and his raiment was white as the light. And behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elijah talking with him. Then answered Peter and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here. If thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles, one for thee and one for Moses and one for Elijah. While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them. And behold, a voice out of the cloud, which said, this is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased, hear ye him. And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face and they were sore afraid. And Jesus came and touched them and said, arise and be not afraid. And when they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no man save Jesus only. And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them saying, tell the vision to no man until the son of man be risen again from the dead. The transfiguration of the Lord Jesus Christ on the mount is one of seven pivotal events in our Lord's earthly ministry. Theologians talk about the most important and pivotal events, seven of them being His incarnation, His baptism, His temptation in the wilderness, and then in the middle here, the Mount of Transfiguration. Then of course, His crucifixion, His resurrection, and His ascension. In each one of these seven, and specifically this afternoon on the Mount of Transfiguration, we're gonna see that there is a dramatic event that fulfills prophecy. It's a dramatic event where Jesus is gonna say some very startling statements that have incredible spiritual content and they're etched in eternity. and there's gonna be an accomplishment of several things that again, have both immediate and eternal consequences. In each of these seven events, again, specifically the Mount of Transfiguration, what we're gonna see is in the run up to the event, Jesus prepares a foundation. He's gonna prepare a bedrock of truth and questions And all of those will provide illumination on the Mount of Transfiguration. He sets the stage. He is going to, in Matthew 16, we'll see he's going to say some things that will only make sense after the Mount of Transfiguration. In all of these seven, the events explain or embellish or look forward to eternal events. For example, the resurrection of Christ has tied to it, our resurrection. Your resurrection at the last day will be, you'll see intimately tied with the resurrection of Christ. Because he lives, you will live also. for the rest of these events, and even the amount of transfiguration we'll see, there's a tie-in with you. So I'd like to look at this afternoon five things. First of all, we're gonna look at the startling words that he spoke at Caesarea Philippi. Secondly, we're gonna look at the fact that he was transfigured or changed before them. Thirdly, we're gonna look at the witness of both Moses and Elijah. Fourthly, we have to look at Peter's impulsive tabernacle building, or his attempt to build these tabernacles to everybody. And then we're gonna look at some of the startling words that were said on the Mount, and we'll close with a couple of applications. So first of all, the startling words that he spoke at Caesarea Philippi. Again, in the run-up, to the cross in the run up to the mouth of transfiguration, the disciples are gonna be confronted with some very startling and profound words, words that are gonna set their religious world upside down and topsy turvy, things that they've never heard before from the mouth of the Lord. And these words we're going to see are arresting They are intense and they are going to find a way into the heart and mind of the disciples in such a way that it's going to transform them and change them. The disciples here are not unlike the majority of the New Testament Jewish population that was looking for a Messiah. But they could not, like the scribes and the Pharisees, they could not reconcile how the coming Messiah, the King, would be a servant. Isaiah 42, Isaiah 53. Clearly, he was going to be a servant. How can the coming King, Messiah, also be a servant? How could he be David's Lord, but also David's son? What was behind all the blood sacrifices that were needed for the expiation of sin? All of these things they were struggling with. And Jesus now is going to, in a very short compass, open up the nature of true religion and open up what it means to have a relationship with the living God. I like the word pierce. He's going to give them piercing truths that is gonna cut into them. He's gonna give them life-changing realities, startling words that these disciples never heard attached to the covenant of redemption. Some of those words that we read in Matthew 16. First of all, he asked the disciples, who do men say that the Son of Man is? Who do they say that I am? Well, that's a safe question, the disciples thought, because I can tell you what other people are thinking. It's not yet personal. And as we read, they said, well, John the Baptist, or Jeremiah, or one of the prophets, Elijah perhaps. A nice religious discussion. No personal opening up and making myself transparent. It's what they are saying you are. And then of course, Jesus asked a very real question. Who do you say that I am? Who do you say in front of all your religious friends, who do you say that I am? And of course, Simon Peter said, thou art the Christ, the son of the living God. And Jesus reveals to him how it is that he knows that. He said, blessed art thou Simon, son of Barjona. Flesh and blood has not revealed that to you. but my Father which is in heaven." That's a tremendous religious statement that God opens up hearts and minds to the reality of who Jesus of Nazareth was. He was the Son of God. Divine revelation, spiritual understanding. And then Jesus very shockingly says, Tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ. I would have been blabbing that everywhere. So would you have been. We found the Messiah. This is Jesus Christ, the Son of God. But Jesus said, don't tell