the house of God we have a priest now forever in the heavens who intercedes for us right now he's praying for you right now he's interceding on your behalf we have a priest now who lives in the heavens forever who has taken his seat on that throne after he split that veil never forget that on the day of the atonement the eternal once for all atonement that Vail split it tore signifying what that now it's finished it is finished now we can enter into that holiest of Holies we enter into the presence of God himself now with bold and confident access why because we have Jesus it's finished it's over now I lay all that down to say when we understand the purpose of the pattern fulfillments of the Old Testament we can fully understand this moment of the Transfiguration where Moses in Elijah representing the law and the prophets show up next to Jesus and are conversing with him how crazy with that that must have been nuts you can definitely sympathize with the Apostles there on this high mountain seeing this amazing split between heaven and earth open now and the glory of the true Jesus just shined through not trying to disassemble Jesus and his humanity and divinity but you get my point you see the glory of who he truly is just shine through for that moment you can get for a moment why the apostles are like let's build Tabernacles here let's build some memorials on this mountain for the law and the prophets and Jesus and right as they're speaking the father speaks from heaven doesn't happen all the time it's actually a rare instance pretty rare in history where the father speaks from heaven like this you have it where elsewhere else do you have in Jesus ministry where the father speaks from heaven where else the baptism of Jesus John the Baptist the forerunner is anointing Jesus as priests Jesus isn't repenting of sin and being baptized John's the son of a priest he's a priest he's anointing Jesus for his ministry gave Jesus the right as priests to be able to cleanse the temple and do what he did but notice the father spoke from heaven then too he said this is my son in whom I am well pleased that's the father speaking and another moment here Moses law and prophets Elijah and Jesus let's build some memorials here for these prophets and the father says no this is my son this is the son of my love you listen to him what's that saying is to say that all of us are supposed to now filter all of the Word of God everything not going one direction from the old to the new but we're supposed to see Jesus standing in the New Covenant as the supreme revelation at the top of the mountain through which everything else is viewed how are you supposed to view the law and the prophets now you view them through the lens of Jesus see here's the thing oftentimes as Christians we blow this there are communions that blow this completely there are many examples that can be displayed to happening today on this day in history where there are people who profess faith in Jesus and they're reading it all like Peter wanted to do let's put Jesus here in the long line of law and prophets and let's try to view them together maybe even an order from Moses through let's try to interpret it backwards from Moses to Jesus but the father says no you would now look to my son and you listen to him Jesus is the full and final revelation of God himself you listen to him how are you defeat a law of God now today in the New Covenant through Jesus how are you to view the prophets of the Old Testament through Jesus he's the supreme revelation now I want to just take you to a really quick points powerful it's actually it's amazing cuz Matthew's doing it a lot he's doing it a lot here in this gospel do you noticed and I don't want to go over it again but I do you guys remember we spent time we're at Matthew chapter one and two showing you that Matthew is actually trying to display that Jesus is what all those things were pre figures of so for example Jesus is a baby and you have this story of a political ruler who tries to kill Jesus as a baby and he narrowly escapes what's that sound like could it happen to in the Old Testament Moses same thing you have Jesus being led by the Spirit of God into the wilderness for forty days you'd have the whole I know that means Israel in the wilderness wandering but see Jesus that the true and perfect Israelite goes through the wilderness wandering and the trials that happen there he accomplishes with Adam failed in and Israel failed in Adam was to be God's light in the world he failed he disobeyed God Israel was to be God's light in the world he failed they failed and disobeyed God a seat Matthew is showing you that Jesus is what all of that was supposed to be now in this text did you know it's not isolated that this happened before in history what happens here some of you won't die and then there's this experience six days later where Jesus takes Peter James and John his brother and leads them up to a high mountain and he was first to transfigured before them and his face shone like the Sun and his clothes became white as light and behold there appeared to him Moses and Elijah talking with him now watch if you take your finger keep it there in Matthew and just move back to the beginning your Bibles now go to Exodus 24 Exodus 24 here's the law Exodus 24 starting in verse 1 so you have your Pentateuch the five books of Moses we refer to that as the law of God the Jews referred to it as the law first five books of Moses check this out chapter 24 and verse 1 and he said to Moses come up to the Lord you and Aaron Nadab and I be who and seventy of the elders of Israel and worship from afar Moses alone shall come near