Sermons

Lessons from the Transfiguration – Matthew 17:14-20 (pt. 3)

Intro: If ever something a “Mountaintop Experience” it would be the Transfiguration.

• Uneclipsed glory, emanating from Christ.
  • With intimate three.
    • Descending the mountain, commanding friends to silence.
    • Exhorting to discern providence.

 

• Christ brings them to a Test.
  • “Is your faith strong enough to endure when I’m gone?”
    • Stronger than trusting experiences?
    • Will you stand on your own?

[Illus] This will be not dissimilar from Moses after receiving the ten commandments, surrounded in shekinah glory, descending to God’s people, only to find they had melted their metals, to shape into a golden calf. 

Down from Heaven back to a Hellish world.

 

[Appl] Coming off a spiritual high is one of the single most vulnerable experience for any believer.

 

• Spiking spiritual high, plummeting into a spiraling nosedive.
  • Comes back to lacking faith.
    • In Christ.
    • In Word.

[Appl] Always concerned when hear of experience-based “revivals” – what appears to be happening at Asbury University, where focus appears to be on experience.

• Third lesson of the Transfiguration is being willing to exercise faith.
  • Disciples called to listen to Jesus, to discern the Lord’s providence, and now it is to exercise faith.

 

• Hearing, Discerning, Believing, foundational for them to stride on a hard path.
  • John the Baptist, Jesus, and them!
  • Suffering for Christ necessitates these disciplines.

[TRANS] An up-close look at this third and chief Lesson, faith.

Diagnostic of faith by seeing their faithlessness.       

1. Be willing to exercise your faith (vv. 14-20)

Diagnosing the disciple’s problem; fallout from being faithless

1. Disciples were stifled (vv. 14-16).

3 disciples with Jesus on ground level; no time wasted for what’s next.

• Walk up to a crowd, comprised of the 9 other Apostles, scribes (cf. Mk. 9:14-15), thrill-seeking masses, father, and the boy.
  • In quandary, arguing.
    • Self-righteous scribes.
      • Conspiring to kill Jesus.
      • Stirring doubts.

^ESV  Mark 9:14 ^aAnd when they came to the disciples, they saw a great crowd around them, and scribes arguing with them. (Mar 9:14 ESV)

 

• Faithless, thrill-seeking, masses.

 

• Arguing over why the Apostles were rendered powerless.

 

• Crisis thrust right in their faces with, “a man [who] came up to [Jesus]…kneeling before him” (v. 14).
  • Walked up to a crowd, but a man emerged.
    • Threw himself forward.
      • Kneeling before Jesus (v. 14).
        • Not worship.
        • Desperation.

 

• Relieved to see Jesus, out of options.

 

• Need was desperate, crying out was for his son.
  • The father’s “only son” (cf. Lk. 9:38).
  • Going to meet God the Father’s, “Only Son!”

 

• He “was saying” [pres, act, part], “Lord, have mercy on my son…” (v. 15).
  • On Knees.

 

[App] When your child is in trouble at a deep level, a committed parent will go to any length to ensure the safety and recovery of their child. What were the issues?

 

• “…he is an epileptic and he suffers terribly.” (v. 15).
  • Label boy’s behavior as “an epileptic.”
    • Not a metabolic diagnosis.
      • Labeling the symptoms manifesting.
        • English translation is being moonstruck.
        • Affected to craziness by staring at the different phases of the moon.

 

• Crazed or irrational behavior.
• Devil is committing child abuse (Satan as come to steal, kill, and destroy).

 

[J.C. Ryle] “We must labor to do good to out children, even from their earliest years. If Satan begins so early to do them harm, we must not be behind him in diligence to lead them to God…it is never too soon to strive to pray for the salvation of the souls of children…never too soon to speak to them as moral beings, and tell them of God, and Christ, and right, and wrong. The devil, we may be quite sure, loses no time in endeavoring to influence the minds of young people.”

 

• What it looked like was horrifying. “For often he falls into the fire, and often into the water.”

[Illus] I spent several summers lifeguarding kids, in the ocean, and one summer dark lake. It is a constant tension to count heads has they bob up and down because of how unforgiving water is. Fire the same.

• Falling into either fire or water were lethal actions and child was constantly going toward either.
  • This way “since childhood” (cff. Mk. 9:21).
  • Child severely burned, defaced.

Verse 16 tells parent diagnosed this as deeper than physical, so seeking Christ’s Apostles for rescue.

• Matthew says, “heal” for what dad’s seeking.
  • “healing” translated “restore” (v. 16).
  • Broader than just physical restoration.

[KEY] 9 Apostles were ineffective to “heal” or “restore” the boy.

• A general malaise because of demons.

 

• Apostles at ground zero.
  • Not Peter, James, and John.
    • Striking contrast between 3 encountering a supernatural heaven Apostles, stifled on earth.
      • Powers of heaven Powers of Hell.

 

• “…they could not heal him” (v. 16).  
  • Apostles had been given power to cast out demons.

