"Only Jesus" 3-6-22

Overview

Only Jesus

Lent invites an honest reckoning with ourselves and with how we regard Jesus. It is easy to drift into a casual familiarity, treating Christ as a friendly companion who fades to the background of daily life. The Transfiguration in Mark 9:2-8 confronts that drift and recenters us on who Jesus truly is.

Mark places this scene at the hinge of his Gospel, six days after Peter confessed Jesus as the Messiah and was rebuked for resisting the way of the cross. The detail of "six days" echoes creation, hinting at the new creation breaking in through Christ. Jesus leads Peter, James, and John up a mountain—the biblical setting for divine revelation, where Moses received the Law and Elijah heard the still small voice (Exodus 33:18-23; 1 Kings 19). There Jesus is transfigured before them, His clothing dazzling white, conversing with Moses and Elijah—the Law and the Prophets bearing witness to Him.

Peter's stammering offer to build three dwellings is the response of a man undone. The text says he did not know what to say, "for they were terrified." This is holy fear—the fear that is the beginning of wisdom Proverbs 9:10—the trembling of sinners standing before the glory of God. Scripture warns that no one can see God's face and live, and John's vision of the glorified Christ in Revelation 1:12-17 likewise leaves him as though dead. The living and active Word, "sharper than any two-edged sword" Hebrews 4:12-13, pierces every pretense and lays us bare. Peter's instinct to set Jesus alongside Moses and Elijah is gently corrected when the Father speaks from the cloud: "This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him!" When the disciples look up, they see "no one with them anymore, but Jesus only."

That is the heart of Lent. Only Jesus could fulfill the Law perfectly. Only Jesus could answer the prophets' promises. Only Jesus could bear the wrath our sin deserves. Only Jesus holds the keys of death and Hades, and only Jesus speaks the words John heard from the glorified Christ: "Do not be afraid." As we examine ourselves in this season and feel the weight of our unworthiness, we are not left in terror. The same Lord whose glory makes us tremble extends His hand in mercy. We throw ourselves at the foot of the cross—and find that the cross is empty, because Jesus, and only Jesus, has risen. When we come to the table and stretch out our hands, what we receive is nothing less than Him.

Transcript

Please be seated. 3s

If you already have your Bibles open to the Gospel of Mark, you are right where you should 5s

be. 10s

If you need to open and you're using a Pue edition, you can find Mark the ninth chapter 11s

on page 38 in the New Testament of the Pue edition of the Bible. 17s

Okay, it's lent. 24s

And lent is when we take a serious honest look at ourselves. 26s

And I got to be honest, I did not want to take a serious honest look at myself or at you 33s

coming into and preparing for this sermon. 43s

So I'm going to ask a question. 46s

And I don't want to see hands, I'm not calling anyone out. 49s

Has there been a time in your life past, present, hopefully not future, where you've been 55s

dismissive with your faith? 64s

Or you've taken for granted this Jesus man. 68s

Is there a time where Jesus is just such a good friend? 75s

He's a friend to all that we forget who Jesus is and we think of him as a pal. 80s

And sometimes we have those friends that they're good friends and we like spending time 88s

with them, but they're not always top of mind. 93s

They're not always in and on the scene. 97s

And so we kind of dismiss their friendship, their role in our lives. 100s

We're going to take a very clear look today at who Jesus is. 107s

And we're going to do that through the text of the transfiguration. 114s

We're going to do that along with his apostles, Peter, James, and John. 117s

It's very interesting in the Gospel of Mark, where the transfiguration takes place. 124s

You think about the Gospel of Mark, 16 chapters and right in the center in the eight-teeth chapter. 131s

Jesus asks his disciples, who do people say that I am and they answer? 138s

And then he gets right to it and says, who do you say that I am and Peter on behalf of all the apostles, 144s

answers that you are the Messiah? 152s

And our text is situated right after this confession, right after Peter confesses Jesus Christ as the Messiah. 157s

And right after he also is rebuked by Christ. 168s

Now remember when we first started with the Gospel of Mark, we talked about the urgency with which 175s

