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Mark 9:1-13 · Providence Baptist Church - Sermons

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So join me as I read to you Mark chapter 9 verses 1 through 13.
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And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus.
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And Peter said to Jesus, Rabbi, it is good that we are here.
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Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.
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For he did not know what to say, for they were terrified.
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And a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud,
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This is my beloved son. Listen to him.
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And suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone with them but Jesus only.
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And as they were coming down the mountain, he charged them to tell no one what they had seen
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until the Son of Man had risen from the dead.
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So they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what this rising from the dead might mean.
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And they asked him, Why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?
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And he said to them, Elijah does come first to restore all things.
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And how is it written of the Son of Man that he should suffer many things and be treated with contempt?
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But I tell you that Elijah has come, and they did to him whatever they pleased, as it is written of him.
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This is God's word to us.
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It was written for his glory and for our good.
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We would all do well to listen to it in order to believe its promises and obey its commands.
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Let's pray together.
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Father God, we are always at all times in desperate need of you.
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But Father, it's in times like this that I feel that most.
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And I need you.
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I desperately need you to come and to help me preach the word of God accurately and poignantly this day.
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And Father, we all need you to work by your Spirit to apply your word to us to our hearts,
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that they might be changed from one degree of glory to another.
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Father, this day do not neglect your people.
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Make us in greater degrees into the image of Christ that we might glorify your name.
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And we pray this in Jesus Christ's name.
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Amen.
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So, we've come to a rather exciting part of Mark's Gospel account.
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In fact, the beginning of eight and a half chapters really kind of seem to be an introduction
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to where we've arrived so far as we came to verse 29,
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excuse me, yep, 29,
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where Jesus asks the question of the disciples,
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but who do you say that I am?
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And Peter answers him with this massive proclamation,
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you are the Christ, the anointed one of God,
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the prophet, priest, and king who reigns forever.
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But we see very quickly that he had a misunderstanding.
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In fact, we're going to see a couple of other passion predictions on Jesus' part.
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We find those in the following, verse 31 and verse 32.
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And there's always a misunderstanding response on the behalf of the disciples.
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But we begin the great teaching period as Jesus is making his journey toward Jerusalem.
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We're about six months out from the crucifixion at this point,
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and he's spent quite a few years now with the disciples.
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And they're just now starting to grasp who he is and what the kingdom of God will look like.
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We see the misunderstanding on Peter's part in verse 32 as he takes him aside and rebukes him
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to say to him,
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how could it possibly be that you are the Christ and that you will suffer and die?
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May it never be.
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Peter had yet to understand what the kingdom was really going to look like,
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that was coming in spirit for now,
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not in the physical realm,
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but in the spiritual realm for this period of time.
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And Jesus' response to him is a scathing one.
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He says to him,
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get behind me, Satan,
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for you are not setting your mind on the things of God,
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but on the things of man.
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And he goes on, as we spoke last week,
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to raise the bar for what discipleship would look like.
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He says to them,
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if anyone would come after me,
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let him deny himself,
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take up his cross,
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and follow me.
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That is,
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deny himself,
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set aside his self-governing,
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his very being,
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in order to follow Jesus.
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Verse 35,
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whoever would save his life,
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will lose it.
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Whatever loses his life for my sake and the gospels,
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will save it.
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He's beginning to explain to the disciples,
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and I hope that we're seeing very clearly,
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the way in which he came to serve the world.
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This apparent paradox that seems to exist,
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that he would come and reign by first becoming a servant,
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by emptying himself,
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and dying on behalf of the church.
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It's incredible.
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Absolutely incredible.
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And we see on the heels of Peter's great proclamation,
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you are the Christ.
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We have not followed you in vain.
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You are the anointed one.
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You are going to come,
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and you are going to reign.
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And then Jesus says to him,
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but first,
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I'm going to die.
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And if you want to follow me,
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you're going to do the same.
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You're also going to suffer and die.
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Jesus,
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in his great compassion,
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brings along a beautiful encouragement to the disciples.
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And he says this to them in verse 1 of chapter 9.
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Truly I say to you,
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there are some standing here,
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those who he was speaking to,
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who will not taste death
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until they see the kingdom of God
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after it has come with power.
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And there's a lot of different opinions
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about what Jesus meant.
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All of them,
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save the right opinion,
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seem crazy to me.
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Because then,
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something happens.
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Immediately following this statement,
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six days later,
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but after this,
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the record is,
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the transfiguration occurred.
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So he's saying to the disciples,
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some of you,
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who are standing here,
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are going to get to see me transfigured.
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You're going to get to get a glimpse of my glory.
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You're going to get to see the kingdom
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in its power
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before you die.
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This was a great act of encouragement to them.
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To take some of the disciples up onto the mountain
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and say,
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see,
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it's worth following me.
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I am God's visible glory.
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Watch this.
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He's said things to them now.
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Now he's going to show them something.
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Something that they can hold on to
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and they can take
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through the next six months
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and the years that would follow
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to their very own deaths
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in pursuit of the gospel
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of the kingdom of God.
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It's a beautiful,
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precious thing
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that Jesus does for them there
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in this
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incredible miracle.
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This is by far
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the greatest miracle
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he's performed so far
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and you probably will never see this
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in a list of
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Jesus' miracles
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but the transfiguration
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is amazing.
