WEBVTT 00:00:00.320 --> 00:00:07.519 Church, again, a passage like we're looking at this morning, the transfiguration, as it is commonly called. 00:00:07.759 --> 00:00:17.440 It's one of those passages as a preacher, you read it, you look at it, and you just think, all right, we've got to get a real professional in here to deal with this. 00:00:18.079 --> 00:00:20.079 You don't want to mess it up. 00:00:21.199 --> 00:00:31.519 This passage, excuse me, of scripture, this passage of scripture teaches us more about who Jesus is and the mission he is on. 00:00:31.920 --> 00:00:35.039 It kind of pulls back the curtain for us, if you will. 00:00:35.439 --> 00:00:39.200 When you come to this passage, there's a couple dangers. 00:00:39.359 --> 00:00:41.280 There's the danger of just saying too much. 00:00:41.439 --> 00:00:47.920 You just say a lot of things, and you can cloud what's going on in an unhelpful way. 00:00:48.240 --> 00:00:53.280 The other danger is you don't say anything or you say too little and you miss what's going on. 00:00:54.079 --> 00:00:58.320 In this text, we again see the glory of Jesus. 00:00:58.560 --> 00:01:08.239 We see his deity, that he is in fact God, and that all of the Bible is pointing to him, to Jesus. 00:01:08.719 --> 00:01:13.040 All of Scripture is building up to Jesus. 00:01:13.519 --> 00:01:29.280 If you think there's this kind of discontinuity between the Old Testament and the New, and the Israelites and the Ten Commandments and all those laws back there, and then the new covenant and what God's doing now, if you think there's discontinuity, it's broken, it's separate. 00:01:29.439 --> 00:01:32.719 I'm here to tell you that is just simply not the case. 00:01:33.040 --> 00:01:37.200 All of Scripture is pointing to Jesus. 00:01:37.920 --> 00:01:41.439 We see this clearly in a text like this. 00:01:42.959 --> 00:02:00.719 How amazing is it that Jesus could do this public ministry of healing, healing the sick, casting out thousands and thousands of demons and raising people from the dead, and teach the scripture with this great clarity and power. 00:02:01.680 --> 00:02:04.799 And yet, so many people rejected him. 00:02:05.280 --> 00:02:07.599 Almost everyone rejected him. 00:02:09.039 --> 00:02:14.879 So many of these people who witnessed these things yet cried for him to be crucified. 00:02:16.000 --> 00:02:21.759 So many people were seeing but not believing. 00:02:22.639 --> 00:02:29.759 You know, in order for Jesus to atone for our sins, for him to come and live a perfect life, right? 00:02:29.919 --> 00:02:38.400 He had to keep every statute of the law, the old covenant, he had to do that, and then he had to die on the cross, shedding his blood for us. 00:02:38.960 --> 00:02:45.280 That's how he atoned for our sins because he was perfect and he was the perfect sacrifice. 00:02:46.560 --> 00:02:59.759 But he didn't have to do the healing, he didn't have to go around healing people, he didn't have to raise people from the dead, he did not have to cast demons out of people for him to atone for our sins. 00:03:00.560 --> 00:03:04.400 Now, of course, it was prophesied that he would do these things. 00:03:05.280 --> 00:03:08.800 But to atone for sin, he didn't have to do those things. 00:03:09.280 --> 00:03:10.560 But yet he did. 00:03:12.080 --> 00:03:18.080 God was merciful, he shows us his mercy and his kindness, he's compassionate. 00:03:18.879 --> 00:03:25.199 Even to a generation, to a people who didn't believe and who rejected. 00:03:27.280 --> 00:03:33.120 We believe not because we've seen Jesus, we haven't. 00:03:34.719 --> 00:03:40.800 But Jesus has revealed his truth to us through the scriptures and through his Holy Spirit. 00:03:41.039 --> 00:03:43.039 We see, in a sense, in part. 00:03:43.599 --> 00:03:48.000 But one day, church, we will see Jesus fully. 00:03:48.240 --> 00:03:48.879 Amen. 00:03:49.360 --> 00:03:52.879 For Christians, we will see him fully. 00:03:54.080 --> 00:03:56.159 What a blessing this is. 00:03:58.080 --> 00:04:05.919 So Jesus, if you remember in this context in Luke 9, he gathers his disciples around. 00:04:06.159 --> 00:04:15.439 And he asks, and they're praying, so there's a prayer meeting going on, and then out of that he asks them a question: Who do you say that I am? 00:04:15.919 --> 00:04:18.000 It's a really important question. 00:04:18.800 --> 00:04:21.519 And they answer the question accordingly. 