There was a lot of rich words in that hymn, but I was captured afresh by the opening stanza, Blessed Jesus. At thy word we are gathered all to hear thee. You're not gathered here to hear me. You're gathered here to hear him. And the miracle of miracles, he chooses to speak through men.
And I just happen to be that conduit today. I'd ask you. Last Sunday night to pray with me about verse 1 of chapter 9 and whether that ought to be included at the end of chapter 8 or whether that needs to be included in chapter 9. And I've come to a decision about that. And next Sunday night, Lord Willing, I'm going to address that verse alone.
Not this morning.
So, don't anybody get alarmed. He skipped over that verse. He didn't say a word about that. He asked us to pray about that with him. Yeah.
So I'll Lord willing, devote the entire message next Sunday night to The issues that are raised with that particular verse. But this morning we're interested in the Transfiguration. The transfiguration is recorded here in Mark chapter 9, also in Luke chapter 9, verses 28 to 36, and in Matthew chapter 17, 1 through 9. And what is this? It is a dramatic Demonstration.
of God's agenda. It's good for us to know what God's agenda is so that we can align our lives with His agenda. And not have an agenda that we come to Him and say, God, please align yourself with my agenda. But we'll never be able to align our lives with his agenda if we don't know what it is.
So here it is. What is God's agenda? God's agenda is the glory and exaltation of His Son. God's agenda is the superior revelation of the Son. And God's agenda is calling men and women to obedience to the Son.
So as we think and look through these verses this morning, I have seven words that all begin with C. And we'll use those words to kind of give us a framework to look through this passage. I'll give them to you quickly and then we'll. go back through them. Number one, the context.
Number two, the company. Number three, the conversation. Number four, the cloud. Number five. Let me back up.
I missed something. Number one, the context. Number two, the company. Number three, the conversation. Number four, the clothes.
Number five, the cloud. Number six, the climax. And number seven, the command. The context. Verse 2, now After Six days.
Six days.
Now I can't recall exactly which of them. Either Luke or Matthew also says six days, but the other says eight days, and we say, well, Is there a controversy here?
Well, how do we reconcile Someone saying six days, some of us say it's eight days.
Well, six days. perhaps in between the events that happened and this. Or Whoever it is that's saying eight counts that day and this day for eight.
So don't be troubled by that if you're mind if you're aware of that. But now after six days, well, the question is what happened six days prior? What happened?
Well, remember. at Caesarea Philippi, that particular region. In response to Jesus' question, Who do men say that I am? Peter gave this great confession, Thou art the Christ. The Son of the Living God.
The clearest confession that any of them had made up to this point.
So he gives this confession, but a little bit later. Jesus explains to his disciples by way of the necessity, the language of necessity, four things. That he must suffer, that he must be rejected, that he must be killed, and that he must rise again, which provoked a response from Peter. Not so, Lord. That's not going to happen to you.
Which provoked Jesus to rebuke Peter and say, Get thee behind me, Satan. For you know not the things of God. You're mindful of the things of men. And then we have Jesus. teaching them that they too must be prepared to die.
by telling them that they must deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow him. This is in relationship to what had transpired six days earlier. And I don't know about you, but part of me says, I wonder what else happened in those six that six day interval, a whole week being with Jesus. They weren't twiddling their thumbs, they weren't they were they were busy doing something, but We're not told. Not everything that Jesus did is recorded in the scriptures.
If it was, we wouldn't be able to carry. a big enough Bible to contain it all. But that's the context. Number two, the company. The company were told After six days, Jesus took Peter, James, and John.
and led them up on a high mountain. apart by themselves. These three, Peter, James, and John, not the other nine. But just these three. These three made up Jesus's inner circle.
We see this. numerous times in the Gospel accounts. It was Peter, James, and John that Jesus took with him to raise Jairus' daughter from the death. The Dead. It was Peter, James, and John that Jesus took with him and told them to stand outside the garden when he went in and travail and agonized in prayer on that fateful night.
So These three men who were That stood out Jesus saw them and they hit they took on prominent roles. after the Lord left this earth. Think with me about Peter. He's the one who preached powerfully on the day of Pentecost. Leader of the early church.
who was Humanly responsible for opening the door not only to the Jews but also to the Gentiles. James, the pastor of the church of Jerusalem in Acts chapter 15, he took on that prominent role. John, the beloved John. whom has the designation whom Jesus loved. whom Jesus entrusted his mother and her care from the cross.
John, who gave uh gives us the final book of the canon. The book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ.
So these three men. and their significance. But what are we told? He took these three men, Peter, James, and John. led them up on a high mountain apart by themselves, and he was transfigured before them.
He was transfigured Christ's glory shone through his humanity. The Greek word that's used here is metamorphiae. from which we get the English word metamorphosis. And it calls to mind that dramatic change that a caterpillar undergoes when it becomes. A butterfly.
It goes through a change of form, but what it actually was, in essence, was hidden. And we have this sense here. concerning the Lord Jesus Christ. was hidden. His deity was clothed and veiled by his humanity.
Christ's nature, of course. could not change. He was in essence God. But he was also man, the mystery, The hypostatic union that No one can fully explain, but we must acknowledge. But this change of form this transfiguration, this metamorphosis that takes place Is helpful to understand that it's communicated to us in the Arist tense, which simply records.
The historical fact. While the passive voice indicates that this change That took place was wrought by the Father. It isn't something that Jesus did to himself, it's what the Father did. The Father allowed the glory that had been veiled by his humanity to shine forth. before these three men.
It was the glorification of the physical body of his humiliation. And Again, Why all twelve weren't privileged to see this, and only these three? Hidden in the mysteries of God's counsel. We don't know that.
Furthermore, They were told later on, don't tell anybody about this. Uh until after. Until after the Son of Man. is raised. It's interesting that these men's lives were marked significantly by this event.
They never forgot this. The writings in the New Testament speak to it. What did they see?
Well, listen to what John said. John 1, verse 14. The word became flesh and dwelt among us, and what? We beheld. His glory.
We beheld his glory, the glories of the only begotten of the Father. full of grace and truth. And no doubt John is making reference to this very occasion. We beheld his glory. Peter.
making reference to this same experience. In 2 Peter 1, verse 16, He says, we were eyewitnesses. of His Majesty. For he received from the Father honor. and glory.
So said Peter.
So these three men. But not just these three men make up the company, as we think of the company Jesus kept on the Mount of Transfiguration. There was Peter, James, and John, but verse 4 tells us. And Elijah appeared to them with Moses.
So here's Jesus. Here's Peter, James, and John. And here's these two outstanding Man from the old testimony. Testament. Elijah And Moses.
Why are they there? Why not Joseph? Why not David?
Well, because of their role, Moses. represents the law. Elijah represents the prophets. And here these two bear witness to Jesus. And you remember when Jesus appeared to those two men on the road to Emmaus and They did not know who he was.
They walked with Jesus We have these words in Luke 24. Then he said to them, That is, these two men, These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you. that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the law, of Moses and the prophets and the psalms, concerning me. The Law of Moses. The role of the prophets in the Old Testament.
They all spoke of a coming Messiah. They pointed forward. To the Messiah who would come. They pointed forward to Jesus. And here they are.
It's amazing. Um So Here's the company. Number three, we have the conversation. Elijah appeared to them with Moses and they were talking with Jesus. Who was talking with Jesus?
Moses and Elijah. Talking with Jesus. Would you have liked to have eavesdropped on that conversation?
Well, we know what they were talking about according to Luke. What does Luke tell us? Luke tells us that what they were talking about They spoke. Of his decease, that is, his Exodus, which he was about to accomplish. at Jerusalem.
Now this should encourage us. Here are two men who have been dead for hundreds and hundreds of years. They're mindful of what's going on on the earth. They're mindful of what's going on in the ministry. in the life of the Lord Jesus Christ.
They engaged him, talked with him. About his Exodus. His death that he would accomplish at Jerusalem.
So they had their Chronology right. It hadn't happened yet, and they were talking to Jesus about that. And then the question is, well, why would they? Why would they have an interest in that? Why would that be an important subject for them to bring up and talk with Jesus about?
