I invite you to turn with me to two passages of Scripture in the Old and New Testament. The first passage we want to look at is in Deuteronomy 18. Deuteronomy 18, and we want to begin with verse 15 and read to verse 22. This is found on page 223 of the Bible. It's provided there in your rows. Let's listen carefully to God's Word. Moses writes, "...the Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your midst, from your brethren. Him you shall hear, according to all you desired of the Lord your God in Horeb, in the day of the assembly, saying, Let me not hear again the voice of the Lord my God, nor let me see this great fire any more, lest I die. And the Lord said to me, What they have spoken is good. I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brethren, and will put my words in his mouth. And he shall speak to them all that I command him. And it shall be that whoever will not hear my words which he speaks in my name, I will require it of him. But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet will die. And if you say in your heart, how shall we know the word which the Lord has not spoken? When a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the thing does not happen or come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it presumptuously. You shall not be afraid of him. And then turn with me to the New Testament, to the book of Matthew. Matthew chapter 17, and we want to look at the first 13 verses of this chapter. Actually, we'll start with chapter 16, verse 28. And we've looked at this passage a couple of weeks ago. For a couple of weeks then, just considering the call of discipleship, now we're coming back and looking at this text in a different way. And so let us note that. We read then Matthew 16 verse 28, "'Assuredly, I say to you, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.' Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John, His brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves, and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him, Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, let us make here three tabernacles, one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah. While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud saying, This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased. Hear him. And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces and were greatly afraid. But Jesus came and touched them and said, Arise and do not be afraid. When they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only. Now as they came down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, Tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man is risen from the dead. And His disciples asked Him, saying, Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first? Jesus answered and said to them, Indeed, Elijah is coming first and will restore all things. But I say to you that Elijah has come already. And they did not know him, but did to him whatever they wished. Likewise, the Son of Man is also about to suffer at their hands.' Then the disciples understood that He spoke to them of John the Baptist." Thus far, the reading of God's holy word. May He add His richest blessing to the reading and hearing of it. this day. This morning and for the next few weeks, we want to look at a series considering the Christ. And we take our cue from question and answer 31. We considered this last week when we heard, why is he called Christ that is anointed? Because he's ordained of God the Father and anointed with the Holy Spirit to be our chief prophet and teacher. who has fully revealed to us the secret counsel and will of God concerning our redemption, our only High Priest who by the one sacrifice of His body has redeemed us and ever lives to make intercession for us with the Father, and our eternal King who governs us by His Word and Spirit and defends and preserves us in the redemption obtained for us. Our goal as we lead into the Easter season is to reflect on Jesus as the Christ, and to consider how the man identified as Jesus in the Gospels is the only one who can ultimately fulfill this office this office of Christ, and to also then see how he does so in relation to each aspect that he's called to do, the office of prophet, priest, and king. And so this morning from Matthew 17, this account of the transfiguration, although we can see the foretelling of redemption that Jesus will secure based on what he brought forth in Matthew 16, we really see an aspect of Jesus being the prophet here in Matthew 17. Now, one of the things I think that we fail to see when we look at Matthew 17 on the transfiguration is that because it's a story that we've learned since we were little, we've picked up on certain things from it But there's other things I think we've missed. We haven't really thought about or reflected on and just seen the unique things that Matthew, Mark and Luke do for us as we consider this story. And so my hope this morning is that you'll look at this with fresh eyes to be able then to see just Christ in a new manner, to see Him in a different manner, to see Him in a glorious manner, but ultimately to see how He truly is the prophet given us by God that is the one who can secure for us a complete redemption and standing before the Lord Jesus Christ. As we consider Christ as prophet, the transfiguration helps us to see Jesus in this manner, because we see ultimately that Jesus can speak of a future direction or will. He speaks