Sunday
Morning Bible Study
January 23, 2005
Introduction
Jesus has taken the disciples north to Caesarea Philippi, up on the slopes
of Mount Hermon, about 25 miles north of the Sea
of Galilee.
Much of the focus of His ministry with the disciples here has been to teach
them about His upcoming death and resurrection.
Then Jesus gathered the people together and taught them what it meant to be
His disciple:
(Mark 8:34,38 KJV) …he said
unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his
cross, and follow me,,,{38} Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of
my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of
man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.
:1-13 The Transfiguration
:1 there be some of them that stand
here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom
of God come with power.
Jesus is saying that some of the disciples standing in front of Him would
not die until they had seen Jesus set up His Millennial kingdom on earth.
This presents a problem. All the
disciples have long ago died.
What was Jesus talking about?
I think the best solution comes from simply reading on in the passage.
:2 And after six days Jesus taketh with him Peter, and James, and John
This is what Jesus meant in verse 1.
What Peter, James, and John are going to see on this mountain is going
to be a peek ahead of coming attractions.
It’s the “trailer” of the upcoming movie.
The “trailer” shows famous dead people who have come back to life. It shows a glimpse of God’s glory. And it’s all centered on Jesus. This is the Kingdom.
Peter would write about this event:
(2 Pet 1:16-18 KJV) For we
have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the
power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his
majesty. {17} For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there
came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in
whom I am well pleased. {18} And this voice which came from heaven we heard,
when we were with him in the holy mount.
:2 and leadeth them up into an high mountain apart by themselves: and he
was transfigured before them.
leadeth them – Luke records what Jesus was going to do on the
mountain:
(Luke 9:28
KJV) …he took Peter and John and James,
and went up into a mountain to pray.
Luke records while He was praying, Peter, James, and John were having
trouble staying awake (Luke 9:32).
The event probably took place at night.
high mountain – Over the years, several places have been suggested
as to where this took place. Some have suggested this took place on Mount
Tabor near Nazareth,
but it more likely took place on Mount Hermon, where
Jesus has been with His disciples near Caesarea Philippi. Mount
Hermon rises to an altitude of 9100 feet. It is covered with snow 2/3 of the year.
transfigured – metamorphoo (“metamorphosis”)
– to change into another form, not merely a change in outward appearance
:3 And his raiment became shining, exceeding white as snow; so as no fuller
on earth can white them.
white as snow – I wonder if Mark describes it this way because there
may have been snow on the ground on Mt.
Hermon.
fuller – gnapheus – a
laundry worker
Luke also records that Jesus’ face changed as well:
(Luke 9:29
KJV) And as he prayed, the fashion of
his countenance was altered…
Lesson
The Real Jesus
The disciples were getting their first peek at who Jesus really, truly was.
To this point, even though they’ve seen some amazing things, Jesus has
pretty much kept His glory, His power, hidden.
One commentator (Wuest) writes,
What the world saw was a peasant from Galilee, clad
in homespun, the son of the carpenter of Nazareth.
But now, that outward expression was changed. Out from within the inmost being
of the Son of God, there shone that dazzling glory of the essence of Deity
which He possesses co-eternally with God the Father and God the Spirit. It
shone right through the clay walls of His humanity and through the clothing He
wore. It was that same dazzling radiance which the angels saw in His
preincarnate state (Phil. 2:6).
Paul describes the process Jesus went through in becoming a man:
(Phil 2:5-11 KJV) Let this
mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: {6} Who, being in the form of
God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: {7} But made himself of no
reputation …
The idea here is that Jesus “emptied” Himself. He covered up His divine glory with human
flesh.
… and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the
likeness of men: {8} And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself,
and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. {9} Wherefore God
also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
{10} That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and
things in earth, and things under the earth; {11} And that every tongue should
confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
What Peter, James, and John were seeing was a glimpse of what Jesus had
been as well as what He was going to be after His resurrection and ascension
into heaven.
John would see Jesus later in His glory and describe what he saw:
(Rev 1:13-16 KJV) And in the
midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a
garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. {14}
His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes
were as a flame of fire; {15} And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they
burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters. {16} And he had
in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged
sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.
When we read the gospel accounts, we will find ourselves identifying with
the humanity of Jesus. Yet we need to
remember that He isn’t just fully man, but also fully God.
