Jesus Transfiguard

"There He was transfigured before them."Matt:17:2

We  read of  the account  of Jesus taking the three Disciples to the top of the Mount, where He would be seen in Glory, that is Transfigured. After six days, that is after their conversation regarding "who do men say that I am?  . It is after this revealing conversation where in Peter asserts, that is his confession is made, that Jesus is “the Christ, the Son of the Living God”. Matt:16:13-20

   Seeing What is True

It is then,  that Jesus took the disciples up to the Mountain top and while there they,and we ,  are given a glimpse of  the very truth which  Peter had revealed to him, that Jesus is the Christ the Son of the living God.

 All they now were beholding was the truth, what has and always will be true, that Jesus is the Christ the Son of the Living God.

 Jesus is the One who has come out of eternity and joins  Himself to humanity  so   He might  bring us " grace and truth" Jhn:1:14. 

This is an all new relationship with the Great God. Jesus has come to release us from  "religion" and bring us into the relationship of His own Sonship.

In His coming our works are set aside , as He take His Disciples up "after six day" , that is after six days of our own work.  This principle is hinted at even in the Law.

 "Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work,"Ex:20:8-9

This  speaks to us  that before we have entered into the rest which we find in Jesus, we are doing our own works, but in Him, when we see Him for Who He is,  we can then rest in Him.

Jesus ,in taking the Disciples, and we,  up to the mountain top and there revealing His glory , He is there demonstrating that the time of our own works is now over; we can rest in Him. That when we see the truth of it, we can look to Him

The Witness of Two

In the midst of the vision, there, with Jesus are seen, Moses and Elijah, speaking with Him.

" Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus" .Matt:17:3
These two great servants of God represent the full testimony of the Scriptures, the Law as represented by Moses and the Prophets represented by Elijah  as being about our Lord.

"He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself."Lk:24:25-27

All of the Bible looks to Jesus.

 Building Tabernacles

As the disciples witness the Glorious Transfiguration of Jesus,  Peter defaults to his understanding as to how the Great God is to be worshiped. Though they are in the presence of the One Who is the perfect embodiment of grace, Peter still defaults to his own understanding and moves to act in accordance with the Old Covenant, as revealed in his offer to build Tabernacles. 

Tabernacles  were the temporary dwellings used for the Feast of Tabernacles, to the Jews this feast was associated  with coming of the Messiah and His Kingdom due to being part of the prophecy found in Zechariah:14:16-21. 

In Peter's mind there would be little change in humanities relationship with God, that is,  the Messiah would dwell in a Tabernacles , that is He would be worshiped as the people of Israel had done in their past  under the Old Covenant. 

Peter also reveals the depths of his own heart that he believed that his own "effort"  could add to this moment of glory and revelation. Peter is still thinking under a works based religiosity. 

This tell us that the Old Covenant was not just a set of laws or ceremonies but  a posture of heart whereby we believe that God wants us to approach Him through some kind of works of our own, through "religion".

"Lord it is good for us to be here, if you wish I will put up three tabernacles, one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah"Matt:17:4 

 The Voice of God

Even as Peter speaks   a cloud envelops them and the voice of God speaks of His Son . This is the great truth above all truths that the Transfiguration was meant to convey . That  when Jesus takes the Disciples , and  us,  to the top of the mount He does so that we hear the voice of  the Father in the Word of God and His affirmation that Jesus is His Son.

 The cloud  enveloped them and the voice of God is heard speaking of His Son   "this is my Son,whom I love;with Him I am well pleased  Listen to Him"(5) .

 That is when we are in the presence of God the Spirit of God will speak of Jesus the very Son Whom the Father lavishes His great love and pleasure upon.

" I have much more to say to you,more than you can now bear. But when the Spirit of Truth,comes,He will guide you into all truth.He will not speak on His own;He will speak only what He hears,and He will tell you what is to come. He will glorify Me because it is from Me that He will receive what He will make known to you"Jhn:16:12-14



This is about Who Jesus is ; the very Son of God, unique in that He is fully God yet full humanity and it is God's Son whom we are to listen to.  Jesus supersedes the works based religion and in Jesus we find in Him everything that we could ever hope for and all that our God wants for each us. Jesus is the means of and the perfect revelation about His Father. 