to the Lord but the other shall not come near and the people shall not come up with him Moses came and told the people all the words of the Lord and all the rules and all the people answered with one voice and said all the words that the Lord has spoken we will do and Moses wrote down all the words of the Lord he rose early in the morning and built an altar at the foot of the mountain and twelve pillars according to the twelve tribes of Israel and he sent young men of the people of Israel who offered burnt offerings and sacrifices peace offerings of oxen to the Lord and Moses took half of the blood and put it in basins and half of the bloody throw against the altar then he took the book of the Covenant and read it in the hearing of the people and they said all that the Lord has spoken we will do and we will be obedience and Moses took the blood and threw it on the people and said Behold the blood of the Covenant that Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words than Moses and Aaron Nadab and Abihu and 70 of the elders of Israel went up and they saw the God of Israel there was under his feet as it were a pavement of sapphire stone like the very heaven for clearness and he did not lay his hand on the chief men of the people of Israel they beheld God and ate and drank then the Lord said to Moses come up to the me on the mountain and wait there that a that I may give you the tablets of stone with the law of the commandment which I have written for their instruction so Moses rose with his assistant Joshua and Moses went up into the mountain of God and he said to the elders wait here for us until we return to you behold Aaron and her are with you whoever has a dispute let him go to them then Moses went up on the mountain and the cloud covered the mountain the glory of the Lord welt on mount sinai and the cloud covered it six days and on the seventh day he called to Moses out of the midst the cloud now the appearance of the glow the Lord was like a devouring fire on the top of the mountain inside of the people of Israel Moses entered the cloud and went up on the mountain and Moses was on the mountain 40 days and 40 nights so now Jesus takes his disciples he goes up to this mountain and while on that mountain first - he was transfigured before them and his face shone like the Sun his clothes became white as light behold there appeared to them Moses and Elijah talking with him and Peter said to Jesus Lord is good that we're here if you wish I'll make three tents here one for you one for Moses one for Elijah he was still speaking them behold watch a bright cloud overshadowed them and a voice from the cloud said this is my beloved son with whom I'm well pleased listen to him the powerful in the Old Testament they can't foresee this moment with Jesus they go up to this mountain Moses is there the cloud is there the glory of God they are just in all of this moment God gives them the law the Covenant they say we'll do all these things and now in this moment with Jesus his kingdom is coming he takes his disciples up and that cloud is there they get to stand in the midst of the story now with Moses and Elijah and Jesus and the father says now listen to him listen to my son you know Peter talks about this moment Jesus says don't tell anybody don't tell anybody tell everything from the dead don't do that don't tell anybody but Peter did actually talk about this moment so I want you to go to your Bibles now the second Peter 1 listen Noah Peter says about a second Peter near the end of your Old Testament chapter 1 I'm actually I'm actually gonna read a little further above and that's in verse 14 no 13 okay 2nd Peter chapter 1 verse 13 here's what Peter says it's near the end of his life I think it is right as long as I'm in this body to stir you up by way of reminder since I know that the putting off of my body will be soon as our Lord Jesus Christ made clear to me you know where that was if you read the end of the Gospel of John just mark it down read the last chapter of the Gospel of John and you see the interaction between Jesus and John and Peter and it's a prophecy of Jesus there at the end of the Gospel according to John where Jesus tells Peter that he's gonna be martyred he's gonna die for his faith in Jesus he just reconciles Peter to himself and then he tells him that when he is older someone's gonna take him where he doesn't want to go he's gonna die as a martyr and of course Peter in that moment looks over to the other disciple and he says what about him he goes what about him and Jesus says watch this is big it goes along with everything I'm saying in terms of the imminent judgment in the first century Church and generation Jesus says to Peter when he tells him he's gonna die and then Peter says what about John he says if I will that he remains until I come what is that to you you follow me if I will that he lives until I return what in judgment what's that to you what business is that of yours Peter you follow me that's another example by the way of the fact that Jesus was clearly telling his disciples that he was returning in that generation to judge if I want John to be around until I come back to judge that's none of your business Peter you follow me by the way do you know who the only disciple was this is awesome it's awesome do you know the only disciple was to live through the destruction of Jerusalem and died of his old age you know the only one to survive all of that it was John he did live to see Christ come back in judgment on that generation all the other apostles they all died John survived and we know from history John actually did take care of Jesus mother Mary and he buried