Well, as prominent as they were, Moses and Elijah, they were sinners just like all of us who are redeemed sinners. They were in the Old Testament. They lived on that side of Calvary. You and I live on this side of Calvary. We look back.
to Calvary, they looked in anticipation. to Calvary. And they were saved based on their faith and what God had promised. And yet, Jesus hadn't died yet. Their salvation was not complete yet.
So they had a particular interest in what Jesus was going to do. Fascinating, isn't it? Think with me. We've talked about the context and the company and the conversation. Think with me number four bought his clothes, we're told.
His clothes, verse three. became shining. exceedingly white, like snow. such as no launderer on earth can whiten them. You know, there are degrees of whiteness, right?
I don't know how many shades of white there are. But I used to paint cars and you didn't just go get a can of white paint and Because if you did, it's not going to match. Cream white and white white and refrigerator white, and well, here's white like no other white. This is white. that describes holiness and the perfection of God's beauty.
His clothes became shining exceedingly white. like snow Such as no launderer on earth. can whiten them. This white Tide couldn't produce. This was a white that no launderer could produce.
His clothes. Again, it speaks of his glory, it speaks of his transcendence. Apparently. Apparently, God allowed only a small degree of the glory. of Christ to shine through.
Because if he'd have given these three men in their sinful condition, The Fool. Exposure to the holiness. of who Jesus is. they would have perished. They were not prepared for it.
It's as if God just pulled back the curtain a little bit and allowed the glory of Jesus to come through and shine through. It's it's staggering to think. What's going on here? Then we have. Peter.
He is one interesting man, I'll tell you what. Verse five: Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, Rabbi, Rabbi, are you serious? You just had said thou art the Christ. The Son of the Living God, now you're calling Jesus rabbi? Rabbi, it is good for us to be here.
And let us make three tabernacles: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah. But why did he say this? Notice the next verse. Because he did not know what to say.
Well then must quit talking. You don't know what to say. I mean, he just seemed to be impetuous. He just had to be talking. He he spoke for I guess he spoke for all of them.
But what was he asking for? What was in his mind? These tabernacles.
Well, The the the Feast of Booths was a was a feast that was observed to commemorate deliverance from Egyptian bondage. And this is what they would do. They would build these tents. and they would dwell in them for a number of days and I think what Peter is saying, Lord, this is something that's going to take some time to soak in. Let's throw the anchor out here, let's build booze, let's just stay here.
I don't want to go anywhere but right here and you commend them for that, right? You and I would be of the same mind, I suppose. Peter answered and said to Jesus, Rabbi, it is good for us to be here.
Well, what an understatement that is. And let us make three tabernacles, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah. Because he did not know what to say, for they were greatly afraid. Greatly afraid. And what's behind this fear?
Well, anywhere you find any human having a confrontation. and an exposure. To the God of the Bible. There's fear. And Most often Words have to come from God or the Lord Jesus.
Do not be afraid. That's the normal response. You remember over in John? Or not in John, but Revelation when John has this encounter. With the with the pre-incarnate Christ, the glorified Christ.
He gives us description at the end of chapter 1. He says, Then I turned to see the voice and spoke. that spoke with me, and having turned, I saw seven golden lampstands. This is chapter 1, verse 12. And in the midst of the seven lampstands, one like the Son of Man.
Clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band. His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes like a flame of fire. His feet were like fine brass, and as if refined in a furnace, and his voice as the sound of many waters. He had in his right hand seven stars out of his mouth went a sharp two edged sword. and his countenance was like the sun shining In its strength.
And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, to me, do not be afraid. I am the first. and the last. I am He who lives and was dead, And behold, I am alive forevermore.
Amen. and I have the keys of Hades and of death. John Right here in Mark chapter 9. assumed that same posture in Revelation chapter 1. Then, what do we see?
We see The cloud. The cloud. What do we make of that? Notice Verse 7, and a cloud. came and overshadowed them.
And a voice came out of the clouds saying, This is my beloved Son. Hear him. The cloud. It is the Shekinah glory of God. The visible manifestation of God in the wilderness.
Many times the Shekanah glory was manifest in the Old Testament, and here is another. Example of the glory of God being manifest, but it's clouded. And it's clouded. As a As a compensation to these sinful men. They could not.
