Jesus is God

“You’re the Christ! The Son of the Living God!” (Mt. 16:16)

The others stood around in shock. Yes. They had been thinking the same thing. The voice at his Baptism. The urgency in his preaching. The casting out of the demons. The healing of the sick. Jesus.  was not an ordinary teacher, but none of them were bold like Peter to make that statement.  

Jesus stood up. They looked on with anticipation and tension. Had Peter just spoken blasphemy?

But Jesus warmly smiled. “Blessed are you…this has been revealed to you by God!” (Mt. 16:17)

Then, Jesus sat down. He began to explain to all of this what this meant. He explained that he needed to head to go Jerusalem. While he was there, he would be arrested, he would suffer at the hands of the chief priests and teachers of the law, and then he would be crucified. He, the Son of God, would die.

Peter spoke again: “Never! You won’t die. You’re God’s Son. I won’t let it happen.” Surely, the other disciples nodded in approval. They just discovered and understood this awesome truth. They didn’t want to forfeit it away. Surely, Jesus would understand.

But Jesus got angry.

“Away from me Satan,” he said to Peter, “You don’t have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.”   (16:14)

Interesting isn’t it? The disciples had just identified Jesus as God. Then, they question his judgment. Had they already forgotten?

8 days later Jesus give them proof that he is God. Proof they wouldn’t forget.  

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I. On the Mountain

Mark 9 say this: Jesus led them up a high mountain. There he was transfigured before them

Back when I was shopping for an engagement ring for Julianna – it turns out --  there are many things about diamonds that I just did not know. They come in 8 different shapes, clarity can have many imperfections or even be FLAWLESS with ZERO imperfections. I learned that a carat is a weight, not simply a vegetable, and that each diamond has a different color. (They aren’t just diamond colored.)

There are lots of things to look for in a diamond! But perhaps the best thing to look for in a diamond is the “WOW” factor. Look for something that will take the breath of away of the one who takes your breath away.  

When Jesus was transfigured, He took away his disciple’s breath – he did it in an otherworldly way. He declard himself as God.

It started with his clothes. Verse six says that, “his clothes became dazzling white.” That’s a pretty awesome Greek word. It means “shimmering’ and “shiny.” Elsa and Anna would be jealous!

But his clothes weren’t just white. They were “whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them.” Whiter than White out white. Whiter than Clorox white. Whiter than OxiClean white. Whiter than Sherwin Williams’ Absolute White  or Pure White.

Ask yourself: Who alone can invent a new color? One long before the 64 pack of Crayola crayons? And never duplicated in today’s modern art? Why not the one who created color and the eyes that see color?

Jesus is God.

Matthew’s account tells us that Jesus’ face shone like he sun.  Have you ever had that problem? Woke up in the morning only to be blinded by the radiance of your own face? I’ve had a zit  here or there, but a blinding, otherworldly radiance of light? 

Try as I might I can’t get it to happen. The only ones who can do so with CGI animation on IMAX theater movie screens – not on skin and bones.

Ask yourself: Who alone can cause skin to light up like the sun? Perhaps it is the one who created skin and sun?

Jesus is God.  

Next a few friends join Jesus. Verse 4 says, “And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus.” Which, at first glance, seems amazing in the fact that these two weren’t there before and now they suddenly appeared. A vaporation!?!

It wasn’t just any vaporation. These two men were very famous -- It would be like having dinner with President Obama and Michael Jordan. These were two very famous men. Moses had delivered the law that they read in their synagogues and posted on their doorways. He had given the Ten Commandments. Elijah was a very fiery prophets. He had defeated hundreds of prophets of Baal with the help of the Lord.

Moses stood for the Law and Elijah for Prophecy. What kind of money would it have taken to get these two there?

But the miracle is greater than just surprising the disciples with the appearance of two very famous men. Because Moses and Elijah were both hundreds of years old. Neither had been alive for hundreds of years. They had been in heaven.

Ask yourself: Who can have conversations with those in heaven? Who can take people out of heaven? Isn’t it the one who owns the gates of heaven Himself?

Jesus is God!

7 Then a cloud appeared and covered them, and a voice came from the cloud – not from a loudspeaker, not from a microphone, not from a megaphone. It wasn’t even their friend Thomas hiding in the bushes, cupping his hands, and doing his best God voice.

This was the voice of the Father. Listen to what he says: “This is my Son, whom I love.”  Which if you have been carefully following this sermon series is the exact same thing the Father’s voice from heaven spoke at Jesus’ Baptism. Jesus was his Son. He loved Jesus.

This is a big deal. It means Jesus was still succeeding in his mission. He still pleased the Father in every aspect of his life. He was still holy in his living. He still didn’t have any sin. He still had never done anything – not even a smidgens of something – that would make his Father say, “I am no longer proud of you.”

Remember God is Holy! If Jesus would have sinned, he would not have been proud. He would have condemned Jesus.

The fact that He still speaks so glowingly means that Jesus had lived up to God the Father’s standards. He had lived perfectly.

