PowerPoint Presentation
Jesus Last 100 Days
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The Transfiguration
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First PointThe Testimony of Jesus Glory
First Point
The Testimony of Jesus Glory
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Luke 928Some eight days after these sayings, He took along Peter
and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray.
28Some eight days after these sayings, He took along Peter and
John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray.
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these sayingsLuke 923And he said to all, If anyone would come
after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and
follow me.
23And he said to all, If anyone would come after me, let him
deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.
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these sayings24For whoever would save his life will lose it, but
whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. 25For what does it
profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits
himself?
24For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever
loses his life for my sake will save it. 25For what does it profit
a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits
himself?
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these sayings26For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of
him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and
the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.
26For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the
Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of
the Father and of the holy angels.
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these sayings27But I tell you truly, there are some standing
here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God.
(Luke 9)
27But I tell you truly, there are some standing here who will
not taste death until they see the kingdom of God. (Luke 6)
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Luke 928Some eight days after these sayings, He took along Peter
and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray.
28Some eight days after these sayings, He took along Peter and
John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray.
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Luke 929And while He was praying, the appearance of His face
became different, and His clothing became whiteandgleaming.
29And while He was praying, the appearance of His face became
different, and His clothing became whiteandgleaming.
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Why Peter, James and John?
Why Peter, James and John?
Clearly, Jesus had an inner circle of disciples. We first see
these three set apart at the raising of Jairus daughter from the
dead. Jesus did not include all of His disciples only the girls
parents and Peter, James and John were privileged to see this great
miracle. Jesus Transfiguration is the second time that Jesus
singles out these three disciples. He will do so again in the
Garden of Gethsemane, allowing these three friends to see the
depths of His sorrow unto death. Why these three? There are a few
obvious answers.11
Why Peter, James and John?Peter: The first to confess Jesus
deity.
Peter was likely the oldest of the disciples and naturally
assumed the role of leader. However, I think that more importantly,
Peter was the first to confess Jesus deity. It is he who will utter
the words, You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God. Jesus
will designate Peter as the Rock upon which He will build His
church. I believe that the Rock was both Peters rock solid
profession, but also Peter himself. He would have an important role
of primacy in establishing the church.12
Why Peter, James and John?Peter: The first to confess Jesus
deity.James: The first apostle to be martyred.
Why James? James is the quietest of the three. He doesnt
distinguish himself in the way that Peter and John do. But James
speaks through his courage. He is the first of the apostles to be
martyred for his faith in Jesus.13
Why Peter, James and John?Peter: The first to confess Jesus
deity.James: The first apostle to be martyred.John: The Beloved
Disciple
And what about John? John distinguishes himself in the depth of
his devotion to Jesus. His preferred self-description is the
beloved disciple. Consistently, he demonstrates his love and
devotion for Jesus. It is John who is at the foot of the cross, and
it is John to whom Jesus will entrust the care of His mother. These
are the obvious answers to the question, why these three? But I
think there is something more that all of us can relate to. We cant
afford to forget the humanity of Jesus. He is 100% God. But He is
also 100% human. All human beings seek out friends. But there are
certain friends who are special. You can tell them anything. You
can let them see your vulnerabilities. You know they have your
back. For me, it was Steve, Kurt and Darren. In my teens and
twenties, these were the guys I spent all my spare time with. We
skied together, and sailed together, played racketball together.
These are the guys that I saw Jaws and the first Star Wars movie
with. When I was misdiagnosed with cancer, Steve and Darren were at
my side during a camp staff prayer meeting. I wondered about Kurt,
until we left the chapel and found him with dazed with a weed
wacker in his hand his testimony of love was that he reduced a ten
foot section of lawn to dirt. When my Dad died, it was Steve and
Darren who flew to Florida. Steve Rise had a copy of my funeral
sermon in his hands, prepared to step in if I got too choked up.
And when I candidated at GEFC, I was wearing a suit, shirt, tie and
shoes way beyond my budget, clothes that Darren bought me, so I
would look my best. As human beings we all need a Steve, Kurt and
Darren, special friends who are there for us, even in the hardest
of times. I think Peter, James and John fulfilled this role in
Jesus life. Jesus is now entering the final 100 days of His
ministry on earth. The cross is looming large before Him. Before he
turns towards Jerusalem, Jesus shares with all His disciples that
he must suffer and die. He has challenged them to join Him in
taking up their crosses. But first, he calls His three closest
friends to join him on an amazing journey.14
and went up on a mountain to pray.What mountain?Mt. Tabor?Mt.