of a future direction or will. We also see how figures of importance point to Him. Figures of importance point to Him. We also see how the Father ultimately praises Him. And lastly, how fulfillment is brought about by Him. So we see a future will. We see a figure that points to Him. We see a Father's praise. And we see a fulfillment that is complete. Matthew 17, the transfiguration, is an amazing text. It's an amazing text because in it, Jesus before just an audience of a few allows the veil of His flesh to be pulled back so that we see the greatness of His glory and His majesty that is His. And yet, none of that is necessarily seen leading up to it. You recall that Jesus is interacting with his disciples, and as he does so, he comes to Caesarea Philippi, and he asks, who do men say that I am? And Peter ultimately then rightly recognizes Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the living God, and in acknowledging Jesus to be this one, or as Peter rightly acknowledges Jesus to be this one, the Lord then begins to unfold what is to be happening regarding His life. The disciples are shocked by this. Peter rebukes the Lord, so much so that Jesus says, this is the will of Satan, therefore get behind Me, you evil one. But then He challenges His disciples by saying, if the Son of Man is called to pursue a life of self-denial that ends in death, so all who follow after Me must engage in the same life. And yet even as Jesus makes this challenge, He is noting a future direction, is He not? Notice again verse 21 of chapter 16, "...from that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes and be killed and be raised the third day." How is it that Jesus is able to tell those things? I mean, in some respects we read that and we go, well, yeah, of course, He's Jesus. But what does that mean about Him? It means that He's ultimately fulfilling His role as Prophet, for He is revealing the will of God regarding redemption. Jesus here is clearly setting before the disciples, this is what I must do. And He knows all the various details about it. He knows that He's going to Jerusalem. He knows that He will suffer. He knows the experiences that He will have. He understands that it will be on a cruel cross. And He notes that after three days, He will rise again. Jesus also notes the future will or future direction in Matthew 16 verse 28. Assuredly, I say to you, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom. Now people have had a field day with this. What does Jesus mean here? What's significant about what He's saying? And there are some who approach this text with a sense of skepticism and say, well, if Jesus is talking about His second coming, surely there's no way possible that any of the twelve disciples could be there. It can't be that our premise is wrong, it has to be that Jesus is wrong. And so we can't really embrace or buy what he's saying here. That's the only choice. You can't be wrong. There can't be another interpretation. People have approached this verse by viewing it all the way from the fall of Jerusalem in A.D. 70, to Pentecost, to the ascension, to even what happens in Matthew 17, the transfiguration. But nonetheless, again, what does Jesus note? Here's another prophecy. Something will happen. It will occur. It will take place. And among you who are standing before me, it will take place in your lifetime. Jesus as prophet revealing the will of God. The future will and direction of those who are listening. Jesus here is really ultimately talking about His transfiguration. And we see then that six days later, Luke notes it's eight days later, the point isn't the issue of precision for Luke isn't seeking to do that. Jesus leaves. He takes His three favorite disciples, Peter, James, and John, and He leads them up on a mountain. And as He is there, He's gone there to pray. He wants His disciples, these close companions with Him, to pray as well. And while He's in the midst of praying, something glorious happens so that His glory shines through. and His disciples see it." There is something about this Jesus. There is something that is amazing about Him. There is something that is different about Him. And not just simply seen in the fact that He was a nice teacher and that He did nice things and that He was able to be kind to all around Him. but ultimately that He is the Promised One who would come to reveal the will of the Father, to secure redemption for His people, and to be the One who was established to reign over those whom He has redeemed. While Jesus is transfigured, The disciples, we are told, come out of their sleep. and they see then this one who shines forth as bright as the sun. Mark even testifies of the clothing of Jesus to say that their appearance was such that not even the best launderer in the world... He doesn't say it exactly like this, but this is the idea. Not even the best launderer in the world could make clothes as white as what Jesus' garments were. And while Jesus is there, two figures come alongside of Him. Moses and Elijah. You see, we're seeing something else about this one who is prophet, and that is significant figures, significant things from Scripture point to Him. Who are these people? Well, you have Moses, the individual that God used as a great prophet. You have Elijah. Jesus in Luke 24 identifies the whole of Scripture under these two individuals as the Law and the Prophets. These individuals had had their own experiences on a mountain. You remember that Moses