00:04:21.759 --> 00:04:23.120 He is the Christ. 00:04:23.600 --> 00:04:34.160 And then he teaches them of the suffering that they must endure, the hardship that they must endure, forsaking all these things and following after Jesus. 00:04:35.279 --> 00:04:45.920 And then about a week later, Jesus takes John, Peter, and James up onto a mountain. 00:04:46.480 --> 00:04:53.279 And there those brothers get a glimpse of Jesus in his glory. 00:04:54.160 --> 00:04:58.720 Jesus is praying, and these brothers have fallen asleep. 00:04:59.199 --> 00:05:04.000 And when they wake up, some pretty wild things are going on. 00:05:04.240 --> 00:05:10.399 They wake up, and there's Moses, and there's Elijah, and they're talking, and Jesus is illuminated. 00:05:10.480 --> 00:05:11.360 He's glowing. 00:05:11.519 --> 00:05:12.879 His clothes are glowing. 00:05:12.959 --> 00:05:14.399 He's radiating. 00:05:15.040 --> 00:05:16.399 All these things are happening. 00:05:16.560 --> 00:05:31.680 And then they start kind of waking up and they talk to Jesus, and then Moses and Elijah disappear, and then this cloud comes in, and they hear the voice of God speaking, affirming who Jesus is. 00:05:33.759 --> 00:05:41.519 The first thing I want to do this morning is show that all of the Bible points to Jesus. 00:05:41.920 --> 00:05:44.879 All of the Bible points to Jesus. 00:05:45.600 --> 00:05:52.560 And I want us to see, secondly, how that reveals that God intends to dwell with his people. 00:05:53.279 --> 00:05:56.079 So first is we're taken up on this mountain, right? 00:05:56.160 --> 00:05:59.120 This is a mountain scene, the mountaintop. 00:05:59.680 --> 00:06:12.399 You know, as the Old Testament unfolds, if you're familiar with the Old Testament and God's plan of redemption, we see again and again God meeting with his people and revealing himself on the mountains. 00:06:12.639 --> 00:06:16.720 It's kind of where earth and heaven meet for a moment, if you will. 00:06:17.120 --> 00:06:21.839 And we're going to kind of trace that theme through the Old Testament up to this point. 00:06:22.399 --> 00:06:28.079 And when you take something like that and you trace the theme through the Bible, that's called biblical theology. 00:06:28.560 --> 00:06:35.839 So we're just taking a theme that we see in Scripture where we're trace it, and what it's going to do is it's going to teach us, it's going to reveal more of God's word. 00:06:36.160 --> 00:06:40.560 And we're going to sit back and just think, how awesome is God that He's been doing this. 00:06:41.199 --> 00:06:49.759 In Genesis 8 with Noah, there's Mount Ariad after the flood, this new beginning for humanity. 00:06:50.000 --> 00:06:52.480 God made this covenant with Noah. 00:06:52.720 --> 00:07:02.240 And you'll often see that covenants, new covenants, and Christophanes, or these kind of revelations where heaven and earth meet, so to speak. 00:07:02.480 --> 00:07:04.720 This happens on mountains. 00:07:04.879 --> 00:07:06.079 Often it does. 00:07:06.240 --> 00:07:08.000 And God brings in a new covenant. 00:07:08.639 --> 00:07:11.040 We see it in Genesis 8 with Noah. 00:07:11.519 --> 00:07:19.120 And then in Genesis 22, Abraham is tested by taking his son Isaac up onto Mount Moriah. 00:07:19.439 --> 00:07:23.360 And there's this scene where he's going to sacrifice his son. 00:07:23.680 --> 00:07:25.519 But God provides what? 00:07:25.920 --> 00:07:27.360 A substitute. 00:07:27.600 --> 00:07:28.160 Right? 00:07:28.399 --> 00:07:35.279 A substitute, a ram that Abraham would no longer have to sacrifice his son. 00:07:37.279 --> 00:07:39.920 For Jesus, there was no substitute. 00:07:40.240 --> 00:07:42.639 He was our substitute. 00:07:43.199 --> 00:07:48.560 And then in Exodus 3, there's Mount Sinai or Mount Horeb. 00:07:48.800 --> 00:07:51.759 And God meets Moses, the burning bush. 00:07:52.399 --> 00:07:54.639 And then later he gives him the law. 00:07:54.800 --> 00:07:59.920 And this new covenant of Sion is established with God's people. 00:08:00.800 --> 00:08:07.040 God's glory, his presence descends in thunder and smoke and fire. 00:08:08.560 --> 00:08:12.480 Then in Deuteronomy 34, there's Mount Nebo. 00:08:12.560 --> 00:08:15.519 And God shows Moses the promised land. 00:08:16.000 --> 00:08:28.720 If you're familiar with the story, Moses leads the people out of captivity in Egypt, does all these amazing miracles, leads them out, crosses the Red Sea into the wilderness. 