anybody. Then Jesus goes on to show his disciples that he has to go to Jerusalem and suffer many things. He's gonna suffer things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the scribes, the ones, that religious body of leaders who should have known better. He's gonna suffer at their hands. And he'll be killed and raised from the dead on the third day. And then Peter, took him aside and began to rebuke him. Think of that, he just said, you're God, God in the flesh, and then he starts rebuking God, rebuking him, saying, these things will not happen. And so now Jesus has to turn the table and say, Peter, get behind me, Satan. You're not savoring the things of the kingdom of God, but those that be of men. And by the way, there's a message in there about savoring the things of God, savoring the cross and the resurrection and the ascension. He's turning their thinking upside down. This Messiah is gonna be killed. He's not gonna receive the reception that you would think that he would receive. And then Jesus goes on to say, what does it cost to be a disciple? He said, if you'll come after me, you have to deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow me. If you lose your life for my sake, you'll find it. You'll find it right there. You have to lose your personal identity. You have to lose your dreams. You cannot live unto yourself. You have to seek first God's kingdom. It costs a lot. to be a true disciple of God. As Brother George prayed, we are not playing church here. It's a serious, non-trivial thing to be a Christian. And then Jesus goes on again, and he gives a value on being a Christian, as though if you could exchange something for being Christian, if such a thing were possible, which it's not, But he said, what would it profit you if you gained the whole world, but you lost your soul? Or what would a man give in exchange for his soul? There's an eternal value to your soul, your personage, you. And though you could gain the whole world, that means absolutely nothing if you lose your soul. And then Jesus goes on again to say, if you are ashamed of God in his words, all of this new spin on religion, if I could put it that way, the actual truth, if you're ashamed of that, you're ashamed of the God who orchestrated and authored that, it was the architecture of that covenant of redemption, then God will be ashamed of you at judgment day. When he comes with his father, the holy angel said that everything is running up. He's giving us this mini panorama of judgment day. And he's opening up people's hearts. Was there a tendency of these disciples to be ashamed of Christ? I mean, I think there probably was, because I mean, they're on the cutting edge of something new. Remember what others said about Christ. Never a man speak like this man. And are you gonna identify yourself with this one who speaks radically and differently? These are life-changing truths, piercing realities, startling words. He's given them a reality check on true religion. And one week later, after saying these words, one week later, He's gonna take three disciples up to the Mount of Transfiguration and be transfigured before them. And they're gonna understand Jesus has a right to say what he said. And everything he said, those words, they were spirit and life and truth and reality. And when he takes them up in the mount, he's gonna be confirming them in their faith. And he's gonna be substantiating with power that he is the son of God, not because Peter said he was, but because in reality he is. And he's gonna glorify his father. And there's gonna be this crowning revelation that Moses and Elijah are gonna add in to the mix. Very startling words at Caesarea Philippi, as Christ is laying the foundation, a bedrock, for this very pivotal moment in our Lord's earthly ministry. Secondly, let's look at the fact that he was transfigured before them. There's seven on the mount. and he's gonna be transfigured, he's gonna go through this profound change, this metamorphosis that's gonna reveal without a doubt, this can only be the Son of God. And when you think of the mountain of transfiguration, when you set it in the context of the Bible to emphasize how profound this is, ask yourself this question, Were there any other miracles that Jesus did that are repeated in the rest of the New Testament, in the epistles or the letters? The wedding at Cana. Is there any place else besides the gospels that we read of it? No. Blind Bartimaeus who received sight. Do we read about that any place else? We do not. and on and on and on, the storm on the sea, all of these other events, we read not about them elsewhere. But the Mount of Transfiguration, Peter revisits it in his second letter when he says, for he received from God, that is Jesus received from God the Father, he received honor and glory when there came such a voice Such a voice, I wonder what it sounded like. Such a voice from the excellent glory that said, this is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased. And this voice which came from heaven, we heard it when we were with him in the Holy Mount. We heard his voice. We saw the glory. We were afraid. We were with him in that holy mount. We understood for those moments what was being revealed to us. Peter would never forget that encounter. And we'll look at an application to that. near the end of the message. But this event is tremendously profound. As I said, it's in the middle of the seven major events in our Lord's ministry. It's bridging the gap between those initial three and then those after, those crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension. Jesus Christ was changed. Again, the word metamorphosis. He was changed not in substance, but in appearance. He never stopped being the son of man and the son of God simultaneously, but he set aside his humanity, if you will, and part of his glory appeared. That effulgence of the Shekinah glory was manifested and the disciples saw his glory. And in an unparalleled way, they