had received the Ten Commandments from God on Mount Horeb? or Sinai. Elijah was on Mount Horeb as he dealt with the prophets of Baal. That was on Mount Carmel. As he was off on his own speaking with God, hearing the still small voice in preparation for the work that he would do, he heard from God and interacted with Him. Both were prominent figures in Israel's history. Both were used mightily by God. Both had a serious call and point to fulfill. Both pointed to Christ. Luke tells us that in terms of Moses and Elijah showing up, that they then began to have a discussion. Turn over to Luke chapter 9. Luke chapter 9 verse 30 and 31. Two men talked with him who were Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of his decease, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. Moses and Elijah are speaking about the very thing that Jesus will do that He had previously testified regarding the redemption that He would secure when He had to go suffer, die, and rise again the third day. Now think about this for a moment. Important, prominent figures discussing with Jesus the work that Jesus is supposed to do. These aren't individuals that are small, minor, insignificant, nobodies. These are people that as Israelites would identify important figures, you would have Abraham, you would have David, you would have Moses, you would have Elijah. And yet, these individuals are talking with Jesus regarding His work of redemption. There's something significant and important then about this one Jesus. When prophets are pointing to Him. When prophets are pointing to Him. When Moses, the one who had received the Ten Commandments, the one who also at one point in his life had reflected the glory of God and had to be covered with a veil in order to not blind the people, and although his glory was only a reflection of the glory of God, yet that one is pointing everyone to Christ. And he's talking with Jesus about his upcoming death. There's something significant about this Jesus and about what he's supposed to do. Elijah, a respected prophet, a powerful prophet, a man of God, identified as one of the chiefs of the prophets, also speaking then of the Lord Jesus Christ. Both of these individuals pointing to Jesus as the one who is to be the individual who reveals to us the secret counsel and will of God concerning our redemption. Isn't that the very thing that Jesus testified of in Matthew 16? When after He was identified as the Christ, He says, these things must occur. These things must take place. The Son of Man must enter in in order to be taken by the hands of cruel men, in order to go through all sorts of pain and suffering so that He might die, so that He might then address the issue of sin. He might then rise again. These figures are pointing us to Jesus. Because Jesus in His work, Jesus in His life, Jesus in His glory, although veiled at the moment, outshines them in a far greater glory. and they recognize it and they direct us to it accordingly. But this one who knows future will and has figures pointing to Him also notes the Father's praise. Look back in Matthew 17 again. Behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with him. Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, Lord, it's good for us to be here if you wish. Let us make here three tabernacles, one for you, one for Moses, one for Elijah. While he's still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud saying, This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him. And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces and were greatly Peter, we love, right? Rash, hasty, willing to talk, share all sorts of things. You know what's on his mind. What's he saying? Man, this is a great experience. Let's continue to have this experience and so let's set up these little huts or houses that you Jesus and Elijah and Moses can stay on and we can stay up here in this mountain and we can have this grand experience. Remember what Jesus just said six or seven days prior. The way of Christianity, the way of Christ, the way of the disciple is a way of suffering. It's a way of hardship. It's a way of affliction. Peter, once again, is attempting to overcome or to subvert that, or to pull away from it by staying in this position of glory, in this position of greatness and security. Let's not give Peter too hard of a time. Don't we do the same things? When we have those moments of pleasure and those moments of fun and those moments of learning, isn't that one of the experiences that you youth enjoy at camp? Not just that you get to see your pastors act in a goofy manner, but ultimately you're away and you get to learn, right? It's an opportunity to be focused and intentional on study. and growth. Peter's having a similar experience here. And he doesn't want to pull away from it. He doesn't want to lose it. But what happens? Here comes the Father's praise. And how does the Father direct us? This is My beloved Son. Hear Him. What's the significance of Him being the Son? Well, we heard earlier in our catechism confession, question and answer 33, that we recognize that He is the eternal, natural Son of God, but we are children of God by adoption through grace for His sake. This is Christ ultimately fulfilling the role of Savior. This is the One who secures our redemption for us. This is the Promised One that the Father is saying, I have sent into the world who delights in My will and who delights in My name, who has come out of My love that He might