See this and it's full brilliance or they would have perished. And a cloud came. and overshadowed them. But again, this cloud, the Shekinah glory of God. And a cloud came and overshadowed them, and a voice.
came out of the clouds saying, This is my Beloved Son, Hear him. Hear him. Listen to him. That's in the present. Imperative.
That is, keep on listening as the habitual practice of your life. Do not quit listening to him. But obey him. is implied. That brings us to the climax.
The climax. Verse 8: Suddenly, when they had looked around, they saw no one anymore, but only Jesus with themselves. Luke says Then it happened.
So you're following this plot, this storyline. And Luke gets to this and he goes, Then it happened. And you go, Okay, what happened? Then it happened. A cloud came and overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud saying, This is my beloved Son, hear him.
And when the voice had ceased, Jesus was found Alone.
So, what are we to make of that? This dramatic demonstration. of God's agenda. You listen to him. That is, you listen to Jesus.
And what's implied? Moses is gone. Elijah is gone. Do not listen to Moses anymore. Do not listen to Elijah anymore.
Listen to him whom they pointed to. Listen to Jesus and listen to Jesus alone. is what's implied. It is. The fulfillment of a promise that God made in Deuteronomy chapter 18 and verse 15: The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your midst, from your brethren, him you shall hear.
And it is the Lord Jesus Christ. How important is this? How important is this? Jesus said in John chapter 5 and verse 24. Truly, truly I say to you, He who hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and does not come into judgment but has passed out of death.
into life. He who hears my word and believes Him. Who sent me? as eternal life. If you're saved this morning, it's because of that promise and your blood.
Belief in what Jesus promised. But if you're here today and you're lost, He tells you what you must do in order to be saved. Believe Jesus. Hear him. Who said, I am the way, the truth, and the life.
No man cometh to the Father except through me. Come unto me, Jesus said, all ye who are. weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest. It's very important. Critically important.
And then we have a lot of different things. Finally, in this Seven Sees the command, verse 9.
Now, as they came down from the mountain. He commanded them that they should tell no one the things that they had seen. till the Son of Man had risen from the dead. There was a time to say these things. There was a time to speak of these things, but not until.
Not until The Son of Man had risen, From the Dead.
Now again, Six days earlier, Jesus had spoken directly to them about things that must happen to him. He must suffer. He must be rejected. He must be killed. And he must rise.
Again. And yet, here we are, six days later, Jesus says, until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. Verse 10.
So they kept this word to themselves questioning what Rising from the dead man. It's puzzling, isn't it? How much clearer could Jesus have been? But they're they're they're But what why? Why are they why is this question resonating with them?
Well What had happened here? What had been demonstrated to them in a in a very convincing manner. Jesus is God's Son. Jesus is God incarnate. And they're wrestling with this question.
How in the world can God die? You see? That's the dilemma in their minds. How can God die? But he will die.
Jesus will die. And he'll rise again.
So It helps us understand why they're having a hard time Believing what Jesus has said to them. Christ here underwent a dramatic change. In appearance, in order that the disciples could behold him in his glory. Apparently, God. Thought it was important for their development here as they're being prepared for Jesus' departure in about six months.
They had to have this settled in their minds of who Jesus was. And therefore, they're favored with this dramatic Demonstration. This heavenly voice that they heard. Assured the disciples that even though the Jews would reject Jesus, And the Romans would kill him. He was still Pleased.
of the Father. And that's good for us to keep in mind. There can be people around us that aren't pleased with us for one reason or another. But if we'll live our life for the pleasure of God, That'll settle and bring a peace to us. And that's what the Bible tells us here about these men.
You say, well. It'd be wonderful to go back and Be a part of that and see that.
Well, we're not going to, but there's some things that the New Testament teaches. that collaborate and come close to communicating this same thing going on in the lives of every believer. Let me point you to some of those things. Listen to 2 Corinthians chapter 2. 2 Corinthians chapter Two Paul's writing to the church in Corinth, and he's writing to believers, and he says this: but we all.
with unveiled face Beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord are being Transformed. We're being changed. Into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit. of the Lord. There's this principle.
the spiritual principle that we We become that which we behold. And as we behold Christ. In the scriptures. Then there is a transformation superintended by the Spirit of God where we are. change from one degree of glory to another.