her in Ephesus John survived nero tried to kill him he failed he said gee john and exile the Patmos that's another sermon to give but here we go here's Peter verse sixteen he says I know I'm about to die verse 16 we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ but we were here it is eyewitnesses of his majesty for when we received honor and glory for when he received honor and glory from God the Father and the voice was born to him by the majestic glory this is my beloved son with whom I am well pleased we ourselves heard this very voice born from heaven for we were with him on the holy mountain and we have something more sure the prophetic word to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts see that that's Peter now talking about that experience on the mountain he says this about Jesus we were eyewitnesses to his majesty you see what's amazing about the life Ministry of Jesus is that none of this is private revelation watch what's the law of God say concerning accusations or claims being made receive no accusation against an elder unless it's on the basis of what two to three witnesses what's the law of God in terms of confirming something what is it two to three witnesses what did Jesus bring up with him on that mountain three witnesses Jesus brought the witnesses and Peter saying this this isn't a fable this isn't a myth I'm not telling you tales out of the schoolyard I was an eyewitness to Jesus I saw his glory and I heard that voice speak from heaven I was an eyewitness to his majesty Peter is telling you that story later on in his life before he's killed he said I saw him I saw Jesus in his glory and there's something about this moment that's just so peculiar you know it is because the life of Jesus throughout his ministry there's so much happening in the Ministry of Jesus that tries to well I don't say try it displays his humanity so for example Jesus blood right Jesus got hungry Jesus beating up Jesus had his beard pulled from his face they smashed a crown of thorns into his head and I want to say this that hurt Jesus because he's God in the flesh it didn't mean that his humanity was somehow diminished and he didn't feel that pain the abuse was less for Jesus when Jesus is a little boy I imagine that Jesus got stomach aches I imagine when that even Jesus hit puberty Jesus got pimples so you don't think about that often do because we seek Jesus as God but you know what it's always emphasized through and through that Jesus is a perfect representative for you because he's truly human fully human jesus had chosen to have limitations limitations that humanity offers Jesus was God and man but here is a shining moment the Ministry of Jesus up on this high mountain the glory cloud of God the law and the prophets and the father shouting from heaven this is the son of my love I'm pleased with him you listen to him but this is a moment where heaven is opened and you see the glory of the Son of Man shining through you see Paul talks about in Philippians chapter 2 you read it later Paul talks about the nature of the God taking on flesh he said Jesus whose in the very form of God did not consider equality with God a thing to be grasped or held onto but what did he do he emptied himself and he took upon the form of a servant and he was obedient even unto death and it's amazing because it's so complex I don't understand it fully none of us can the complexity of the Incarnation God fully God eternally God omnipresent full of wisdom truth power justice no sin entering into our experience and coming into a mother's womb being dependent upon breast I don't get it it's incomprehensible God as a man as a baby held in his mother's arms Mary being cautious not to drop Jesus Mary being super cautious to keep an eye on Jesus eating habits right are you eating enough of a fed him enough right because this is not somebody who's walking down the streets of Jerusalem glowing because he's fully God and yet fully man and in this moment in the Transfiguration up on that mountain here's a shining moment of the law and the prophets and the Father and pointed at Jesus and in heaven splits for a second earth splits and you see this is who you're contending with this is the majesty that really exists with Jesus and it's super terrifying if you think about it because all through Jesus ministry his life and ministry not everyone got to see this glorious moment where earth and heaven open up and the glory of Jesus shines through so you've got people challenging Jesus can you imagine if they had known that all God has to do is open up the heavens for a moment and they would have been on their faces tearing their clothes throwing sackcloth and ash if they had known who they were dealing with people who beat Jesus people who argued with Jesus people who are trying to get Jesus turned over to the authorities they had no idea what they were doing but the glory of the Incarnation is that this God he humbled himself walks among us and it's just like I tell you that when I was repair of this message honestly I had this moment this real profound moment and I don't I don't know why I was so profound and still trying to think about it but I have this profound moment where as I'm reading this text I'm thinking about how am I gonna present this and I'm praying through it I'm trying to figure it out to be a blessing to the church the thing that got me the most this week all of it's amazing the synagogue most is this moment where they are so terrified so legitimately terrified where all this stuff breaks open there's trying figure how to manage it they're saying we'll build something for him and him and you and then the