Todd's Road Grace Church would
like to invite you to listen to a sermon by our pastor, Todd
Nyberg. We are located at 4137 Todd's
Road, two miles outside of Manowar Boulevard. Sunday services are
at 1030 a.m. and 6 p.m. Bible study is at
945 a.m. Wednesday services are at 7 p.m. Nursery is provided for all services.
For more information, visit our website at toddsroadgracechurch.com. Now here's our pastor, Todd Nyberg. I'm going to read from Mark chapter
nine. I'm going to read this entire
passage of scripture on the transfiguration of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now
this is that time when he appeared on the mountain to John and James
and Peter and was transfigured before them. And he made known
his deity at this time. Beginning in verse two of Mark
chapter nine, and after six days, Jesus taketh with him, Peter
and James and John, and leadeth them up into an high mountain
apart by themselves. And he was transfigured before
them. What's that mean? Verse three.
And his raiment became shining, exceeding white as snow. So as
no fuller or launderer on earth can white them, the other versions
say his face shined above the brightness of the sun. And there
appeared unto them Elias or Elijah with Moses, and they were talking
with Jesus. And Peter answered and said to
Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us make three
tabernacles, one for thee, one for Moses, and one for Elijah. For he wist not what to say,
for they were sore afraid, I would have been too. And there was
a cloud that overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud
saying, this is my beloved son, hear him. And suddenly when they looked
round about, they saw no man anymore, save Jesus only with
themselves. And as they came down from the
mountain, he charged them that they should tell no man what
things they had seen till the Son of Man was risen from the
dead. Now, let me give you Peter's
account of this in 2 Peter 1, and this is very important. Beginning in verse 16, Peter
says, for we have not followed cunningly devised fables when
we made known unto you. the power and coming of our Lord
Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty. Now he's referring
to this event in the first chapter of the second epistle of Peter.
For he received from God the Father, honor and glory. When there came such a voice
to him from the excellent glory, this is my beloved son in whom
I am well pleased. And this voice, which came from
heaven, we heard. Me and James and John, we heard
this voice audibly when we were with him in the holy mouth. What
an experience. We have also a more sure word
of prophecy. We have something that's better
than this experience. wherein to you do well that you
take heed as into a light that shineth in a dark place into
the day dawn. And the day star arrives in your
hearts, knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture
is of any private interpretation." Somebody says, well, that's your
interpretation. That's his interpretation. There is no private interpretation.
For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man,
but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. Now, Peter says something very
remarkable here. We had this experience on the
mountaintop, but this is more sure. This is more authoritative. Listen to me, the word of God,
the scriptures, is more authoritative than any experience we ever have. I'm so thankful for the scriptures. Now, back to our text in Mark
chapter nine, verse two, and after six days, Jesus taketh
with him. Peter and James and John, and
leadeth them up into a high mountain apart by themselves. And he was transfigured before
them." Matthew's account said his face did shine as the sun. Luke's accounts as his countenance
was altered and his raiment was white and glistening. When John
speaks of his clothing, he speaks of it as white as snow, as no
fooler can make it. And Peter says, we were eyewitnesses
of this. They saw the deity of the Lord
burst through his humanity. Somebody says, explain that to
me, I can't. but at this time his face did
shine as the sun and they were eyewitnesses of this. Verse four, and there appeared
unto them Elijah with Moses. Now here the Lord is in this
glorified state and speaking to him at this time is Elijah,
the greatest of the prophets. and Moses, the representative
of the law. They stood there speaking with
the Lord Jesus Christ in this glorified state. Now we don't
have to speculate as to what they were talking about because
Luke's account tells us they speak of the decease, which he
should accomplish at Jerusalem. They spake of his death that
he should accomplish. Now this is the only death that
can be termed as an accomplishment. My death is not going to be an
accomplishment. All it says is that I'm a sinner, that I'm a
failure. The reason you're gonna die,
and there's nothing you can do about it, the reason you're gonna
die is because you're a sinner. We are sinners, that is why we
die. But his death was not in anything
like that, as shrouded in mystery as it is. His death is an accomplishment. I love the hymn, "'Tis mystery
all, the immortal dies." And that's what took place when the
Lord Jesus Christ died. Now, how could the God-man die? I do not know, but he did. He's God. He's life itself. And yet he died. They took a lifeless corpse down
from the cross on Golgotha's Hill. Let me repeat, his death
was an accomplishment. Now, before we can consider what
he accomplished by his death, let me say these things about
his death. His death is the subject of the Eternities. Before time
began, we read of the Lamb having been slain before the foundation
of the world. And after time is no more, the
song in heaven will be, according to Revelation 5, worthy is the
lamb that was slain. His death is the subject of the
eternities. And his death is the only voluntary
death to ever take place. And nobody else has any choice
in this thing of death. Somebody says, what about somebody
who committed suicide, but they'd have to die anyway. They'd have
to die anyway. He is the only one who voluntarily
laid down his life. He said, no man takes my life
from me. I have power to lay it down. I have power to take it up. This
commandment of I received of my father. He wasn't a victim. He didn't die involuntarily.