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Next to only maybe
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the resurrection itself,
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this is the greatest,
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it could be argued,
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of miracles.
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But before we get into
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the particulars
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of the transfiguration itself,
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I first want to deal with
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verses 11,
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12,
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and 13.
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So if you'll allow me,
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we're going to jump to the end
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of our text for the day,
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look at 11,
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12,
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and 13
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and we'll back back up
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to verse 2.
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So they're coming down the mountain
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having seen this
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miraculous transfiguration,
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this conversation
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that takes place
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between Jesus,
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Elijah,
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and Moses,
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having God cover them
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with a cloud
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and speak out of heaven
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to them.
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And they're coming down
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the mountain
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and they say,
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why do the scribes say
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that first Elijah must come?
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And then Jesus gives
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explanation to that.
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He gives some explanation
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to the fact that
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Elijah has in fact come.
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Rightly,
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the scribes,
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which were the religious elite,
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the studious religious
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of that day,
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say that Elijah must come first
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and they get this
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from Malachi chapter 4,
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the last of the prophets
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before God goes silent
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for 400 years.
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Malachi said in chapter 4,
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verse 5 and 6,
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Behold,
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I will send you Elijah,
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the prophet,
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before the great and awesome
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day of the Lord comes.
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And he will turn the hearts
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of fathers to their children
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and the hearts of children
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to their fathers,
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lest I come and strike the land
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with the decree
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of utter destruction.
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So they believed
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that Elijah was going to come
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reincarnate.
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He was going to come
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back to life.
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In fact,
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one of the great differences
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between the Pharisees
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and the Sadducees
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is that the Pharisees
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believed in the resurrection
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of the dead.
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This was part of that reason.
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They were waiting for Elijah
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to be resurrected
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and to come back
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and do this,
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be the heralder of Jesus,
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the Lord who would come
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and reign,
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the Christ.
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Mark records that a number
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of people thought
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that Jesus was Elijah,
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that it was possible
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that he was the forerunner
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of the Christ.
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We see that in Mark 6,
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15 and 8,
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28.
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The prophecy that Elijah
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would precede Jesus
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is fulfilled by John the Baptizer.
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Look at Mark's introductory statements
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concerning John the Baptizer
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in chapter 1, verse 2
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from Isaiah.
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They're incredibly similar
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to a previous prophecy
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of Malachi in chapter 3
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where he says,
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Behold, I send my messenger
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and he will prepare the way
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before me.
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How do we know for sure
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that Jesus was saying
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that John the Baptizer
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was the predicted Elijah?
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How can we know that for sure?
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The Bible tells us for sure.
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In the same account,
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Matthew chapter 17,
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verse 13,
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Matthew records,
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Then the disciples understood
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that he was speaking to them
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of John the Baptist.
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So John the Baptist
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is the Elijah
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that they're speaking of.
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He is the forerunner.
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He is the fulfillment
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of the Old Testament
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prophecy of Malachi.
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Therefore,
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Jesus is
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the Christ.
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Isn't it incredible
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as we look at the lives
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of these disciples
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that they have spent
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all this time
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with Jesus,
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we see his words,
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we read them,
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and their response,
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the faithlessness
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on their part.
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And I just want to remind you
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as we walk through
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these next couple of chapters together,
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the reason that Mark records
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the healing of the blind man
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at Bethsaida,
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we find that in verse 20 through to 26,
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is to show us
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that Jesus is the Lord
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over spiritual,
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excuse me,
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physical sight
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as well as spiritual sight.
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So we saw a miracle
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where he healed a man
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of his physical blindness
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in degrees,
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and now we're seeing him
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do the same
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in degrees
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with the disciples.
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It's beyond me.
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Sometimes you read this
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and you go,
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how could you not get this?
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How can you not understand?
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But the spiritual scales
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were being lifted
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from their eyes.
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It was being unfolded for them.
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They were getting it in part
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and they would get it
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more completely
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as Jesus' death
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and resurrection occurs.
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So back to verse 2.
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Jump back up there
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to verse 2.
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Now remember that they have
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traveled from Bethsaida
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to the region of Caesarea Philippi.
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There's been some teaching
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happening here
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and then there's this statement,
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truly I say to you,
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there's some standing here
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who will not taste death
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until they see the kingdom of God
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after it's come with power
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and then six days.
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Six days happens.
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We don't know exactly
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where they went to.
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I'm going to tell you
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a bit about the high mountain
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and where I believe
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they headed off to.
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But we see a record
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that six days has passed.
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If you study this further later,
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you also will note
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that in Luke,
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Luke records that eight days
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have passed.
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And I don't want you
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to think at this point
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that the scripture
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has failed to be inerrant.
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It was common in this day
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to measure time
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in two different ways.
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Here we see in Matthew
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and in Mark,
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they started counting
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on the next day
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and they counted the days
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up to the day prior
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to the transfiguration.
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Six days.
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Luke instead
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counted the day
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he said it
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as well as the day
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the transfiguration happened.
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Therefore,
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eight days.
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Very common.
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And interchangeable
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in that way.
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So six or eight,
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whichever way
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you want to count it.
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I might even count that
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as seven personally.
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Roughly a week later,
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they take a bit
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of a retreat.
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And he goes away
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with some closer buddies.
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This was kind of
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the inner circle
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in Jesus' day.
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In his humanity,
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he had a limited capacity
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for personal relationship.
