Bible Study Notes for the Lord’s Day,
February 13, 2011
Luke 9:28-36
“This is My Beloved Son”

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Introduction
Three years Jesus spent with His disciples – taking one step at a time to reveal to them who He really was. Now, a retreat to the mountains, special time, time of defining, revealing, new awareness:

“Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?”
“Who do you say that I am?”
“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
“Flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but my Father in Heaven.”
“On this rock I will build My church, and the gates of hell will not prevail”
Also gave authority of binding and loosing principalities and powers.

But then He revealed more, things they didn’t want to hear

22 saying, “The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.”

Peter rebuked Jesus, but then, “Get behind me Satan.”

So Jesus is trying to prepare these guys - to give them a right perspective of Himself, and what the Kingdom of God is all about. But now, for 3 of them, He chooses to show them everything:

28 Now it came to pass, about eight days after these sayings, that He took Peter, John, and James and went up on the mountain to pray. 29 As He prayed, the appearance of His face was altered, and His robe became white and glistening. 30 And behold, two men talked with Him, who were Moses and Elijah, 31 who appeared in glory and spoke of His decease which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. 32 But Peter and those with him were heavy with sleep; and when they were fully awake, they saw His glory and the two men who stood with Him. 33 Then it happened, as they were parting from Him, that Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good for us to be here; and let us make three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah”--not knowing what he said. 34 While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were fearful as they entered the cloud. 35 And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!” 36 When the voice had ceased, Jesus was found alone. But they kept quiet, and told no one in those days any of the things they had seen.

1. God the Father loves God the Son v35

35 And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased…”

2. God wants us to love His Son v35

35 And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, Hear Him!”

Honor, respect, hear, follow Him, focus on Him alone. Peter and the others were impressed by meeting two of their Jewish heroes, Moses and Elijah. But God wants us all to focus on His Son. They are great men, but no one is on a par with Jesus.

3. Loving Jesus is the key to life, eternal life The only Messiah

4. God helps us see the truth about His Son v28-29

28 Now it came to pass, about eight days after these sayings, that He took Peter, John, and James and went up on the mountain to pray. 29 As He prayed, the appearance of His face was altered, and His robe became white and glistening.

Jesus was transfigured, changed in appearance, glorified right in front of them. He looked heavenly. To show the disciples that He had come from another realm, that He was the Son of God.

5. God provides witnesses to His Son v30

30 And behold, two men talked with Him, who were Moses and Elijah,

a. Old Testament – the Law and the Prophets

b. New Testament – the Apostles

Here is the connecting together of the whole stream of salvation history - Law, Prophets, Messiah talking together on a mountain top, with the next phase, the future apostles observing! Remember “the gates of Hell”? These are “the gates of Heaven.”

c. All Creation testifies – Revelation 4-5

6. God loves us, gave His beloved Son for us v30-31

30 And behold, two men talked with Him, who were Moses and Elijah, 31 who appeared in glory and spoke of His decease which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.

7. God provided support for Jesus as He was about to lay down His life for us v30-31

30 And behold, two men talked with Him, who were Moses and Elijah, 31 who appeared in glory and spoke of His decease which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.

(Peter and the others had not been very helpful)

8. God insists that we get it right about His Son v32-36a

32 But Peter and those with him were heavy with sleep; and when they were fully awake, they saw His glory and the two men who stood with Him. 33 Then it happened, as they were parting from Him, that Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good for us to be here; and let us make three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah”--not knowing what he said.
34 While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were fearful as they entered the cloud. 35 And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!” 36 When the voice had ceased, Jesus was found alone.

God insists that we get it right about His Son. This is a heavy dose of spiritual reality for Peter, James and John.

Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?

Who do you say that I am?

You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God – revealed by God

I’m going to be rejected, suffer and die, rise from the dead

Peter rebuked Jesus, “Get behind me Satan.”

Then up the mountain, transfigured, glorious. Moses and Elijah, glorious. Then the glory cloud, the voice of God the Father.

This is a heavy dose. Do you think God wanted these three men to get the message about the reality of His Son?

Why? 2 reasons:

a. Because Jesus Himself is worthy v35

35 And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!”

JOIN ALL THE GLORIOUS NAMES, OF WISDOM, LOVE AND POWER
THAT EVER MORTALS KNEW, THAT ANGELS EVER BORE
ALL ARE TO POOR TO SPEAK HIS WORTH
TOO POOR TO SET MY SAVIOR FORTH

GREAT PROPHET OF MY GOD, MY TONGUE WOULD BLESS THY NAME
BY THEE THE JOYFUL NEWS, OF OUR SALVATION CAME
THE JOYFUL NEWS OF SINS FORGIVEN
OF HELL SUBDUED AND PEACE WITH HEAVEN

JESUS, MY GREAT HIGH PRIEST, OFFERED HIS BLOOD AND DIED
MY GUILTY CONSCIENCE SEEKS NO SACRIFICE BESIDE
HIS POWERFUL BLOOD DID ONCE ATONE
AND NOW IT PLEADS BEFORE THE THRONE

THOU ART MY COUNSELOR, MY PATTERN AND MY GUIDE
AND THOU MY SHEPHERD ART
O KEEP ME NEAR THY SIDE
NOR LET MY FEET E’ER TURN ASTRAY
TO WANDER IN THE CROOKED WAY

MY SAVIOR AND MY LORD, MY CONQUEROR AND MY KING
THY SCEPTER AND THY SWORD
THY REIGNING GRACE I SING
THINE IS THE POWER, BEHOLD I SIT
IN WILLING BONDS BENEATH THY FEET

God insists that we get it right about Jesus because He Himself is worthy. But also:

b. For our own good – to know who He is, what His mission is, so we can love Him, reverence Him, be in a right relationship with Him, experience His salvation.

Tendency to miss Christ - “let us build three” - they missed the point - it was all to point to Christ and His mission, not to honor Moses and Elijah, or even put them on par.

Tendency to focus on things other than Christ - have you noticed? Christmas and Easter, Mary Queen of the Holy Rosary, angels, denominations, our own fine points of doctrine, our local churches, methods, church politics, organization, scholarship, great pastors, teachers, evangelists, missionaries, buildings, music, good works, gifts of the Spirit - anything to get our eyes off of Jesus! It all needs to be trashed.

Conclusion: Satan will do anything to get our eyes off of Jesus, even on to religious things - famous men, tabernacles and monuments, institutions, systems, doctrines, methods, good works.

If we let that happen, we have lost the most precious thing there is - a personal relationship with Him alone.

Hear the voice of the Father “This is My Beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!” And they saw only Jesus.

Application to My Life Question
Do we also love Him? Are we also well pleased with Him? Or do we need a bunch of other stuff in our lives as well? Is He enough?

 

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