Grace for Failures - Luke 9:43-56 - June 4, 2023

 Luke 9:43-56 Grace for Failures

“O faithless and twisted generation, how long am I to be with you and bear with you?”

I don’t know about you but this phrase is still ringing in my ears.

We are going to look at Luke 9:43-56 this morning. That starts on page 867 in the pew Bibles.

This gets broken up into several small chunks in our modern printings of the Bible but that shouldn’t keep us from looking at this resume of failures for the disciples all at once.

I know that sometimes it may sound like I’m picking on these knuckleheads and perhaps not giving them the honor that they are due as the Lord’s Apostles, maybe that’s accurate. After the Apostles were given the Holy Spirit to dwell inside of them in the book of Acts amazing things were accomplished through them but in this account in Luke 9 the only thing amazing about them is grace. And not their grace either.

But while they were all marveling at everything he was doing, Jesus said to his disciples, 44 “Let these words sink into your ears: The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men.” 45 But they did not understand this saying, and it was concealed from them, so that they might not perceive it. And they were afraid to ask him about this saying. 

46 An argument arose among them as to which of them was the greatest. 47 But Jesus, knowing the reasoning of their hearts, took a child and put him by his side 48 and said to them, “Whoever receives this child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me. For he who is least among you all is the one who is great.” 

49 John answered, “Master, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he does not follow with us.” 50 But Jesus said to him, “Do not stop him, for the one who is not against you is for you.” 

51 When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. 52 And he sent messengers ahead of him, who went and entered a village of the Samaritans, to make preparations for him. 53 But the people did not receive him, because his face was set toward Jerusalem. 54 And when his disciples James and John saw it, they said, “Lord, do you want us to tell fire to come down from heaven and consume them?” 55 But he turned and rebuked them. 56 And they went on to another village.

Let’s pray.

Now let’s take just a minute to remember some of the events leading up to this text. Jesus had fed the five thousand, Peter confessed Jesus as the Christ and Jesus said that He would build His church on that confession, Jesus miraculously paid Peter’s Temple tax by having him fish for it, you can read about that in Matthew 17:24, Jesus predicted that some of the disciples would not taste death until they saw the kingdom of God, and He took Peter, James, and John up the Mount of Transfiguration only to return to a crowd of people and nine disciples unable to cast out a demon. Jesus casts the demon out Himself, and heals the boy, and gives him back to his father. And all were astonished at the majesty of God.

But while they were all marveling at everything he was doing, Jesus said to his disciples, 44 “Let these words sink into your ears: The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men.” 45 But they did not understand this saying, and it was concealed from them, so that they might not perceive it. And they were afraid to ask him about this saying. 

The disciples saw the casting out of the demon as a victory over darkness but Jesus turns around and tells them how the real victory will be won, through His atoning death on the cross.

Let these words sink into your ears- this is a contrast between what they have been seeing and what they will soon see. Since the disciples couldn’t perceive and therefore couldn’t understand what Jesus meant it results only in distress and sadness in their hearts.

They didn’t understand what Jesus meant even though He had said this to them before back in verse 21, and Jesus’ meaning was concealed from them, so that they couldn’t understand.

What concealed this truth from them? Was it God’s mercy to spare them from sorrow? I don’t think that it was the Lord who concealed this truth from them, it was their own flesh. It was their own pride, weakness of faith, and fear.

They didn’t understand what Jesus meant because it didn’t line up with their ideas of how this was all supposed to go and they were afraid to ask Him about it because what He might say could threaten the little kingdom they wanted to set up.

They wanted men to be delivered into His, and therefore their, hands, instead Jesus again predicts that He was about to be delivered into the hands of men.

Think I’m being too harsh on them? Look at verse 46.

46 An argument arose among them as to which of them was the greatest.

So clear was their lack of understanding of Jesus’ mission and the prediction of His death, that while Jesus had His eye on the cross the disciples had their eyes on crowns and argued over who was the greatest.

Mark 9:33-34 shows how embarrassed the disciples were to be caught having this argument.

33 And they came to Capernaum. And when he was in the house he asked them, “What were you discussing on the way?” 34 But they kept silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest.

Can you imagine getting busted by the King of kings having an argument over which Disciple was the greatest? This is not exactly a Ted Williams vs. Babe Ruth kind of argument, who was the better hitter?