00:08:28.879 --> 00:08:31.680 The people rebel, so they wander for decades. 00:08:32.159 --> 00:08:34.960 And God provides food and water. 00:08:35.200 --> 00:08:37.919 They wander for 40 years. 00:08:40.080 --> 00:08:45.279 Moses, because of a sin, doesn't enter the promised land. 00:08:45.440 --> 00:08:47.840 God says you can't enter the promised land. 00:08:48.559 --> 00:08:51.840 And sometimes you hear that story and this natural kind of rub. 00:08:51.919 --> 00:08:53.440 You're like, okay, God. 00:08:53.919 --> 00:08:55.440 Like Moses did a lot. 00:08:55.600 --> 00:08:57.039 Like he has done his fair share. 00:08:57.200 --> 00:08:58.480 Why can't he go into the promised land? 00:08:58.559 --> 00:09:00.399 It just feels really, really unfair. 00:09:00.559 --> 00:09:05.440 And what I think is helpful about that story is it reveals our humanity. 00:09:05.759 --> 00:09:08.399 That we don't understand God's holiness. 00:09:08.960 --> 00:09:16.559 That when you violate any part of God's law, you do not deserve any mercy. 00:09:16.799 --> 00:09:21.039 You do not deserve any justice, any grace. 00:09:21.679 --> 00:09:25.360 But yet God is graceful and merciful. 00:09:25.840 --> 00:09:35.759 He doesn't take Moses and condemn him to hell, but rather he does let him see the promised land from afar on this mountain. 00:09:37.039 --> 00:09:42.159 Moses, who had been on these mountains, communing with God. 00:09:42.799 --> 00:09:46.240 Now seeing the promised land in Exodus 3. 00:09:46.559 --> 00:09:48.960 Or sorry, Deuteronomy 34. 00:09:50.559 --> 00:09:56.080 And then in 1 Kings chapter 18, there's another mount, Mount Carmel. 00:09:56.399 --> 00:09:59.120 This is where Elijah confronts the prophets of Baal. 00:09:59.200 --> 00:10:00.559 If you're familiar with that story. 00:10:00.720 --> 00:10:06.080 And all these things are happening, and they're trying to bring their God down to light this fire, and it doesn't work. 00:10:06.159 --> 00:10:09.519 And he kind of makes fun of them for it a little bit, which is funny, right? 00:10:09.759 --> 00:10:17.919 And Elijah calls down fire from heaven, defeating the prophets of Baal, false teachers. 00:10:18.240 --> 00:10:25.120 God reveals himself as the true God, turning Israel's hearts back to him. 00:10:26.480 --> 00:10:32.159 Then in 1 Kings 19, Mount Horeb again, Elijah fled there. 00:10:32.559 --> 00:10:34.799 And then he encounters God there. 00:10:35.039 --> 00:10:40.639 But not in the wind or the earthquake or the fire, but in a gentle whisper. 00:10:41.200 --> 00:10:42.960 Small, stale voice. 00:10:45.039 --> 00:10:49.279 And then we hear about this in Psalm 48 in Isaiah 2. 00:10:49.440 --> 00:10:52.080 There's Mount Zion in Jerusalem. 00:10:52.639 --> 00:10:56.080 The site of the temple where God's dwelling is built. 00:10:56.320 --> 00:11:00.240 His presence resides there in the holies of holies. 00:11:01.440 --> 00:11:10.559 This is a God who keeps dwelling and communing with his people, ever inching closer to the coming of Christ. 00:11:12.080 --> 00:11:21.039 You see the Lord meeting with his people, giving them insight, teaching them who he is. 00:11:21.679 --> 00:11:30.080 You know, when when God gave Moses the Ten Commandments, He's revealing to him God's character. 00:11:30.320 --> 00:11:34.399 The first four commandments are about how we're to follow God, right? 00:11:34.559 --> 00:11:38.559 What we're to do, how we're to honor him and respect him and God's character. 00:11:38.720 --> 00:11:43.519 And they're put in the form of do's and don'ts, but it reveals his holiness. 00:11:44.399 --> 00:11:54.639 The other six commandments that deal with how we're to love our neighbor, how we're to treat one another because of God's holiness. 00:11:55.279 --> 00:11:58.080 So in these mountains, God is revealing himself. 00:11:58.320 --> 00:12:01.279 These mountain interactions, he's revealing himself. 00:12:01.679 --> 00:12:08.559 He's teaching, he's providing, he's protecting, he's encouraging. 00:12:10.399 --> 00:12:14.559 But the reality is that no one stays on the mountain. 00:12:15.440 --> 00:12:16.159 They don't. 00:12:16.480 --> 00:12:18.159 They all come down. 00:12:20.399 --> 00:12:26.320 We see that Jesus' face and his body and his clothes are radiating. 00:12:26.879 --> 00:12:34.799 Similarly, Moses in Exodus 33 and 34, after encountering the presence of God, he's glowing. 00:12:35.200 --> 00:12:38.159 God allows him to see his back as he passes. 