Matthew 17:1-8- And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. 2 And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. 3 And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. 4 And Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.” 5 He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” 6 When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were terrified. 7 But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Rise, and have no fear.” 8 And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.

*Being known and understood

-Jesus in preparation of His death, wants his closest disciples to know exactly who He is, that they realize His glory

-Going to the cross to die on their behalf, and they not know the significance of who He is, is empty-the act of the cross is about the relationship with the Father, and us being redeemed

-This is why we can’t claim salvation without walking in a real relationship with Jesus-1 John 2:4-Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him,

-If you read this without the essence of relationship, it sounds like O.T. legalism-but the act of keeping commandments is about what keeps you close to Jesus

Ex: to do things for people without them really knowing you is servitude, which is most jobs-but to do an act for someone you know intimately, brings the weight and significance of love and closeness-knowledge is the foundation for intimacy

-Jesus of course knows He is the Christ, but the disciples weren’t sure until this moment who He was-He became completely transfigured/transparent as the revealed Messiah

In principle we all want this, we want to be appreciated and seen for who we really are and what we are about-but we must initiate transparency (give people knowledge of who you are) if you want true intimacy…that’s the challenge

*Transparency breeds intimacy or contempt

-The moment I am transparent with you, you have a decision to make-either you are intrigued to love or disgusted?

-Jesus wants His glory to be clear to them,-because He knows everything about them as God, they don’t know the totality of Who He is -”the relationship can’t be what it is intended to be if you are unclear about me”

-This is why relationships are frayed parents/children, husband/wives-doing things out of love, but afraid to share who you really are=transparency for you might mean shame, so you can’t be known intimately…

Ex: “Micah”-If someone you love is transparent/vulnerable with you-the last thing you do is show contempt=no trust

-Jesus wants us to be transparent with Him as He has been completely transparent with you and I-He has shown His love, does it intrigue you to know Him, or breed contempt?

-Jesus was a stumbling block to the Jew because He wasn’t what they had in mind…have you closed your heart because The Truth of Jesus isn’t what you had in mind-Ex: People are who they are, you can either walk in love or live in contempt

*Replacing intimacy and glory, with religion and spiritual ideas

(vs4)-Jesus is talking with Moses and Elijah-and Peter interrupts a glorious conversation with a spiritual idea…

Ex: like children interrupting an adult conversation, and has nothing to do with anything

-Peter assumes that the atmosphere he is in, calls for ideas that he initiates-in the presence of God do you do more talking than listening? What is prayer to you?-Romans 8:26-Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.

-do you spend more time telling God what He ought to do, than allowing Him to tell you?-Intimacy is not what I do for you!

Ex: Intimacy dies if the relationship is not about sharing-what do you give to God as a response to what He gives you?

-Worshiping has nothing to do with our ideas that we present to God to bless-God has to interrupt Peter and remind Him what this is about, His Son!

Ex: The biggest mistake a family/church can make is not realize it is about Jesus so we don’t listen, we’re talking…-we have religious ideas we submit to that interrupts and dismisses real glory

(vs5)-The greatest revelation you can have that stay’s in your heart-is God is only pleased with His Son, so listen to Him

-the reason why you can be so offended at that, is that we may have never seen real glory-this is why Peter shut his mouth

“There is really nothing God is pleased with about me?”Philippians 2:12-13-Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

-If you don’t understand that you can never please God aside from grace,-(Christ in you) you don’t understand the gospel

Are you making the mistake of interrupting real glory and intimacy with God-because you have ideas that are about you and not the glory of Jesus Christ?

*The danger of not seeing glory revealed

Matthew 17:9-13 And as they were coming down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, “Tell no one the vision, until the Son of Man is raised from the dead.” 10 And the disciples asked him, “Then why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?” 11 He answered, “Elijah does come, and he will restore all things. 12 But I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they pleased. So also the Son of Man will certainly suffer at their hands.” 13 Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist.

-Jesus is helping the disciples to understand, that just like the scribes didn’t recognize John the Baptist, the people won’t recognize Him when He suffers on the cross-because to see Jesus you must have a revelation of Him!

1 Corinthians 2:14-The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.

-The religious scribes who said Elijah must come, didn’t spiritually discern that it was John, so they killed him-this reveals how you can be underappreciated, misunderstood, and even hated but right, yet people don’t discern who you are

-But for people who have seen the glory of God and know it, you can’t just do with Jesus “whatever you please”-we must

obey Him and walk with Him

(vs12)-This is why Jesus is distinguishing how they killed John, they will kill Him-because they don’t see His glory, “so they do to him whatever they please”

-Do you live your life however you please? -Do you think about what would be “a good idea”, instead of seeking God for what is real glory?

A good indicator of not seeing the glory of God is doing whatever you please with Jesus.

*Tested in response to glory

Matthew 17:14-20-And when they came to the crowd, a man came up to him and, kneeling before him, 15 said,”Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and he suffers terribly. For often he falls into the fire, and often into the water. 16 And I brought him to your disciples, and they could not heal him.” 17 And Jesus answered, “O faithless and twisted generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him here to me.” 18 And Jesus rebuked him, and the demon came out of him, and the boy was healed instantly. 19 Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” 20 He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.”

-To be ineffective after you have seen His glory is to be faithless and twisted/perverted-think about being in church and having God reveal Himself to you, and you leave here unchanged and ineffective

-Christianity is perverted or twisted because you have people who really don’t believe in the power/glory of God-there are numerous things that can pervert our faith and ability to be effective

-The disciples wondered why they couldn’t cast out the demon-Jesus reveals that they didn’t believe that they could be effective in that situation-”I have been called and empowered to do this”

Conclusion: Knowing your God, Knowing yourself, and knowing His power

-Jesus revealed Himself or His glory to the disciples-which should bring about a gratitude, confidence, hope

-God’s glory enabled Peter to know himself-that Peter wouldn’t live in the arrogance of his ideas and thoughts w/out submitting them to God first!-(Peter had to come to realize that “his experience” with God is not the point, Jesus is!)

Ex: this should be an on-going revelation of getting to know yourself in Christ-the more I see Christ the more I know nothing at all without Him!

-The glory of God enabled the disciples to realize their own ineffectiveness?-you must ask yourself what is perverting my faith, where I really am not effective/powerful? Could it be how you see Christianity?

2 Timothy 3:1-5-But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. 2 For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, 4 treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.

-all of these things effect genuine faith and a pure heart to see God!-So you could be missing glory because of these things or see glory and not really believe God can work through you…