Mark writes, everything is immediate, everything needs to happen very, very quickly in the beginning of Mark. 181s

And then as we get to the center of Mark things kind of slow down a little bit. 190s

Mark takes his time in specifically highlighting different ministries and teachings and miracles that Jesus has. 195s

He points out the healing of the paralytic. 206s

He points out Jesus calming the sea. 209s

He points out Jesus casting out the legion from inside that demonic. 213s

He points out healing the woman who was hemorrhaging and restoring to life that young girl. 222s

Jesus is very much on the move throughout the Gospel of Mark, 232s

but Mark takes his time in letting us with his apostles get to know who Jesus is. 237s

And so then he asks them after taking this time, who do you say that I am and they can proudly and definitively say you are the Messiah, 246s

because they've seen all of this. 256s

They've experienced Jesus at his fullest, they think. 258s

And they're very aware, remember when he calms the sea, they're overcome with fear because they're very much aware of being in the presence of the Lord. 266s

So this, this middle point in the Gospel, this is where from here on out in Mark's Gospel, we'll see things start to pick up speed again. 279s

But we're going to begin with verse 2. 290s

Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and John and led them up a high mountain apart by themselves. 294s

Now six days is actually very significant here because Mark does not generally give us a time frame. 304s

He does not generally point out any specificity of time. 311s

And here he is saying six days, this is six days after Peter confessed Jesus to be the Messiah. 316s

This is six days after Peter was rebuked by Jesus for saying, don't go and suffer. 322s

And six days later, Jesus takes these three, these inner circle of apostles and they go up to a high point on a mountain. 332s

And it stresses very clearly that they are apart by themselves. 340s

In the Greek, this is emphasizing the aloneness that they are having, the three apostles and Jesus. 346s

It's also significant this six days because creation happened in six days. 356s

And what we'll see in the transfiguration is a foretaste or an indication of the foretaste of the new creation with God, 365s

raining, with Christ, raining, supreme. 377s

And so we get a foretaste of that. So six days later, they're up on this mountain. 382s

They are all alone with Jesus. And mountains are a very important or important significance throughout Scripture. 388s

There's a lot of divine revelation that comes through on the mountain tops. 398s

Moses received God's law on the mountain top. 402s

Elijah, Elijah conquered or defeated the false God and the prophets of bail on the mountain top. 406s

Elijah heard that still small voice when he was on the mountain. 414s

So we know they're alone with Jesus. This is six days later. 421s

We've got a few things that should peak our interest here. 427s

And we know that something, some sort of divine revelation, will be coming. 430s

So what's going to happen here? 436s

Well, if we go to verse two again. So six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and John and led them up a high mountain apart by themselves. 438s

And he was transfigured before them. And his clothes became dazzling white, such as no one on earth could bleach them. 449s

And they're appeared to them, Elijah with Moses who were talking with Jesus. 461s

The divine revelation occurring before the apostles' eyes was this transfiguring, 469s

this change, this transformation of Jesus. He changed. 476s

Right in front of them, he changed. 482s

And we're going to come back to this transfiguration in a moment. 484s

But I want to go back through at verse five. 488s

Then Peter said to Jesus, Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. 492s

Let us make three dwellings. One for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah. 497s

He interrupts. As this transfiguration is taking place and here is Moses and here is Elijah. 505s

And they are talking with Christ and Peter says, hey, it's pretty good we're here. 511s

Should we make three dwellings? He interrupts. 518s

And what I think this is because the Greek is telling us in verse six will reverse six and come back. 522s

It says that he did this because he did not know what to say for they were terrified. 528s

Now, you can raise your hand if you want to, but you don't have to on this one. 535s

Have you ever been so nervous or so scared that your only reaction is that you start chattering? 539s

And you start blubbering and you just can't make your mouth beat quiet? 547s

That's what's going on here. There was no reason that Peter had to speak. 551s

But he is so overcome that Peter, sweet Peter, can't not speak. 557s

And so he starts offering to build these tents, these dwellings, putting Jesus and Moses and Elijah all in the same space, all on the same level. 564s