 

^ESV  Matthew 10:6-8 ^abut go rather to ^bthe lost sheep of ^cthe house of Israel.

⁷ And proclaim as you go, saying, ^a‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’

^{8 a}Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers,¹  (Mat 10:6-8 ESV)

 

^ESV  Luke 9:1 ^aAnd he called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, (Luk 9:1 ESV)

 

1. Demons were stronger (vv. 17-18).

[KEY] Jesus responds with exasperation over report of his disciples.

• Jesus’ response lets it all hang out.

 

“O faithless and twisted generation…” (v. 17).

 

• Broad commentary on all, being applied to disciples.
• Jesus is exacerbated, to say the least.
  • Incredulous
  • What you never want Jesus to be toward you.

 

• Jesus making an incredibly negative statement over the entire culture.
  • The entire “generation” (v. 17).

 

• Glimpse inside the divine heart and soul of Christ.
  • How he feels toward unbelief.
  • Toward all categories represented in this group.
    • Self-righteous scribes.
    • Thrill-seeking, consumers.
    • [Even] pragmatic disciples.

 

• If Jesus’ excoriation left believers out, we could rest.
  • For every generation the world is both, “faithless and twisted” (v. 17).
  • Abject worldliness, all of humanity, born sinners, are spiritually dead, making everyone outside of Christ by defacto, “faithless” (v. 17).
    • Without faith.
      • Logically, everyone who’s not expressed faith in X, has not tasted grace, and not experienced regeneration.

 

• Beyond disciples, directed toward the Jews [cff. 11:16, 12:39-42; 16:4; 23:36, 24:34].

 

• Most in every “generation” will not believe “faithless” and then will by defacto be, “twisted” (v. 17).
  • Meaning perverted, demented.
  • “Perverse” [diastrephw, used 7x in NT; cf. Phil 2:15]

^ESV  Philippians 2:15 that you may be blameless and innocent, ^achildren of God ^bwithout blemish ^cin the midst of ^da crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine ^eas lights in the world, (Phi 2:15 ESV)

[Appl] Our culture is upside down, literally twisted in its understanding of everything. LGBTQ plus is an open-ended symbol of man believing he can determine what God can only determine. Choosing what gender, you believe you are, is an attempt to usurp God, to play God, to deny God.

 

[KEY] Jesus’ rhetorically sighs saying, “…how long am I to be with you?” (v. 17) followed by, “How long am I to bear with you?” (v. 17).

• Two statements light a time fuse for his patience.
  • Speaking literally in terms of his physical presence.
    • Been present, with the public, for nearly three years.
    • Teaching and working miracles.

 

• Jesus’ presence during a “faithless and twisted generation” marks his second statement, that he has bearing with this culture.
  • This is wearing Jesus’ down.
  • Culture of “race” which is the Jews (cff. 11:16; 12:39-42; 16:4; 23:36; 24:34).
    • Exercising extreme patience with sinful rejection.
    • This is all true in term of unbelievers; most of the people who’ve encountered Jesus.

[Question] “What about the disciples?”

[TRANS] Verse 16 tells they were the ones who provoked Jesus’ outcry.

• They could not heal the demonized boy.

 

[Question] “How do with put together Christ’s broad commentary over the Jews (by implication the unbelieving world) with this specific application to the unsuccessful disciples?”

• 9 “disciples” left on ground level, minus Peter, James, and John.

 

• Except for Judas Iscariot, they were believers.
  • “Are believers, at all lumped in with, ‘faithless and twisted’” (v. 17).

 

• Believers who kept or secure in Jesus’ grace.

[Question] “What of Jesus’ time fused statements?”  

• Jesus’ exasperation serves as both a judgment and rebuke.
  • Judgment on unbelievers.
  • Rebuke on believers acting like unbelievers.

 

• Time fused statements warn unbelievers and chide believers.

 

• Sincere rebuke to his disciples, who like children disappointed him.

[Illus] Parent shaking his head at his child. Child knows the relationship is secure while something within the relationship needs repair.

What went wrong is that they were unable to defeat the devil, which should not be the case for believers. Those who’ve been designated with this kind of special authority!

• In terms of dealing with a demon, and rescuing this child, at this point, these disciples were no better off than the “faithless and twisted generation” in terms of dealing with this demon.
  • Christians acting like unbelievers.
  • The Bible always is severe when believers sin like unbelievers (cff. 1 Cor. 5:5; 9-11; 1 Cor. 6:15-20).

 

[Appl] “Christ in us is greater than the devil.” “Nothing can separate us!”  “We destroy speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God.”
“We resist him.”  We “take up the armor of God, to wrestle and resist the Devil’s schemes!”

• Disciples underestimated the power of the Holy Spirit to carry out Christ’s mission as Christ’s proxy.
  • Thus disappointment.
    • Deepest issue is Jesus left these disciples in charge of the mission and they could not carry it out.

 

• “What would they be like when He was gone?”

[Appl] Jesus’ test balloon was a failure.

 

[Question] Exasperation: “What will happen when I’m gone?”