saw the light of the knowledge of God, who he is, his existence. They saw the light of the knowledge of God and his glory in the face of Jesus Christ. In an unparalleled way, they saw that Christ was the brightness of his glory and the express image of his person. Jehovah God at one time told Moses, Moses wanted to see God. And God told Moses, no man can see my face for no man can see my face and live. And yet, That same God, that same God in the man and God Jesus Christ, when he was transfigured before those three disciples, they saw that in him dwelt all of the fullness of the Godhead in bodily form. They saw that he covereth himself with light as with a garment. They were impressed to realize that what Christ said at Caesarea Philippi and what he would say later was the absolute truth. It was the power of God. And Christ was the only one who could make those kind of statements with that kind of verity and power and apply it to people's lives. I don't know what you think of when you think of the glory of God. When we think of Christ being that curtain drawn away and the glory of Christ is seen. I mean, how do you describe the glory of God? I mean, I've never seen the glory of God. Typically, the Bible always uses the one attribute of light. Matthew said his face shone as the sun. Light, and his raiment was as white as light. Luke says the fashion of his countenance was altered, it was changed, and his raiment became white and glistening. Luke goes on to say he appeared in glory. Luke goes on to say his raiment became shining exceedingly white as snow so that no fuller No laundry man on the earth could make it that white. Like bleach is nothing compared to what he looked like in this glory. But there are many more attributes that we should think of when we think of his glory besides light. How about eternal power? There is an eternal power in his glory. How about the spirit of holiness? How about majesty? In the Old Testament, sometimes when God revealed his glory, there was a deafening silence. Sometimes there was a deafening sound. As a young person, quite a while ago, I went to rock concerts. And sometimes the volume on the instruments was turned up so loud, you could actually feel sound waves go through you. When Jesus Christ manifested something of his glory, there was a realization that this glory is not simply some textbook description of who he is. It's part of who he is. It's a manifestation of who he is. He is never unglorious. He was changed. It very really happened. Thirdly, the witness of Moses and Elijah. Why did Moses and Elijah appear with Christ? Why not a couple other individuals? Well, first of all, we would say two people were with him to follow along with the Lord's injunction that in a mouth of two or three witnesses, let everything be established. But here we see that actually Moses is representing the law. and Elijah is representing the prophets, the law and the prophets, testifying of who the Lord Jesus Christ was, reminding us that the sum and the substance of the Old Testament law, the Old Testament prophets, they were pointing to the Lord Jesus Christ. They were trying to illuminate the Lord Jesus Christ by type, shadow, figure, foretelling You recall that Christ told the scribes and the Pharisees about the word of God. He said, you search the scriptures because in that you think you have life, but these are they which testify of me. Jesus Christ on every page. Jesus Christ in all of his offices, all of his work, all of his ministry. In my mind's eye, with my spiritual imagination, I can see in heaven where Christ is gonna be transfigured on the mountain. God the Father says, who will go and be a witness for the Lord Jesus Christ? And in my mind's eye, I see a unanimous desire to be a witness for Christ. But I can see in my mind's eye, I can see Moses saying, send me. Send me because when I had an opportunity and I was called and designated to lead the Exodus, to speak for God, to testify of Him, to witness for Him, I refused. I said with an excuse, they will not believe me. They will not listen to my voice. They will say, the Lord did not send you. I gave the excuse that I was not eloquent of speech or tongue. I'm slow of tongue, I have no speech. Even though the Lord told me there in the desert, I will be there with your mouth, I will teach you what to say. Moses can answer, but I refused. And I said, Lord, send somebody else in my place. but now I want to go, I want to testify, I want to witness to who Jesus Christ, and I don't care if I have a slow tongue, and I don't care if I have eloquent speech, it doesn't matter, I wanna be there. Send me. When I wrote of the law, I wrote of Christ. When I wrote about the manna from heaven, the water from the rock, the pillar of cloud by day, the pillar of fire by night, the march to the promised land, the tabernacle of God in the wilderness of Sinai. When I wrote all of these things, even when I wrote the law, it was our schoolmaster to lead us to Christ. When I wrote all of these things, I was pointing to Christ. And now I want to be a witness for you. In my mind's eye, I can also imagine Elijah wanting to code and be a witness for Christ. Elijah, who was always rebuilding altars for worship. Elijah, who was saying, I've been very jealous for the Lord of hosts. The children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down nine altars, and they slain the prophets with the sword. Elijah, so, so jealous and zealous for the Lord of hosts. But Elijah too, knowing that he was pointing to Christ. Elijah, I can imagine him saying, as in Revelation 19, the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. Moses and Elijah, representing the Law and the Prophets. They're divinely appointed to appear with the Son of Man to show what the Law and the Prophets were revealing, even Jesus Christ. And by the way, on the Mount of Transfiguration, what you see is Moses and Elijah, the Law and the Prophets, and then they disappear, and you see Christ. Christ is the sum and the substance of all that went before. These two witnesses, tremendous witnesses to who Jesus Christ was, the Son of God and the Son of Man. Everything summed up in Christ. Fourthly, impulsive tabernacle building. Peter said, it is good for us to be here. That's good. Then he said, Lord, if thou will, that's good also, let us make three tabernacles for Elijah, Moses, and you. And that's so good. Spiritual thinking cap is turned on backwards maybe. The account in Matthew said he said that because he didn't know what to say. And I'm thinking Peter always knew what to say. He's always talking, he's always blabbing. And there's a time to be silent and a time to be quiet. The idea of building a tabernacle or a booth has two connotations, worship and habitation. And during the Feast of Booths, the idea was you built this temporary booth for seven days so that you could stay there and worship God. But the unfortunate part of what Peter is saying, the unfortunate part is in the light of God's radiant glory, he's suggesting an equilibrium between Moses, Elijah, and Christ. And the unfortunate other part of Peter's saying is that there's this element of effort or works to please God. Let me take a side path for just a minute and suggest to you something you already know. There's a lot of tabernacle building going on right now. And tabernacles being built to the law. There are some legalists in our day that are trying to bind the law in an unbiblical way on people's hearts and consciences. They won't bear them. They won't move them with a little finger, but they want to bind laws or religious traditions on people to keep them in subjection, not to God, but to them and their system. Paul said the law is holy and the commandment, holy, just, and good, but it's not used correctly often. You're familiar with the passage where Jesus said, they're neglecting the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith. These they ought to have done and not left the others undone. There's being tabernacles being built to the prophets. That is, some churches are built all around prophecy and that in and of itself. as though that is the end game. There's a church just a few blocks down from my street, and they have so many prophecy conferences every year, I have to think that's all they talk about. Big banners on the front lawn. Doesn't matter if it's sensational or dispensational. There's more to the word of God, and there's more to a relationship with Christ on a day-by-day basis than simply prophecy. Not that we should neglect it. We do not want to excuse ourselves either. We have to be careful that, figuratively speaking, we're not building a tabernacle to a confession of faith. or our idea of a system of worship, or pet doctrines, or favorite ministries, or certain speakers. I mean, that was the problem in Corinth. Well, I'm of Cephas. Well, I'm of Paul. I'm of the Apollos. Well, I'm of Christ, so that's better. Paul put that in in its right order. He said, all things are ours. So Peter's impulsive tabernacle building or his attempt to do that was, he erred greatly, did he not? And again, with the radiant glory of Christ right there, he would learn later, he would learn later that that was a mistake. Fifthly, there were some startling words spoken on the Mount. Remember there were seven? on the mount, Peter, James, and John, Moses, Elijah, and Jesus, and God the Father. And let me break these startling words down into three separate conversations. The first conversation was between Moses and Elijah and Jesus. And then the second conversation was just Moses and Elijah by themselves. And the third one were words from God the Father. So I'd just like to group these to just look at their words very briefly. First of all, Moses and Elijah and Jesus had a conversation. And to share the parallel account from Luke, It says, when he appeared in the glory, they, that is Moses and Elijah, spoke of his decease, which he should accomplish in Jerusalem. They spoke of his decease, the same thing that Christ spoke at Caesarea Philippi. And they're sterling words because what they encompass is his entire journey from the cross to the grave, to his ascension. The word for deceased is really the word exodus. They were gonna speak about his exodus from this life back to the father. His journey, his exodus, the only way he could go back to heaven, he had to die, he had to be buried, he had to be resurrected, and then he had to ascend back to the father. His sacrificial death on Calvary absolutely had to be followed by his burial, absolutely followed by his resurrection, absolutely followed by his ascension. And this exodus is what they spoke about. His entire exodus accompanied with glory. A glory of the cross, a glory of the resurrection, and a glory of the ascension when he was taken back up into glory. So they spoke of his exodus and what that would accomplish. When you die, you're not gonna accomplish anything. Sorry, neither am I. When he died, the scripture said he accomplished something, and this is a very interesting word that means to fill up. Christ was going to fill up. He was going to, and these are all ways this word is translated. He was going to cause to abound. He was going to supply liberally. He was going to finish and complete. He was gonna fill something up to the brim, consummate, render perfect, carry to the end. the exodus of Christ was going to accomplish. It's going to finish the work, complete it, fill it up to the brim. You see what he said at Caesarea Philippi, now there's this expansion of it. And he's driving it home where they just cannot miss it. Those, that exodus of Christ should thrill us every time we read it. That's the first conversation, his exodus and what he's going to accomplish in those four, his crucifixion, burial, resurrection, ascension. Second conversation or the second startling set of words Moses and Elijah. And here I think I'm gonna suggest there's gonna be a completeness of their