die on the cross in order to satisfy for sins, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life. This is the One that I have sent. This is the one that you should hear. What is it that we should hear about the Christ? He must suffer and die to secure salvation. He must pursue this way. Those who follow after Him must also deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow after Him. Those who would identify as his people will not have a path of ease or a path of comfort, but they will have a path of glory and hope as noted and as blessed and as identified by the Father. The Father gives attention to the Son, and He says, this is the One whom I love. This is the One whom I honor. This is the One who has My favor. Be attentive to Him. Who else has the Father identified as a Son? Whom else has the Father spoken of in this magnitude, or in this manner, or in this way? Whom else has the Father been willing to say, I place myself with this one? And yet we know that this one was significant. Because what happened? Our text notes that this cloud descended, the disciples heard the voice, they fell on their faces, and they were afraid. This was God Himself who met with Peter, James and John. This was the eternal God who interrupted Peter in the midst of his speech in order to say, look at my son. This is the one whom all of Israel and even Moses himself said, I am exceedingly afraid. When the cloud descended, and the smoke was gathered, and the thunder was heard, and the lightning was seen, and the words were echoed on Sinai. Here's this one who comes and speaks in the midst of the hearing of these three men. And rightly, they were greatly afraid. But Jesus comforts them. Jesus comes to them and Jesus says, everything's okay. Jesus can ultimately say this, because through Him we see that fulfillment is complete. Fulfillment is complete. How does our text bring this out? Well, we see it in a couple of different ways. Firstly, it's seen in what the Father has said. Secondly, it's seen in what Jesus then tells the disciples as they come down the mountain when He says, tell the vision to no one until the Son is risen from the dead. Thirdly, it's seen in the fact that Jesus notes that Elijah has already come and the Son of Man is about to suffer at their hands. Jesus is testifying to us. He is once again speaking as a prophet regarding the redemption that He will secure. And He then says, it's good. Things are happening. Things are moving. Things are taking place. And as a result, it's going to be accomplished and completed. And it will be done. The Father is pleased and the Son, as He says, listen to Him. The Son then tells the disciples that they may not speak of this until the Son of Man has risen from the dead, but He speaks of it as it being certain to happen. And He also notes that even as the Scriptures testify of the One coming as Elijah to lead prior to the coming of Messiah, that as God has already brought that about through the gift of John the Baptist, So then the Son of Man will go forth in His life and secure redemption for His people in accordance with the will of God. The Lord Jesus Christ, as the Prophet of God, speaks to us the work that He was sent to accomplish. This work is spoken of throughout the scriptures. It starts in the Garden of Eden with the promise of the one who will come and crush the head of the serpent. It continues on through the line of Abraham and his descendants as we hear that there will be one who will come through his loins that will make his name great and through him all the nations of the earth will be blessed. His descendants are set apart as a nation that will testify of the hope of salvation being seen as that spotless Lamb who takes away the sins of God's people. the prophets come forth and tell again and again and again of this One who comes. They promise us that although we are dead in our trespasses and sins, life can be found and we can be made whole once again. That although we have been separated from God forevermore, renewal and fellowship can be had once more. These various individuals longed for and desired it and wanted it greatly. And the two greatest entities of the Old Testament, Moses and Elijah, are there one day having a conversation with Jesus, speaking of the things that He will do. Truly, in reflecting on this one, we ultimately see that the greatest thing in terms of this account which gives us the greatest hope regarding this man being the prophet is considering just simply who he is. This prophet, although a man was far better and far greater than just any man, For He didn't lose His temper the way in which Moses did. He didn't fret or doubt the way in which Elijah despaired. He didn't show the weaknesses of the various men that He used in ages gone by. But He was the One who is God in flesh. And although that glory was veiled, He did show it forth for us on this day. and consequently assure us that the One who is to be heard is truly a great Prophet who speaks rightly and accurately concerning all that He will set out to do. And He does bring it about to fulfill it in accordance with the will of His Father so that we might be assured of that which He will accomplish. Christ the Prophet has been given us by the Father He speaks of His role. He has others who point to Him. The Father praises Him. And He makes His work complete. Let us give thanks to God for this great prophet that He has given who speaks of His work of redemption on our behalf.