father speaks from heaven and their response is absolute fear they are so terrified that they're falling on their faces they are so scared of this moment and I love what Jesus does that's what got me Jesus comes over and it says they fell on their faces and were terrified but Jesus but Jesus but Jesus came and touched them saying rise and have no fear an amazing that these are human beings who are sinners before God to hear the voice of the Father and they are so terrified that's the voice of their Creator they know who they are they know who he is and their first response to hearing the father's voice is to actually fall on their face in fear and I love what Jesus does for his people who were afraid of the voice of their father he comes and he watch he touches them I encourage you to study the ministry of the touch of Jesus all throughout the Gospels Jesus doesn't just stand to the side and talk to people he comes up and he touches them Jesus walks up to the disciples who were terrified of the voice of their father he puts his hands on them and he says what to them he says get up you don't have anything to be afraid of you see because we don't just have the law and the prophets but we have Jesus now watch there is no fear between the father and us there's no reason for you and I as followers of Jesus to have watch and unhealthy fear of the Father a terrified fear of the father Jesus stands between us and the Father he puts his hand on us and he says you don't have to be afraid anymore why because I'm here it's not just the law and the prophets it's Jesus don't be afraid anymore Jesus establishes watch a new way between us and the Father isn't it amazing it's a powerful thought now I want to just finish here by talking about a couple things and then we're gonna do our baptisms Peter thinks that he Jesus is to be honored like the other prophets he's to be honored like the other prophets and what he learns from the father is that when they're dealing with Jesus they're dealing with something wholly new I just want to point to this passage you don't have to go to it I just want to read it for you in Deuteronomy chapter 18 verse 15 this is a prophecy about the one who's coming it says the Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me that's Moses from among you from your brothers it is to him you shall listen as amazing in the Old Testament Moses actually says God's gonna raise him a prophet like me from among you and you are to listen to him they get up on top of this mountain Moses is there the father says here he is the one who I've raised up out of the people just like you listen to him it's the fulfillment of that prophecy in Deuteronomy 18:15 listen to the coming prophet the one who now has arrived Moses and Elijah are not irrelevant this would be a wrong way to read this passage while God says no you listen to Jesus now so you don't need Moses and Elijah you don't need the prophets that's not what God is saying here it's not that they are now irrelevant it's that Christ is the peak from which we're to view everything else now it says verse 9 as they were coming down the mountain Jesus commanded them tell no one the vision until the Son of Man is raised from the dead that's a prophecy of his death and his resurrection and it happened and the disciples asked him then one of the scribes say the first that first Elijah must come he answered Elijah does come and he'll restore all things but I tell you that Elijah has already come and they did not recognize him but did to him whatever they pleased so also the Son of Man will certainly suffer at their hands then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them at John the Baptist I want to summarize this by saying I think this passage is incredible testimony to the faithfulness of God that he keeps his promises consider Moses and Elijah were constantly foreshadowing and for telling the story of Jesus it's all pointing forward to Jesus as the ultimate the Old Testament is giving direct prophecy for example Deuteronomy 18 the Lord your God will raise up a prophet like me from among your brothers you shall listen to him that's one prophecy amongst so many direct prophecy Jesus is coming God keeps his covenant promises oh yeah lies is supposed to come first Jesus says he did and they did to him whatever they wanted it was John the Baptist just like it was foretold he showed up he will restore all things and just like that Old Testament prophecy said Elijah comes first 4runner then Jesus then covenant judgment and Redemption it all happened just like God said everything taking place throughout our Bibles is yes an amen all of God's promises all of its prophecies and not only watch in this moment do you have all these prophecies fulfilled in this one moment on a mountaintop and the glory of God shining through but you also have Jesus once again testifying I'm gonna suffer I'm gonna die I'm gonna rise from the dead they could not completely understand that but everything Jesus said happened God said the forerunner is going to come Messiah is gonna come then they will be judged and redemption will follow it all happened in the first century Jesus says I'm gonna die and rise again it all happens so I want to end with this point when you read a text like Matthew chapter 17 about the Transfiguration it's this swirl of pattern predictions fulfilled in this moment on top of a mountain it's the swirl of specific prophecies predicted Jesus fulfills them and then more promises are being made but I think the powerful thing to think about is that what Jesus with his entrance into the world he changes the nature of our relationship with the father