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He had his twelve
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and within his twelve
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he had three.
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And we see this consistently.
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These are the ones
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that went and prayed
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with him in the Garden
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of Gethsemane
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before his crucifixion.
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Peter and James and John,
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the brothers,
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James and John,
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the sons of Zebedee.
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And he leads them up
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onto a high mountain
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by themselves.
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Now the high mountain
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tradition holds
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that the mountain
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is Mount Tabor,
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which is down
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on the western side
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of the Sea of Galilee.
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Could have been traveled to.
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A lot of the speculation
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is because of the days
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that had passed.
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They may have been
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traveling in those days
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and traveled to
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Mount Tabor.
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Although,
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the record is that
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it's a high mountain
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and Mount Tabor
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is not all that much taller
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than the other mountains
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in the region.
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It's not really a high mountain.
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It's just a mountain.
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If you look at pictures of it,
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it looks really more
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like a hill.
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It's 1,800 feet
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above sea level.
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More likely,
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I would say to you,
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that the high mountain
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is Mount Hermon,
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which is just north
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of the region
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of Caesarea Philippi.
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In fact,
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it would have taken
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quite some time
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to climb
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because it's 9,200 feet
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above sea level.
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It has snow on it
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much of the year
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in this region.
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Either way,
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it doesn't really matter.
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They're up on a high mountain
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by themselves
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and they go up there
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in order
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to pray.
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Luke 9, 28
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states that they went up
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on the mountain
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to pray.
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And in verse 32,
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it says that they were
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heavy with sleep.
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They were heavy
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with sleep.
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It's likely
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in Luke's account
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that as they went up
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there to pray together,
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just like they did
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in the Garden of Gethsemane,
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they fell asleep.
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And in our Garden of Gethsemane
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account,
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they're asleep
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with sorrow.
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Have you ever been
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in such a sorrowful situation,
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lamenting something
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that's happened
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in your life
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that all you want
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to do
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is go to sleep?
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I have.
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Seems to be a bit
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of a salve
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for the tender heart.
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Forget about
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the troubles
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of the day
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and just go to sleep.
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And so it's likely
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that as he takes them
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up onto the mountain
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that they're sorrowful.
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They have followed him,
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they have recognized him
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to be the Christ,
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but they have also seen
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that he's going
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to suffer and die
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and that they're going
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to as well
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if they're going
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to continue
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to follow him.
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And then we see
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this miracle.
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He was
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transfigured
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before them.
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Mark, to this point,
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has been so brief,
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so punchy,
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moved us along
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so quickly,
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and I believe
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that he's doing so
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to get us to this point,
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to get us to the last
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half of chapter 8
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and get us into chapter 9.
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This is kind of
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the watershed moment.
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He's pumped everything
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up to this point.
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Now everything flows away
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from this point
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in his record here,
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and he says to us,
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and he was
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transfigured
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before them.
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It's a simple,
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punchy statement.
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Come on, Mark.
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It's a little more.
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What actually
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happened here?
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We don't really know.
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In fact,
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Matthew and Luke
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don't give us
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a lot more detail.
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The word transfigured
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in the Greek
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is metamorpho.
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It's where we get
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metamorphosis from.
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It means literally
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changed in figure.
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His character,
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his essence,
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his being didn't change,
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but the way he looked
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changed.
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The account in Mark
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is his clothes
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became radiant,
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intensely white,
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as no one on earth
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could bleach them.
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There were people
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in this day
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that bleached clothing.
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No one could have
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accomplished this.
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It was a supernatural thing.
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His clothes,
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radiant,
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intensely white.
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Matthew 17, 2
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says his face
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shone like the sun
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and his clothes
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became white,
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as light.
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And Luke 9, 22
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says the appearance
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of his face
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was altered
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and his clothing
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became dazzling white.
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And that's our explanation
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of what the transfiguration
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looked like.
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But,
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you have to note
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these words,
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radiant,
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intensely white,
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whiter than anybody
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could bleat them,
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face like the sun,
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white as light.
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Clothing became
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dazzling white.
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Jesus' radiance here
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is very key.
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The way in which
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he was transfigured
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was very key
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to the encouragement
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of the disciples
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because
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whenever God appears
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to his people
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in the Old Testament,
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he appears in some sort
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of light phenomenon,
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some sort of appearance
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of light.
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His disciples were Jews.
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They knew this.
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They knew their Old Testament.
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They knew that when God
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showed up,
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this was how
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he showed up.
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A couple of examples
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of that.
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At the initiation
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of the priestly service
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in Leviticus 9,
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God appears as light.
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In Exodus 24,
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God appears to Moses
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as light.
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In Exodus 40,
18:15
verses 34 and 35,
18:16
the tabernacle
18:17
is completed
18:18
and God begins
18:19
to dwell there
18:20
as light,
18:22
just above
18:22
the Ark of the Covenant.
18:23
We know this
18:25
as God's
18:25
Shekinah glory,
18:26
which just means
18:27
dwelling,
18:28
the Shekinah glory
18:29
of God.
18:30
It dwelt
18:30
in the tabernacle.
18:33
In Ezekiel,
18:34
we can see where
18:34
God's Shekinah glory
18:35
leaves the temple,
18:37
travels up to a hill
18:39
and departs
18:40
to heaven.
18:42
So it's very key
18:42
that Jesus showed up
18:44
in light.
18:44
He transfigures
18:45
in that way.
18:46
It was a message
18:47
to them that he is
18:48
in fact who he says
18:48
he was.
18:49
All the miracles,
18:50
all the things
18:50
that he's performed
18:51
up to this point
18:51
had yet to give them
18:52
the faith they needed
18:53
to persevere.
18:54
And here he shows up
18:55
as God himself.
18:57
He's radiant
18:58
with light.
19:00
Hebrews 1, 3a
19:02
says he is the radiance
19:03
of the glory
19:04
of God.
19:06
2 Corinthians 4, 6
19:08
Paul writes,
19:09
God who said
19:10
let light shine out
19:11
of darkness
19:11
has shown in our hearts
19:12
to give the light
19:13
of the knowledge
19:14
of the glory of God
19:15
in the face
19:16
of Jesus Christ.
19:19
Jesus Christ
19:20
is often called
19:21
the glory
19:22
of God.
19:24
The way that we
19:25
can witness
19:26
the glory
19:27
of God.
19:28
Moses asked
19:29
to see God's glory
19:30
as they were
19:31
in the desert
19:31
and God showed
19:32
him his back.
19:33
We get to behold
19:34
Jesus,
19:35
the Christ.
19:36
We get to see him
19:36
fully for who he is.
19:38
We have record
19:39
and account
19:40
and we get to hold
19:40
this in our hands.
19:41
They got to stand
19:42
on the mountain
19:43
with him
19:43
and see him
19:44
transfigured,
19:45
see him shine
19:46
as light.
19:51
As I said before,
19:52
the brief account
19:53
of this is a bit
19:53
frustrating to me.
19:55
I believe that
19:55
the word of God
19:56
is inspired
19:56
and therefore
19:57
it was told this way
19:58
for this reason.
20:00
I want more.
20:00
I want to know
20:01
a little bit more
20:01
of what was going on.
20:03
We've got a couple
20:03
of other clues to it.
20:05
Not much.
20:06
John in his gospel,
20:09
chapter 1,
20:09
verse 4 says,
20:10
in him was life
20:11
and the life
20:11
was the light
20:12
of men.
20:14
2 Peter,
20:15
chapter 1,
20:16
verses 16 through 18,
20:18
Peter records,
20:19
for we did not follow
20:20
cleverly devised myths
20:21
when we made known
20:22
to you the power
20:22
and coming
20:23
of our Lord Jesus Christ.
20:24
But we were witnesses
20:26
of his majesty.
20:27
He's speaking here
20:28
of the transfiguration.
20:29
For when he received
20:30
honor and glory
20:31
from God the Father
20:32
and the voice
20:33
was born to him
20:34
by the majestic glory,
20:36
this is my beloved son
20:37
with whom I am well pleased,
20:39
we ourselves heard
20:41
this very voice
20:42
born from heaven
20:43
for we were with him
20:44
on the holy mountain.
20:46
And those are the accounts
20:47
that we get
20:48
of this amazing thing
20:49
that happened
20:50
in history.
20:52
And it seems to me
20:53
that they tend
20:54
to relegate
20:55
the miracle
20:56
in order to exalt
20:58
the person.
21:00
That they wanted
21:00
to set aside
21:01
the fact that he was
21:02
this shiny being,
21:03
that he becomes
21:04
something different
21:05
in vision
21:06
in order to exalt
21:07
him and the message
21:09
that he came
21:10
to preach.
21:11
Remember Mark,
21:12
chapter 1,
21:13
verse 15,
21:14
Jesus says,
21:15
the time is fulfilled
21:16
and the kingdom
21:17
of God is at hand.
21:19
Repent and believe
21:21
in the gospel.
21:23
And here we see,
21:24
rather than becoming
21:25
very mystical
21:26
and focusing on
21:28
this amazing thing,
21:29
it must have been
21:30
incredible to witness,
21:31
they want to drive us
21:32
back to the message.
21:34
Repent and believe
21:36
in the gospel.
21:37
Jesus is who he says he is.
21:38
He is the son of God,
21:40
the one who's come
21:40
to take away
21:41
the sins of the world,
21:42
the one who's come
21:43
to make remission
21:43
of sins for many.
21:45
Repent and believe
21:46
in the gospel.
21:48
So they relegate
21:48
the miracle
21:49
in order to exalt
21:50
the person
21:51
and the message.
21:55
In addition to
21:56
him transfiguring,
21:58
we see some other people
21:59
show up in glory.
22:01
They are Elijah
22:02
and Moses.
22:03
We see this in
22:03
verse 4.
22:04
And they were
22:05
talking with Jesus.
22:09
And why do you
22:10
suppose they showed up?
22:11
Why do we need
22:12
a couple of people
22:13
to show up?
22:15
Let me say to you
22:15
it's because,
22:16
consistently through
22:17
the scriptures,
22:19
two or three witnesses
22:20
were necessary
22:21
to give credence
22:22
to something,
22:23
to make something
22:24
final and true.
22:26
Deuteronomy 19.15,
22:27
the second half,
22:28
says only on the evidence
22:29
of two witnesses
22:30
or of three witnesses
22:31
shall a charge
22:32
be established.
22:34
Matthew 18.16
22:36
says that dealing
22:37
with sins
22:38
in the church,
22:40
that we should do so
22:41
with two or three witnesses.
