Mathew 17:1-13

Preached Sunday Morning February 1, 2009

 

Introduction:

 

          Just who is Jesus Christ?  The answer to this question provides the foundation for all of Christianity.  Many people, Jesus, Christians, Muslims, and Agnostics, acknowledge that Jesus was a powerful teacher or a wise prophet.  I have talked to many folks who applaud their own religious open mindedness when they confess Jesus as one of the world’s greatest prophets.

 

          Our passage this morning continues to dwell on the subject of Jesus’ true identity.  In the previous chapter we read about Jesus’ questions to the disciples regarding His identity.

 

Matthew 16:13-16

13 When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? 14 And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist:  some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. 15 He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? 16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.

 

          Most folks acknowledged that Jesus must be some kind of prophet.  In contrast, Peter boldly proclaimed that Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of God.  Jesus continued His teaching by adding the truth about His mission to the truth about His identity.  It took some adjusting, but Peter and the others worked at getting their minds around the suffering that was to come.

 

          This morning we will see a miraculous illustration of the truths taught in the previous chapter.  If you are still one of the many that view Jesus only as a great teacher, I trust that God open your eyes to the truth that Jesus was not just another prophet.

 

 

 

I.                   Jesus had light in Himself

 

Matthew 17:1-2

And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart, 2 And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.

 

A.     This event was a glimpse of the glory of the kingdom

 

Matthew 16:28

28 Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom.

 

B.     Jesus was transfigured

 

1.     Transfigured = metamorphe- a change in form revealing Christ’s divine nature.

2.     His pre-incarnate glory

 

John 17:5

5 And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.

 

3.     Believers will some day see Him as He is.

 

1 John 3:2

2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

 

C.     The Light came from within, unlike Moses.

 

Exodus 33:18-23

18 And he said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory. 19 And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy. 20 And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live. 21 And the LORD said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock: 22 And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by: 23 And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen.

Exodus 34:29-30

29 And it came to pass, when Moses came down from mount Sinai with the two tables of testimony in Moses’ hand, when he came down from the mount, that Moses wist not that the skin of his face shone while he talked with him. 30 And when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone; and they were afraid to come nigh him.

 

“…a revelation of Deity breaking out in that glorified face and form, which appealed to something deeper than sense and confirmed the words from heaven…”  Vincent.

 

Matthew 17:5

5 While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.

 

 

II.                Jesus was God’s Son

 

A.     Talking with the departed saints.

 

Matthew 17:3

3 And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him.

 

1.     They wanted to talk to him

2.     Moses = The Law

3.     Elijah = The Prophets

 

B.     Peter still did not completely understand Christ’s unique identity.

 

Matthew 17:4-5

4 Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias. 5 While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.

 

C.     Christ accepted worship

 

Matthew 17:6-8

6 And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid. 7 And Jesus came and touched them, and said, Arise, and be not afraid. 8 And when they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no man, save Jesus only.

 

John 20:26-28

26 And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. 27 Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. 28 And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.

 

Revelation 22:8-9

8 And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things. 9 Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God.

 

III.             Jesus is the fulfillment of prophecy

 

Matthew 17:9-13

9 And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying, Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead. 10 And his disciples asked him, saying, Why then say the scribes that Elias must first come? 11 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things. 12 But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them. 13 Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist.

 

A.     In John the Baptist

 

Malachi 4:5-6

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.

 

B.     In Christ’s Death

 

Isaiah 53:6,10

6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.  10 Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. 

 

C.     In Christ’s Resurrection

 

1 Corinthians 15:1-4

Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; 2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.   3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: