Sermons

 

Lessons from the Transfiguration – Matthew 17:22- 23 (pt. 4)

 

Intro: Your Bible does not have a type-o, if it skips verse 21.

• Gap represents translators being faithful to the original manuscripts.
  • ESV translators did not believe verse 21 was originally there.
    • Not to break confidence.
    • Caring for God’s Word.

[KEY] Two brief verses (vv. 22-23) restate what Jesus is driving for disciples to see.

• Restating what Jesus predicts in Matthew 16:21.
  • “…he must go” (cf. Mt. 16:21).
  • Back in Galilee, “The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men” (v. 22).

 

• Plan unfolding, will be a difficult path.
  • “and they will kill him, and he will be raised on the third day” (v. 23).
  • Jesus announced the path before.
    • Peter spoke out his corrective, “Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you” (v. 22).
      • Compassion or Flattery, both? “This was an intervention!”
      • Hard path was inappropriate for Messiah.

 

• Events, immediately following, meant to instruct Peter, James, and John and the other 9 to see this path ahead.
  • Namely the Transfiguration.
  • Failing attempts by the 9 to exorcise a demon out of a boy.

 

• Jesus, through exasperation, rebuked the patterned unbelief.
  • Rebuked, the Jewish culture.
  • Implicated his disciples.
    • Exposing their lacking faith at this crucial moment.
      • Could Jesus entrust his disciples with the mission?
      • Needed to exercise faith and had not.

[TRANS] Verses 22-23 is the next lesson from the next test.

• Listening to Jesus, discerning Jesus’ plan, exercising strong faith, and now mustering courage to embrace the hard path.
  • Each lesson builds on the other.
  • First listen to Jesus, to discern, to grow in your faith, and to be strong and courageous when life gets hard.

 

[TRANS] Fourth lesson in the Shadow of the Cross.   

1. Mustering courage to embrace the hard path (vv. 22-23)

[KEY] Hearing Jesus’ announcement before, disciples were incredulous with Jesus.

• Tried to talk him out of it.
• Now, they do not have that option.
  • Jesus’ mission is the same.
  • No changing his mind!

[Question] “So, what is their response now in Galilee?”

• Jesus, refers to himself as “The Son of Man” (v. 22).
  • Knows he is the conquering Messiah.
  • Describes exactly what is going to happen to him.
    • “…they will kill him, and he will be raised on the third day” (v. 23).
    • As assuredly as death will be, will his resurrection be!

[Question] “What is their response?”

• “Will they exercise, stronger faith?”
  • “…And they were greatly distressed” (v. 23).
    • Greek, ἐλυπήθησαν, interpreted: “grieved” “pained” “vexed” “irritated” “offended” “insulted.”
    • Passive sense, interpreted: “sad” or “sorrowful” but perhaps the all-inclusive terms, “distressed!” (v. 23).

 

• Disciples NOT passing Jesus’ test, still learning this lesson of courage.
  • Embracing a hard path as a Jesus-follower.
  • Cross before Crown.

[Question] “Why were they distressed?”

• Heartbroken for Jesus’ hard path?
  • Equally discouraged for hard path being prescribed.
  • His hard path will be my hard path.

[TRANS] Look back at chapter 16 verse 24.

^ESV  Matthew 16:24 Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him ^adeny himself and ^btake up his cross and follow me. (Mat 16:24 ESV)

 

[Context] Jesus, rebuking disciple’s wrong mindset.

• “If you want to save your life, you will lose it!”
  • “You have to lose your life to find it” (cf. Matt. 16:25).
    • Jesus guides, Peter, James, and John up to the top of the mountain.

 

• While transfigured Peter comes up with a solution to Jesus’ hard path.

^ESV  Matthew 17:4 And Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you and one for Moses and one for ^aElijah.” (Mat 17:4 ESV)

• Here’s a perfect retirement plan.
  • “Have heaven here and now, so let’s stay here with this experience.”

 

• Peter wanted to retire; He had to come back down to earth!
  • Have to come off the mountain and get back to work!
  • Saying, “I am going to the Cross, you must follow!”

 

• I am about to be delivered into the hands of men!

[KEY] Jesus’ plan by implication, will be your plan, thus “Distressed.”  

 

[Illus] There is a nationally recognized event at Asbury University that has been called a revival. It began on February 9 as a chapel service but has continued as what has been described as testimonies of repentance, Scripture readings, and a lot of singing.

Their 1,400 seat chapel (Hugh’s chapel) facility has been jammed (with also four other gathering locations) with parked cars for miles. Over 50,000 people have come through to experience this event and what’s interesting is that this town (Wilmore) is the population of 6,000 people.

I can’t help but think that social media has stirred up interest. Lines to get inside of the chapel. The event has been livestreamed with videos posted on social media which could be part of the catalyst for why the exposure. It has received press from Fox News and apparently, Chick-fil-A has underwritten, donated food as a sign of support.

The Hugh’s chapel is the main site where the center lower seating is dedicated to the younger adults of the crowd and their designated lines for access, where the Gen Z crowd has speed pass to get inside within 30 minutes as opposed to hours.

It has been reported that people have now come from all over the country and even from other parts of the world, to visit this spot being declared sacred, where Jesus’ presence is being significantly felt or experienced. Different leaders across the spectrum from credible to nominal to outright dangerous have given levels of endorsement and support.

Asbury’s president has blogged to the effect that this is happening, though he was hesitant to call this a revival, instead calling it an awakening, some all calling it an outpouring. The idea of calling anything a revival in the sense of church history is evidently pre-mature and I would agree.

Time will be the measure of spiritual fruit that is real and lasting. There is also the idea of this event being localized geographically. I am also hesitant to endorse (as I watched them do on video) a way of localizing the Spirit of God in a building. Under the Old Covenant, the presence of the Holy Spirit was manifest locally, though not to be understood as a temple being able to contain the LORD (cf.??).

The New Covenant speaks of revival in terms of spreading evangelism. Practically speaking, this endorsement is drawing people to make pilgrimage to a location for the express purpose of blessing. This kind of question is answered by the students who are saying that this kind of Christian experience localized in their chapel is what should be the normal Christian experience in daily life.

Incidentally, the president of Asbury University [Kevin Brown] has suspended the 24 hour revival or outpouring or awakening to an afternoon schedule. This does not appear to be the best use of resources or a stewardship of time. Afternoon or evening services on campus are limited to young people 24 and under?

The president said the entire town of Wilmore cannot support all the visitors and suggest you have revivals in your own towns. Rather than criticizing their extended event what I want to issue is the same lesson Jesus makes for his disciples who have just descended from atop Mount Transfiguration. An unparalleled event, but still an event, nevertheless. An event followed by a miraculous exorcism conducted by Christ.

Like Christ’s disciples, these students need to realize that heaven on earth will come in the end! Can you receive a real taste of heaven before then! Absolutely! And I will say, the reason there is a real history of college revivals (not only at Asbury, though there is a history of them there), is that college-aged students, who are gathered to worship, to think, to dream, to feel, to express things, is a very natural thing to occur.

Does this make the event any less authentic? Not really but these variables do make this event more predictable. You can easily make the case that singles with less responsibility are practically more available for this kind of contemplative expression and mission. Especially when classes are suspended?

Not to mention that this group that largely were the Covid teenagers during high school are looking for an outlet. They long for community. What better way to gather for prayer and for a cause they believe is higher than them then to pray, praise, and worship. Now, that said, the young people of our day, need to likewise be called to eventually come off the mountain.

Perhaps the gentle or not so gentle nudge to come back down and get to work. Devotion, Yes! Discipline, Yes! “If you don’t work, you don’t eat!” So, this is not an either/or but a both/and. Maybe this was what the president of Asbury (Kevin Brown) realized when he summarily ended the 24 hour revival, limiting open chapel time on campus to students in the evenings.

I want to end on a gracious note. Asbury has had a history of this version of revival spanning back to 1905 up through 1970 and I believe the last one was in the 1990’s. These are by in large good things but they are not the normal path of the Christian life, nor should they be cast as such. This is not an ideal. A blogger (who is an old friend who visited this event with his daughter) warned Christians in general, “Don’t be a hater!”

Podcasters (from the Founder’s) said, the only way to recapture our country is by means of revival, so isn’t this what we are praying for? This strikes me pragmatic. At the same time, I want to give credence to a concept from Ian Murray, Revival and Revivalism that I agree that revival can be defined as an acceleration of what is simply the normal Christian life. Gentle rain turning into a rainstorm. That in terms of our country, a rainstorm of the normal Christian life, expressed through and grounded in churches would be outstanding for our country.

[TRANS] Return to Matthew 17:22-23, where disciples “distressed!”

• σφόδρα (Mat 17:23 GNT) “exceedingly distressed” great emotion!
  • Examples like exceedingly joyful (tomb scene) or afraid.

 

• Distressed because Jesus was now confirming his announcement.
• Distressed by letdown coming off the mountain.
• Distressed by Master’s plan, that will be their plan.

[KEY] Regarding Jesus’ hard path, disciples need to move past being distressed?

• “Did they ever?”
• By implication, “How does someone ever move from distress to courage?

 

[TRANS] One way to fully Answer this Question would be to interview Peter about Jesus’ Lesson! Specifically surrounding the Transfiguration Event! We have the Transcript of this Interview found in 2 Peter 1.

[KEY] 2 Peter is Peter’s testimony recorded some 30 years later.

• 2 Peter is his last will and testament.
  • Like Paul’s letter, 2 Timothy.
  • Like John’s epistles 1, 2, 3, John called “elder.”

^ESV  2 John 1:1 ^aThe elder to the elect lady and her children, ^bwhom I love in truth, and not only I, but also all who ^cknow ^dthe truth, (2Jo 1:1 ESV)

 

• Peter is older, sensing the end by execution.
  • Having been humbled, he is humble.

^ESV  2 Peter 1:1 Simeon¹ Peter, a servant² and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have obtained ^aa faith of equal standing with ours ^bby the righteousness of our ^cGod and Savior Jesus Christ: (2Pe 1:1 ESV)

^ESV  2 Peter 1:13-14 I think it right, as long as I am in this ^abody,^{1 b}to stir you up by way of reminder,^{14 a}since I know that the putting off of my body will be soon, ^bas our Lord Jesus Christ made clear to me. (2Pe 1:13-14 ESV)

• His testimony as predicted by Christ.

^ESV  John 21:18 ^aTruly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, ^byou used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.” (Joh 21:18 ESV)

• Peter here assures us, he’s willing to deny himself, take up his own cross and follow Jesus even in death.
  • Church history attests Peter was martyred by crucifixion.
    • Unwilling to die right side up.
    • Asking to be crucified upside down.

 

• And he was.   

[KEY] 2 Peter, summarizes X’s lesson learned from the Transfiguration.

• Distillation of lessons learned from Jesus’ teaching.
  • Letter written considering the experience.
  • How Christian life is to be lived!

 

• No matter life’s extraordinary events, Christian life to be lived as marathon (cf. 2 Peter 1:5-11).

[Context] 2 Peter warns of destructive heresies promoted by false teachers.

• Character, utterly disqualifying.
• Eyes, sensual, adulterous, greedy to exploit for power (cf. 2 Pt. 2:14).
  • Dog returning to vomit, will show their true colors in the end (cf. 2 Pt. 2:22).
  • They, “deny the Master who bought them” (cf. 2 Pt. 2:1) meaning they deny their Creator.

 

• Peter’s warnings, counterbalance, righteous prescription for taking the hard path.
  • Follow the hard path of growing sanctification.
    • Willing to examine your calling and election.
      • Denying self, false quick fixes.
      • Experience-based heresies.

 

• False teachers w/evil character.
  • Deny their Master.
  • Sensual w/greed.

 

• Promoting doubt (i.e. over the Lord’s Second Coming).

 

• False Teachers raising, Doubt in Jesus’ sufficient promises!
  • To combat Peter’s prescription.
  • Run on the hard path.

[KEY] Marathon is sanctification.

• Hard path, empowered by Christ’s sufficiency.
• Accessed through Christ’s “precious promises” (cf. 2 Pt. 1:3).

 

• Christ is sufficient as His Word is sufficient.

 

[KEY] 2 Pt. 1:5-11 describes sanctification in terms of what a regenerate heart yields.

• A true believer will produce: disciplined living, love, affection for other believers.
  • Christians are family.
  • Test, making certain of your calling and election (cf. 2 Pt. 1:10).

 

• Peter accepted X’s hard prescription, bc/ for him we know he was willing to go all the way to his own Cross (cf. 2 Pt. 1:14-15).
  • Died inverted.
  • Unwilling to die like Jesus died.

[Question] “How did Peter get there into the right mindset?” (cf. Matt. 16:23).

• Had to come a long way.

^ESV  Matthew 16:23 But he turned and said to Peter, ^a“Get behind me, Satan! You are ^ba hindrance¹ to me. For you ^care not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.” (Mat 16:23 ESV)

• Answer is clear from Peter’s personal testimony.

[TRANS] Peter moves from being distressed to courageous (cf. 2 Peter 1:16-21).

 

Prop: 3 witnesses attest, where believers must place their trust.

 

1. Eye-witnesses (v. 16)

[KEY] Verse 16 makes a clear transition from topics: Christ’s sufficiency and Progressive sanctification, to Peter’s testimony.

• Peter first defends his eye-witness account, that he saw, first-hand, one the of the most incredible events anyone’s ever seen.
  • Not a “cleverly devised myth.”
  • No one told them to promote this story!
    • “I didn’t make this up.”
    • “I did not hear this from a creative source.”

 

• Peter did not make known event to the church prematurely but, “…the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (v. 16).
  • Transfigured glory on top of the mountain.
  • The unparalleled “majesty” of divine glory from Messiah.
    • Shekinah glory.
    • Peter’s clear (30 years later), he was an eye-witnesses!
      • With James and John.
      • Unique privilege intimate three.

 

• Commanded not to speak of event until the Lord was raised!
  • Impossible to contain.
  • Peter did not “make [this] known” prematurely.

 

• Peter had come to understand Jesus’ mission was not complete with the Transfiguration.
  • Event, a coming attraction of heaven.
  • Jesus needed to still die and rise.
    • To forgive sins.
    • To ensure access to heaven.

 

 

1. Ear-witnesses (vv. 17-18)

Peter shifts focus from what he saw to what he heard.

• Hearing God’s witness of his Son.
  • Matthew’s version to Peter’s version.

“For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne of him by the Majestic Glory, This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,” (v. 17).

• Father’s presence was to honor Christ.
  • Second powerful moment.
    • Emphasis is on what God said, “voice[d]” about His Son.
    • From visual to audial.

 

• Peter’s testimony: From seeing Jesus’ glory to hearing God’s Word about Jesus.

 

• Emphasis of hearing builds in verse 18.

Peter says, “…we ourselves heard this very voice borne form heaven” and that is the main emphasis as suddenly the glory display stops and Peter, James, and John, “…we were with him on the holy mountain” (v. 18).

• From sight to sound.

 

• From experiencing to thinking.

 

 

1. Heart-witnesses (vv. 19-21)

[TRANS] Verse 19 is the principle for what changed Peter.

• Peter says, “And we have something more sure, the prophetic word” (v. 19).
  • Peter’s inclusive “we have” is striking.
    • Not all on the mountain.
    • But all have, “something more sure” – “the prophetic word” (v. 19).

 

• Language is the Spirit’s work in the heart of every believer in conjunction with the Word of God.

[Question] “How is the Word of God, ‘more sure?’”

• Especially in comparison to the Transfiguration.

 

[KEY] First, Scripture is prophetic, meaning Spirit inspired.

• As prophet spoke under inspiration, the Scripture likewise speaks.

 

• Not meaning the future, Scripture varies (past and future).
• Designated writers, conduits of God’s message.
  • When we hear it the Spirit verifies it as Truth.
  • Spiritual verification occurs inside the believer’s heart.

[KEY] Peter’s exhortation is same as when God the Father spoke to him on the mountain.

• Peter says, “you will do well to pay attention” (v. 19).
  • Believers resonate by the Spirit’s affirmation.
    • Peter uses a sunrise to describe this.

 

“…the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts” (v. 19).

[Appl] Believers come under Scripture, knowing God’s Word is Truth. Conviction by the Holy Spirit is an active witness inside your heart.

[KEY] The Word of God is, “more sure” because of the Spirit’s validation inside your heart but also because of the integrity of where it came from! Scripture’s origin makes it trustworthy.  

• Peter first says what Scripture is not.

 

“…knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation” (v. 20).

 

• Not manmade inspiration.
  • A well written song, poem, or story.
  • By man’s “interpretation” also translated “explanation” (v. 20).

 

• Skeptics believe the “historic church” made the Bible based on a “best guess” approach.
  • What the church always affirmed.
  • What was inspirational for the church.

 

• Peter says, “Not So!”
  • Bible’s veracity is proven by its own real integrity.
    • Never, “…produce by the will of man” (v. 21).
      • Not come by will power.
      • Instead, “…but me spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (v. 21).

 

• “How did the Bible come to be?”

 

[Question] “What is this, more sure word?”

• Men designated by God, “spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (v. 21).
  • Within author’s skill of writing.
  • Unique genre, circumstances, and audience, they wrote.

 

• As they wrote, “…they were carried along” (v. 21).
  • Guided to write down, by the Holy Spirit, the Word of God.
  • The “prophecy” of Scripture.

 

• Men were “carried along” is same language used in Acts of wind filling the sails of ships to move the along the waters.
  • Men directed to write the graphe.
  • Literal words under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

^ESV  2 Timothy 3:16 ^aAll Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, (2Ti 3:16 ESV)

[Question] “From his testimony, we know Peter finally got the point, but when did he get the point?”

• Hard path “by faith” must be traveled this side of heaven.
  • No circumventing the path of holiness and sanctification.
    • Cost of discipleship.
    • What Jesus pioneered, to be followed by X’s followers.

[Question] “Peter finally grasped Jesus’ lesson but how long did that take?”

• Remember Christ squashed Peter’s telling anybody @ Transfiguration, until raised (cf. Matt. 17:9).
  • He did that, but did he really learn and live this lesson?
  • Acts tells us Peter did.

[KEY] Acts gives a survey gives us an upfront seat of Peter’s post-resurrection ministry.

• Peter at Pentecost.

^ESV  Acts 2:14 But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them: “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words. (Act 2:14 ESV)

^ESV  Acts 2:37 Now when ^athey heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, ^bwhat shall we do?” (Act 2:37 ESV)

^ESV  Acts 2:41 So those who received his word were baptized, and ^athere were added that day about three thousand souls. (Act 2:41 ESV)

• Peter surviving, high priests, temple officials, and Sadducees.

 

^ESV  Acts 4:1-4 And as they were speaking to the people, the priests and ^athe captain of the temple and ^bthe Sadducees came upon them,

² greatly annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming ^ain Jesus the resurrection from the dead.

³ And they arrested them and ^aput them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening.

⁴ But many of those who had heard the word believed, and ^athe number of the men came to about five thousand. (Act 4:1-4 ESV)

 

^ESV  Acts 4:21 And when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way to punish them, ^abecause of the people, for all were praising God ^bfor what had happened. (Act 4:21 ESV)

 

^ESV  Acts 4:31 And when they had prayed, ^athe place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and ^bthey were all filled with the Holy Spirit and ^ccontinued to speak the word of God with boldness.

 (Act 4:31 ESV)

 

^ESV  Acts 5:18-21 they arrested the apostles and ^aput them in the public prison.

¹⁹ But during the night ^aan angel of the Lord ^bopened the prison doors and brought them out, and said,

²⁰ “Go and stand in the temple and speak to the people all ^athe words of ^bthis ^cLife.”

²¹ And when they heard this, ^athey entered the temple ^bat daybreak and began to teach. Now when the high priest came, and those who were with him, they called together the council and all the senate of the people of Israel and sent to the prison to have them brought. (Act 5:18-21 ESV)

 

^ESV  Acts 5:28-33 saying, ^a“We strictly charged you not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you ^bintend to bring this man’s blood upon us.”

²⁹ But Peter and the apostles answered, ^a“We must obey God rather than men.

^{30 a}The God of our fathers ^braised Jesus, ^cwhom you killed by hanging him on ^da tree.

³¹ God exalted ^ahim at his right hand as ^bLeader and ^cSavior, ^dto give ^erepentance to Israel and ^dforgiveness of sins.

³² And ^awe are witnesses to these things, and ^bso is the Holy Spirit, ^cwhom God has given to those who obey him.”

³³ When they heard this, they ^awere enraged and wanted to kill them. (Act 5:29-33 ESV)

 

Conclusion: Moving from “distress” to “courage” in the face of Jesus prescribed, Hard Path comes by learning Jesus’ same lesson.  

• Grounded in the “more sure Word.”
  • Jesus is sufficient.
  • His Word is sufficient.

 

• Peter’s own testimony is not trusting an event but a “more sure word.”
  • He’d choose this way, every time!
    • Circumstances are unpredictable.
    • Circumstances always change.

 

• Trusting the “more sure Word” is the only mindset that will quell distress!

 

• More sure word elevates the certainty of Scripture above experience.

 

• Trusting Jesus sufficient Word makes you brave to follow Jesus’ hard path.
    

2. Exercising freedom from oppressors (vv. 24-27)