Sermon Tone Analysis

*Intro* –Confed Genrl Stonewall Jackson came to a river and instructed his engineers to plan and build a bridge.

The wagon master began gathering all the rocks, logs and fence rails he could find to help.

Next morning Jackson arose to find all the wagons and artillery were safely across.

He asked, “Where are the engineers?”

The wagon master replied, “They’re still in their tent drawing up plans for a bridge.”

They were planning a way over that was already provided.

And that’s what we want to look at today – how Jesus has already provided a bridge to God that we could not build in a million years.

This passage seems unworldly because it is.

It is a preview of God’s kingdom.

It is a necessary preview because Jesus has just announced that He, the Messiah, is heading to death in Jerusalem.

So we saw first of all the

*I.

Purpose for the Preview *– to encourage both the disciples and Jesus as well.

Great suffering was required to secure the kingdom.

Would it be worth it?

Absolutely! answers the Transfiguration.

True reality awaits!

*II.

Person of the Preview*

*A.

Supremacy of His Person* – supreme in His manhood, His make-up as God and His message of forgiveness.

Jesus is the one person in all of history who cannot be ignored – whose life has relevance to every person.

*B.

Sufficiency of His Passion (His death)*

Jesus, Moses and Elijah have been talking about Jesus’ coming “departure” in Jerusalem.

The disciples were asleep part of the time, but as they awoke they quickly identified Moses and Elijah reflected in Jesus’ glory.

All of this would have screamed “kingdom” to them.

They knew Mal 4:5, “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes.”

Elijah is promised – and there he is!

They have just recently affirmed their belief that Jesus is the Messiah.

It is all coming together.

The Messiah, Elijah, and even Moses here, all in a blaze of glory.

What death has to do with it, they don’t know, but otherwise it all seems to be coming together!

Suddenly, Moses and Elijah are preparing to depart.

But to Peter this is too good to let go.

V. 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.”

Ignorance never stopped Peter!

What exactly he had in mind isn’t clear.

Perhaps he’s seeing the potential to get the kingdom kicked off -- Jesus in charge and Rome out.

He proposes 3 dwellings to get things moving, perhaps hoping to stop all this talk about Jesus suffering and dying.

Peter is nothing if not an activist.

But he is meddling in forbidden territory.

And He drastically short-changes Jesus, by offering equal housing to all 3! Great as those men are, they don’t begin to compare to Jesus.

He’s also repeating a previous error.

Peter had earlier taken issue when Jesus announced His coming death.

Matt 16:22: “And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “Far be it from you, Lord!

This shall never happen to you.” 23 But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan!

You are a hindrance to me.” Jesus rebukes Peter strongly, calling him Satan because that’s who generated the idea of bypassing the cross.

But here’s Peter again saying, “Forget dying, man, let’s get on with the kingdom.”

It’s a bit more subtle this time, but it’s another attempt to have the crown without the cross.

Peter little understands redemption.

The Father quickly ends Peter’s heresy: “This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him!”

That indelibly established who was in charge, and whose Word counted.

Peter didn’t yet understand the absolute necessity of the cross to pay for his own sins.

That’s the theme and subject of this whole event.

V. 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.”

The subject was Jesus’ coming substitutionary death.

Note it’s a death that He is about to accomplish.

That’s strange language.

Who ever heard of death as an accomplishment?! Death happens to us – it’s not an accomplishment by us!

But Jesus’ death was different.

It had purpose.

It accomplished redemption!

It destroyed death – took away the fangs of death.

It was not some tragic miscalculation.

It had been prophesied for 100’s of years: Isa 53:5-6: “But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.

6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all” Jesus says in John 10:17-18, “17 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again.

18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord.

I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again.

This charge I have received from my Father.”

Peter later speaks of our salvation in I Pet 1:18-20: “knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, 19) but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.

20 He was foreknown before the foundation of the world.”

The idea of Jesus’ death did not originate with the Pharisees.

It originated with God as the only means to redeem a fallen race.

Jesus’ death was planned, prophesied, purposeful and pivotal.

Without it – no redemption – not for Moses or Elijah or Peter or me or you.

He wasn’t just going to Jerusalem to die.

He was going to accomplish redemption – and that meant death, resurrection and ascension.

His departure!

Imagine how this visit from Moses and Elijah would have encouraged Jesus’ heart to this task.

Luke uses a dramatic play on words here.

See the word departure?

It’s the Greek word ἔξοδος.

Sound familiar?

Luke meant it to.

Moses led a physical exodus of Israel out Egypt, so Jesus is about to lead a spiritual exodus from bondage to sin.

It’s why He came – “to seek and to save that which was lost.”

By using εξοδoσ to speak of Jesus’ coming death, resurrection and ascension, Luke makes a purposeful connection between Moses leading Israel out of physical bondage in Egypt and Jesus leading believers out of spiritual bondage to sin.

It’s a biblical pattern!

Moses and Elijah pointed to something greater; Jesus is that something greater – our all-sufficient bridge to the Father.

So let’s compare the exodus of Moses and that of Jesus.

*1.

Both were initiated by God* – Israel got to Egypt in the first place ard 1800 BC when Joseph moved the whole clan there during a time of famine.

But not long after Joseph died, Israel became slaves to the Egyptians for 400 years.

That’s a long time.

Moses’ feeble attempt to rescue them on his own was a complete failure.

But 40 years later God called a very reluctant Moses and sent him with His power and authority as a Deliverer.

Had God not taken the initiative, there would have been no exodus.

The human family is also in bondage – to sin and death.

The Bible says in Rom 3:10, “None is righteous, no, not one; 11 no one understands; no one seeks for God.” We’re in bondage and don’t even want out.