Sermon Tone Analysis

*Intro* – This passage is not easy, but I love it and its message.

From our earthborn perspective, it is almost bizarre.

But that is exactly the point.

This is an other-worldly event.

This is the kingdom of God in preview.

This event purposely follows what came just before.

Note v. 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.” “After these sayings,” refers us back to Peter’s confession that Jesus is the Messiah.

Jesus commends Peter but then immediately announces that He’s going to Jerusalem to suffer and die.

That knocked the disciples for a loop.

These things were utterly incompatible – the coming of the kingdom and the death of the King.

Didn’t compute.

It’s like someone saying, “Hey, Bronco fans.

Here’s Peyton Manning to lead us to the Super Bowl,” only to have Manning announce he has terminal cancer.

Both can’t be true. 2 plus 2 is not adding up to 4. The disciples are stunned.

But it gets worse.

Jesus says in v. 23, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”

He’s saying, “Guys, I’m going to die, but if you follow me, you must die also -- die to self in favor of my agenda, my mission, my will and my way.”

Then in v. 26 He tells them that one day He will come “in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.”

Then in v. 27 he says “there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God.”

In a matter of minutes Jesus affirms He is a Messiah who will be executed.

He calls them to follow Him by dying to self.

Then he talks about coming in glory with the holy angels.

By that time their heads are spinning like a top.

They’re not exactly Phi Beta Kappa to begin with, but even they know a dead man can’t lead a revolution.

Now, a week later, Jesus takes Peter, James and John to a mountain.

As Jesus prays, they snooze, a harbinger of things to come in Gethsemane.

But when they awake, all heaven has broken loose.

There’s Jesus in dazzling white – everything – His clothing, His face, everything.

He is sitting in a blaze of glory.

And He’s not alone.

He’s conversing with two men -- Moses and Elijah and what are they discussing?

His coming death.

Talk about bizarre.

Must have taken a minute to get their bearings!

They were seeing an amazing demonstration of God’s kingdom – the kingdom in preview.

Matt, Mark, and Luke all place this right after the comment in v. 27, “there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God.”

These privileged men are getting a preview of coming attractions!

But for what purpose?

Why this demonstration and why now?

Two reasons: 1) to show God is in charge and 2) to show it will all be worth it.

God is showing the glory at the end will justify the pain to get there.

This is a hope-generator for them and for us as well, to light a fire in their hearts and ours.

That’s our topic for today – the Purpose for the Preview.

In weeks to follow, we will look at the Person of the Preview and the Portents of the Preview.

Wonderful passage.

Hang on.

*I.

Purpose for the Preview*

*A.

Encourage Disciples*

These guys are mentally rattled.

Messiah has just told them He is going to die and so must they.

They are asking, “Really?

Is this going to be worth it?

This is nothing like we anticipated.”

Their question is ours.

Is the Jesus we worship big enough to overshadow everything in life?

Is He big enough to live for and maybe to die for?

Is He?

Is Jesus bigger than what we are giving up for Him?

How big is our Jesus?”

Can He be trusted when we don’t understand?

Os Guiness.

Brit by birth.

American by choice.

Author of scintillating books on Christianity and culture.

Observes that Americans are in a stupor of ease and comfort.

Secular to the core even in the church.

We’re using worldly methods; appealing to worldly desires.

We are the frog in the pot who does not realize the temperature is rising until it boils us to death.

Not long ago he wrote this, “We have too much to live with and too little to live for.

Everything is permitted and nothing is important.”

When we finally see that Jesus demands everything, like the disciples we ask, Is it worth it?

So, let’s look: “28 Now about eight days after these sayings he took with him Peter and John and James (truth is confirmed by 2 or 3 witnesses) and went up on the mountain to pray.”

What is driving this need to pray with these men?

A big hint comes a few weeks later on the night before His crucifixion.

In Matt 26:36: “Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, “Sit here, while I go over there and pray.”

37 And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled.

38 Then he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.”

In His humanity, Jesus is recoiling from the death that awaits when the iniquity of us all will be laid on Him.

No harder task has ever been asked, and Jesus is seeking help to face the challenge.

Now, rewind to this event.

Jesus’ public ministry is winding down.

He’s just weeks from the cross.

Lu 9:51, “51 When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem.”

His coming death haunts Him.

He also knows the confusion of the disciples; He prays for encouragement for Him and them – and what an answer!

“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.”

This sets a new standard in amazement!

The disciples are trying to decipher how a dead man can lead to the kingdom.

Yet here are Moses and Elijah talking to Jesus about the death the apostles could not understand.

So they know too?! Moses and Elijah are in on this, too.

Wow! Peter tries to speak, but the Father interrupts: “This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him!” “Peter, shut up and listen!”

Amazing!

They don’t understood it yet, but they knew this – The OT saints, Jesus and God the Father all saw Jesus’ death and the glory of the kingdom as being somehow compatible with each other, so who were the disciples to argue the point anymore?!

This is hope in bright lights!

In 1952 Florence Chadwick stepped into the Pacific off Catalina Island aiming to be the first woman to swim the 26 miles to the mainland of CA.

It was foggy and chilly; she could hardly see her support boats, yet she swam for 15 hours.

Eventually she begged to be taken in, but her mother urged her on and she kept going.