He chose to lay down his life. Thirdly, his death was substitutionary. Christ died for our sins. He took somebody's place and
his death was punitive. What does that mean? That means
he was paying for sin. He was paying what the law declared
had to be paid of the sinner. His death was punitive. It was a punishment for sin.
And yet his death was the greatest act of obedience ever known. He became obedient to death,
even the death of the cross. What glory there is in his death. And his death was an accomplishment. Now, what did he accomplish by
his death? Well, he said in John chapter 17, verse four, I have
glorified thee on the earth. I have finished the work thou
gavest me to do. Now listen to me very carefully.
In his death, he completely glorified his father. He glorified every
attribute of God. Every attribute of God is displayed
in the death of Christ. The death of Christ is the most
God-like thing God ever did. And in his death, he glorified
every attribute of God. His death was the fulfillment
of scripture. Everything he did was that the
scripture might be fulfilled. It was written of him. Everything
he did was written of him in the Old Testament scriptures
and his death was the fulfillment of scripture. His death was the
crushing of Satan's head in answer to the ancient prophecy The seed
of woman shall crush your head and you will bruise his heel. What did his death accomplish?
I love thinking about this. His death actually accomplished
the putting away of sin. Every sin that He died for was
put away, was made to not be. Hebrews 1.3 says, He by Himself
purged, made purification for, purged away, made not to be our
sins. He actually put away sin by the
sacrifice of Himself. His death accomplished justification. Now what does justification mean?
If I'm justified, that means more than I'm forgiven. If I'm
justified, that means I never sinned. I stand before God without
guilt. And that is what the death of
Christ accomplished. It put away my sins, gave me
his righteousness, so that I stand before God having never sinned. Justified before God. His death
accomplished complete reconciliation. The scripture says, if when we
were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son. His death removed all reason
for God to be at odds with me. He completely reconciled me to
God by His own death. His death accomplished this glorious
presentation. We read in Colossians 1.20, and
having made peace by the blood of his cross, let's talk about
his death. Having made peace by the blood of his cross, by
him to reconcile all things to himself. By him, I say, whether
they be things in earth or things in heaven, and you that were
sometimes alienated. and enemies in your mind by wicked
works, yet now hath he reconciled." Complete reconciliation in his
body to present you holy. This is the presentation he makes
because of his death and everybody he died for. Here's the presentation.
To present you holy and unblameable. and unreprovable in his sight. That is what his death actually
accomplished. Oh, they spake of the decease
which he should accomplish. Now, Peter is watching all this. He's listening to all this. And
then he says something. Before the glorified Christ,
And Peter answered. Now, I don't read where anybody
asked him anything, but he answered. Peter always had to speak. He
always had something to say. Reminds me of myself. I wish
I wasn't like that, but I'm far too much like Peter. He always
had to speak. You know, the scripture says
even a fool, if he holds his peace, is deemed a wise man.
Well, Peter's not very wise here. He had to speak. He had to pop
off. He had to give his estimation
of what was taking place. And he goes on to make perhaps
the most stupid statement ever made. Listen to what he says. And Peter answered and said to
Jesus, Master, it's good for us to be here. Let us make three
tabernacles. One for you, one for Moses, and
one for Elijah. For he wist not what to say,
for they were sore afraid. Now he is standing before the
Lord of glory, and the only thing he should have ever said is,
let's make one tabernacle to thee. But he puts the Lord on
the same plane as two sinful men, Moses and Elijah. Now Moses was a great man, but
he was just a man. And he was a sinful man. And
he needed grace just like me or you do. Elijah was a great
prophet, but he was a sinful man. The scripture says he has
like passions as us. He was a sinful man. And to make
three tabernacles, one for the Lord and one for Moses, the sinful
man, one for Elijah, the sinful man, and put them on the same
plane as the Lord Jesus Christ. And here Peter is looking at
him in this transfigured state, shining as the sun. What a stupid
statement. Now, I find this on some levels
comforting. You say, I'm afraid I'm going
to make a stupid statement. You will. You will, just like
Peter did. But we're given some glorious
truth as a result of this stupid statement. Luke's account said,
he wished not what to say, But he proceeds to make this statement,
three tabernacles. Now, while he makes this statement,
verse seven, and there was a cloud that overshadowed them. While he was speaking, Making
that stupid statement, a cloud came down from heaven and overshadowed
them. Now they couldn't see anything.