This was nothing more than gross self-promotion, focusing on crowns while Jesus was focused on the cross.

But how does Jesus respond? With grace.

47 But Jesus, knowing the reasoning of their hearts, took a child and put him by his side 48 and said to them, “Whoever receives this child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me. For he who is least among you all is the one who is great.” 

Matthew Henry wrote: “Jesus Christ is perfectly acquainted with the thoughts and intents of our hearts: He perceived their thoughts, (ESV- knowing the reasoning of their hearts) v. 47. Thoughts are words to him, and whispers are loud cries. It is a good reason why we should keep up a strict government of our thoughts because Christ takes a strict cognizance of them.” 

Jesus knew the reasoning of their hearts and what did He see?

Vain rivalry, pride, arrogance, selfish ambition to name a few. These poisonous qualities were what the child was lacking and so should they.

For he who is least among you all is the one who is great.

Is this not the example of Jesus? It’s proof that the disciples were not yet in line with Jesus’ plan for His kingdom. Jesus’ example was subjective lowliness as the way to objective greatness.

Mark 9:35, Jesus said, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.”

That doesn’t sound very much like arguing over who was the greatest in the kingdom to me.

But wait, there’s more examples of the bad understanding of the disciples!

49 John answered, “Master, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he does not follow with us.” 50 But Jesus said to him, “Do not stop him, for the one who is not against you is for you.” 

This one is even more troubling because the philosophy is widespread and happily accepted still today in the church. I have been guilty of this and perhaps still am to some extent.

Why would the disciples try and stop somebody from casting out demons in Jesus’ Name, somebody who was honestly helping people in the Name of Jesus? Not some other name, but Jesus’ Name.

The disciples tried to stop somebody else from casting out demons in the Name of Jesus out of rivalry and pride. They perhaps couldn’t stand the idea that somebody else was having success in the face of their failure to cast the demon from the boy earlier in the chapter. Perhaps they just couldn’t stand a little competition, a little rivalry.

But was that other guy really on a different team? No.

Here’s two examples in Scripture in how to do this right.

The first is Moses in Numbers 11:26-29.

26 Now two men remained in the camp, one named Eldad, and the other named Medad, and the Spirit rested on them. They were among those registered, but they had not gone out to the tent, and so they prophesied in the camp. 27 And a young man ran and told Moses, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.” 28 And Joshua the son of Nun, the assistant of Moses from his youth, said, “My lord Moses, stop them.” 29 But Moses said to him, “Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the Lord’s people were prophets, that the Lord would put his Spirit on them!”

The second example is Paul in Philippians 1:15-18.

15 Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. 16 The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. 17 The former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment. 18 What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice.

Even preaching out of rivalry still gets the job done as long as Christ is proclaimed.

The Twelve were not to be Christ’s only representatives on earth, they would have hated the idea of the church at this point. They should have rejoiced that the power of God was at work on earth in Jesus’ Name in others as well. Being excited about that fact would show that their true interest was that of Messiah’s mission of grace.

And finally verse 51,

51 When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. 52 And he sent messengers ahead of him, who went and entered a village of the Samaritans, to make preparations for him. 53 But the people did not receive him, because his face was set toward Jerusalem. 54 And when his disciples James and John saw it, they said, “Lord, do you want us to tell fire to come down from heaven and consume them?” 55 But he turned and rebuked them. 56 And they went on to another village.

They just didn’t get it. They didn’t get Jesus at all.

The folks in that village didn’t reject Jesus and His teaching, they didn’t want Him there because they were told He was on His way to Jerusalem and the Jews were their enemies. This was a Samaritan village who had long been rejected by the Jews and not allowed to worship at the Temple in Jerusalem. This was no more than cultural friction and how do James and John respond? No grace, no forgiveness, consuming fire from heaven, that’s what they wanted!

Luke doesn’t record what Jesus said to them, just that He rebuked them. What grace is exercised by the Holy Spirit through Luke’s pen in the writing of this Gospel account that he left those words out. 

Lack of understanding, lack of humility, lack of love, lack of grace, sounds like a real bunch of winners!

But if you can read these accounts of the various and repeated failures of the disciples and not catch glimpses of yourself in them, you’ve got some serious problems of your own.