00:12:38.240 --> 00:12:41.919 And Moses come down, comes down the mountain, and it's just like glowing. 00:12:42.159 --> 00:12:46.799 And this isn't like the like, oh, you're pregnant, you're glowing, right? 00:12:47.440 --> 00:12:50.240 This is a magnificent glowing. 00:12:50.399 --> 00:12:52.240 This is a radiating glowing. 00:12:52.320 --> 00:12:55.519 This is it's so like kind of scaring the people. 00:12:55.679 --> 00:12:56.559 It's scaring them. 00:12:56.639 --> 00:12:57.759 So what's Moses have to do? 00:12:57.919 --> 00:12:59.279 He veils his face. 00:12:59.759 --> 00:13:00.799 He wears a veil. 00:13:01.039 --> 00:13:06.799 So every time he goes up and comes down the mountain, he's got to veil his face, or else everyone's terrified. 00:13:07.200 --> 00:13:16.240 And what that's not even the that's that's a that's a he's he's mirroring, just like the moon radiates light from the sun. 00:13:16.799 --> 00:13:19.600 Moses wasn't the origin of the glow. 00:13:19.919 --> 00:13:22.240 He was kind of reflecting the glow. 00:13:22.480 --> 00:13:24.960 And yet people were terrified. 00:13:26.480 --> 00:13:29.519 So Jesus is glowing. 00:13:30.879 --> 00:13:33.840 But Jesus was radiating the glory. 00:13:34.000 --> 00:13:37.120 Okay, not mirroring it as Moses was. 00:13:37.759 --> 00:13:46.000 It was his own glory on display, his own light that was being shown about them. 00:13:47.679 --> 00:13:52.000 So Jesus is glowing and his clothes are glowing. 00:13:52.159 --> 00:13:53.440 It's a really important thing to note. 00:13:53.600 --> 00:13:55.200 We'll come back to that in a moment. 00:13:55.679 --> 00:14:01.759 Another thing that we see that's going on in this mountain are this as Peter's like, hey, let's let's put up some tents. 00:14:02.240 --> 00:14:03.679 Like this is really good. 00:14:03.840 --> 00:14:08.639 Let's put up some tents and we'll have some booths and we'll dwell here. 00:14:08.879 --> 00:14:12.240 Which seems like a normal response. 00:14:12.399 --> 00:14:15.440 Obviously, the text says Peter doesn't know what he's saying, right? 00:14:15.519 --> 00:14:18.639 He doesn't because he's seeing the glorified Christ. 00:14:18.799 --> 00:14:23.360 He's not taking into account what Jesus has told him just recently that he's going to go and be crucified. 00:14:23.600 --> 00:14:24.879 But this is a reaction. 00:14:24.960 --> 00:14:29.919 Let's build tents, let's build booths, let's dwell here. 00:14:30.480 --> 00:14:31.279 Well, what's that? 00:14:31.440 --> 00:14:34.559 What's that sound like from the Old Testament? 00:14:34.799 --> 00:14:38.240 Well, it sounds like the feast of booths, the feast of tabernacles. 00:14:38.399 --> 00:14:47.519 After coming out of Egypt and wandering through the desert, they begin to have this annual festival, this celebration to remember what God had done. 00:14:47.759 --> 00:14:54.320 That out of the wilderness, God, in the wilderness, God protected them and provided for them. 00:14:55.360 --> 00:14:58.399 So that's a normal, natural response, I think. 00:14:58.639 --> 00:14:59.840 Let's stay here. 00:15:00.080 --> 00:15:04.320 Where God is glorified and will be protected and cared for. 00:15:06.320 --> 00:15:09.679 God's always providing for his people. 00:15:10.960 --> 00:15:19.360 And as God was providing for the Israelites coming out of captivity and in the wilderness, he provided for them. 00:15:21.279 --> 00:15:23.440 He provided food for them. 00:15:23.679 --> 00:15:24.799 He provided water. 00:15:24.960 --> 00:15:26.320 He protected them. 00:15:28.240 --> 00:15:35.200 Jesus in a short while will not be protected, but rather crucified for his people. 00:15:36.399 --> 00:15:39.759 And then we have this cloud, right? 00:15:39.919 --> 00:15:44.159 Which is going back to the Old Testament, Exodus 13. 00:15:44.639 --> 00:15:46.080 Again, the wilderness. 00:15:46.399 --> 00:15:48.559 How is God's presence manifested? 00:15:48.720 --> 00:15:55.120 Well, there's a cloud by day to guide the Israelites, and by night a cloud of fire, a pillar of fire. 00:15:55.440 --> 00:16:00.960 This presence, God's glory and presence revealed here on this mountain. 00:16:01.200 --> 00:16:01.840 Again. 00:16:02.480 --> 00:16:05.200 This theme of God coming in this way. 00:16:06.159 --> 00:16:10.240 And then this there's Moses and there's Elijah. 00:16:11.360 --> 00:16:15.120 And it would have been an odd situation. 00:16:15.440 --> 00:16:16.000 I think. 00:16:16.240 --> 00:16:19.519 You wake up from a nap, you're praying, and there's Moses and Elijah. 00:16:19.600 --> 00:16:24.879 And what the text doesn't tell us is how do the disciples know who these guys are? 00:16:25.120 --> 00:16:25.519 Right? 00:16:25.600 --> 00:16:32.960 They didn't exactly have, like, you know, be real back then, the snap pictures, and then look at them later, like, yeah, I saw that. 00:16:33.120 --> 00:16:34.960 I saw Moses on a Snapchat. 00:16:35.120 --> 00:16:35.919 That's Moses. 00:16:36.399 --> 00:16:39.279 And they just didn't have that technology, as you know. 00:16:39.600 --> 00:16:41.200 How did they know, though? 00:16:41.440 --> 00:16:45.279 Obviously, it was revealed to them at some way through the Holy Spirit. 00:16:45.600 --> 00:16:48.559 This was Moses, and this was Elijah. 00:16:48.879 --> 00:16:52.320 And what were they doing, Moses and Elijah doing there? 00:16:52.559 --> 00:17:02.159 Well, there's a lot of different thoughts on this, but most commentators, and I think I agree with this, would say that Moses is there to encourage, but he represents something as well. 00:17:02.399 --> 00:17:04.319 He represents the law. 00:17:05.039 --> 00:17:07.200 Moses gave the law, he represents the law. 00:17:07.359 --> 00:17:11.839 And Elijah is there to encourage, but he represents the prophets. 00:17:12.400 --> 00:17:21.440 So all the law and all the prophets now kind of being represented, and Christ is the fulfillment of them. 00:17:21.920 --> 00:17:24.559 They all were about Christ. 00:17:25.119 --> 00:17:29.039 All the law was revealing that we needed a savior. 00:17:29.119 --> 00:17:33.279 It's pointing to God's holiness and the need for a savior. 00:17:33.759 --> 00:17:36.799 Because no one else could keep the law. 00:17:37.039 --> 00:17:43.839 And all the prophets were saying, listen, follow God and put your hope in him, because there is yet one to come. 00:17:44.079 --> 00:17:48.960 The Son of Man, the Messiah, Emmanuel, who will come. 00:17:50.240 --> 00:17:55.599 So here they are speaking about the crucifixion of Christ. 00:17:55.839 --> 00:18:01.359 That soon his departure will come, his crucifixion in Jerusalem. 00:18:02.880 --> 00:18:10.559 If Moses, you know, he's leading the people out of captivity and through the wilderness and to the edge of the promised land. 00:18:11.839 --> 00:18:14.480 And it was doing all this. 00:18:15.440 --> 00:18:18.000 And it was all leading up to this. 00:18:19.359 --> 00:18:20.960 Think about that for a moment. 00:18:21.279 --> 00:18:24.640 Think about that when you're kind of going in your Bible reading plan. 00:18:24.720 --> 00:18:27.200 If you follow an annual plan, the new year's going to start again. 00:18:27.279 --> 00:18:32.720 And if you're on track, you'll start in the Old Testament, and some of it just kind of feels hard, like a slog. 00:18:32.880 --> 00:18:34.640 And you're just like, what's going on? 00:18:35.119 --> 00:18:39.519 All of it, all of those things are pointing to Christ. 00:18:39.920 --> 00:18:48.559 To Moses and all those things, all the law that he gave and instructions he gave and his leadership, pointing to this, to Christ. 00:18:49.440 --> 00:19:12.000 Elijah as a representative of the prophets, and as a prophet, all the teaching they did, all the calling of the people of Israel to repent, to forsake their wicked ways, all the pleading they did with the wicked kings of Israel, standing for truth, declaring the hope that was to come. 00:19:12.079 --> 00:19:19.920 It was all leading to this Christ, the Son of God, coming as the Savior of the world. 00:19:21.359 --> 00:19:25.599 And then you have God the Father speaking. 00:19:27.839 --> 00:19:33.759 The words from God the Father sound very familiar to what we read in Luke 2 at Jesus' baptism. 00:19:34.160 --> 00:19:35.759 Luke 2, 21. 00:19:37.279 --> 00:19:39.039 Sorry, and 22. 00:19:39.279 --> 00:19:44.559 And the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove, and a voice came from heaven. 00:19:44.880 --> 00:19:51.680 You are my beloved Son, with whom with you I am well pleased. 00:19:54.559 --> 00:19:57.519 God the Father speaking. 00:19:58.079 --> 00:20:00.880 What a moment that we get a glimpse of this. 00:20:01.200 --> 00:20:02.319 And what's he doing? 00:20:02.480 --> 00:20:05.839 He's affirming Jesus' deity. 