Hermon?Mt. Meron?
As you can see, there are several suggestions as to the identity
of this mountain. The traditional site has been Mt. Tabor. A number
of the early church fathers identified this as the Mount of
Transfiguration. There are two churches on the site, a Catholic
church and an Orthodox Church.
Many scholars prefer Mt. Hermon. Tabor is more of a high hill
than a mountain. Mt. Hermon is over 9000 feet in elevation and
snow-capped. One of my professors in seminary, Dr. Walter Liefeld,
makes a strong case for Mt. Meron in Upper Galilee. But the bottom
line is that Jesus does not identify the mountain, nor do any of
the gospel authors. The where wasnt nearly as important to them as
what happened there. Jesus appearance was transfigured. The word
transfigured is a later Latin theological term. Lets look at the
language of the biblical text.15
/ eks--str'p-tTo shine, be radiant, glistening, gleaming.To
flash out like lightening.
The word in the Greek can mean:
To shine, be radiant, glistening, gleaming.
But if you look at the direct meaning of this word, it begins
with ex, a Greek prefix that means out of. literally means, to
flash out like lightening. Ive seen various movies that depict the
transfiguration of Jesus. All of them fall short. It just looks
like someone bleached Jesus clothes. What Jesus closest friends
were about to see was much more dramatic than that. They would see
him in His heavenly glory. It was a light show beyond
description.
I read one interesting thought during my research. I cant tell
you who said it it got lost in my 30 open browser tabs. But the
thought, not my own, was profound. The miracle is not the
Transfiguration. That was the normal. The miracle is the concealing
of glory that Jesus exercised throughout his earthly life. Jesus
simply relaxed that concealing and let Peter, James and John see
Him as He truly is. Before they would see Him suffer and die, he
wanted them to carry this image of Him glorified in their hearts
and minds. So, the first testimony is that of Jesus Himself,
revealing His glory.
Let me pause for a moment and make an important connection. Is
this how you see Jesus? Do you envision the radiant, glistening,
glorified and electrified Jesus? Or are you still clinging to the
Jesus who concealed His glory. As a Catholic, the crucifix was my
primary image of Jesus Jesus on the cross. The empty tomb was
spoken of, but clearly overshadowed by the cross. As an
evangelical, my primary image has been a collage of Jesus ministry
Jesus carrying a lamb Jesus healing people Jesus walking on water
all good images. But do we ever stop and think of Jesus on the
throne at the right hand of the Father. Do we picture His sovereign
might and resplendent glory? This view of Jesus is what will carry
us through the hard seasons of life.
Lets look further and consider a second witness to who Jesus was
and is.
To flash out like lightening.
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Second PointThe Testimony of the Two Witnesses
Second Point: Lets consider
The Testimony of the Two Witnesses
Turn with me to Luke 917
Luke 930And behold, two men were talking with Him; and they were
Moses and Elijah,31who, appearing in glory, were speaking of His
departure which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.
Luke 9:30
30And behold, two men were talking with Him; and they were Moses
and Elijah,31who, appearing in glory, were speaking of His
departure which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.
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Luke 932 Now Peter and his companions had been overcome with
sleep; but when they were fully awake, they saw His glory and the
two men standing with Him.
32 Now Peter and his companions had been overcome with sleep;
but when they were fully awake, they saw His glory and the two men
standing with Him.
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Luke 933 And as these were leaving Him, Peter said to Jesus,
Master, it is good for us to be here; let us make three
tabernacles: one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijahnot
realizing what he was saying.
33 And as these were leaving Him, Peter said to Jesus, Master,
it is good for us to be here; let us make three tabernacles: one
for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijahnot realizing what he
was saying.
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Moses and ElijahWhere did they come from?Why Moses and
Elijah?
This continues to be a wild ride for Peter James and John.
Sometimes these men sound like teenagers to us every time theyre
alone together, theyre sleeping. I think this tells us something
about the pace of Jesus ministry. Due to a busy camp schedule and a
choice to stay up past midnight every night, I was perpetually
tired. I could fall asleep in 30 seconds. Jesus disciples seem like
they are tired to the max they are constantly falling asleep. This
time, they wake up and see Jesus glorified. Not only that, they
have unexpected company Moses and Elijah have joined Jesus and
theyre deep in conversation. Lets pause for a moment and ask two
key questions.
First, Where did Moses and Elijah come from?
Generally speaking, the righteous dead do not go to heaven until
Jesus completes the work of redemption on the cross. That is why he
tells the repentant thief on the cross, Today you will be with me
in Paradise. However, in a moment we will see a biblical passage
that makes it clear that Elijah came from heaven, and presumably,
so did Moses. They are an exception, which leads to the more
interesting question.