Just like them, sometimes we just don’t get Jesus.

Maybe we’re as blind as they were when it comes to following Him, blinded by tradition, preconceived notions of discipleship and the church, prejudice, jealousy, ambition, pride, selfishness. 

So what do we do, what should they have done? Repent.

James 4:1-10

What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? 2 You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. 4 You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 5 Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”? 6 But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.

Amen.

Powerlessness and Almightiness - part infinity - Luke 9:37-43 - May 28, 2023

 Luke 9:37-43 Powerlessness and Almightiness- part infinity

Good morning! Turn with me in your Bibles to Luke chapter nine and verse 37, that’s page 867 in the pew Bibles.

I hope that hearing from the men with Teen Challenge was an encouragement to you. It’s always a blessing to me when they come and it’s always a real life reminder of the lesson of our text for this morning, namely, powerlessness and almightiness, our powerlessness and Jesus’ almightiness.

I’ve entitles this morning’s message, “Powerlessness and Almightiness- part infinity,” because it just seems like we are getting this lesson over and over. My prayer is that it would not be a discouragement to you but an encouragement and your faith and trust in Jesus. 

Let’s look at our text, Luke 9:37-43, page 867.

37 On the next day, when they had come down from the mountain, a great crowd met him. 38 And behold, a man from the crowd cried out, “Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, for he is my only child. 39 And behold, a spirit seizes him, and he suddenly cries out. It convulses him so that he foams at the mouth, and shatters him, and will hardly leave him. 40 And I begged your disciples to cast it out, but they could not.” 41 Jesus answered, “O faithless and twisted generation, how long am I to be with you and bear with you? Bring your son here.” 42 While he was coming, the demon threw him to the ground and convulsed him. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit and healed the boy, and gave him back to his father. 43 And all were astonished at the majesty of God.

Let’s pray.

I’ve said it before that I don’t look for secret codes or hidden messages, I’m not into numerology and giving special significance to the numbers mentioned in Scripture. I like to take an idiot’s eye view to the Bible, because, let’s face it, that who the Bible was written for.

So with that in mind, as we look at this text, it seems to me that the most important thing, at least for our study today not for all time, but the most important thing in our text is probably the most noticeable thing. 

What is that? The verse written in red.

So let’s set the stage. Jesus, Peter, James, and John had spent the night on the Mount of Transfiguration. You may remember that from our study two weeks ago. Peter, James, and John witnessed Jesus being transfigured before them, glowing face, clothes like lightening, and then Moses and Elijah show up and are talking with Jesus. It was quite a night!

Now Jesus and those three disciples come back down the mountain to the rest of the guys and a crowd is there to meet them.

And out of the crowd comes the voice of a desperate father.

38 And behold, a man from the crowd cried out, “Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, for he is my only child. 39 And behold, a spirit seizes him, and he suddenly cries out. It convulses him so that he foams at the mouth, and shatters him, and will hardly leave him. 40 And I begged your disciples to cast it out, but they could not.”

So here we have a desperate dad. His only son is suffering with what sounds to me like epilepsy compounded with demon possession. 

This brings up an important point, which is true though it may not be the intention of the author in this particular account. The point is that the power of Satan can reach into illness but that reach is never beyond the restraint of God. 

But when we think about the power of Satan reaching into illness we have to consider the purpose of illness and difficulties, which does steer us back towards the one point of this sermon.

When something bad happens to us or to someone we love we often wonder why.

Sometimes our troubles are just the natural consequences of our choices. Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.

Most of this time troubles are a test of our faith and obedience and opportunities to recognize our powerlessness and the Lord’s almightiness.

This makes me think of John 9:1-3, which says,

As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” 3 Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him.

Ever think of it that way, that your troubles are designed that the works of God might be displayed in you?

As you consider that, think of the words of John Calvin, “We are worse than stupid, if a condition so wretched does not arouse us to prayer.” Let your troubles drive you to the arms of Jesus!

Let’s get back to our scene in Luke.

38 And behold, a man from the crowd cried out, “Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, for he is my only child. 39 And behold, a spirit seizes him, and he suddenly cries out. It convulses him so that he foams at the mouth, and shatters him, and will hardly leave him. 40 And I begged your disciples to cast it out, but they could not.”