“I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word" Jhn:17:6

A Response of Worship

The revelation of the Transfiguration is overwhelming to the Disciples and under the sheer magnitude of the encounter and the Glory of God  they fall prostrate to the ground.

"When they heard this they fell face down to the ground" Matt:17:6

They fell down. These Disciples, caught up in overwhelming glory of the vision show us our proper response when we receive revelation as to the truth of Jesus through the Gospel, and we see Jesus Transfigured in our hearts, that is, all of our preconceived notion about Him are cast away and we see Him for the Glorious eternal Son of the Living God that He is. When we see this truth we can have no response suitable other than to Worship Him.

It is when we come to Jesus, and knowledge that He alone is God's true Son the very Christ, and in our moments of worship Jesus will touch us even as  He touched the three Disciples .  When we worship Jesus touches our lives to remove our fears and tells us not to be afraid. 

"Get up , do not be afraid"(7)

Just Jesus

The calming words of admonition for them, not to fear, brings them to look  and see Jesus alone there upon that mountain of Transfiguration. When we hear the words of our Lord they will dispel all our fears.

"When They looked up and saw no one but Jesus" (8)  that is,  Jesus is all  that, they or we could ever need in all things in relation  to our God.   

The old is gone and done away, that is "religion" of works, that is setting up Tabernacles .  Through Grace the Great God reveals Himself in Jesus to each and all who will but receive it.

After the Resurrection

 After seeing the Glory of God in the Transfigured Jesus, our Lord charges the Disciples not to tell of the powerful vision that they had shared in until after His resurrection. 

"As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus instructed them,"Don't tell anyone what you have seen until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead" (9)

What the vision was, the Resurrection is. The vision of the Transfiguration looked ahead to the realty of the Resurrection.   It is conformation that Jesus is God's Son, telling others that Jesus is the Son of God is central to the proclamation of the Gospel.

"Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God—the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures regarding his Son, who as to his earthly life was a descendant of David, and who through the Spirit of holiness was appointed the Son of God in power by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord. Through him we received grace and apostleship to call all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith for his name’s sake. And you also are among those Gentiles who are called to belong to Jesus Christ." Rom:1:1-6
  
Jesus' resurrection is conformation that He is the Son of God, that Scripture is validated, that the power of sin is broken that we can have a relationship with the Great God through His Son by Grace, that He loves us and wants us and includes us in His loves, this we see on the Mount of Transfiguration. Amen

  Rev.Todd Crouch, Pastor

The Fountain of Life Church a Congregation of Grace Communion
2101 Old National Pike.

Washington, Pennsylvania.   www.gcfountainoflife.org

The Fountain of Life is heard  on the RKP Radio Network 1710 and 1670 AM in Washington and North Franklin ,and 1790 AM  in the Arden Fair Grounds area of Washington Pennsylvania, and on 1710 AM in Bentleyville and Monongahela, Pennsylvania. And online around the world at www.rkpradio.com

THE END OF THE WORLD!

If it is not about Jesus, it’s not about anything

(Motto of the Fountain of Life)

 

Invocation:  Father, in Jesus name, we confess our desire for your Holy Spirit.  We submit ourselves to your love and authority.  Please help us to examine certain themes in biblical interpretation with civility and respect. Amen

Sermon Purpose Statement:  1. Examine context in interpreting scripture.  2.  Offering a personal view. 

Guiding Principle:  “For what would it profit us to know the whole Bible by heart and the principles of all the philosophers, if we live without grace and the love of God?”  Thomas a’ Kempis

CAUTION:  Interpretations of scripture have divided Christians.  We must always look first to Jesus as the author and finisher of our salvation.  The danger is when our carnal desire to be right becomes an uncontrollable idol.  In that carnal spirit when we elevate any doctrine above Jesus we create an idol in opposition to Him.