And why did he do this? Because he like the other apostles were terrified. 578s

Now, we've already spoken about what terrified is in previous sermons. 585s

But what's interesting is as I was doing the sermon prep, I was reading through it in the English and then I was reading through it in the Spanish. 592s

And then I was going back to look at the English translation of the Spanish translation of the Greek. 602s

So what I love about that if you can follow it, what I love about that is that the Spanish translation in English says that these apostles were sick with fear. 608s

They were scared to the very core of their being. They were terrified. 625s

But it's only Jesus. It's only Jesus. They know Jesus. 638s

What Peter and the other apostles were experiencing is what we refer to as holy fear, holy fear. 646s

In Proverbs it says that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. 656s

But why would they fear Jesus? This is a man whom they loved. 661s

They knew he was the Messiah. They had just confessed him to be the Messiah. They knew he was the Lord when he calmed the seas, calmed the storm. 667s

Why would they be scared now? What was there to fear? 679s

We're going to pause there. We're going to go to Exodus. 686s

When Moses was meeting with God in Exodus 33, Moses is told, he asks, he says, show me your glory, I pray. 692s

And God says, I will make all my goodness past before you and will proclaim before you the name, the Lord. 704s

And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious. And I will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. 712s

But he said, you cannot see my face for no one shall see me and live. 719s

And the Lord continued, see, there's a place by me where you shall stand on the rock. 727s

And while my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by. 733s

Then I will take away my hand, but and you shall see my back. 740s

But my face shall not be seen. No one can see the face of God and live. 745s

His holiness is too holy for man. His glory is too great for man to face. 755s

And here these apostles are witnessing the transfiguration, transfiguration of Jesus speaking with Elijah and with Moses, the representation of God's prophets and law. 765s

And they're all here and the apostles are witness to this. They witness Jesus in his state of glory and it makes them sick with fear. 779s

The fear is that they're in the presence of the Lord. 797s

Matthew and Luke, the Gospels, where they also write until of Jesus' transfiguration, they not only mention his clothing being transfigured, but that his face was transfigured. 807s

And as I was considering this, why would they be so scared? 824s

I understand, rightness, the whole supernatural miracle of the transfiguration is indeed something to be feared, something that would cause some fear and some awe. 829s

But then I thought of, where else we find God, we find Jesus in his glory, in his glorified state. 845s

And we find ourselves in revelation, where John saw the vision of Jesus. He writes in the first chapter, then I turn to see whose voice it was that spoke to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands. 855s

And it's of the lampstands I saw one like the Son of Man, clothed with a long robe, and with the golden sash across his chest. 872s

His head and his hair were white as white wool. 880s

White is snow, his eyes were like a flame of fire. 884s

His feet were like burnished bronze refined as in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of many waters. 889s

In his right hand he held seven stars, and from his mouth came a sharp, two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining with full force. 895s

The bear glorified state of Jesus, pulls the apostles out of any sort of dismissive or any sort of personality or persona or thoughts of Jesus being only Jesus. 911s

They cannot be in a state of lazy faith. 933s

They cannot be in a state of dismissing Jesus as, only Jesus, my pal Jesus, my friend Jesus, they were facing the active living word of God, the logos, the word made flesh right before their eyes. 938s

In Hebrews 4 chapter it says the word of God is living and active sharper than any two-edged sword piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow. 964s

It is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart, and before him no creature is hidden, but all are naked and laid bare to the eyes of the one to whom we must render an account. 978s

Only Jesus, only Jesus, the word of God made flesh can pierce our souls. 994s

And here are the apostles face to face with this living glorified word of God with Elijah and Moses, the law and the prophets, which all point to the word of God. 1007s

To Jesus, the word made flesh. 1023s

What is Peter supposed to say? What can any of them say? Facing the glorified God, facing the fullness of who Jesus is, what can any of us say? 1028s

When we are faced with the full glory of Jesus, when we are faced with the fullness of his word, we become acutely aware of our own unworthiness. 1045s