How does Jesus respond to this request?

41 Jesus answered, “O faithless and twisted generation, how long am I to be with you and bear with you? Bring your son here.” 42 While he was coming, the demon threw him to the ground and convulsed him. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit and healed the boy, and gave him back to his father. 43 And all were astonished at the majesty of God.

In my Bible most of verse 41 is written in red. That means that it’s Jesus speaking. That’s not to discount everything that is not written in red as those are the words recorded by the Holy Spirit so don’t get confused.

But this statement sticks out to me. Why would Jesus say that, who was He rebuking?

Matthew and Mark both record this incident in their Gospel accounts and fill us in a little bit on who was there. Jesus, Peter, James, and John were just coming on the scene and coming to this crowd that was made up of the nine remaining disciples, the scribes and Pharisees, the nameless crowd that seems to pop up sometimes and then go away and then pop up again, and then from out of the crowd this father and son.

So out of that group, who does Jesus rebuke?

It may be the crowd, this nameless mob of a mixture of curiosity, superstition, and desperation. Matthew and Mark both record Jesus having compassion on the crowd because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. These folks were victims of bad teaching and legalistic oppression, faithless and twisted.

It may be the Scribes and the Pharisees as they were always concocting some test to trap Jesus to say the wrong thing or to heal on the wrong day so that they could accuse Him. They were certainly faithless and twisted.

It may be the nine disciples. I say nine because three were with Jesus as He arrived.

The father had asked the disciples, who, right back in the beginning of this very chapter had had great success in casting out demons and healing people but were now powerless to help.

Maybe they didn’t have enough faith to cast out this demon maybe their understanding of where that power came from was wrong, they seem to be qualified as faithless and twisted.

Maybe Jesus was rebuking the father. Mark records this interaction in Mark 9:21-23.

21 And Jesus asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. 22 And it has often cast him into fire and into water, to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” 23 And Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.”

John Calvin wrote, “We see how little honor he renders to Christ; for, supposing him to be some prophet, whose power was limited, he approaches to him with hesitation.”

Maybe the father didn’t have enough faith for his son to be healed. Maybe he’s the one who was faithless and twisted.

Maybe, just maybe, it’s everybody.

I’d like to read for you Galatians chapter five, verses twenty-two and twenty-three out of the New King James version of the Bible. King Jimmy uses a word in this version that really nails the point here.

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control.

The word is, “longsuffering,” the ESV says, “patience.” Jesus is the ultimate longsufferer. We tend to think that Jesus’ suffering is confined to the cross, but I don’t think so. We could go on and on about how the disciples just don’t get what’s going on, they never understand what Jesus says as if we are any better!

What is on display in this scene is the powerlessness of people and the almightiness of Jesus.

The disciples were powerless to fix the problem, the crowd was powerless to fix the problem, the father and son were powerless to fix the problem, but at the end of the day the right thing happened: they brought the problem to Jesus.

I use the word, “almightiness,” the theologians use the word, “sovereignty.”

God is completely sovereign, He has power and control over all things, and He does all things for His glory alone. He uses the conniving of the Scribes and Pharisees, the ignorance of the crowd, the failure of the disciples, and the desperation of this father to bring people to faith in Christ. That’s sovereignty.

Alistair Begg said, “Don’t you have a large enough view of the sovereignty of God, that even when the disciples are a bunch of cloth-eared nincompoops that people still come to Christ? Because that’s exactly what happened there!”

When we start to get a grasp on the sovereignty of God, like everybody there that day, we too will be astonished at the majesty of God.

Amen. 

Transfiguration - Luke 9:28-36 - May 14, 2023

 Luke 9:28-36 Transfiguration

Good morning! I’m glad you all came back, after last week’s sermon I had my doubts that anyone would show up today! Turn with me in your Bibles to Luke 9:28-36, page 867 in the pew Bibles.

This morning we are going to look at one of the most fantastic events in the Gospels. It is an event of great importance in the history of redemption, perhaps only out shined by the death and resurrection of Jesus, and that is the transfiguration of Jesus on the mountain.

We have a lot of work to do this morning but it is not my goal to be exhaustive in dealing with this text and its theological implications but perhaps to gain at least a little more understanding of this event and its purpose and meaning.