Scripture:  Matthew 24:3:  What shall be the sign of the end of the world?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

What are your doctrines brethren?  For example:  What are your positions on the Book of Revelation?  Are you pre-millennial or post millennial, Preterist, Historicist or Futurist?  Your answer can and has divided congregations.  In fact, an internet search shows that there are between 20,800 to 40,000 denominations throughout the world.  So!  What is a truth seeking Christian to do when the respected teachers in theology disagree so very much?  For example:

J. Vernon McGee (1904 – 1988) began the “Through the Bible” radio broadcasts in 1967.  Today, 26 years after his death, his broadcasts are still aired on hundreds of radio stations in over 40 languages.  47 years on the radio does not make any of his doctrines correct, but 47 years of continued success in preaching the gospel does get my attention.  In his commentary on the book of revelation, McGee says that, “The book of Revelation is not a difficult book.”

Adam Clarke (1760 – 1832) wrote his commentary on the Bible from 1810 to 1826.  It is still published 182 years after his death.  Clarke wrote in his commentary on Revelation that, “I do not understand the book; and am satisfied that not one who has written on the subject knows anything more of it than myself.” 

John Hagee is a current dispensationalist author and TV evangelist.  In his book, “Jerusalem Countdown” he stoutly claims that physical Israel is God chosen people.  He also stoutly charges that is it heresy not to believe this. 

Hank Hanegraaff is the radio Bible Answer Man and author of many books on apologetics.  In his book, “Apocalypse Code” he strongly cautions that Dispensationalists are a physical threat to world peace.

This is a wide separation in understanding, however, each of these men believe that Jesus Christ is our God and Savior.  Brethren, each of us must decide this:  Is Jesus our salvation or is our correct interpretation of the book of Revelation our salvation? 

CONTEXT *

How have we gone from one denomination at Pentecost 2000 years ago to as many as 40,000 today?  A simplistic, but useable answer is that we all interpret the scriptures through our own eyes.  For example, consider the phrase “Remember the Alamo.”

1.  An American GI tells his German friend in Berlin, “Erinnern sie sich das Alamo.”  This has no meaning, no context to the German brother.

2.  You tell a modern New York brother, “Remember the Alamo.”  This will be academic meaning.  It will evoke, perhaps the Walt Disney TV series in the 1950s; or the John Wayne movie in 1960.  Perhaps it will evoke the historical reality of the 1836, 13 day siege in the Mexican province of Texas.

3.  You tell an 1836 A.D. Texan to “Remember the Alamo” you evoke a visceral imperative for revenge to be had in blood.

4.  Without a doubt, a Mexican brother would have again a completely different understanding of this phrase.

The difference in understanding comes from the passage of time, difference in language, difference in cultural experiences and a host of other factors. 

Our bible is a collection of writings from 2000 to 3500 years old.  It is translated from several ancient languages and written under several political and cultural influences.  When we 21^st century North Americans translate the bible literally, we experience difficulties if we project our culture, politics, age, economics or gender onto the text.   

 

JESUS OR OTHER STUFF?

When is the end of the world of Matthew 24?  When do the events in the Book of Revelation occur?    Is that knowledge the most important thing in our Christian walk to know?  Does that knowledge get us into heaven?

Pastor Todd Crouch has taught the Book of Revelation in our local congregations and as a series on “The Fountain of Life” program on RKP Radio.  His recurring theme is the question, “Who do you worship?” Is it Jesus or others?  He notes that upon the completion of every scenario in Revelation, the activity on earth, which is destruction, shifts back into heaven.  In heaven the activity is always worship given to Jesus.  The lesson is not the identity of the Antichrist, or who is the Beast, or when will the tribulation occur, or when will we flee to Petra or be "raptured away .  The lesson always points back to Jesus as King and the one to worship.