00:20:07.039 --> 00:20:10.960 That he isn't just someone who's trying to keep the law. 00:20:14.240 --> 00:20:17.039 That he is the Messiah, the Son of God. 00:20:17.440 --> 00:20:19.519 God himself has come. 00:20:20.480 --> 00:20:22.319 So listen to him. 00:20:23.599 --> 00:20:24.960 Listen to him. 00:20:27.759 --> 00:20:30.480 We see this all throughout the Old Testament. 00:20:30.880 --> 00:20:36.240 God's people rejected the law, rejecting the prophets. 00:20:36.400 --> 00:20:38.799 Again and again and again this happens. 00:20:39.119 --> 00:20:40.720 And it'll happen more. 00:20:41.440 --> 00:20:43.200 And they will reject Jesus. 00:20:43.279 --> 00:20:47.759 And they will crucify the lawmaker. 00:20:49.200 --> 00:20:50.720 The lawgiver. 00:20:52.000 --> 00:20:53.680 And the law keeper. 00:20:54.240 --> 00:20:59.440 And they will crucify the one who fulfilled all of the prophets. 00:21:00.480 --> 00:21:06.559 Not just now are they crucifying or killing the prophets and rebelling against the law. 00:21:06.880 --> 00:21:12.720 They're crucifying the lawgiver and the one who fulfilled all the prophecies. 00:21:13.359 --> 00:21:16.079 It's all pointing to Jesus. 00:21:17.839 --> 00:21:20.960 This is what Jesus is about. 00:21:21.440 --> 00:21:23.759 He's come that we might dwell. 00:21:24.000 --> 00:21:36.000 All of this, all these events in the Old Testament, all the backstory, all the work put in, the thousands of years and all these things, the sacrifices and the festivals, and again and again and again. 00:21:36.160 --> 00:21:36.640 Why? 00:21:36.960 --> 00:21:41.599 Because God is revealing himself to his creation. 00:21:42.079 --> 00:21:46.880 And God desires to dwell with his creation again. 00:21:47.920 --> 00:21:55.119 God is revealing himself and pointing to the fact that he desires to dwell with his creation. 00:21:56.480 --> 00:21:58.960 You know, in Genesis 3. 00:22:00.240 --> 00:22:10.799 When sin entered the world, when it came in, it separated God from his creation. 00:22:11.519 --> 00:22:14.000 It's a pretty powerful thing. 00:22:14.319 --> 00:22:16.799 Sin is a very powerful thing. 00:22:17.119 --> 00:22:21.119 God is holy and righteous and good in all that he does. 00:22:22.720 --> 00:22:26.880 Mankind, unholy, sinful. 00:22:28.480 --> 00:22:34.240 From Adam all the way down, mankind is unholy because of our sin. 00:22:34.319 --> 00:22:35.839 And we're stuck in our sin. 00:22:35.920 --> 00:22:39.599 And we can't get out of our sin on our own. 00:22:39.839 --> 00:22:44.400 We need a rescuer, a savior, someone to come and deliver us. 00:22:44.559 --> 00:22:47.359 And Jesus is that savior. 00:22:47.599 --> 00:22:48.240 Amen. 00:22:49.359 --> 00:22:56.640 And the mission of Jesus is to restore that broken relationship from Genesis 3. 00:22:57.119 --> 00:23:03.279 That God is holy up here, and we're stuck down here, separated from him in our sin. 00:23:04.720 --> 00:23:10.640 And he does this not by softening God's holiness or his righteousness. 00:23:11.039 --> 00:23:19.359 And he doesn't do this by saying, okay, God the Father, like I know these people have made mistakes, but they're in their heart, they're good people. 00:23:19.519 --> 00:23:21.119 Like they mean well. 00:23:22.079 --> 00:23:23.839 Give them a second chance. 00:23:24.160 --> 00:23:25.759 That's not possible. 00:23:26.000 --> 00:23:29.359 And let's praise the Lord, that's not what even happened. 00:23:30.160 --> 00:23:37.839 Jesus came to pay the price for our sin by dying on the cross for us. 00:23:38.960 --> 00:23:41.359 He was our substitute. 00:23:42.640 --> 00:23:44.799 Why was this necessary? 00:23:45.359 --> 00:23:48.000 Was God obligated to do this? 00:23:48.720 --> 00:23:55.599 Did God the Father have to send God the Son to come and die for your sins and my sin? 00:23:56.240 --> 00:23:58.880 No, absolutely not. 00:23:59.279 --> 00:24:02.240 He was under no obligation to do this. 00:24:02.640 --> 00:24:04.240 None whatsoever. 00:24:04.480 --> 00:24:08.160 However, this is the very thing that he does. 00:24:08.480 --> 00:24:13.759 He desires to dwell with his creation, to dwell with us. 00:24:15.519 --> 00:24:17.759 This is what the Lord does. 00:24:18.160 --> 00:24:20.240 He desires to dwell. 00:24:21.359 --> 00:24:28.000 So he's crucified, buried for three days, and he is resurrected, conquering death. 00:24:28.079 --> 00:24:31.680 So he paid the price for our sin in his crucifixion. 00:24:32.400 --> 00:24:37.440 And then he defeats the consequences of sin in his resurrection. 