2. Why Moses and Elijah? Why not Abraham, the father of the
Jews? Why not David, the kingly ancestor of Jesus? I think that
there are several reasons why Moses and Elijah appear with Jesus on
the Mt. of Transfiguration.
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Why Moses and Elijah?There are unique circumstances concerning
the end of their earthly existence.
Why Moses and Elijah?
There are unique circumstances concerning the end of their
earthly existence.
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Deuteronomy 345So Moses the servant of theLorddied there in the
land of Moab, according to the word of theLord,6and he buried him
in the valley in the land of Moab opposite Beth-peor; butno one
knows the place of his burial to this day.
In Deuteronomy 34 we see that Moses dies upon Mt. Nebo. Look at
verse 6, where it says, he buried him. The he here is God himself.
Moses was buried somewhere in the valley of Moab and God was the
undertaker!23
Jude 99But whenthe archangelMichael, contending with the devil,
was disputingabout the body of Moses, he did not presume to
pronounce a blasphemous judgment, but said,The Lord rebuke you.
And in Jude 9 we see that the archangel Michael, contends with
the devil concerning the body of Moses. Any way you slice it, there
are unique circumstances surrounding the death of Moses. 24
2 Kings 211And as they still went on and talked, behold,chariots
of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them. And Elijah
went up by a whirlwind into heaven.
And the circumstances of Elijahs final moments on the earth are
even more amazing. In 2 Kings 2 Elijah and his successor Elisha are
walking together. Elisha refuses to leave Elijahs side, despite the
many prophecies uttered by the seminarians in the School of the
Prophets that Elijah will be taken away. In 2 Kings 2:11 we
read:
11And as they still went on and talked, behold,chariots of fire
and horses of fire separated the two of them. And Elijah went up by
a whirlwind into heaven.
Elijah never dies. He is miraculously transported. And notice
where he is transported to not Paradise, but heaven. I cant explain
it all, but clearly the special circumstances of Moses and Elijahs
end upon the earth made them uniquely able to join God and the
angels in heaven immediately.
They were a picture of what God intended to do for all who would
follow Christ. I do not believe that our souls sleep. Thats why I
dont like to say at funerals, hes at rest. For the believer in
Jesus, to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.
Moses and Elijah were a first installment of this hope that we all
share in Christ. We are not destined for Paradise, but for a
heavenly home.25
Why Moses and Elijah?There are unique circumstances concerning
the end of their earthly existence.They represent the totality of
Scripture.
Why Moses and Elijah?
A second reason is that they represent the totality of Scripture
which points towards Jesus. Moses represents the Law. And Elijah
represents the prophets. These two witnesses, the Law and the
Prophets all bear witness to Jesus as the fulfillment of Gods
Word.26
Why Moses and Elijah?There are unique circumstances concerning
the end of their earthly existence.They represent the totality of
Scripture.They may be the two witnesses of Revelations 11.
Why Moses and Elijah?
The third reason may be the most intriguing and speculative of
all. Moses and Elijah may be the two faithful witnesses slayed by
the Beast in Revelations 11. One of the witnesses had the power to
withhold rain. The other brought many plagues. Sounds like Moses
and Elijah. The beast slays them and their bodies are left in the
street. But after 3 and a half days, God intervenes:27
Revelations 1111But after the three and a half daysa breath of
life from God entered them, and they stood up on their feet, and
great fear fell on those who saw them.
Revelations 11
11But after the three and a half daysa breath of life from God
entered them, and they stood up on their feet, and great fear fell
on those who saw them.
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Revelations 1112Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying
to them,Come up here! Andthey went up to heavenin a cloud, and
their enemies watched them.
12Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them,Come
up here! Andthey went up to heavenin a cloud, and their enemies
watched them.
Clearly, Moses and Elijah have a very unique role in scripture.
Their testimony concerning Jesus is powerful. But lets return to
our text.29
Luke 933 And as these were leaving Him, Peter said to Jesus,
Master, it is good for us to be here; let us make three
tabernacles: one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijahnot
realizing what he was saying.
33 And as these were leaving Him, Peter said to Jesus, Master,
it is good for us to be here; let us make three tabernacles: one
for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijahnot realizing what he
was saying.