And in preparation for what?
Well, in preparation for what God has promised us. Again, Not by accident that John is writing these things. This is John. The apostle, the one who was on the Mount of Transfiguration. He says, This: Behold, what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God.
Therefore, the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. And then he says this, Beloved.
Now We are the children of God. and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be. But we know that when he is revealed, We shall be like him. For we shall see him as he is. And everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself just as he is pure.
That's God's agenda for every blood-bought child of God to be. Changed, transformed, made like the Lord Jesus Christ. That's astounding. Paul again writing to the church in Corinth. He says God Who commanded light to shine out of darkness has shown in our hearts to give what?
The light of the knowledge of the glory of God. in the face of Jesus Christ. Where do we see the glory of God? We see it in the face of Jesus Christ as we look upon Him, contemplate Him. Consider him.
There is this Transformation. that takes place. from one degree of glory to the next. Peter was so marked by this. Listen to what Peter said.
It's very helpful to. As you encounter Peter in the Gospels, And different things that transpire in his life to see what he says about those same experiences in the letters that he wrote.
Now, listen to what he says here. This is 1 Peter chapter 2. First Peter chapter Yeah. Uh Yeah. Second Peter, I'm sorry, Second Peter chapter two, verses.
16 to 21.
Well, he's giving this Eyewitness account of this very experience on the Mount of Transfiguration. And by the way, we don't know. Which mountain that is, there's speculation. It doesn't really matter. It was a mountain.
He says, For we did not follow. cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus. but were eye witnesses of His Majesty. For we received from God the Father Honor. and glory When such a voice came to him from the from the excellent glory.
This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. And we heard this voice which came from heaven. when we were with Him on the Holy Mountain.
So Peter is recounting. with some detail this experience that he had. He never got over it. It was life-changing to him. But listen to what he says next.
And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed, as a light that shines in a dark place until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. Knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved. by the Holy Spirit. What is he saying? He's saying, we had this experience.
Here's the details of the experience. But we have something that's far more reliable and trustworthy, and what is that? the prophetic word.
Now there are two. approaches, I think, to Christianity. One is experience-oriented. and the other is word-oriented. All right?
And there are churches that are structured and worship services are conducted. with this experience orientation. There's books written experiencing. God. All right.
And then there are churches and ministries that are word-centered, like this one is.
Well, which is to be given priority? Peter says, Don't talk to me about experience. Don't tell me your experience trumps anything, the Word of God. Don't tell me that. Because I've got an experience you can't Trump.
You don't have an experience that exceeds the one I had. And as great as it was and as life changing as it was, we have a more prophetic word of Scripture.
So, our life must be built on the Word of God because if your life is based on experience, you just move from one experience to the next. You're chasing an experience. And that can be very difficult and challenging.
So The Mount of Transfiguration. A dramatic demonstration of the glory and the exaltation of the Son. That's God's agenda. And keep the order straight. Glory and exaltation come after humiliation.
He humbled himself. to the point of death. God hath highly exalted him and given him a name that is above every name. The crown. follows the cross.
It's not the other way around. It is a dramatic demonstration of the superior revelation of the Son. That we understand that revelation is progressive. We don't build our theology in the Old Testament. The Old Testament's important.
Two-thirds of my Bible is Old Testament.
So don't discount the Old Testament, but read it. Read it Christologically. Read it redemptively. Read it looking for Jesus because that is what it's pointing to. That's the reason.
Moses appears, Elijah appears, those representatives of the law and the prophets. and they disappear. They're gone off the scene. Jesus alone is standing there. And the word is, listen to him.
Build your life on him. And then the call to obedience to the Son, that's God's agenda. He's looking for men and women who will live lives of obedience. To the to the sun. May God help us to be such men and women.
Let us pray. Father, we thank you for your word today. What an unbelievable passage of scripture that has been Retain for us to consider. How we thank you for your son. We pray that he would be exalted.
and honored in our thinking. We trust that he is that way as we engage in worship today. Father, thank you for what you will do and accomplish through the preaching of your word today. May people hear it as the word of God, not as the word of a man, we pray in Jesus' name. Amen.