22:43
Paul tells the church
22:44
at Corinth
22:45
in his second letter
22:46
that he will bring
22:47
charges by the evidence
22:48
of two or three witnesses.
22:50
1 Timothy 5.19
22:51
says,
22:52
Do not admit
22:53
to charge
22:53
against an elder
22:54
except on the evidence
22:55
of two or three witnesses.
22:58
This was very common
22:59
of the day.
23:00
This was the way
23:01
in which you brought
23:02
charges against
23:03
or for
23:04
an individual.
23:06
And so Jesus
23:07
is joined
23:07
by two great witnesses,
23:11
Moses and Elijah.
23:14
Moses was,
23:15
arguably,
23:16
I believe,
23:17
Israel's greatest leader.
23:19
Led them out of captivity,
23:22
away from this symbolic
23:24
captivity to sin,
23:26
out of Egypt,
23:27
and into,
23:28
eventually,
23:29
with all the obstacles
23:30
that came in the way,
23:31
at least to the border
23:33
of the promised land.
23:34
It was Moses
23:36
who gave the law.
23:37
He was the
23:38
arbiter of that.
23:39
God gave it to him
23:40
and he gave it to Israel.
23:43
Elijah,
23:44
again,
23:45
arguably,
23:45
but Elijah,
23:46
I think,
23:46
was Israel's
23:47
greatest prophet.
23:49
As Moses gave the law,
23:51
Elijah guarded the law.
23:54
Elijah said
23:54
to the people of God
23:55
over and over
23:56
and over again,
23:58
keep the commandments
23:59
of God.
24:01
And now they're
24:02
in a conversation
24:03
with Jesus
24:03
who came and fulfilled
24:04
the law.
24:06
They were talking
24:07
with Jesus.
24:10
What were they
24:10
talking about?
24:12
What were they
24:12
talking about?
24:14
They were talking
24:14
about the crucifixion.
24:17
Again,
24:17
how do we know this?
24:18
The Bible tells us
24:19
what they were talking about.
24:21
In a different account,
24:22
Luke chapter 9,
24:22
verse 30 and 31,
24:24
And behold,
24:25
two men were talking
24:26
with him,
24:27
Moses and Elijah,
24:29
who appeared in glory
24:30
and spoke
24:31
of his departure.
24:33
which he was about
24:35
to accomplish
24:35
at Jerusalem.
24:37
This is what
24:38
they were talking about.
24:39
They were talking
24:39
about the very thing
24:40
that Jesus had said
24:41
was going to happen.
24:43
They're giving witness
24:44
to the fact
24:44
that as he's appearing,
24:46
transfigured,
24:47
he is the visible
24:47
glory of God.
24:49
The disciples can see this.
24:50
They're having
24:51
a conversation
24:51
about the fact
24:52
that he was going
24:52
to suffer and die
24:54
at the hands
24:55
of the scribes
24:55
and the Pharisees.
24:56
They're giving
24:57
account to the fact
24:59
that what Jesus said
25:01
was going to happen
25:02
is going to happen.
25:03
Elijah and Moses
25:04
join with him
25:05
in affirming
25:07
this great reality.
25:10
And then Peter
25:11
butts in.
25:15
If Jesus and Elijah
25:16
and Moses
25:17
showed up today,
25:18
please don't interrupt
25:19
the conversation
25:19
that they're having.
25:21
Peter,
25:22
always the spokesman,
25:23
says to Jesus,
25:24
Rabbi,
25:26
it's good
25:27
that we are here.
25:28
Let us make
25:29
three tents,
25:29
one for you
25:30
and one for Moses,
25:31
one for Elijah,
25:32
for he did not know
25:33
what to say,
25:34
for they were terrified.
25:35
A good record
25:37
that you shouldn't
25:38
say anything at all.
25:40
At all.
25:41
However,
25:43
Peter was,
25:45
even though he was
25:46
a simple man,
25:47
he had his theology right.
25:50
He had his theology right.
25:51
The transfiguration
25:52
happened in the month
25:53
of Tishri,
25:55
which as I've said before,
25:56
was six months
25:57
before Passover.
25:58
And there was
25:59
something happening
26:00
at the very time
26:01
in Jerusalem
26:02
that they're up
26:03
on the mountain
26:03
and this is happening.
26:04
There was something
26:04
happening.
26:05
It's called the Feast
26:06
of Tabernacles.
26:08
And it was a feast
26:09
that came and happened
26:11
to commemorate
26:12
the Exodus.
26:13
Being led out of
26:14
one kingdom
26:16
to be free
26:17
in another kingdom.
26:18
This was the very thing
26:19
that they were doing.
26:21
But Peter's
26:22
desire to build
26:24
for them
26:25
Tabernacles
26:25
was to celebrate that.
26:27
He's now seeing
26:29
Christ
26:29
exalted,
26:31
transfigured,
26:33
shining in glory.
26:34
And Moses
26:35
and Elijah are there
26:36
and he's saying
26:37
it's time.
26:38
It's time to go.
26:39
It's time to get out
26:40
of this world
26:40
and go to the next world.
26:42
It's time for the kingdom
26:43
to come.
26:45
Can't you see
26:45
the misunderstanding
26:46
on this part?
26:47
It was not yet
26:48
the time.
26:50
Peter, James, and John
26:51
wanted to exit the world.
26:53
They wanted to
26:53
be spared the suffering
26:55
that Jesus had talked about.