So let’s look at the text and dive in.

28 Now about eight days after these sayings he took with him Peter and John and James and went up on the mountain to pray. 29 And as he was praying, the appearance of his face was altered, and his clothing became dazzling white. 30 And behold, two men were talking with him, Moses and Elijah, 31 who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. 32 Now Peter and those who were with him were heavy with sleep, but when they became fully awake they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. 33 And as the men were parting from him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah”—not knowing what he said. 34 As he was saying these things, a cloud came and overshadowed them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. 35 And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him!” 36 And when the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and told no one in those days anything of what they had seen.

Let’s pray.

There has been considerable debate about which mountain Jesus led Peter, James, and John up to pray. Some say Mount Hermon, some say Mount Tabor. I say Mount Irrelevant. The name of this mountain and its exact location are completely irrelevant to the purpose and meaning of this event. But the purpose and meaning of this event are extremely relevant to our understanding of the person and work of Jesus Christ.

What we do know is that Jesus led Peter, James, and John up a mountain to pray and something fantastic happened there.

There have been a lot of preachers and teachers that have endeavored to make much about the glory of Jesus and Moses and Elijah here and try to sort of stretch that over what believers will experience when they die, who they will see, and the idea that they will just know who everybody else is, all sorts of ideas like that. That is not the purpose and meaning of this event at all, not even close.

Some preachers purport that this passage emphasizes the importance of prayer in the life of the believer, that we will not be transformed in our Christian life unless we are much in prayer. Umm… maybe, but that’s a stretch for this text.

Some say that Peter’s desire to build three tents represents the threefold ministry of the church. I don’t even have a clue what that even means but the text clearly states that the whole tent idea was foolish.

Quite frankly, I think the purpose and meaning of the transfiguration of Jesus lies right on the surface, and though the disciples didn’t understand it at the time, once they were filled with the Holy Spirit after Jesus’ ascension, it was made clear to them. Peter would even later write about it in 2 Peter chapter 1.

So let’s break it down into little bites and see what a wonderful and powerful event this really was.

Let’s start with verse 29.

And as he was praying, the appearance of his face was altered, and his clothing became dazzling white.

Both Matthew 17 and Mark 9 describe this same scene. They use the word, “transfigured,” which is where we get our English word, “metamorphosis,” a change from the inside out, where Luke simply says that the appearance of His face was altered, and His clothing became dazzling white.

But the truth remains that Jesus’ appearance was changed before their eyes and his clothing gleamed like lightening, whiter than any bleach could ever make it. I think our imaginations’ ability to picture His appearance falls desperately short, just as the disciples’ ability to comprehend His glory fell short.

This wasn’t the appearance of a sudden sunbeam through the clouds, nor the sun shining off the snow that illumined Jesus’ face, this was a taste of the radiance of His glory, the glory of the One and Only Son of God.

And as He was transfigured before them two other men also appeared with Him, Moses and Elijah.

30 And behold, two men were talking with him, Moses and Elijah, 31 who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.

One of my favorite preachers spoke of how the disciples just knew who these two men were, just like we are supposed to just know who everybody else will be in God’s eternal kingdom… I think they knew because they appeared and were talking with Jesus and the disciples could hear them. Not to take anything away from the amazing nature of this event but the disciples did hear the conversation they were having about Jesus’ departure, His exodus, that He was about to accomplish in Jerusalem.

But regardless of how they knew who the two other men were, why did those two other guys appear, and why those two specific guys?

Moses and Elijah were the two greatest messengers of the Old Covenant.

Moses was the prophet who delivered God’s Law to the people of Israel. But Moses himself said in Deuteronomy 18:15, “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers—it is to him you shall listen…” 

And the Father also said to Moses in verse 18-19 of that same chapter, 18 I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. And I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. 19 And whoever will not listen to my words that he shall speak in my name, I myself will require it of him.

Elijah was the prophet who delivered God’s people from worshipping false gods, and though he didn’t write any of the letters of prophecy we have in the Old Testament, he is considered to be the greatest of the Old Testament prophets. He is the prophet that didn’t die but was taken up to heaven in a chariot of fire.