A PERSONAL VIEW

What follows is not any doctrine laid in stone, it is just one Christian asking some questions based upon our above discussion about context.  It may be accurate to say the most North Americans view the term “end of the world” found in Matthew 24:3 in a very final fatalistic way.  It is a “Dr. Strangelove” or “The Day After” mentality, when on a specific day in the future, the horror of thermonuclear self genocide is realized.   This cataclysm has a definite point in time and signifies the end of life.  It is the final curtain in the human drama of existence.  But is that a correct understanding of the phrase “end of the world” that Jesus used?

Background issues:

Language:  in the biblical text, there are several Greek words which are translated as “world.”  In Matt. 24:3 it is found in Strong’s Concordance as word #165 aeon.  It loosely means a period of time, such as the Messianic age.  Other passages use Strong’s word #2889 cosmos.  Loosely it refers to the organization of things and by implication the physical world.

 

Audience:  Twelve 1^st Century Jews who have just left the Temple grounds.

Context:  A discussion with the Temple at Jerusalem as the focus and the prediction that not one stone would stand upon another.

Location:  On a Hill overlooking that Temple

Cultural factors:  The Temple was the center of the Jewish world.  The existence of the Temple was the center of their way of life, of thinking, of acting, of living, of dying.

Implications:

1.  When did the Christ age begin?  Perhaps it began as early as Christmas when the divine assumed flesh.  Certainly it occurred in His ministry.  He told the Pharisees that the Kingdom of God had come to them (Matt. 12:28).  Certainly it occurred at Pentecost at the descent of the Paraclete. 

2.  Jesus was a physical Jew.  He lived in and under the Mosaic age and code. 

3.  His Mosaic life found a focus in the Existing Temple.  His Messianic life fulfilled the Mosaic promises.  His divine life began the Christ age.

4.  When did the Mosaic age end?  The Mosaic age depended upon animal sacrifices offered on the consecrated altar located in the Temple.  When Messiah was sacrificed, the need for sacrifices ended.  When the temple was destroyed, the sacrifices ended; when the sacrifices ended the Mosaic age ended. 

Questions:

Was Jesus telling the Apostles that the Mosaic age would end when these signs were fulfilled when no stone would remain on another?  Or was Jesus talking about the annihilation of the earth at some far distant date?  The answer to those questions greatly influence how the book of Revelation is understood.  Would one answer focus more upon the ever present reign of Jesus while the other answer would focus more on a future date of doom?

WHICH VIEW?

Grace Communion International looks primarily to Jesus and therefore does not hold a specific doctrinal view on the end times.  That means that opposing views may be discussed without censure.  This freedom of discussion is not to be confused with a license to politicize a view and aim at division.   The Presbyterian McGee’s view is just as valid as the Methodist Clarke’s.  I can even accept Mr. Hagee’s doctrine on physical Israel.  Yet I must object to his position that his Revelation understanding is the only one and that others are heretical.       

In reading this Christian Bible, we will find many such controversial questions.  When they arise, a suggested guideline is to ask which of these questions is a “nice to know issue” or a “need to know issue.”   It is well to acknowledge that two dangers arise:  1) when we realize that our curiosity becomes obsessed to know the answer; 2) when we realize that our pride demands that we be right.  

 Next ask “Does the answer point to Jesus as the Author and Finisher of our salvation or no?”  By the way, we have help to sort through these issues.  The orthodox “need to know issues” are codified in the Apostle’s Creed.  To a great extent most non-Apostle Creed issues are just “nice to know” and should not rise to the level of division. Paul taught Christ and Christ crucified.  At the basic level all else falls into the categories of endless genealogies or foolish questions (1 Tim. 1:4 and Titus 3:9.) 

* Recommended reading on this subject is “How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth” by Gordon Fee and Douglas Stuart.

May the love and grace of God our Father of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, be with you all.

Rev. George Relic, Assistant Pastor,

Fountain of Life Church

2021 Old National Pike, Washington, Pa 15301

A congregation of Grace Communion International