105. Beginner Bible Course: Peter's confession, the Transfiguration

EPISODE 105   A simple Bible overview of...JESUS ASKS, WHO DO YOU SAY THAT I AM, AND, THE TRANSFIGURATION OF JESUS

Jesus begins year 4...

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...of his ministry, the gospel writers, Matthew Mark, and Luke skip over the entire section. John covered in John seven through 10, those intense I am conversations in Jerusalem. They pick up the story after Jesus leaves the area of Perea and moves to the assessory of Philippi area Cesarea of Philippi was way North of the sea of Galilee, way up by the mountains of Lebanon it's here. Jesus is investing more time in his disciples. With this episode, we've reached the real pivot point in his ministry from here on out. Jesus focuses no longer binding up the broken, releasing the captives and proclaiming it's the year of God's favor.

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Now he's going to make a beeline toward Jerusalem and dying on the cross. Let's pick up the story in one of the villages around Cesarea Philippi, Jesus and his disciples are alone for a season of prayer. Jesus asks his disciples, who do people say that I, the son of man am the disciples, fire back their responses, John, the baptizer, while that may seem strange, John had been murdered at least a year before he was the talk of the nation. This rather odd, but powerful preacher was viewed as a great prophet by many those that were being introduced to Jesus for the first time thought he was John raised from the dead.

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Even the ruler Herod who had beheaded. John was a bit afraid of that. Their second response was Elijah. Now that one you would expect people for 400 years had been waiting for Elijah to be raised from the dead or someone to come who had Alijah power. Who'd be the 4runner for the King. Some people were saying, Jesus is that 4runner. Others were saying Jeremiah or one of the ancient prophets who've been raised from the dead. That gives you an idea of what the typical Jew talking in a barbershop would be saying. When Jesus came up in conversation, then Jesus makes it personal. You who do you guys say that I am?

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This is define the relationship part two with his inner circle of apprentices. Simon, Peter speaks up. You are the Christ, the son of the living. God Christ means anointed one, the Messiah God's son. And he could have added the son of David. Now I imagine Jesus giving Simon Peter a high five. We know he says, bless you, Simon. You didn't come up with that on your own. My father gave that to you. I mean, why not? High-fives if you're a teacher and one of your pupils suddenly has a wake up moment and gets it. You get really excited Simon, you are Rocky.

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And upon this rock, I will build my church. There's two things we need to pause and talk about here. The one is that last term, the church in the gospel accounts, this is the first time Jesus has used that word church. It's the Greek word. Ekklesia the called out ones. That term is going to become extremely important and common as we go through the letters of the new Testament, apprentices of Jesus will be called out ones, collected into a group that he calls my church. The other thing we need to talk about is Peter and Jesus statement upon this rock, I will build my church.

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Jesus, further ads. I will give to you the keys of the kingdom. You're the rock. And I'm giving you the keys to the kingdom. It's from this statement recorded by Matthew in chapter 16, that the Catholic church bases its doctrine of papal succession. That doctrine is when Jesus said to Peter, you're the rock. And on this rock, I'll build my church and you'll get the keys. Jesus was in essence, making Peter the first Pope of the church. If you take Jesus at his literal word, that sounds very reasonable. Peter was the first human to get a set of keys for Christ church. Protestants of course don't believe in papal succession.

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Protestants believe that every believer has special access to the kingdom of God. They themselves are priests. Protestants interpret Jesus words as a metaphor. It was Peter's confession. You are the Christ, the son of the living, God, that was the foundation stone or rock of how the church would be built by that. They mean, if you confess Jesus as the Christ, the son of the living, God, you're a part of his church. And as you're added to his church, the church is built when they get done with this keys to the kingdom chat, Jesus begins to lay out his plan for the months ahead, we're going to go to Jerusalem. I'm going to suffer. Be rejected by the religious leaders be killed.