In this verse and the two verses that precede, we see vintage
pre-Pentecost Peter. He is half asleep. He jumps in with words that
may well cut short the incredibly interesting dialogue between
Jesus, Moses and Elijah. Many a bible student wishes that Peter
would have listened and later on wrote what was said. What a lost
treasure! But Peters greatest mistake, the one that Luke may well
be referring to as Peters not realizing what he was saying, is his
offer to erect several tabernacles. At first, it seems reasonable.
Moses and Elijah are about to leave. Peter is trying to extend the
visit and honor two of Israels greatest heroes of the faith. But
notice the unintended consequence. Peter wanted to build a
tabernacle, one for Jesus, Moses and Elijah. Many Bible scholars
point out that this offer placed Jesus on an equal footing with
Moses and Elijah. In the wonder of this moment, Peter is losing
Jesus distinctiveness and greater glory and sovereignty. Moses and
Elijah bear witness to Jesus. They are not the Three Musketeers of
Heaven. Jesus is their Lord.
And here is a lesson of great importance for us. Jesus is Lord.
I was reading the Saturday Dispatch. There was an article about a
local reporter who has reached a Bahai balance. Baha'ism is a
religion that teaches that all religions are on a level playing
field. All are true. But the grave error of this fair and balanced
religion is that it ignores the distinctiveness of Jesus. He is not
one among equals He is the one way to heaven, and together with the
Father and the Spirit, the one true God. There are many ways that
we can build three tabernacles. We can give Jesus equal footing
with our family and our hobbies. We can give Jesus equal footing
with our career and our broader goals in life. But as soon as we
put Jesus into a tabernacle of equal dimensions to the other
priorities in our lives, we make a blunder of the most serious
order. Following Peters awkward offer, there is one more testimony
offered a testimony to remove all doubts and firmly assert Jesus
glory and majesty. Which leads to my third point:
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Third PointThe Testimony of the Father
Third Point
The Testimony of the Father
Lets continue in Luke 9, staring in verse 34:
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Luke 934 While he was saying this, a cloud formed and began to
overshadow them; and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. 35
Then a voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is My Son, My
Chosen One; listen to Him!
Luke 9
34 While he was saying this, a cloud formed and began to
overshadow them; and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. 35
Then a voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is My Son, My
Chosen One; listen to Him!
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The Fathers TestimonyThis is My beloved Son, with whom I am
well-pleased; listen to Him!Matthew 17:5This is My beloved Son,
listen to Him!Mark 9:7This is My Son, My Chosen One; listen to
Him!Luke 9:35
The Fathers testimony is powerful. It is also entirely
consistent. In each gospel, the Father asserts that Jesus is His
Son. Two gospels say beloved. Luke uses the phrase chosen. And in
all three, a clear command to listen to Jesus. However, lets jump
back for a moment to our last series, Jesus First 100 days. Lets
look at Jesus Baptism for a moment.33
The Fathers TestimonyThis is My beloved Son, with whom I am
well-pleased.Matthew 3:17You are My beloved Son, with you I am well
pleased.Mark 1:11Luke 3:22You are My beloved Son, with you I am
well pleased.
Matthew describes the Fathers words in the third person This is
my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased. Mark and Luke relate
the same message, but preserve the second person address You are my
beloved Son, with you I am well pleased. Notice how the Fathers
testimony frames the earthly ministry of Jesus. As Jesus begins,
the Father asserts both His love and approval. And as Jesus begins
the last season of His earthly ministry, the Father once again
asserts His love and approval. Jesus has not disappointed His
Father in any way. He has been an obedient Son. The added words in
the account of the Transfiguration are for Peter, James and John.
Listen to Him.34
Luke 936 And when the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone.
And they kept silent, and reported to no one in those days any of
the things which they had seen.
The text ends with Jesus alone, and presumably He is once again
performing that miracle of concealing His glory. James, John and
even Peter are in stunned silence no more interruptions or awkward
offers.
36 And when the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And
they kept silent, and reported to no one in those days any of the
things which they had seen.
This is my final take-away for each of us. When is the last time
that you stood or sat in stunned silence, contemplating Gods glory.
I think that our most profound prayers may well be those in which
the awe is much and the words are few. It may well be that some day
Jesus will call you into a scary place. Your journey in life may
turn towards danger, the way that Jesus journey did when fulfilling
His Fathers will required him to leave the comparative safety of
Galilee and journey towards Jerusalem. A small view of Jesus will
make this journey foreboding. But if we can gain a greater glimpse
of Jesus glory, we can find the strength and courage to journey on.
Lets pray.35
2 Corinthians 3:18And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the
glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from
one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is
the Spirit.
2 Corinthians 3:18
And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord,
are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory
to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.
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Jesus Last 100 Days
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