"God's Power"

In II Peter chapter one, Peter the great Apostle declares that there is one moment in his three-year tenure as an eyewitness to Jesus that gave him all the proof he needed to know that Jesus is Lord.  And instantly you think it’s the resurrection, but actually it’s well before the resurrection.  It’s even before Palm Sunday.  He describes the moment this way:

“For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, ‘This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,’ we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain.”   II Peter 1:16-18

 This Sunday we will continue our series on the evidence of Jesus’ victory over Satan by examining a familiar text – Luke 9:28-43.  This text is commonly known as the Transfiguration of Jesus, and we’ve been here before.  On several occasions I have preached on the Transfiguration using each of the synoptic gospels.  Typically the focus is on such things as: the exclusivity of Jesus, the nature of the glory revealed in Him, the purpose of the presence of Moses and Elijah.  But this Sunday I want to go in a different direction and focus on several themes that I honestly have never seen before, such as – the evidence of Jesus’ victory over Satan.  It’s a theme that doesn’t immediately jump out at you.  To see it you have to dig deeply into the location of this incident and its placement in Luke’s narrative.

I look forward to examining Luke 9:28-43 with you this Sunday, because it’s a perfect set-up for all that Jesus does in His march of victory all the way to Easter.

In preparation for Sunday’s message, “The Power”, you may wish to consider the following:

1.      If you were asked, “What is God like?”, what would you say?

2.      Who is the greatest recipient of God’s fairness?

3.      What is the “trigger” for Jesus to take Peter, John, and James up on the mountain to pray?

4.      Where is this mountain and why is it significant?

5.      Is there any significance to the timing of this event?

6.      How does Exodus 33 inform us of what happens here?

7.      What does shekinah mean?

8.      Why don’t the three disciples die on the spot?

9.      How is Jesus’ Transfiguration a repudiation of Lucifer?

10.  Why does Peter wish to build three shelters or tents?

11.  What purpose is there in the presence of Moses and Elijah?

12.  What prompts the people’s amazement in verse 43?

 See you on the mountain this Sunday!