[Question] “Was Jesus too harsh?”

[Illus] Numerous examples of disciples failing in their faith.

• This was a lapse of faith!
  • Matt. 21:21-22; Mk. 11:23; Lk. 17:16-19
  • Matt. 6:25-34; 8:26; 14:31; 16:8
  • Paul to Church cf. 1 Cor. 13:2

 

[TRANS] Verse 17 Jesus says, “Bring him here to me” (v. 17).

• Disciples need to observe Jesus doing what they should have been able to do.

 

[Question] “What happens next?”

• “And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him, and the boy was healed instantly” (v. 18).
  • First time “demon” identified by Matthew.
    • Disciples knew this a demon,
    • But their “rebuke” (v. 18) was powerless.

 

• When X delivers someone from a demon he does so definitively.
  • “…and it came out of him, and the boy was healed instantly” (v. 18).
    • The language pictures the demon’s willing departure and the comprehensive healing of the boy.

 

• [cf. Mk 9:26-27, first, “like a corpse” “He is dead” then “Jesus took him by the hand and the boy got up!”]

 

• And boy who had been throwing himself into mortal danger.
  • Under influence of this demon.
  • Morally culpable of trying to kill himself?

 

• All resolved immediately.

[KEY] Immediate and comprehensive act of healing was a clear indictment on the disciples.

• How it should have gone was exact opposite of how it went.
  • “Demoniac” cf. 5:7-12
  • Acts 19:15 – Sons of Sceva

 

• Their conduct at that moment was like unbelievers.
  • Mark’s account contrasts the disciples with father’s desire to grow in faith.
    • With disciple’s lack thereof!
    • Mk. 9:21-24

 

• Were rendered un-useful.

[Illus] Opposite of earlier report of the 70 who were sent.

^ESV  Luke 10:17 ^aThe seventy-two returned with joy, saying, “Lord, ^beven the demons are subject to us in your name!” (Luk 10:17 ESV)

 

1. Dilemma was specific (vv. 19-20)

[TRANS] Leads us to this closing exchange between the Lord and the humbled disciples.

• “Then the disciples came to Jesus privately…” (v. 19).
  • Indicates they were embarrassed; even ashamed of how things had gone.
  • “Why could we not cast it out?”
    • “Why couldn’t we do what you just did?”
    • Same protocol Jesus demonstrated to no avail.

 

• Witnessed Jesus casting out demons.

[KEY] Jesus’ answer to their dilemma is very specific, coming down to one thing.

• “Because of your little faith” (v. 20).
  • Jesus targets them not exercising the faith they had.
  • Jesus characterizes them with, “little faith” (v. 20).

 

• How little? Beneath, “a grain of mustard seed” (v. 20).
  • Though disciples had faith, not acting in faith at all.
  • “…a grain of mustard seed” is almost microscopic.
    • Using reverse hyperbole.
    • What they were not doing.
      • Exercise the smallest possible measure of faith.
      • Smallest amount would have cast demon out.

 

[Illus] Jesus used mustard seed as an analogy of something incredibly small that grows into a large bush-like tree that birds can nest in (cf. Mt. 13:31-33).

 

[TRANS] Jesus then reverses his picture from tiniest to largest by way of a second analogy.

• From “a grain of mustard seed” to “this mountain” (v. 20).
  • No stretch to see mountain Jesus refers to is the same mountain he ascended with Peter, James, and John.
    • Mountaintop Experience.

 

• Mountain Jesus’ transfigured himself atop.
  • Elevation of Hermon (7,000 to 9,000 ft.).
  • 2x size of O’Malley peak.

 

• Jesus’ hyperbole offers a dramatic analogy as a word picture of what exercising faith can do.
  • Jesus pictures exercising faith as a command where you literally can say, “’Move from here to there,’ and it will move…” (v. 20).
    • Understood figuratively in terms of moving a physical mountain and literally in terms of the scale of moving a mountain.

 

• 1 Cor. 13:2

 

[Appl] “Could your faith literally move mountains?”

 

In terms of imposing our own will on a mountain to move, NO!

 

Promise of the cult called, NAR (New Apostalic Reformation) which promises believers a god-status.

 

[Appl] This means you can pray for things by faith that will be as extraordinary as you pray according to the will of God.

 

• Matt. 7:7-8; “Ask, seek, knock.”

 

• 1 John 5:14

 

• James 5:14-18

 

[Appl] You could pray for a weather event like an earthquake and if it was God’s will for the mountain to break apart or fall into the sea, God’s will would be done.

 

Far greater miracles happen when someone’s life is transformed!

 

Bending and breaking someone’s will in repentance is the great mountain moving miracle prayer request Jesus is answering every day.

 

[Conclusion]

Two weeks, we will observe four baptism testimonies on Sunday evening.

You know why?

Because Jesus is transforming people by his grace, in our midst.

All conversions are validated by their faith.

Transformation is the prayer of our hearts; a prayer Jesus calls us to pray and a prayer Jesus answers.