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And on the third day arise from the dead. Peter immediately gets into his face. God forbid, this shall never happen to you. He has maybe taken that rock and keys statement a little too seriously. So Jesus gets in Peter's face. Get behind me, Satan. You're a stumbling block to me. You're seeking the things of man, not the things of God. Wow. That's quite a day, Peter. High-fived by the son of God and dress down by the son of God. Jesus challenges, the disciples and any of those in the crowd. Listening in here's the deal. I need you to come after me and to do that. You need to deny yourself and take up your cross every day and follow those people.

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Knew what he meant by take up your cross daily. They'd likely witnessed Roman crucifixions. They'd seen the accused, carrying the cross peace, Jesus. Then challenges them, seek to save your life. You'll end up losing it, but lose your life in my life or for my sake. And you'll find it. Stand with me. People proudly. If you're ashamed of me, I'll be ashamed of you. When I come with glory with the Holy angels to judge the deeds of men, Jesus adds a PS. Some of you will see the coming of the son of man in his kingdom, glory, three of the disciples wouldn't have to wait very long for that. The gospel writers tell us about a week later.

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Jesus invited Peter James and John up on a high mountain. Come on, let's go. Pray. Jesus started praying. The three disciples fell asleep while they were sleeping. Something incredible happened. The appearance of Jesus face changed. It's shown like the sun. His garments became lustrous, extremely white, like snow, brilliant white light light. What's going on here. The gospel writers explain it this way. Jesus was transfigured. They use the word metamorphoo Oh, you've heard that word before. Metamorphosis. I've only seen that once in my entire life. When my kids were little, a friend gave us a Monarch Caterpillar Chrysalis.

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It was stuck to a twig and leaf. We kept it in a half gallon jar on our counter. Every day we looked at that little green glob one night while we were having dinner, we heard a very subtle but strange sound. That sound came from that half gallon glass jar. The Monarch butterfly was flying in that jar, trying to get loose. I wasn't expecting it to come out of there full sized. It was incredible. We stood at the patio door, opened the lid and watched it fly away. What's happening on this mountain? According to the gospel writers is we're getting a peek inside the Chrysalis, but more happens. Still. Guests joined Jesus, Peter, James and John on the mountain are Moses and Elijah, God star treks them in.

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And they too are glowing. Radiant. Luke explains what they were there to do. They're talking with Jesus about his departure, which he was going to fulfill in Jerusalem. They're discussing his crucifixion and resurrection it's at this time, Peter, James and John wake up from their little nap. When I saw that Monarch in the jar, I was in glamp in the throat. Impressed. These men were terrified. Peter blurts out Lord, this is amazing. Let us build three lean twos. One for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah shocked, sleepy headed. Peter didn't really know what he was saying.

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Then a radiant cloud descends over all of them. And from this cloud comes a voice. This is my beloved son. I take delight in him. Listen to him. The disciples hit the deck face down a radiant cloud, descending on a mountain and a voice. This sounds like Mount Sinai in the book of Exodus, these men drop faces to the ground. Then it gets very quiet. When they dare look up, Jesus is walking toward them saying guys it's okay. Don't be afraid. Just promise me. You'll tell no one of this. Are we clear this event? The Mount of transfiguration is a huge event in the life of Jesus and the disciples.

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These three got a peak of Jesus coming in his kingdom with glory. They got a peak of Jesus' mission. Part two from early in the old Testament, we knew that the Messiah who had come would do two things. He would die for his people as a suffering savior. And he would come to reign as a righteous King in the coming months of Jesus' ministry. He's going to be fixated on being that suffering, servant, dying on behalf of his people. But as the disciples are going to come to learn, there's going to be a period of time before he does part two coming in glory and power is that righteous King, Peter James and John got a taste of that coming glory and power is King.

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The bigger question for me is why did this happen? And to these three men and right now, why did they have to see the Chrysalis peeled back a bit to see the radiating glory of Jesus and why star Trek, Moses and Elijah in, and why the voice of God in the cloud and why the radiant cloud. And God's speaking from it. Here are some clues right from the text. The first one is this comes right after Jesus called Peter the rock and made the first mention of building the church. Clearly, Peter is the first leader after Jesus departs. And as we'll see an Axe filled with the Holy spirit, Peter preaches a sermon where over 3000 are saved at one time.