We become acutely aware of how unholy we are, how steeped in sin we are. 1066s

It brings full attention to our sinful nature, our pride, our greed, our laziness, our unworthiness, 1080s

our unwantingness, in the face of God we tremble. In the face of God, the holiness of God, we are sick with fear. 1095s

Then a cloud overshadowed them. And from the cloud there came a voice. This is my son, the beloved, listen to him. 1123s

In the very moment when they are trembling with fear, the voice of God in the cloud descends upon them and says, this is my son. 1137s

Listen to him. God gives the apostles the command to listen to Jesus, listen to only Jesus. 1151s

You see Peter has offered to build these dwellings on equal footing, Jesus, Elijah and Moses, putting Jesus the law and the prophets on the same plane on the same field. 1166s

In that one command, God says, listen to Jesus and we look at verse 8 suddenly when they looked around, they saw no one with them anymore. 1191s

But Jesus, as quickly as they had come with the command to listen to Jesus, Elijah and Moses are gone. Jesus is Jesus. 1203s

And it's only Jesus. In Revelation when John sees Jesus in his glorified state, sees him fully. In verse 17 it says, when I saw him, I felt it his feet as though dead, he was sick with fear. 1220s

He was as good as dead, but he that is being Jesus. He placed his right hand on me saying, do not be afraid. I am the first and the last and the living one. 1246s

I was dead and see I am alive forever and ever and I have the keys of death and of Hades. Jesus, the whole powerful, almighty, all glorified, sovereign God, comforts. 1261s

He comforts John. He comforts John. And so now we come back to this text of the transfiguration. They're sitting there, basing the transfigured Jesus with Elijah and Moses. 1285s

Peter is just spurting anything he can think of. And then God speaks to them out of the cloud, gives them a command to listen to Jesus and they look up and it is only Jesus. Jesus that they know. 1305s

Jesus that they can relate to Jesus that they've spent these past couple of years with. This is the Jesus that they know. 1322s

And yet they can't forget the glorified, the transfigured Jesus is the Jesus that we also know. We know the active divine word made flesh. 1336s

We know him when he reveals himself to us through his word. We know him when he reveals himself through his preached word. 1362s

And we know him when he reveals himself to us in the bread and the wine, the body and the blood given for us. 1378s

God and his mercy knew that we would not be able to handle Jesus. We would not be able to handle God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in the full power of His majesty. 1391s

And so he told, he told through the law, how to be holy. He told through the prophets of the Messiah to come. 1411s

And then he revealed our hope, our salvation, our eternal lives in the word made flesh. Jesus, only Jesus. 1426s

And when we consider our salvation in only Jesus, we realize who could live according to the perfect law, who could fulfill every bit of holiness. 1443s

Only Jesus, who could fulfill the prophecies of this Messiah that the prophets of the Lord had told of throughout the ages who could be the answer who could fulfill the prophecies. 1463s

Only Jesus, who could stand the punishment of the sin of our unholyness, who could stand and take the punishment, the wrath of the full holy glorification. 1479s

We can't, it's only Jesus, who can conquer death, who can conquer the devil, who can conquer and who holds the keys to Hades. 1509s

Only Jesus, during length, we take that time of looking at ourselves, reflecting on our sin, reflecting on our unworthiness, reflecting on how we, 1535s

can do nothing. How we cannot do anything to earn our righteousness, we cannot do anything to earn the good graces of God. 1565s

But we also take in this time of length that serious look at the living and active word of God, and as he pierces through our souls and lays us bare before Him. 1583s

We find ourselves at the foot of the cross of only Jesus, and we throw ourselves on His mercy. 1603s

And at the end of the letten season, we come to celebrate that as we have thrown ourselves at the foot of the cross, no one is upon the cross any longer. 1618s

Jesus and only Jesus has risen triumphantly over death and sin and the grave. 1637s

And so Easter indeed will be a wonderful celebration, but I want to celebrate with you today, today after two very, very long years. 1651s

We are going to receive Jesus at the altar, and I don't want any of us to be distracted with anything, but know that when we hold out our hands, and that bread is placed within, that we are receiving only. 1669s

Jesus. 1697s