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Back to Sermons Index Back to Home Page 11th June 2006 AMTHEY SAW HIS GLORY! Pastor Linton Smith We sometimes hear people say, If only God would do something spectacular.. or even just something special.. I would believe in Him. Well, sometimes He does. He did something like this for Peter, James and John. They were very privileged men. They were present when Jesus healed the daughter of Jairus, they witnessed the agony of Jesus in Gethsemane, and they were privileged to see and hear amazing things on a mountaintop. ~THEY SAW JESUS TRANSFIGURED. Luke writes.. Luke 9: 28,29.. About eight days after Jesus said this, he took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray. As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. Matthew puts it like this.. Matthew 17:2.. There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. He was transfigured.. transformed.. His face shone like the sun.. His clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. Try to picture that. What words come to mind? Peter: We were eyewitnesses of His majesty. Luke goes on.. Luke 9:32.. Peter and his companions were very sleepy, but when they became fully awake, they saw his glory.. They saw His glory. We are reminded of Exodus 24:15-17.. When Moses went up on the mountain, the cloud covered it, and the glory of the LORD settled on Mount Sinai. For six days the cloud covered the mountain, and on the seventh day the LORD called to Moses from within the cloud. To the Israelites the glory of the LORD looked like a consuming fire on top of the mountain. And we are reminded of John 1:14.. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. Jesus was God in human form. He made His dwelling on earth for a few short years.. and people saw His glory.. in all He was.. and all He did. And here on the mountain John saw His glory in a very special way. I sometimes wish I had lived then.. or even been with John on that mountain.. but then.. God has done something very special for us too.. In 2 Corinthians 4:6 Paul writes.. God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. Yes.. God does that. He shines in our hearts. As we read about Jesus.. see what He was like.. we see the glory of God! If we open our hearts and minds to Him.. and bend our will to His will.. He will do just that for us today! ~ THEY SAW AND HEARD MOSES AND ELIJAH TALKING WITH HIM. Luke writes.. Luke 9:30-32.. Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus. They spoke about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem. Peter and his companions were very sleepy, but when they became fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him. Try once more to picture what the three saw. They saw His glory.. saw Him transformed.. saw His majesty.. and now they see two Israelite heroes.. speaking with Him. Moses.. to whom God gave the law.. and Elijah.. the prophet who was taken up to heaven in a whirlwind.. What company He keeps! And they hear these two speaking with Him about His departure. Jesus has just spoken about this to His disciples.. He asked them who they thought He was.. Peter had answered.. The Messiah of God.. and Jesus had then told them He must suffer.. be rejected.. killed.. raised.. Now.. they hear Moses and Elijah talking to Him about this.. His departure.. the word Luke uses is ‘exodus’.. and we cannot help but be reminded of the great exodus of the people of Israel from Egypt.. that great deliverance.. and we get a hint of what the death and resurrection of Jesus will accomplish.. He will deliver us.. set us free.. we will be God’s very special people.. with a great hope of a new heaven and earth.. I wish I had been there.. and seen and heard this.. But then we can hear what they say.. if we read and study the Hebrew scriptures.. After Jesus had died.. risen.. the Spirit had been given.. we find Peter telling people in Jerusalem.. Acts 3:22,24.. Moses said, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you must listen to everything he tells you.’ … Indeed, all the prophets from Samuel on, as many as have spoken, have foretold these days. We do not know what Moses and Elijah said that day.. but in the Hebrew scriptures.. we can read what Moses has said.. and we can read what the prophets have said.. Do it.. and it will stir.. and challenge.. and enthuse you! ~ THEY HEARD THE VOICE OF GOD FROM THE CLOUD. Luke tells us how Peter reacted and what he said.. and goes on.. Luke 9:34-36.. While he was speaking, a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. A voice came from the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him.” When the voice had spoken, they found that Jesus was alone. A voice came from the cloud.. the voice of God.. just as He spoke from the cloud on Mt Sinai.. This time He speaks of Jesus.. This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him. Jesus is the One I promised would come.. the Messiah.. the One I have chosen.. listen to Him. I am reminded of what Peter said after Jesus died.. rose.. and the Spirit came.. He told people in Jerusalem.. Acts 3:22,23.. Moses said, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you must listen to everything he tells you. Anyone who does not listen to him will be completely cut off from among his people.’ And I immediately think of Hebrews 1:1,2.. In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. God has spoken through the prophets.. but in these last days.. He has spoken to us by His Son.. Listen to Him! This is something all of us can do. We can read the Gospels.. study Jesus.. the things He did.. and said.. and see God in action.. and hear God speaking. Study. Listen. Listen well! Do what He says! Apply. Put into practice. Do as He says! ~ THEY WERE LEFT SHAKEN BUT SURE Luke describes how Peter reacted.. Luke 9:32,33.. Peter and his companions were very sleepy, but when they became fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him. As the men were leaving Jesus, Peter said to him, “Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” (He did not know what he was saying.) Put yourself in Peter’s shoes. What would you say? We wouldn’t know what to say.. we would be just like Peter. Mark tells us.. Mark 9:6.. (He did not know what to say, they were so frightened.) And then the cloud appeared.. and they heard the voice.. Matthew tells us.. Matthew 17:6.. When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. Luke simply says.. Luke 9:36.. The disciples kept this to themselves, and told no one at that time what they had seen. They were shaken to the very core of their being! About 35 years later Peter writes.. 2 Peter 1:16-18.. We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain. At the time they were shaken.. but as Peter looks back over his life.. he recalls this event.. as an event that made him sure. What we write about.. speak about.. teach you.. is not some made up story.. a man made religion. We were eye witnesses of His majesty.. we heard the voice that came from heaven. We tell you the truth. Jesus is the Messiah! We may wish we had been there.. seen and heard that.. We were not.. but we can do the next best thing.. we can believe what they have written.. and see what they saw through their eyes! Do that.. and we also will be shaken.. but sure. We will believe that Jesus is the Messiah.. that He died.. rose.. ascended.. will come again in power and glory.. We will lay our lives at His feet and worship Him! Let’s do that now!
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