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God also uses Peter to open the door to the church, to the Gentiles. Peter also writes two letters, shepherding the church at the back of the new Testament. Peter is a key player in building Jesus' kingdom. After Peter James will become the main leader of the church in Jerusalem until he's martyred by Herod. And John will be carried along by the Holy spirit to write the gospel focused on convincing us. Jesus is the son of God that we might believe in him and be saved based on how they'd be used by God. Jesus wanted to give them a peak that he was the real deal. I think another reason why Jesus peeled back the Chrysalis was that Peter had just challenged him in his plan to suffer, be rejected, die, and rise again.

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So God from the cloud addresses Peter James and John directly. It's pretty hard to miss when he says this one, the one I love listen to him, that God is scolding them to stop fighting Jesus submission to God's will, and his plan to die for our sins. The Proverbs rights hope deferred makes the heart sick, but desire fulfilled is a tree of life. As human beings. We need our hope fanned. I don't think it's coincidence God star Trek, then Moses and Elijah. Some talk about Moses representing the law and Elijah, the prophets and Jesus said the law and the prophets gave testimony to him.

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And I imagine there could be a lot of truth to that, but I think there was something personal in this as well. Let me explain Moses was to take the people of God, to the promised land and exited as 32 at Mount Sinai. Those people broke many of God's laws with the golden calf incident. Moses is quite devastated in Exodus 33. God says, take these obstinate people to the promised land with that mission in mind, Moses begs God to show him his face. I need to see your glory. I just got to know who you are. God peels back the curtain and shows Moses a bit of his glory from that.

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Moses is able to sustain a mission for the next 40 years through the windings and wanderings in the wilderness. Then we get to Elijah. He sent on a mission by God to challenge a straying nation of Israel, the Northern kingdom. And especially during their worst time under King Ahab and his wife Jezza bell. He's a pariah in the land because of the famine he's prayed for. He's just beaten down the 850 false prophets Jezza bell has put a hit out on his life. Elijah becomes worn out. The nation is still a wreck. And now God says, go finish your mission. But Elijah is a wreck.

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So God says, go stand outside. And then God reveals a little bit of himself to Elijah. First in a wind, then an earthquake, then a fire. And finally a whisper after that, Elijah digs down digs deep and finishes his mission. I think these men so foundational to the growth of Jesus church needed to have their hope. Fanned. Jesus saw this in graciously, brought it about in the second letter. He wrote Peter urges, his readers to press through the suffering and to hold onto hope, hope that they are being changed now and hope that will allow them to expectantly wait for the coming kingdom of Jesus.

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And how does Peter fan that hope in his readers? He hearkens back to a memory. He says this. When I ask you to look forward to the coming kingdom of Jesus, I'm not following any cleverly devised tales. I was there that day. I saw him in majesty there on the Mount. I heard the voice of God declare this is my son in whom I delight. I was there. And based on that, I know you can count on Jesus doing the rest of what was prophesied. He would do that coming in glory as King part, which brings me back to that day. I heard that subtle

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Horror in that jar on our kitchen

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Counter. I don't have grandkids yet, but imagine with me, I got some and I determined as grandpa to give them that same thrill of seeing that Monarch butterfly emerge. Imagine with me over the next 15 years, I did that 15 times and no butterfly ever came out. That would be disappointing, but I would still believe in metamorphosis and chrysalises and put them in jars. And I would continue to wait because folks I had seen that butterfly I'd gotten a peak years before that it really did happen. Jesus knew Peter James and John needed to know this did happen and will happen. And as his follower, I need to know that too.

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There's a lot of other things Jesus' disciples need to know before he takes off as well. Some things they need to learn and other things they desperately need to unlearn. And we'll take a look at his course objectives and how he helped his learners, master them in our next wordppicture.