00:24:37.759 --> 00:24:41.119 And then God adopts us into his family. 00:24:41.440 --> 00:24:44.000 Under no obligation to do this. 00:24:45.359 --> 00:24:48.480 Lovingly, mercifully, he does this. 00:25:11.039 --> 00:25:16.480 When we made known to you the power and the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 00:25:17.039 --> 00:25:20.880 But we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 00:25:21.519 --> 00:25:31.359 For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was born to him by the majestic glory, this is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased. 00:25:31.599 --> 00:25:36.160 We ourselves heard this very voice born from heaven. 00:25:36.559 --> 00:25:40.079 For we were with him on the holy mountain. 00:25:40.480 --> 00:25:42.240 What's Peter saying? 00:25:42.480 --> 00:25:45.519 He's saying, listen, all that stuff, it's true. 00:25:45.759 --> 00:25:50.079 Everything we've been teaching you, the whole testament, the scriptures, it's all true. 00:25:50.160 --> 00:25:53.279 And it all points to Jesus. 00:25:53.599 --> 00:25:56.960 The power and the majesty that he has come. 00:25:58.400 --> 00:26:02.799 John and his gospel, chapter 1, verse 14. 00:26:03.519 --> 00:26:09.680 And the word, Jesus, the word became flesh and dwelt among us. 00:26:09.839 --> 00:26:11.519 We have seen his glory. 00:26:11.759 --> 00:26:18.400 Glory as the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. 00:26:20.079 --> 00:26:24.799 God desires to dwell with his creation. 00:26:25.920 --> 00:26:29.200 He desires to dwell with me and with you. 00:26:32.480 --> 00:26:44.720 Moses, a servant of God who led Israel, interceded for her, was not able to go into the promised land due to his own sin. 00:26:47.039 --> 00:26:54.480 On this mountain at different times, Mount Horeb, both Moses and Elijah longed to see the face of God. 00:26:54.640 --> 00:26:56.720 They longed to see God in his glory. 00:26:56.880 --> 00:27:07.359 And here together, in this transfiguration scene on this mountain, these men saw Jesus in his glorified state. 00:27:10.640 --> 00:27:13.039 We too have a hope. 00:27:13.440 --> 00:27:17.920 We know that if the Lord doesn't return, our bodies will decay and die. 00:27:18.559 --> 00:27:21.599 Life will cease to be for us on this earth. 00:27:21.839 --> 00:27:26.319 But we too have a hope that we will see the resurrected Christ. 00:27:26.559 --> 00:27:29.039 We will see him in his glory. 00:27:30.720 --> 00:27:32.559 But not yet. 00:27:42.319 --> 00:27:43.920 We want to dwell there. 00:27:44.319 --> 00:27:45.680 We feel close to God. 00:27:45.839 --> 00:27:47.200 We feel comfort. 00:27:47.440 --> 00:27:48.240 Glory. 00:27:49.119 --> 00:27:54.400 Ever had this in your time in your life where you just felt like your sweet time of prayer and communing with the Lord. 00:27:54.799 --> 00:28:00.480 The Lord's revealing things are kind of a unique time, and you call this mountaintop experience. 00:28:01.119 --> 00:28:02.400 You don't want to leave that. 00:28:02.640 --> 00:28:03.920 You don't want to go. 00:28:04.559 --> 00:28:05.599 Why would you want to go? 00:28:05.759 --> 00:28:08.960 Here's God in his presence, and he's speaking to me and he's encouraging me. 00:28:09.119 --> 00:28:10.880 Why would I want to leave? 00:28:13.200 --> 00:28:17.759 Jesus would come off the mountain. 00:28:18.079 --> 00:28:28.720 He would come down from the mountain and he would go and be crucified on the mount of Gilgatha for you and for me. 00:28:28.960 --> 00:28:37.920 So that one day we too will have this mountaintop experience that we will not have to leave. 00:28:38.160 --> 00:28:43.759 We will not have to come down from, that we will dwell with God forever. 00:28:44.000 --> 00:28:47.359 In his glory and with glorified bodies. 00:28:47.680 --> 00:28:59.599 Sin no longer creeping in, the lives of the world no longer staining our vision, our affections no longer being mixed, but pure and holy and devoted to God alone. 00:29:00.000 --> 00:29:02.720 And that is our hope, church. 00:29:03.920 --> 00:29:06.720 Because Christ has come. 00:29:07.440 --> 00:29:12.799 Because he has fulfilled all of the law and the prophets. 00:29:14.240 --> 00:29:23.359 In Hebrews chapter 1, it says, long ago and at many times, and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets. 00:29:24.000 --> 00:29:35.759 But in these last days he has spoken to us by his son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. 