So the two representatives of the Old Covenant appeared in order to consecrate Jesus the Messiah for death in order to fulfill the Law and the Prophets.

Jesus said in Matthew 5:17,“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” And that’s exactly what He did in His perfect life, His death, and His resurrection.

Our favorite theologian JJ vanOosterzee wrote, “The Christological importance of this whole event for all following centuries is self-evident. A new light from heaven rises upon Jesus’ Person. On the one hand it rises upon His true Humanity, which needed the communication and strength from above. On the other hand, His Divine dignity, as well in relation to the Father, as also in comparison with the prophets, is here made known to earth and heaven. Considered from a typico-symbolic point of view, it is significant that the appearance of the prophets is represented as a vanishing one, Jesus, on the other hand, as alone remaining with His disciples. Their light goes down, His sun shines continuously.”

“Not less light here falls upon the Work of the Savior. The inner unity of the Old and the New Covenant becomes by this manifestation evident, and it is shown that in Christ the highest expectations of the law and the prophets are fulfilled. His death, far from being accidental or insignificant, appears here as the carrying out of the eternal counsel of God, and is of so high significance that messengers of heaven come to speak concerning it on earth. The severity of the sacrifice to be brought by Him is manifest from the very fact that He is in an altogether extraordinary manner equipped for this conflict. And the great purpose of His suffering, union of heaven and earth, how vividly is it here presented before our souls when we on [the mountain], although only for a few moments, see heaven descending upon earth, and dwellers of the dust taken up into the communion of the heavenly ones.”

It’s clear that the disciples were taken with this whole scene even though it’s clear that they didn’t truly understand its significance.

32 Now Peter and those who were with him were heavy with sleep, but when they became fully awake they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. 33 And as the men were parting from him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah”—not knowing what he said.

I don’t believe that there was any great significance to the tents that Peter wanted to set up, no deep mysterious symbols for us to discern. Luke even goes so far as to say that Peter didn’t know what he was saying. Mark in his account, which we have discussed previously was Peter’s own telling of these events, said that Peter offered this suggestion because he didn’t know what else to say because he was terrified.

Maybe Peter was hoping that this was the beginning of God’s kingdom on earth but he would have to ignore Jesus’ own words saying that He had to go to Jerusalem and suffer and die and on the third day rise again.

Peter’s suggestion of building the tents points to his ignorance of God’s purposes and his desire to cling to the Old Covenant.

But there was another special guest at this amazing event, the Father Himself.

34 As he was saying these things[about the tents], a cloud came and overshadowed them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. 35 And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him!” 36 And when the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone.

The voice of the Father, which they had heard at Jesus’ baptism in the Jordan River, once again reaffirms Jesus’ sinlessness, His being well pleasing to God the Father, and His elevation above the voices of the Old Covenant prophets, and the Father’s approval of the plan that would lead Jesus to the cross.

John Calvin wrote, “I willingly concur with those who think that there is an implied contrast of Moses and Elijah with Christ, and that the disciples of God’s own Son are here charged to seek no other teacher. The word Son is emphatic, and raises him above servants. There are two titles here bestowed upon Christ, which are not more fitted to do honor to him than to aid our faith: a beloved Son, and a Master. The Father calls him my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, and thus declares him to be the Mediator, by whom he reconciles the world to himself. When he enjoins us to hear him, he appoints him to be the supreme and only teacher of his Church. It was his design to distinguish Christ from all the rest, as we truly and strictly infer from those words, that by nature he was God’s only Son. In like manner, we learn that he alone is beloved by the Father, and that he alone is appointed to be our Teacher, that in him all authority may dwell...

When it is said that in the end they saw Christ alone, this means that the Law and the Prophets had a temporary glory, that Christ alone might remain fully in view. If we would properly avail ourselves of the aid of Moses, we must not stop with him, but must endeavor to be conducted by his hand to Christ, of whom both he and all the rest are ministers.”

Hebrews 1:1-4 says, Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, 2 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. 3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4 having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.

So, have confidence that this has been the plan from the beginning, that the whole Old Testament points to the person and work of Jesus, that He is the fulfillment of it, of the Law and of the Prophets, that He is God’s One and Only Son, the Christ, the Chosen One of God, and that we should listen to Him above all the other voices that clamor for our attention even our own.

Amen.