Why is this such a big deal?
Because the kind of help you’re going to get in life depends upon the kind
of God you worship.
We’ve been reading in Jeremiah about how the people were worshipping little
wooden or golden idols. They were little
statues that the people thought looked like a “god”, and so they worshipped it. The problem was that these idols had ears,
but they couldn’t hear. They had eyes
but they couldn’t see. They had hands,
but they couldn’t do anything for you.
In contrast – our God is an awesome God.
He’s the Creator of the heavens and the earth. There is nothing too
difficult for Him.
Illustration
Cars, cars, cars
Sometimes in the movies they build really cool looking
cars for the set. The problem is that
the cars have no engine. They’re just a
prop.
If you’re counting on the wrong “god”, you’re not going to
get much help.
It’s all show, no go. Or as they say in Texas,
“Big hat, no cattle”, it’s all talk and no action.
Our God is like a cool car that’s got something under the
hood.
When you put the pedal to the metal, you get pushed back
in your seat.
It’s like the disciples were getting a peak under the
engine.
For some of us, another issue is, you’ve got a fast car,
but do you ever drive it?
Some people have a really cool, fast car, in the garage
under a tarp. If you visit their house,
they might take you back in to the garage and give you a peak under the
tarp. But the car never comes out of the
garage.
We have an awesome God.
Do you ever trust Him?
Lesson
Changed in prayer
What was Jesus doing when He was transfigured? He was praying (Luke 9:28).
I want to be careful about how we apply this, because praying doesn’t turn
us into a “god”, but something does happen to us as well when we pray.
The Greek word that’s translated “transfigured” is used a couple of times
to describe something that’s supposed to happen to us as well:
2Co 3:18 But
we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory
to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
How are we “changed”? I would
suggest that one of the things God uses in our lives is prayer.
Things happen in prayer:
1.
We find peace
(Phil 4:6-7 NLT)
Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God
what you need, and thank him for all he has done. {7} If you do this, you will
experience God's peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can
understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ
Jesus.
Have you been struggling with anxiety? Perhaps you need to be praying more.
2.
We receive direction
As Jesus prayed, He was reminded of what was up ahead of
Him. He was reminded of His death in Jerusalem.
Sometimes we lack real direction in our lives. God wants to give us direction.
(Jer 33:3 KJV)
Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty
things, which thou knowest not.
3.
We are changed
Moses had an interesting experience when he spent time
with God.
(Exo 34:29-30 NLT) When Moses came down the mountain carrying
the stone tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant, he wasn't aware
that his face glowed because he had spoken to the LORD face to face. {30} And
when Aaron and the people of Israel
saw the radiance of Moses' face, they were afraid to come near him.
I’m not sure if we’ll glow in the dark, but every time I
spend time in God’s presence, I’m changed a little more, from glory to glory, a
little more of His radiance rubbing off on me.
:4 And there appeared unto them Elias with Moses: and they were talking
with Jesus.
Elias – this is Elijah.
talking with – The language Mark uses indicates that it was a
lengthy conversation. They talked for
some time.
Why Elijah and Moses?
Together, they represent the Old Testament, often referred to as “the Law
and the Prophets” (Mat. 5:17; 7:12; 11:13;
22:40). They are the witness of the
Scriptures to who Jesus is.
Note: In heaven we don’t lose our identities.
Elijah is still Elijah. Moses is
still Moses. I just wonder how the disciples knew these guys where Elijah and
Moses. Did Jesus call them by name? Did Elijah have a nametag on that said, “Hi,
my name is Elijah”?
Do you have loved ones who have already gone on to heaven ahead of
you? You’ll be able to recognize them
when you get there.
What were they talking about? Luke
tells us:
(Luke 9:30-31 KJV) And,
behold, there talked with him two men, which were Moses and Elias: {31} Who
appeared in glory, and spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem.
Why was He going to die?
It was God’s plan to pay for your sins by having His Son die in your
place. The International Children’s
Bible says,
(John 3:16 ICB)
"For God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son. God
gave his Son so that whoever believes in him may not be lost, but have eternal
life.
What God did was easy enough for a child to understand. Is it something you understand? Have you opened your heart yet to Jesus?