And what took place? A voice came out of the cloud. Now this is God the Father speaking. A voice came out of the cloud
saying, this is my beloved son. Hear ye him. Now, no mortal can with him compare
among the sons of men. Fairer is he than all the fair
that fill the heavenly train. Now, let me tell you this about
Moses. The only hope that Moses had of being saved is the decease
which the Lord Jesus Christ would accomplish. Let me say this about
Elijah. The only hope that Elijah had
that he could be accepted before God and brought into heaven is
because of the decease which he should accomplish. Now, I like what Matthew's account
says, this is my beloved son in whom I'm well pleased. Not merely with whom I'm well
pleased, but in whom I am well pleased. Now, what that means
is if I am in him, God is well pleased with me. Colossians chapter
2 verses 9 and 10 says, all the fullness in Christ, in whom all
the fullness of the Godhead dwelleth bodily. Everything that God is
resides in the body of the Lord Jesus Christ. He's the God-man,
the second person of the Trinity. And then the next verse is, you
are complete in him. You lack nothing if you're in
Christ. God is well pleased with you. Now, when they heard this, they
were sore afraid. And I believe I can understand
that. I would have been sore afraid too. As a matter of fact,
I think it could be that they thought they were going to be
put to death. They were scared to death after using such irreverence
with regard to the Lord Jesus Christ, comparing him to sinful
men. Verse eight, and suddenly when
they had looked round about, they saw no man anymore. They
didn't see Moses. They didn't see Elijah. They
saw no man save Jesus only with themselves. Jesus only. Here are two words that go well
together. They go perfectly together. Jesus
only. Now what this is a reference
to is the simplicity that is in Christ. Maybe you'll remember
that Paul said to the Corinthians, I fear less by any means as Satan
beguile thee through his subtlety so your mind should be corrupted
from the Simplicity, that word is the onlyness, the onlyness
of Jesus Christ. They saw no man save Jesus only. Now, if somebody asks me, what
makes you think that you're saved? You know what my answer is? Jesus
only. Everything God requires of me,
He looks to His Son for. If somebody would say, what makes
you think you're one of the elect? You know what my answer is? Jesus
only. According as He hath chosen us
in Him, before the foundation of the world. What makes you
think your sins are forgiven? My answer is Jesus only. Be kind, tenderhearted, forgiving
one another even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. He has
not forgiven me of my sins because of my sorrow or my remorse or
my promises to never commit them again or because something I
promise I'll do if he does. There's one reason. for the forgiveness
of sin, Jesus only. Well, how can you be justified?
How can you actually stand before God having never sinned? My answer is Jesus only. He's the only way that that can
be. He put away my sin and gave me
his righteousness. How can you believe that God
loves you as sinful as you are? Jesus only. That's the only reason
I need. I stand amazed in the presence
of Jesus the Nazarene and wonder how he could love me, a sinner,
condemned, unclean. But I know the reason God loves
me is because of Jesus only. What is the ground of your assurance? What makes you assured that you're
saved? Jesus only, not my life or my
conduct or my works. The only thing that gives me
assurance that I'm a child of God is Jesus only. What is your hope? Jesus only. The reason I have a hope to stand
before God perfect is Jesus only. What is the object of your faith?
Jesus only. I look only to Christ. He's everything
in my salvation. I'm not looking anywhere else.
I'm relying on this, that all God requires of me, He looks
to His Son for, and I'm relying on Him. You see, salvation is
trusting a person. It's not learning a doctrine.
It's not coming down to the front of the church. It's not turning
over a new leaf. Salvation is trusting a person. I know whom
I have believed. Well, what makes you think you'll
persevere all the way to the end? Jesus only. I'm kept by
him. I'm kept by the power of God
through faith unto salvation. Well, what is the message of
scriptures? Jesus only. What is the message of scripture?
Jesus only. He's not the main message of
Scripture. He is the only message of the
Scripture. He's not the main theme. He is
the only theme. He's not the central theme. I
hear people talk about Christ-centered preaching. I don't want to hear
Christ-centered preaching. He's all I want to hear. Jesus only is
all in the Scriptures. Jesus and is anathema. If you add anything to him, you've
missed him all together. It's Jesus only as everything
in salvation. What is the message that you
want people to hear? Jesus only. Now, tonight, if it's a clear
night, If you look up into the heavens and it's clear and you
see the stars shine and twinkle, it might seem real brilliant. But tomorrow, when the sun comes
up in its glory, you won't see any of those stars. All you'll
see is the sun. And when you really see the Lord
for who he is, all you'll see is him, Jesus only. Verse nine, and as they came
down from the mountain, He charged them that they should tell no
man what things they had seen, that the Son of Man was risen
from the dead. Now, how many times did He perform
some glorious miracle, make some kind of manifestation of Himself,
and then say, don't tell anybody about it? Now, that's not the
way I would react. I'd want to tell everybody about
it. But this is given to let us know that when the Lord was
here, He wasn't trying to gain a following. He wasn't trying
to get men to believe on Him. He came to put away sin by the
sacrifice of Himself. He came to save His people from
their sins, and that is exactly what He did. He accomplished
salvation by Himself. Jesus only is everything in salvation. He said, tell no man what things
you've seen till the Son of Man were risen from the dead. And this is what is going to
take place. When he died, he put away sins, he satisfied God,
and the justice of God demanded his resurrection. Now we have
this message on DVD and CD. If you call the church, write
or email, we'll send you a copy. This is Todd Nyberg praying that
God will be pleased to make himself known to you. That's our prayer.
Amen. To receive a copy of the sermon
you have just heard, send your request to todd.nyberg at gmail.com. Or you may write or call the
church at the information provided on the screen.