LISTEN
This sermon was preached by Rosie Ratcliff at the Fallowfield site of Christ Church Manchester on Sunday 24th October 2021.
BIBLE VERSES
This sermon was based on Matthew 17:1-13.
The Transfiguration
1 And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. 2And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. 3And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. 4And 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.” 5He 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.” 6When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were terrified. 7But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Rise, and have no fear.” 8And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.
9 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.” 10And the disciples asked him, “Then why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?” 11He answered, “Elijah does come, and he will restore all things.12But 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.” 13Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist.
KEY POINTS
Position yourself to meet with God
• There was nothing magical about what the disciples did in order to encounter God, they just positioned themselves to receive: they went up the mountain.
• In our everyday lives we can position ourselves to receive by spending time with God. One of the ways we can do this is by reading the bible.
• James 4:4 – if we draw near to God, he promises to draw near to us.
The Old Testament helps us to see Jesus more clearly
• The Old Testament can sometimes feel like a long film that doesn’t make much sense! But in all good films there comes a point where are the subplots come together and everything makes sense.
• The disciples have a moment like this on the mountain top with Jesus. As his clothes begin to beam and light radiates off of him, for the first time they see him not just as a man who performed miracles, but as God.
• As we read the Old Testament we begin to see more of Jesus. The Old Testament consistently points to him, there are hundreds of prophecies about Jesus recorded that were written thousands of years before he was born.
Jesus has all authority
• Sometimes we can have a wrong view of Jesus, that he is a meek and mild baby that we might see on a nativity scene. We forget that he is powerful and God of our lives!
• Matthew 28:18 “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.”
• Jesus should be in the driving seat of our lives, not the passenger seat.
• How much control do we give to God?
• Trying to stay in control of things ourselves is tiring, this is why we must allow Jesus to have all control and authority over our lives.
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