26:57
They said,
26:58
we have the Christ,
26:58
we have Moses,
26:59
we have Elijah.
27:00
Let's get the glorious
27:01
kingdom started.
27:03
They wanted glory
27:04
without suffering.
27:05
They wanted exaltation
27:06
without humiliation.
27:07
They wanted Jesus
27:08
to be crowned king
27:09
without the cross.
27:13
This is not something
27:14
that could happen.
27:16
God's ordained plan
27:17
go all the way back
27:19
to the end of verse 33.
27:21
For you are not
27:23
setting your mind
27:24
on the things of God
27:25
but on the things of man.
27:27
The plan of God
27:29
was for Jesus
27:29
to go to the cross.
27:30
I'm glad he did it.
27:31
I hope you are too.
27:34
And as they say this,
27:36
a theologically informed
27:40
but wrong statement,
27:42
as they say this,
27:44
a third witness shows up.
27:46
Elijah and Moses,
27:47
one and two witnesses.
27:49
And now look who shows up.
27:52
A cloud overshadows them
27:53
and a voice came out
27:55
of the cloud.
27:56
This is my beloved son.
28:00
Listen to him.
28:01
The almighty shows up
28:03
and combines in chorus
28:04
with Elijah and with Moses
28:06
to give account
28:07
to the things that Jesus
28:08
has said.
28:09
I love the record of it
28:10
in Matthew chapter 17
28:11
verses 5 and 6.
28:13
It says,
28:13
verse 5,
28:14
speaking of Peter,
28:16
he was still speaking.
28:17
So I love that
28:18
because Peter's still talking
28:19
and then God comes
28:20
and shuts him down.
28:22
He's interrupted
28:23
by the divine.
28:25
When, behold,
28:26
a bright cloud
28:27
overshadowed them.
28:28
Again, you see the bright cloud
28:30
overshadowed them.
28:31
Shows up in a light phenomenon.
28:34
And a voice from the cloud said,
28:35
this is my beloved son
28:37
with whom I am well pleased.
28:39
Listen to him.
28:40
And I love verse 6.
28:41
When the disciples heard this,
28:43
they fell on their faces
28:44
and were terrified.
28:46
You better be
28:47
when you're interrupted
28:48
by the divine
28:49
and corrected.
28:51
The very thing that happened.
28:52
Jesus has spoken to you.
28:54
He has told you
28:55
what will come to pass.
28:56
And now you're trying
28:57
to establish a kingdom
28:58
by another way?
28:59
This is my beloved son.
29:01
Listen to him.
29:02
Right?
29:02
He knows the way of God.
29:04
Follow him in that way.
29:06
Even if it leads
29:07
to your own death.
29:09
Take up your cross.
29:10
Follow him.
29:12
And then suddenly,
29:15
verse 8,
29:16
suddenly,
29:17
looking around,
29:18
the whole scene vanished.
29:22
The kingdom preview,
29:23
this glimpse they got
29:25
of the coming glory of God
29:26
was gone.
29:28
And then plain old Jesus Christ
29:30
was standing before them
29:31
once again.
29:34
And he charged them
29:34
to tell no one
29:35
what they had seen,
29:35
verse 9,
29:37
until the Son of Man
29:37
had been risen from the dead.
29:38
And here we see again
29:39
they just don't seem to get it.
29:40
So they kept the matter
29:41
to themselves.
29:42
Until they recorded it later
29:44
for all of us to read.
29:46
Questioning what this
29:47
rising from the dead
29:50
might mean.
29:52
They just didn't get it.
29:55
The light is dawning
29:56
in their hearts and minds.
29:58
But it's yet to fully arrive.
30:00
They're starting to get it.
30:02
And they certainly would
30:03
one day.
30:04
We're going to see them
30:05
come to a greater realization
30:06
of this.
30:07
They would one day preach
30:08
Christ crucified and risen
30:09
in their messages.
30:11
Think of Peter's sermon
30:13
on the day of Pentecost
30:13
found in Acts chapter 2
30:15
verse 23 and 24.
30:17
He says,
30:18
This Jesus
30:19
delivered up according
30:20
to the definite plan
30:21
and foreknowledge of God,
30:22
you crucified and killed
30:23
by the hands of lawless men.
30:25
God raised him up,
30:27
loosing the pangs of death
30:28
because it was not possible
30:29
for him to be held
30:30
by it.
30:31
Christ crucified
30:32
and risen.
30:33
John devotes all
30:35
of chapter 19
30:36
and the first half
30:37
of chapter 20
30:38
of his gospel account
30:39
to the death
30:39
and resurrection
30:40
of Christ.
30:41
Later stating in
30:42
chapter 20
30:43
verse 30 and 31,
30:45
Now Jesus did many
30:46
other signs in the presence
30:47
of the disciples
30:47
which are not written
30:48
in this book,
30:49
but these are written
30:50
so that you may believe
30:51
that Jesus is the Christ,
30:53
the Son of God,
30:54
and that by believing
30:55
you may have
30:56
life in his name.
30:59
They preached Christ,
31:00
crucified and risen.
31:04
What happened to James?
31:05
James was the first martyr.
31:07
He was martyred in 44 AD.
31:09
He was pierced with swords
31:11
for preaching Christ
31:13
crucifies and raised
31:14
by Herod.
31:17
These men would someday
31:18
come to fully understand
31:20
what the transfiguration
31:21
meant for them.