Ask yourself: How could Jesus do that if he was born a sinful human being like the rest of us? How could He live a holy life, if He wasn’t in fact holy himself? And how could He be Holy unless Jesus was…

Jesus is GOD HIMSELF!!!

We’re halfway through the sermon. What’s the application for you? What are you to learn? Jesus is God himself. He is not just a good teacher. He’s not just a shifty salesman. He’s not a good magician. He’s no myth. He’s no bedtime story. He’s no comic book hero. He’s no politician, money maker, or rebel rouser.

He is the Divine Lord of Heaven and earth and…he should…be listened to. He should be listened to where his words have been recorded for him to speak to our hearts: 


II.                …In His Word

Pay careful attention to what the voice of the Father from the cloud says next. He says, “This is my Son; whom I love.  Listen to him!”

 Do you think it made Peter tremble just a tad? A week earlier he had rebuked Jesus. “No, what you are saying is wrong. You will not be arrested. You will not die. You will not be a sacrifice.” At the time – that seemed like a good idea. Like he was stopping his friend from having a very bad idea.

Now in the presence of the blinding heavenly light, surrounded by men from heaven, and listening to the booming voice of the Divine Father – maybe – Peter was wishing he had been quiet.

He should have listened.

What about you? Do you listen to God? Or do you like to have knee jerk, Peter like reactions?

·         Jesus, I hear you, but I think I know more about my life than you do.
·         Jesus, you think that’s a sin? Haven’t you been on Twitter recently? Our society thinks it’s ok now.
·         Jesus, I understand you’re point –as Lord of heaven and all, but I gotta make my own decisions.
·         Jesus, thanks for the advice. I’ll take it into consideration.

Careful. If you ignore Jesus’ words, then you ignore his authority. If you ignore Jesus’ authority, then you ignore God’s authority. If you ignore God’s authority, then…well…BAD IDEA.

And if you ignore God’s Words in favor of doing what you want, then who are you really listening to? Who are you giving authority? Who are you setting up as God? Whether it’s subconscious or consciously aren’t you making yourself and your ideas into the ideas of God himself?!?

GUEST WHAT: The Transfiguration is not about the revelation that you are God.  But it is about the revelation that JESUS IS GOD. Heed the Father’s advice. Listen to Him!

If you have ever ignored God, if you have ever rejected the Bible, if you have ever refused to listen to what Jesus says in Scripture, then maybe you feel like Peter, James, and John. Perhaps you feel like falling to your knees, face first, and pleading with God -- HAVE MERCY!

You need to listen to what Jesus would do shortly after this Mt. of Transfiguration. It’s what he had told his disciples he would do and what Peter had rejected:  Mark 8: 32 -- Then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed…

Don’t look at this from the perspective of the suffering human being that the world saw in those first Lenten days. Instead, look deeper. Look at Him from the Mount! See that this is the Holy One – God Himself suffering for you. It his plan. It is his good plan. It is His Divine God plan for saving you. He would suffer for all of the times you have not listened to God.

Amazing isn’t it? God, whom you needed to listen to (and haven’t listened to), listened to you. He heard you cry for mercy from eternity. He heard your cry for help. He stepped out of his Heavenly throne to answer your call to save you.

But it was more than just a death. Take a look at the tagline at the end of verse 32 after three days Jesus would rise again.

Impossible, right? How could Jesus do that?

How about the same reason that he could turn his clothes heavenly white, shine his face like the sun, talk with two heavenly souls, and have the Father speak pleasure with his holy living?

JESUS IS GOD!

This is exactly what happened. Death couldn’t hold Jesus, because it couldn’t hold God. Death couldn’t hold Jesus, because Jesus was God and nothing is impossible with God! (Luke 1:37)

So…Listen to Jesus! Even when it seems impossible.

When he says, “Take heart. You’re forgiven.” Listen to him, He’s God.
When he says, “Peace be with you.” Listen to Him, He’s God.
When He says, “I know theplans I have for you.” Listen to him. He’s God. (Jr. 29:11)
When He says, “I’m always with you.” Listen to Him. He’s God. (Mt. 28:21)
When he says, “Whoever believes in me, will not perish, but have eternal life.” Listen to him. He’s God.
When he says, “I have a room in heaven for you.” Listen to him. He’s God.

Once you hear him speaking on the impossible, listen to him in the more mundane things of day to day life.

Listen to him when he tells you to abandon your sin. He’s God.
Listen to him when he tells you to hear his Word. He’s God.
Listen to him when he tells you to be baptized. He’s God.
Listen to him when he tells you to sing his praise. He’s God.
Listen to him when he tells you to pray. He’s God.
Listen to him when he tells you to gather at church. He’s God.

CONCLUSION:

As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus gave them orders not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead.

This may have been the most difficult thing for the disciples to listen to. Think about what they had just seen. Think of the glory they had just seen.

But nowhere is it recorded that they told anyone about this until after he had risen from the dead. As hard as it was to do, they remembered who it was that was speaking to them. God himself.

Whatever God is asking you to do. Whatever God is asking you to believe. May you be like the disciples. Remember who it is that is asking you. See that Jesus is God. 

Amen.