00:29:36.240 --> 00:29:41.759 He is the radiance of the glory of God in the exact imprint of his nature. 00:29:41.920 --> 00:29:45.920 And he upholds the universe by the word of his power. 00:29:46.799 --> 00:29:56.240 And after making purication for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the majesty on high. 00:29:58.240 --> 00:30:02.400 Brother, sister, if you're a Christian, you will see that one day. 00:30:03.200 --> 00:30:06.880 You will see the majesty and the glory. 00:30:07.119 --> 00:30:10.000 You will see the Son and the glory. 00:30:14.640 --> 00:30:15.279 Amen. 00:30:23.599 --> 00:30:26.079 And you can call it a testing tree. 00:30:29.759 --> 00:30:32.640 He chose sin and death. 00:30:33.359 --> 00:30:38.319 Likewise, we too choose sin and death. 00:30:39.680 --> 00:30:43.119 But there was another testing tree. 00:30:44.079 --> 00:30:47.039 One that the second Adam would go to. 00:30:50.480 --> 00:30:52.720 And he would pass that test. 00:30:53.359 --> 00:30:58.559 Not because he had to pass that test, but because we have failed our test. 00:30:58.960 --> 00:31:05.680 And so at that testing tree, Jesus passes the test for us. 00:31:08.559 --> 00:31:11.920 That we would walk in joyful obedience to him. 00:31:12.480 --> 00:31:15.440 That we would dwell with God again. 00:31:18.000 --> 00:31:28.960 Remember in Luke 19 or Luke 9, when Jesus asks the disciples if they know who he is, he's revealing himself to them. 00:31:29.839 --> 00:31:31.119 He's praying. 00:31:31.440 --> 00:31:35.599 And then on the mountaintop, he's praying. 00:31:36.960 --> 00:31:45.599 And in between those two prayers, what we realize, what we know we're what we fit in, is this this call to suffering and difficulty. 00:31:46.000 --> 00:31:52.240 And if we're called to suffering and to die and there's no hope that we're going to dwell with God, what's the point? 00:31:52.640 --> 00:31:59.759 And if we're called to suffering and we don't know who God is, and he hasn't revealed himself to us, what's the point? 00:32:00.720 --> 00:32:08.880 But if God has revealed himself to us throughout all the scriptures and the Holy Spirit, and his word, he's revealed that to us. 00:32:08.960 --> 00:32:11.759 And he's revealed the glory that is to come. 00:32:12.480 --> 00:32:16.640 What is of waiting for us, the glory that is waiting for us. 00:32:17.279 --> 00:32:21.440 Then in between, you and I will suffer. 00:32:21.759 --> 00:32:24.319 We will suffer and die. 00:32:26.000 --> 00:32:29.200 Jesus suffered and died. 00:32:30.960 --> 00:32:37.440 You know, when a serpent said to Eve, surely, this isn't gonna happen to you. 00:32:38.079 --> 00:32:39.839 Just spewing lies. 00:32:40.640 --> 00:32:44.240 And even the disciples would say to Jesus, a similar lie. 00:32:47.440 --> 00:32:48.400 You don't have to do those things. 00:32:48.480 --> 00:32:49.839 We won't let that happen. 00:32:50.720 --> 00:32:53.359 They get a very sharp rebuke from Jesus. 00:32:54.720 --> 00:32:59.519 Jesus must suffer, and then glory. 00:33:00.640 --> 00:33:04.799 Suffering will come, and we must go through it. 00:33:04.960 --> 00:33:10.559 But the end, church, the hope is glory that we will see God for who he is. 00:33:10.720 --> 00:33:12.240 He will dwell with us. 00:33:13.599 --> 00:33:19.119 And then everything Jesus touches will be transformed. 00:33:19.759 --> 00:33:21.920 We made light. 00:33:22.640 --> 00:33:24.799 His clothes transformed. 00:33:25.039 --> 00:33:30.880 And when the new heavens and the new earth come, glory will be shown. 00:33:31.440 --> 00:33:36.400 Everything will burst with this light, this radiating glory of God. 00:33:37.119 --> 00:33:44.559 In Romans 8, it speaks of this creation longing for the revelation of the sons of God. 00:33:44.799 --> 00:33:54.079 And in that day, it will shine with brightness, because everything that Jesus touches will be glorified. 00:33:54.240 --> 00:33:56.400 It will be transformed. 00:33:58.000 --> 00:34:07.680 So when Jesus says, Come and follow me, He's not just saying, come and suffer and die. 00:34:07.839 --> 00:34:15.840 He's saying, Come, experience a glimpse of a transformation, suffer, and then this glory will be revealed. 00:34:16.079 --> 00:34:18.480 Who God is will be revealed to you. 00:34:18.719 --> 00:34:24.800 Life will be given, your sins paid for, your joy abundant. 00:34:25.679 --> 00:34:28.880