31:25
But what does it mean for us?
31:28
Three men privy to this vision.
31:30
We didn't get to see it.
31:31
We get a kind of
31:32
a paltry record of it.
31:33
Not a lot of detail
31:34
going on here.
31:36
What does it mean for us?
31:38
And so three lessons
31:38
for today quickly
31:39
as we close.
31:41
Number one,
31:42
life is found
31:44
in the power
31:45
of the cross.
31:46
Life is found
31:47
in the power
31:48
of the cross.
31:50
Mark 8.35,
31:51
For whoever would save
31:52
his life will lose it,
31:52
but whoever loses
31:53
his life for my sake
31:54
and the gospels
31:54
will save it.
31:55
And this is following
31:56
him talking about
31:57
his death and resurrection.
31:59
His death on the cross,
32:00
his resurrection
32:01
three days later.
32:03
This apparent paradox
32:04
that we must follow him
32:05
in the same way
32:06
in order to gain
32:07
our lives.
32:09
1 Corinthians 1.18-24,
32:11
Paul says,
32:12
For the word of the cross
32:14
is folly
32:15
to those who are perishing.
32:17
But to us
32:18
who are being saved,
32:19
it is the power of God.
32:22
For it is written,
32:22
this is Isaiah 29.14,
32:24
I will destroy
32:25
the wisdom of the wise
32:26
and the discernment
32:27
of the discerning
32:27
I will thwart.
32:29
Where is the one
32:30
who is wise?
32:31
Where is the scribe?
32:33
Where is the debater
32:34
of this age?
32:35
Has not God
32:36
made foolish
32:37
the wisdom
32:38
of the world?
32:39
For since
32:40
in the wisdom of God
32:41
the world did not know
32:42
God through wisdom,
32:44
it pleased God
32:45
through the folly
32:46
of what we preach
32:47
to save those
32:48
who believe.
32:49
The folly being
32:50
that a king came
32:51
to reign
32:52
by suffering
32:52
and dying.
32:54
Verse 22,
32:55
For Jews demand signs
32:56
and Greeks seek wisdom,
32:58
but we preach
32:59
Christ crucified,
33:01
a stumbling block
33:02
to Jews
33:02
and folly to Gentiles,
33:03
but to those
33:04
who are called
33:05
both Jews and Greeks,
33:06
Christ,
33:07
the power of God
33:08
and the wisdom
33:09
of God.
33:12
1 Corinthians 2,
33:13
1-2
33:14
Paul says,
33:16
And I,
33:17
when I came to you,
33:17
brothers,
33:18
did not come
33:18
proclaiming to you
33:19
the testimony of God
33:20
with lofty speech
33:21
or wisdom,
33:22
for I decided
33:23
to do nothing
33:24
among you
33:25
except Jesus Christ
33:26
and Him crucified.
33:29
Life is found
33:30
in the power
33:31
of the cross.
33:33
Secondly,
33:34
the power of the cross
33:35
is transmitted to us
33:37
by the Scriptures.
33:40
The power of the cross
33:40
is transmitted to us
33:41
by the Scriptures.
33:42
Beloved,
33:43
do you realize
33:44
how precious
33:45
the book you hold
33:46
in your laps is?
33:48
This language
33:49
inspired by God
33:50
translated for us
33:51
into our English language,
33:52
the one in which
33:53
we have so many
33:54
copies of,
33:55
both physical
33:55
and digital,
33:56
that we have
33:56
so many resources.
33:58
We can search it
33:59
and we can search it
34:00
and we can know it.
34:01
There is unending
34:02
resources at our
34:03
fingertips
34:03
to know
34:04
the Word of God
34:05
to us.
34:07
It is the way
34:07
in which the power
34:08
of the cross
34:09
comes to us.
34:11
2 Peter 1,
34:13
16-21,
34:14
I read to you
34:15
the first three verses.
34:16
I'm going to read
34:17
those again
34:17
and then read the rest
34:18
of what Peter
34:19
has to say.
34:20
This blows my mind.
34:22
First time I read this,
34:23
I just,
34:23
I wanted to fall down.
34:26
I didn't,
34:27
but I wanted to.
34:29
For we did not
34:29
follow cleverly
34:30
devised myths
34:31
when we made known
34:32
to you the power
34:32
and coming
34:33
of our Lord Jesus Christ,
34:34
but we were
34:35
eyewitnesses
34:36
of His majesty.
34:38
Would you like to
34:38
have been in their
34:39
shoes,
34:39
been there on the
34:40
mountain?
34:41
For when He received
34:42
honor and glory
34:43
from God the Father
34:43
and the voice
34:44
was born to Him
34:45
by the majestic glory,
34:46
this is my beloved
34:47
Son with whom
34:47
I am well pleased,
34:48
we ourselves
34:49
heard this very
34:50
voice born from
34:51
heaven,
34:52
for we were with
34:53
Him on the
34:54
holy mountain.
34:55
Oh,
34:55
to have been there.
34:56
How great that
34:56
would have been.
34:57
But listen to what
34:57
Peter says to us.
34:58
Verse 19,
35:01
And we have
35:02
the prophetic
35:03
word
35:03
more fully
35:05
confirmed.
35:08
Catch that?
35:09
It's better
35:10
to have this.
35:12
It's more
35:13
fully confirmed.