:5 And Peter answered and said to Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be
here: and let us make three tabernacles…
answered – apokrinomai –
to give an answer to a question proposed; to begin to speak, but always where
something has preceded (either said or done) to which the remarks refer
What is Peter answering? No one has
asked him anything. He’s
interrupting.
good – kalos – beautiful, handsome,
excellent, surpassing. They were having a great time on that mountain top.
let us make – Peter isn’t asking permission to make the tabernacles
(or, tents), he’s telling Jesus that he’s volunteering James and John to help
him make the tents.
tabernacles – skene –
tent, tabernacle; some translations say “shrines”
Lesson
No camping allowed
This is definitely going to be a highlight of Peter’s week.
But he’s not going to be allowed to stay there.
Jesus, Moses, and Elijah aren’t going to stay there either.
There’s an old song (by Brown Bannister) that Amy Grant used to sing:
Mountain Top
I love to sing and I love to pray
Worship the Lord most everyday
I go to the temple, and I just want to stay
To hide from the hustle of the world and its ways
And I'd love to
live on a mountain top
Fellowshipping
with the Lord
I'd love to stand
on a mountain top
'Cause I love to
feel my spirit soar
But I've got to
come down from that mountain top
To the people in
the valley below
Or they'll never
know that they can go
To the mountain of
the Lord
Now, praising the Father is a good thing to do
Worship the Trinity in spirit and truth
But if we worshipped all of the time
There would be no one to lead the blind
Now, I am not saying that worship is wrong
But worship is more than just singing a song
It's all that you say, and everything that you do
It's letting His Spirit live through you
We like to make “shrines” of special places.
When we find a good thing, we like to hold on to it until it falls apart.
But the truth is that you need to keep moving. No camping allowed.
:6 For he wist not what to say; for they were sore afraid.
wist not – he didn’t know what to say
He was terrified and felt he needed to say something, but he didn’t know
what to say.
Perhaps sometimes it would be better to say nothing than to say something
stupid.
It’s better to keep quiet and let people think you’re stupid than to open
your mouth and dispel all doubt.
:7 And there was a cloud that overshadowed them:
cloud – In the Old Testament, God’s immediate presence was often
wrapped in a cloud. For example, when
Moses met God on Mount Sinai, God spoke from a cloud
(Ex. 24:16).
Another name for this cloud of glory is the “Shekinah”, the radiance, glory, or presence of God dwelling among
His people. The word shekinah is derived from a Hebrew word
meaning “to dwell”. The Hebrew word for the Tabernacle, mishkan, also is related to this word.
:9 he charged them that they should tell no man what things they had seen
As with last week’s study, Jesus doesn’t want to get sidetracked from going
to the cross.
:12 …and how it is written of the Son of man, that he must suffer many
things, and be set at nought.
be set at nought – exoudenoo –
utterly to despise
Jesus is trying to get the disciples to think.
He is saying that Elijah indeed was supposed to come first, and that Elijah
has a role of bringing “restoration”.
If Elijah was supposed to bring restoration, then why was the Messiah
supposed to suffer many things?
John the Baptist prepared the way for Jesus’ ministry by getting people to
wake up to the things of God and to turn from their sins.
Jesus on the other hand would fulfill His role as Messiah by dying on the
cross to actually pay for our sins.
:13 But I say unto you, That Elias is indeed come, and they have done unto
him whatsoever they listed, as it is written of him.
Jesus is talking about John the Baptist, who was killed by Herod.
as it is written of him – Elijah suffered much at the hands of Ahab
and Jezebel. John the Baptist suffered
much at the hands of Herod and Herodias.
Lesson
Family restoration
The “restoration” revolved around the family. Part of Elijah’s ministry was supposed to be
that of turning the hearts of fathers to the children and children towards
their fathers (Mal. 4:6).
(Mal 4:4-6 KJV) Remember ye
the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel,
with the statutes and judgments. {5} Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet
before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD: {6} And he shall
turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to
their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.
God has several things that are dear to His heart, and one of those at the
top of His list is family.
Too often we want to bail out when things get tough.
Marriages split up because it gets too tough.
When things get too tough with the kids, we start to ignore each other and
drift apart because it’s too hard to spend time with people who don’t like you.
Yet a priority to God is that we make our families a priority.
Things may not be easy in your family.
But that’s because your family is made up of humans. Don’t give up on them.