to remove our sin to remove our fear to bring us into an entirely new way with God and all of his promises are sure and guaranteed and yes and amen and there's no question so when I read this text I think about God's faithfulness throughout time and I think about my unfaithfulness and I think about my inconsistencies and I think about my failures as a follower of Jesus I think about my failures as a father as a husband as a human being I think all my sins and my inconsistencies and I'm reminded in a moment like this on a mountaintop of Jesus that God doesn't have the same problems that I do God is faithful to his covenant promises God is faithful to all of his promises when God says something's going to happen it happens nothing can alter it and there are times where I hear something from God watch and I think wow that's amazing and I can tell in this passage we don't understand the half of it it is so much bigger and more glorious and if we could just have heaven and earth split for just a moment we would see that it's more than we ever thought it was and it would change us so my question to you is this how do you respond to this moment in history the Peter says he was an eyewitness to his majesty how do you respond to it it's just an amazing story said it it's just an awesome moment in history that shows how awesome Jesus is or are there things connected to this story that do relate to you very personally and intimately in your relationship with the father can I ask you are you in that place where you hear the father's voice and your steer still in fear and trembling on the ground or can you hear the voice of Jesus can you feel his touch where he says you don't have to be afraid do you think God is like you half fulfill promises in consistency jaded indifferent or do you see in a moment like this that God is actually the faithful one he is the sure foundation he keeps his word and he is intimately involved in everything that is going on here can you see in this moment that God hasn't forgot his promises that he keeps them can you see in this moment that God isn't like you and so here's the call God says that Jesus is returning to judge the living in the dead God says that he's going to redeem and restore the world God says watch whoever has the son has the life whoever does not have the son does not have the life but the wrath of God abides in him how do you respond to that will you repent and believe in the good news will you come to the Father through the son and receive the father's love and blessing and salvation and redemption how will you respond to this message of God because here's the faith Peter actually had a word from God it's kind of powerful he had a word from God Peter you're gonna die a martyr's death so Peter even tells you I'm coming to the end here guys I know I'm about to be killed he knew it he knew he had some time but news me martyred you and I don't know that we have tonight or tomorrow morning or this week you and I don't know how much time we have given to us by God to live in the world that he's created so here's the question what will you do with Jesus could you see what's amazing is in this moment the disciples of Jesus those who knew God and were saved by Jesus these guys had every reason to be told by Jesus do not be afraid why because Jesus is standing between us and the Father that's why they had no reason to be afraid let me just say if you face God in eternity if you stand before God without Christ as your mediator if you stand before God without him standing between you and the Father as an intercessor then that majesty and glory will be something to be afraid of that majesty and glory will be terrifying and not a delight if you don't have Christ then when you hear the father's voice you have everything to be afraid of because you'll then meet God not as Savior and friend and lover of your soul you meet God as judge you meet God as perfect judge who will always do right and so here's the question will you come to Christ the glorious one the god man who loves and saves his people will you come to him to trust in him and his work or will you continue to turn the other way and for my brothers and sisters in here who have found yourself in a pattern of sin you found yourself in a pattern of indifference you found yourself in a pattern of honestly feeling like giving up maybe you find yourself after twenty years of being in Christ still struggling with the same things feeling this about as far as you can go in your relationship with God because I'm not changing maybe God's gonna leave me the way that I am will you see that God is faithful and when he makes promises to change you and to be there for you and to embrace you and to fill you and to empower you that that is a promise that you can keep it to shore and as Amen as every promise that led to the Transfiguration so what will you do with God's promises will you embrace them will you rejoice in them or were you being different we're gonna come now to prayer and then baptism and then the Lord's table but I'm gonna say before we get to the Lord's table

Channel: Apologia Studios

Views: 19,081

Rating: 4.7345972 out of 5

Keywords: Jeff Durbin, best sermon, awesome sermon, shocking youth sermon, shocking sermon, Paul Washer Sermon, John piper sermon, Joel Osteen sermon, best preacher, sermon jam, Transfiguration, powerful sermon, the mount of olives, the mount of transfiguration, jesus transfiguration, jesus transformer, kingdom of god, gospel according to matthew, the gospel of jesus christ, jeff durbin jesus, jeff durbin calvinism

Id: 0TALGvipL_w

Length: 59min 34sec (3574 seconds)

Published: Sat May 26 2018