35:14
We have seen
35:14
the promises
35:15
of God
35:15
carried out
35:17
from the
35:18
scriptures.
35:18
We have it.
35:19
It's more sure.
35:20
It's a thing
35:21
that we can trust.
35:22
It's greater
35:23
than being present
35:24
at the
35:24
transfiguration.
35:27
To which you
35:27
will do well
35:28
to pay attention
35:29
as to a lamp
35:30
shining in a
35:31
dark place
35:32
that we see
35:32
light again
35:33
until the day
35:34
dawns and the
35:35
morning star
35:35
rises in your
35:36
hearts.
35:38
Knowing this
35:38
first of all,
35:39
that no prophecy
35:40
of scripture
35:40
comes from
35:41
someone's own
35:41
interpretation,
35:42
for no prophecy
35:43
was ever produced
35:44
by the will of man,
35:45
but men
35:45
spoke from God
35:46
as they were
35:47
carried along
35:48
by the Holy Spirit.
35:50
This book
35:51
is precious.
35:54
The power
35:54
of the cross
35:55
is transmitted
35:56
to us
35:57
by it.
35:59
Beloved,
36:00
we are a people
36:01
of words.
36:03
Words have
36:04
power.
36:06
Thirdly,
36:07
we are to be
36:09
transformed
36:10
by the power
36:11
of the cross.
36:13
We're not to
36:14
stay the same.
36:14
We're to be
36:15
transformed.
36:16
This is this
36:16
imagery he's
36:17
giving us.
36:18
If we would
36:18
follow him,
36:19
we have to
36:19
deny ourselves.
36:21
Stop being
36:21
you.
36:23
Pick up your
36:23
cross and
36:23
follow me.
36:24
Become me.
36:26
Look to me.
36:28
I'm your
36:28
example.
36:30
Paul writes,
36:31
Galatians 2.20,
36:31
I have been
36:32
crucified with
36:33
Christ.
36:34
It is no longer
36:35
I who live,
36:37
but Christ
36:38
who lives in me.
36:39
In the life
36:40
I now live in the
36:41
flesh,
36:41
I live by faith
36:42
in the Son of God
36:42
who loved me
36:43
and gave
36:44
himself for me.
36:46
We operate
36:46
from faith
36:47
to look like
36:48
Christ,
36:49
to pursue him
36:50
in all that we
36:51
are.
36:51
The derogatory
36:52
phrase given to
36:53
us,
36:53
Christian,
36:54
means little
36:55
Christ.
36:57
What a far
36:58
gap there is
36:58
between the way
36:59
we live and
37:00
the way Christ
37:00
lived.
37:02
Beloved,
37:02
pursue,
37:04
pursue the
37:05
example given
37:07
to us by him.
37:08
Hear me.
37:09
we hold the
37:11
sovereignty of
37:12
God so
37:13
precious here.
37:14
It's in our
37:15
closed fist.
37:16
Oh,
37:17
God is sovereign
37:17
over all things.
37:18
He ordains
37:18
all things.
37:19
He stands
37:19
over all
37:20
things.
37:21
But beloved,
37:22
grace is not
37:23
an enemy
37:23
of effort.
37:26
Grace fuels
37:27
our effort.
37:28
Grace is only
37:28
an enemy of
37:29
any merit
37:29
earned by
37:30
our effort.
37:31
We are to
37:32
work out
37:33
our salvation
37:33
with fear
37:34
and trembling
37:35
for it's God
37:36
who works
37:36
in us
37:37
to will
37:37
and to
37:38
work for
37:38
his good
37:38
pleasure.
37:39
Get busy
37:40
following
37:41
Christ.
37:43
You have
37:43
been given
37:43
the power
37:44
of the
37:45
cross
37:46
if you've
37:46
believed in
37:47
him.
37:49
This great
37:49
verse in
37:50
2 Corinthians
37:50
3.18
37:51
Paul says,
37:53
And we all
37:54
with unveiled
37:55
face,
37:56
beholding the
37:57
glory of the
37:57
Lord,
37:58
are being
37:59
transformed to
37:59
the same
38:00
image from
38:00
one degree
38:01
of glory
38:01
to another.
38:03
For this
38:04
comes from
38:04
the Lord
38:04
who is
38:05
the Spirit.
38:07
So what
38:09
do we
38:09
learn from
38:09
the
38:09
transfiguration,
38:10
from beholding
38:11
this?
38:11
Jesus is
38:12
the Christ
38:13
and we
38:13
must,
38:14
if he is,
38:14
if we believe
38:15
that he is,
38:15
we must
38:16
follow him.
38:16
We must
38:17
follow him
38:17
to the
38:17
point of
38:18
death as
38:18
all of
38:19
the
38:19
apostles
38:19
did,
38:20
all except
38:20
for John
38:20
who died
38:21
in exile
38:22
of old age.
38:23
They all
38:24
followed him
38:24
to the
38:25
point of
38:25
death.
38:25
Believe
38:26
the words,
38:27
follow him.
38:28
Life is
38:28
found in
38:29
the power
38:29
of the
38:30
cross.
38:30
The power
38:31
of the
38:31
cross is
38:31
transmitted to
38:32
us by the
38:33
scriptures and
38:33
we are to be
38:34
transformed by
38:35
the power
38:35
of the
38:36
cross.
38:37
Let's pray
38:37
together.
38:38
Amen.