I've entitled this message, The
Transfiguration. Now, notice verse 1. The Lord
says to them, Verily I say unto you, that there be some of them
that stand here, people he was speaking to at that moment, which
shall not taste of death till they have seen the kingdom of
God come with power. Now hold your finger there and
turn over to 2 Peter chapter one. Now Peter is going to relate
this event that he experienced to us. And I want you to put
yourself in his place. He and Peter and James saw the
Lord transfigured before them. They saw, and I don't even know
how to say this, they saw his deity burst through his humanity. Can you imagine that sight? I
don't even know how to comment on that, but the scripture says
his face shined as the sun. His clothes were white as light. And they witnessed this. And
if you read the end of that passage of scripture, the Lord told them
not to tell anybody about it until the son of man was risen
from the dead. And Peter is giving his account of that to us in
this letter. And look what he says in verse
16, for we have not followed cunningly devised fables when
we made known unto you the power and coming. Now he said in Matthew,
or Mark 9.1, of those who will not taste death till they've
seen the kingdom of God come with power. So that lets you
know this is what he's talking about. 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. When they saw this transfiguration
and somehow they saw Not only the man Christ Jesus, but they
saw the glorified Christ Jesus. They saw his deity somehow. Now how that happens, I don't
know, but they did. Verse 17, 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,
we experienced this, we heard this audibly. They audibly heard
the voice of God when we were with him in the Holy Mount. Now,
if you're anything like me, you'd like to have seen that. Wouldn't
you? I would like to have seen that.
But look what Peter says. We also have a more sure word
of prophecy. Talking about the scripture.
Do you know that what the Bible says is more authoritative than
anything you experience? Isn't that great? We have something
more sure than what Peter and James and John experienced it. We have a more sure word of prophecy,
where unto you do well that you take heed, as unto a light that
shineth in a dark place unto the day dawn, and the day star
arise in your hearts, knowing this first. This is what comes
first. We can't go anywhere until this
is settled. Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture
is of any 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 we have this first, and this
is more sure than that experience they had. So don't anybody be
jealous of them. I would have a twinge of jealousy
if I was one of the nine. And they, you know, I see James
and Peter and John go up and me left behind. I'd be thinking,
I know how vain I am. Why not me? I'd be saying, why
me? And of course he's going to pass
me by, but I've been thinking I'd want to be one of them, but
we have something better than any of that. Now let's go back
to our text. Verse two, Mark chapter nine, verse two. 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. And you know, the only way you
and I are going to see the Lord, and if I If you have faith, I've
seen the Lord. I haven't seen him physically,
but I've seen him. If you have faith, you've seen
the Lord. And the only way we're going to see the Lord like they
did is if he takes us up apart and reveals himself to us exactly
the way he did to these three disciples. Verse three, and his
raiment shining, exceeding white as snow,
so as no fuller on earth can white them. Matthew's account
said his face did shine as the sun. Luke's account says his
countenance was altered and his raiment was white and glistening. Now, Peter says that at that
time, we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. And that's exactly
what they were eyewitnesses to, his majesty, his glory, his awesomeness
as the God of glory. A visible splendor of the divine
majesty as it appeared in Christ at that time. Now think of that,
they saw this. At that time, They were given
a glimpse of the deity of Jesus Christ. Now they already believed
he was the son of God. They knew he was God the son,
but they're given some kind of visible manifestation of his
deity. Verse four, now while they were
looking at this brightness, Couldn't look at him head on because his
face shined as the sun. But we read in verse four, and
there appeared unto them, as these three men were looking,
Elijah with Moses. And they were talking with Jesus. Now, can you imagine this? Not
only did they see the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ, they saw
Elijah. the representative of the prophets,
whom most say was the greatest prophet. They saw Moses, the
representative of the law, and they were talking with the Lord
Jesus Christ. So we don't have to guess or
speculate as to what they were talking about. Turn with me to
Luke nine in Luke's account, Luke chapter nine, verse 30. And behold, there talked with
him two men, which were Moses and Elias, who appeared in glory,
and here was the subject, here was what they were talking about,
who appeared in glory and spake of his decease, his death, his
exodus is the word, his exodus, which he should accomplish at
Jerusalem. Now, this is the only death that
can be termed and seen as an accomplishment. Now, how is that? Well, my coming death, my death's
coming, and yours is too. Every one of us will be dead
pretty soon, pretty soon. And you want my death, we'll
say sinner. That's all it'll say. The only
reason I'm gonna die is because I'm a sinner. The only reason
you're gonna die is because you're a sinner. Anytime you look at
anyone in a coffin, dead, that is proof that they were a sinner. And that is not an accomplishment. But his death, shrouded in glory
and mystery as it is, is an accomplishment. I love the song, "'Tis Mystery
All, the Immortal Dies." You know, one of the things that
I, I'm just amazed that he could die in the first place. He's
God. How can God die? Somebody says,
God can't die. I would agree with that. God
can't die, he's life. But the God-man did. Somebody
says, explain that to me. I can't, but I know he did. How
mysterious, the death of the God-man. They took a lifeless
corpse down from off the cross on Golgotha's Hill, and let me
repeat, his death was an accomplishment. Now, before we consider how his
death was an accomplishment. And that's what they speak of.
They speak of the deceased, which he should accomplish. Wouldn't
you have loved to heard what they were saying? I don't know
what all they said, but I would love to be in on that conversation.
One of these days, we're gonna get to hear everything they said.
But before we consider his death as being an accomplishment, think
of this, his death is the subject of the eternities. Before time
began, what was the subject? The lamb slain from the foundation
of the world. In eternity future, I know there's
no such thing as eternity future, but we're using the weakness
of the flesh. In the eternity future, when there is no longer
any time, what will the song be? Worthy is the lamb that was
slain. What is the vision John sees
when he sees that one who's worthy? to take the book from him that
sat up on the throne. He said, I saw a lamb as it had
been slain. And I know he's not talking about
a lamb with wool and so on. It's talking about the Lord Jesus
Christ with his scars coming up and taking the book from the
throne of the father. This is the subject of the turn
and his death is the only one who is the only death was ever
voluntary. Somebody says, what about suicide?
Well, that's not, I mean, they took their life, but they're
gonna have to die anyway. Everybody's gonna have to die.
They don't have any choice in this matter. His death is the
only death that was ever voluntary. 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 have I received
of my father. He allowed death to come and
take him. When he bowed his head and gave
up the ghost, he gave death the permission to take him at that
time. And only he died a voluntary
death. His death was substitutionary.
Not only is it the subject of the eternities, not only was
it voluntary, it was substitutionary. First Corinthians 15 three, we
read of how the Christ died for our sins, according to the scripture. His death was substitutionary.
Now, what is meant by that? Well, it means he died for somebody.
Who? The elect. Those the Father gave
him. Now, if I simply make the statement,
Christ died for our sins, it's a meaningless statement. I must
say who he died for. He died for his sheep, his people,
his elect, those the father gave him. And if I don't bring that
out, I'm not preaching substitution. I don't know what it is I'm preaching,
but it's not substitution. We're telling who he died for
and what he accomplished by that death. His death was a substitutionary
death. Somebody says, well, how can
I know if he died for me? Well, Romans chapter five, verse
six says, when we were yet without strength in due time, Christ
died for the ungodly. Are you without strength? Are
you ungodly? If you are, he died for you,
for sure. You don't have anything to worry
about. All your sin has been put away by his substitutionary
death on Calvary's tree. Now his death was an act of absolute,
impartial, Justice. And this is very important. You
see, scripture says God is no respecter of persons. He doesn't
give anybody favoritism because of what, who they are. And he
doesn't treat anyone differently. God is no respecter of persons. He's the only one, he's the only
being who's like that. No other being is, me and you
aren't. We'll do what we can to get what we can. I mean, we
shouldn't, but everybody's got some of that in them. Somebody
says, I don't. Yeah, you do. You're deceived if you think
you don't. But God is no respecter of persons. He treats everybody
the same. And the way that is seen is when
his son is hanging on the tree, having been made sin, God shows
him no favoritism. He pours his wrath upon him because
God is absolutely just. This is pure punitive justice,
him punishing sin. You see, Christ was guilty. You
say, well, it wasn't his sins. Well, they became his sins and
he was guilty. And the father poured his wrath
upon him and his death. I love thinking about this. His
death was the greatest act of obedience. No obedience like
disobedience. He became obedient unto death. even the death of the cross. Is there any wonder why they
were speaking of the decease which he should accomplish? Oh,
what a subject. It's the most glorious subject
that we could ever consider. Now, what did he accomplish? They speak of the decease which
he should accomplish, that he would fulfill, that he would
do. Well, number one, He accomplished
the full glory of God. Now, what do I mean by that?
He said in John chapter 17, verse four, I have glorified thee on
the earth. I have finished the work that
thou gavest me to do. And do you know in that work,
in that deceased that he accomplished, his death on Calvary's tree,
He glorified every single attribute of God. Whatever attribute you
talk about, He honored and glorified and magnified every attribute. His love, His justice, His sovereignty,
His immutability, His wisdom, His power, every attribute of
God is fully displayed and fully glorified. by the death of Christ. And every time I say this, I
love saying it, and I hope I'm saying it with proper reverence,
but the death of Christ is the most God-like thing God ever
did. Now, do you hear that? The death of Christ is the most
God-like thing God ever did. How glorious. No wonder that's
what they were speaking of, the decease which he should accomplish. His death was the fulfillment
of Scripture. How many times do we read throughout
the account of his death, this was done that the scriptures
might be fulfilled. Everything that happened was
that the scriptures might be fulfilled. For if a truth against
thy holy child, Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod and
Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles and the people of Israel were
gathered together for to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined
before to be done. His death was God's determination. And his death, what was accomplished
by it? Well, he glorified the father,
he fulfilled the scriptures, and his death was the ancient
prophecy being fulfilled. He crushed the serpent's head. You remember in Genesis three,
when God said to the serpent, you'll bruise his heel, but he
will crush your head. The head of Satan was crushed. He was utterly defeated by his
death on Calvary three. And I love to think really of
what Satan was thinking while the Lord was hanging there. He
thought I've got him, I've defeated him. And he didn't know this
was his utter destruction. He crushed. the serpent's head. His death, the deceased, which
he accomplished, here's what he accomplished by it. He accomplished
the complete putting away of all the sins of everybody he
died for. Now, once in the end of the world,
hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. He was manifested to take away
our sin. is no sin. You know what that means? That means
if Jesus Christ died for me, I literally, not positionally,
not technically, not legally, I literally have no sin. None. I stand before God without
guilt. His death accomplished justification. They spake of the deceased, which
he should accomplish. I can imagine some of the things
they may have been talking about, but I know this. He was delivered
for our offenses and raised again for our justification. Who shall
lay anything to the charge of God's elect? God justified them. That means they're without guilt. That means they stand before
God's law. Perfect, God justified them. Who is he that can condemn?
It's Christ that died. Yea, rather that's risen again. What did he accomplish by his
death? Well, Romans 5.10 says, that he accomplished if, when
we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his son. Now, how much time do you spend,
and you shouldn't spend any, I shouldn't spend any, but how
much time do you spend thinking God's mad at you? You know what? He's not. You know why? He's reconciled. There's no reason
for him to be angry. There's no reason for him to
be mad. There's no reason for him to be ashamed of you or disappointed
in you. You are reconciled to God by
the death of his son. And all of this is why sin is
forgiven, in whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness
of sin. Now turn with me to Colossians
1. This is what his death accomplished. Verse 20. And having made peace. It's already made. Having made
peace, Colossians 1.20, through the blood of his cross, the decease
which he should accomplish by him to reconcile all things unto
himself, by him I say, whether they be things in earth or things
in heaven, and you that were sometime or before time alienated,
enemies in your mind by wicked works, Yet now have he reconciled
in the body of his flesh through death. Now here's what he accomplished,
the decease which he should accomplish. Here's what he accomplished.
Yet now have he reconciled in the body of his flesh through
death to present you. This is his presentation of you
to the father, to present you. Look at these next three words.
Holy and unblameable. and unreprovable in his sight. Now that is what he accomplished
by his death. And that is the description of
every believer, holy, unblameable, and unreprovable in the very
sight of God. And this is why Paul said, you
don't have to turn here, but I wanna read this to you. In
2 Corinthians chapter, 5 verse 14, for the love of Christ constrains
us because we thus judge that if one died for all, that's talking
about all his people, all he died for, then they're all dead. And that he died for all that
they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto
him which died for them and rose again. Now, don't you love thinking
of this conversation? They spake of the deceased, which
he should accomplish. Now let's go back to our text. Verse five. This is so typical of Peter. Then answered Peter. I don't remember anybody asking
him anything. Then answered Peter. Peter had to make a comment.
Then answered Peter. Look in verse six, it says, for
he wist not what to say, for they were sore afraid. He was
saying this, you know, probably you shouldn't say something,
but you say something anyway. That's Peter at this time. He wist not
what to say, he was sore afraid. Luke's account says, not knowing
what he said, But Peter proceeds to make the most stupid statement
ever made in scripture. And this is Peter. This is Peter. Don't forget who this is. This
is the one who in the last chapter, the Lord said, thou art Peter
and upon this rock, I'll build my church. He makes the most
stupid statement in scripture. Here he is in the very presence
of the glorified Son of God. Three tabernacles? Three? You know, this is worse than what
Jeroboam did when he made another altar at, Dan and Beersheba and
another feast like the one in Jerusalem. I mean, Peter was
in the very presence of the Lord seeing his divine glory. Doesn't
know what to say. Lord, let us make three tabernacles
here. One for you, one for Moses, and
one for Elijah. Now, if you're afraid of making
stupid statements, Well, you're going to. I'm going to. I'm going
to say things I wish I didn't say even from the pulpit. We'll
make stupid statements because we're stupid people like Peter.
Peter couldn't keep his mouth shut. He just had to speak, and
it would have been far wiser for him to not say anything.
You know, the scripture says even a fool, if he holds his
peace, is deemed a wise man, and that's true. But Peter had
to speak, and I am thankful The Holy Spirit records his blunder
for our good, but this is recorded for our good. I bet there's all
kinds of things Peter wish wasn't in the Bible about him, but there
are a lot of things and they're for our good and the glory of
God. Now let's look in verse seven.
Now, after he made this silly statement, master, it's good
for us to be here. Let us make three tabernacles,
one for thee and one for Moses and one for Elias, for he was
not what to say for they were so afraid. And all of a sudden,
there was a cloud that overshadowed them. And a voice came out of the cloud
saying, this is my beloved son. You're talking about Moses and
Elijah? This is the son of my love. This is my beloved son. Hear ye him. He's the one mediator between
God and men. Here ye him. He said, come unto me, all ye
that labor and are heavy laden, laboring under the burden of
sin. Come unto me. Oh, what a glorious command. He's not inviting you to do it.
He's telling you to do it. Come unto me. He's commanding
you to do it. Come unto me. All ye that labor
and are heavy laden, what a gracious command, and I will give you
rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn
of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and you shall find
rest for your souls. Hear ye him. What shall we do
that we might work the works of God? This is the work of God,
that you believe on him whom he has sent. Hear ye him. He said, I am the way, I am the
truth, I am the life. He didn't say, I'll show you
the way. He said, I'm it. He didn't say, I'll teach you
the truth. He said, I myself am the truth. He didn't say, I'll give you
life. He said, I'm the life. My life is the only life that
God will accept. No man comes to the father but
by me. The only way you're going to
get to the father is if you're in me and I bring you to the
father. Here ye him. As a matter of fact, Matthew's
account says, this is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased. Not with whom I'm well pleased.
That would have been good, but that's not what it says. In whom.
in whom I am well pleased. And you know what that means?
That means if I'm in him, God is as well pleased with me as
he is with his son. And I wouldn't say that if the
Bible didn't teach that. I mean, that's almost, are you
taking that too far? No, I'm not. As the father hath
loved me, so have I loved you. He'd the same love. Well, turn
with me to John 17. I'm not quoting it right. I want
to get it right. Verse 23, I in them and thou
in me that they may be made perfect in one that the world may know
that thou has sent me and has loved them. How? As thou has loved me. It's mysterious, isn't it? We
believe it. How glorious. Now back to our text. There was
a cloud that overshadowed them. And a voice came out of the cloud
saying, this is my beloved son, hear him. Verse eight, we know from Matthew's
account at this time they'd hit the dirt. They were on their
faces, trembling in fear. I would have been too. I bet
they might've been thinking, uh-oh, this might be over for
us. After Peter said that, I mean,
he had some idea of the enormity of the guilt of what he'd said.
He didn't know what was gonna happen, and then they heard that
voice from the cloud. And then verse eight, and suddenly,
when they looked round about, they saw no man anymore, save
Jesus, only, with themselves. Now here are two words that go
perfect together. Jesus, It's exactly what Paul was talking
about when he was talking about the simplicity, the onlyness
of Christ. Jesus only. Now he is only, only when he's
all. Think about that. He's only,
only when he's all. What makes you think you're saved? Jesus only. How could you be one of the elect?
Jesus only. I don't need any other answer. How can your sins be forgiven?
Jesus only. What is the ground of your acceptance
before God? Jesus only. How can you really
believe that God loves you? Jesus only. How can you be justified? Jesus
only. What is the ground of your assurance?
Jesus only. What's your hope? Jesus only. What is the object of your faith?
Jesus only. What makes you think you'll persevere?
Jesus only. What is the message of scripture?
Jesus only. What is the message you want
the world to hear? Jesus only. What is the message you want
to hear? Jesus only. Jesus and is a denial of Jesus
only. They saw no man save Jesus only. If you look up tonight and see
the stars in the sky, I don't know whether they're supposed
to be cloudy or not, but if you look up and see the stars in the sky
and you see them twinkling and shining, you know the reason
you're going to see them? Because you don't see the sun. Now, if the sun is out and it's
brilliance, the stars are still there. but you can't see him. You can't see him. You know why?
Because you see the sun. Now that is what is meant by
not seeing Moses and Elijah anymore. They saw the sun. And verse nine, it says, and
as they came down from the mountain, He charged them that they should
tell no man what things they had seen to the Son of Man were
risen from the dead." Now, did they? I don't know. You know,
if I saw it, I probably would have told somebody. You know,
the Lord said not to, but it would have been awful hard not
to do it. They shouldn't have. I don't
know if they did, but I know Peter did tell when he wrote
his epistle. And then it says in verse 10,
and they kept that saying with themselves, questioning one with
another, what the rising of the dead should mean. Now I wanna
close by looking at Acts chapter one. Even after the resurrection of
Christ, they still did not understand what the rising of the dead should
mean, even after the resurrection. Look in verse six. When they therefore come together,
they asked of him saying, Lord, without this time restore again
the kingdom to Israel. They still saw this as political.
Are we going to be able to overthrow the Roman government and be a
powerful nation, the top nation in the world as we were in the
days of David and Solomon? Are you gonna restore us to our
former greatness? This really was political to
them. Verse seven. And he said unto
them, it's not for you to know the times or the seasons, which
the father put in his own power, but you shall receive power after
that the Holy ghost has come upon you. And you shall be witnesses
unto me, both in Jerusalem and all Judea and under the uttermost
part of the earth. And Peter went on to call them
witnesses of the resurrection. Now look in chapter two. And
when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with
one accord in one place. Isn't that beautiful? They were
all with one accord, like-minded in one place. And suddenly there
came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it
filled all the houses where they were sitting. And there appeared
unto them cloven tongues, like as a fire, and set upon each
of them. And they were all filled with
the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, other
languages, as the Spirit gave them utterance." Now, you know
the story about how people were astonished that we were hearing
our own language, the mighty works of God, that accused them
of being drunk at first. He said, these are not drunken,
as you suppose. And he talked about the Holy Spirit coming
down upon them as was said in Joel. Now we're gonna see how
he understood the resurrection now. Look in verse 22. You men
of Israel, hear these words. Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved
of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs which God
did by him in the midst of you. As you yourselves also know,
him being delivered by the determinant counsel and foreknowledge of
God, you have taken and by wicked hands have crucified and slain,
whom God has raised up, having loose the pains of death because
it was not possible that he should be holding of it. For David speaketh
concerning him I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for
he is on my right hand that I should not be moved. Therefore did my
heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad. Moreover, also my flesh
shall rest in hope, because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell,
neither wilt thou suffer thine holy one to see corruption. Thou
hast made known to me the ways of life. Thou shalt make me full
of joy with thy countenance." Now he's quoting Psalm 16. Men
and brethren, Let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David,
that he's both dead and buried, and his sepulcher's with us unto
this day. Therefore, being a prophet, knowing
that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his
loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit
on his throne, he seeing this before, spake of the resurrection
of Christ. that his soul was not left in
hell, neither his flesh did see corruption, this Jesus hath God
raised up, whereof we are all witnesses. Therefore, being by
the right hand of God exalted and having received of the Father
the promise of the Holy Ghost, he has shed forth this which
you do now see and hear. For David has not ascended into
the heavens, but he saith himself, the Lord said unto my Lord, sit
thou on my right hand until I make thy foes thy footstool. Therefore,
let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God hath made
this same Jesus whom you have crucified. both Lord and Christ. I don't know how many times I've
heard people say, won't you make Jesus the Lord of your life?
Let me tell you something, that's something you can't do. He is
your Lord. Whether you're saved, whether
you're lost, He is your Lord. Now, if I were you, and I hope
this is what I'm gonna do, I'm gonna call upon his name to save
me. He is the Lord and whosoever
shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Let's pray. Lord, how we thank you for your
word that reveals who your son is and the accomplishment of
his death. And Lord, we call upon your name,
who you are. Save us by who you are, save
us by your power, save us by your sovereignty, save us by
your grace, save us by your love, save us by your justice, save
us by your wisdom, save us Don't pass us by for Christ's sake. In his name we pray. Amen. Dwayne
come lead us.