witness. Now you might be thinking that we don't know what they said. I'm gonna ask you to consider something with me. Moses and Elijah together. The truth that had been spoken, the connection, they understand, they are witnesses to the death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ. The law and the prophets spoke of the death, resurrection, and ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ. They testified of his exodus, They spoke about it together on the mount and it's recorded in a public context in the word of God. How could they though be a witness of his resurrection or his ascension? It turns out that at his resurrection and at his ascension, I'm gonna suggest to you that Moses and Elijah were there. I can't be dogmatic about that, but listen to these two passages. There were two other men, two other witnesses at his resurrection. The disciples entered into the tomb, they found not the body of the Lord Jesus, and it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments. Not two angels, two men. And as they were afraid and they bowed down their faces, they said, why seek you the living among the dead? Could these two have also been Moses and Elijah? There were two men at his ascension. Acts chapter one, when he had spoken these things, Christ had spoken, given that farewell speech, while he beheld, he was taken up and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while the disciples looked steadfastly toward heaven, as they went up, behold, two men stood by in white apparel, which said, you men of Galilee, why stand you here gazing up into heaven? The same Jesus which was taken up from you into heaven shall so come in like manner as you have seen him go into heaven. Were these two also Moses and Elijah? Moses and Elijah who spoke about his exodus The entire journey that Christ had to make from Calvary's cross all the way back to heaven. And then the third group of words or statement was from the father who said, this is my beloved son, hear him. Those are not necessarily startling words or surprising words. This is what the father said at Jesus's baptism. But it's just a reinforcement that when God used to speak to us in diverse manners and by the prophets through the prophets has in these last days spoken unto us by his son. The written word again was so revered by the Jewish community, but they isolated it from God himself. You can isolate the word of God from God. And then they added in third-hand truths, customs, traditions of men. God the Father, in essence, is saying Jesus is the living word. The law and the prophets wrote of him. He fulfilled all of their word. Hear what he says. Do what he says to do. He's the son of God. He's the son of man. The words that he is speaking to you, they are spirit, and they are life. So these three statements, a group of statements, Moses, Elijah, and Jesus spoke of his exodus. Moses and Elijah, I believe, also spoke of his resurrection and his ascension. And God the Father, calling us to Christ, is his spokesman. He is speaking through Christ. Well, let's close with two very brief applications or takeaway. First of all, number one, brethren, we absolutely have to take heed to God's word. I think any one of you would have given all of your possessions if you could have been on the Mount of Transfiguration with Christ. Would you give all of your possessions for a copy of God's word? I read earlier 2 Peter when he is recounting the Mount of Transfiguration. He started that by saying, we haven't followed cunningly devised fables when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. And then he recounted what happened on the Mount. And then he said, note, we have also a more sure word of prophecy. where unto you do well to take heed as a light that shineth in a dark place until the days start arising in your heart. He was speaking about the word of God. We have a more sure word. Yeah, the Mount of Transfiguration was great, but it was an experience, and though I remember it years later, it was an experience, a real experience, God-ordained experience. We have a more sure word today. And we need to be impressed with God's inscripturated truth, his holy word. Secondly, God is working in you to transfigure you into his image, the image of his dear son. Paul said, we all with open face beholding as in a glass, The glory of the Lord, there's that amount of transfiguration. We are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. Right now, that change is incremental, right? Step by step, degree by degree, painfully slow to all of us. Very slow, God working in us to will, is it your will? To will and to do of his good pleasure, changing us. On the final day, your metamorphosis will be instantaneous. There will be an immediate pullback of everything that is natural, carnal, fleshly. And there'll be an immediate change to that ultimate glory. that God has ordained for us. We will appear with him in glory, Philippians 3 says. In the meantime, in the meantime, let us be interested in and serious about the change that he is working in us. You know, grace is all grace. But there's certain things we do in life that can hinder God's work or help God's work. There's certain places we could be, like in worship service. There's certain places we shouldn't be. And God has given us his word and the Holy Spirit to direct our path into that way that we should, for that path that shineth more and more until the perfect day. That's the path we need to be in, myself and you as well. Let's be diligent as we think about our transfiguration, our change, both as it is happening now and as it will happen on that final day. Let's close our study with the word of God. Father, thank you for your word. Father, we have just scratched the surface, but what an amazing and startling event at the Mount of Transfiguration. Father, we ask that those eternal truths would be something that would impact us and help change us for our good in thy glory. We ask in Jesus' name, amen.