WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:10.400 Today I'd like us to turn back to Matthew chapter 17 and we can read again at verse 5. 00:00:10.400 --> 00:00:19.640 He that is Peter was still speaking when behold a bright cloud overshadowed them and a voice 00:00:19.640 --> 00:00:27.519 from the cloud said, This is my beloved son with whom I am well pleased. 00:00:27.519 --> 00:00:32.079 I am pleased to be seen to him. 00:00:32.079 --> 00:00:36.879 We're looking today at this section describing the transfiguration of Jesus and I want us 00:00:36.879 --> 00:00:44.840 to start by just asking you to imagine that you were on this mountain watching Jesus and 00:00:44.840 --> 00:00:48.320 his disciples walking up together. 00:00:48.320 --> 00:00:50.600 What would you have seen? 00:00:50.600 --> 00:00:56.799 Well the answer is that you'd have seen four very ordinary looking people. 00:00:56.799 --> 00:01:02.320 And if you had followed them all the way to the top, you would have seen something utterly 00:01:02.320 --> 00:01:03.959 remarkable. 00:01:03.959 --> 00:01:08.200 You would have seen Jesus' appearance change. 00:01:08.200 --> 00:01:13.400 That's what transfiguration means in this context, a change in outward appearance. 00:01:13.400 --> 00:01:15.239 It's described in verse 2. 00:01:15.239 --> 00:01:21.479 He was transfigured before them and his face shone like the sun and his clothes became 00:01:21.479 --> 00:01:24.560 white as light. 00:01:24.560 --> 00:01:35.320 And for that brief moment, the majesty, beauty and glory of who Jesus really is burst through 00:01:35.320 --> 00:01:40.640 as Peter, James and John looked on. 00:01:40.640 --> 00:01:45.800 And part of that is the fulfillment of what Jesus said at the end of chapter 16 that some 00:01:45.800 --> 00:01:50.920 of the people standing with him would not taste death until they saw the Son of Man 00:01:50.920 --> 00:01:52.960 coming in his kingdom. 00:01:52.959 --> 00:01:59.319 Peter, James and John are seeing Jesus come in his kingdom at this moment and later they 00:01:59.319 --> 00:02:05.079 and others would go on to see more as they witnessed the crucifixion, the resurrection, 00:02:05.079 --> 00:02:11.240 the ascension and the coming of the Holy Spirit in power on the day of Pentecost. 00:02:11.240 --> 00:02:14.719 It's an absolutely remarkable event. 00:02:14.719 --> 00:02:17.840 And there's loads that we could look at and think about. 00:02:17.840 --> 00:02:24.680 But today I want us to focus especially on the word spoken by God the Father in verse 00:02:24.680 --> 00:02:26.000 5. 00:02:26.000 --> 00:02:31.480 This is my beloved Son with whom I am well pleased. 00:02:31.480 --> 00:02:34.000 Listen to him. 00:02:34.000 --> 00:02:39.640 And in this one we sentence, God is revealing three of the most important things that we 00:02:39.640 --> 00:02:41.800 could ever consider. 00:02:41.800 --> 00:02:50.280 He's revealing who Jesus is, what Jesus does and how we need to respond. 00:02:50.280 --> 00:02:54.219 And for all of us these are crucial things to think about. 00:02:54.219 --> 00:02:59.520 If you're a Christian all of this is a reminder that what you believe is real, it's rational 00:02:59.520 --> 00:03:01.620 and it's beautiful. 00:03:01.620 --> 00:03:06.680 If you are seeking God then this is exactly the information that you need. 00:03:06.680 --> 00:03:12.800 And even if you are doubting or skeptical or even not that interested, you need to know 00:03:12.800 --> 00:03:18.240 who Jesus is, you need to know what he's come to do and you need to know how we're supposed 00:03:18.240 --> 00:03:19.240 to respond. 00:03:19.240 --> 00:03:23.560 Otherwise you don't know what you're rejecting. 00:03:23.560 --> 00:03:28.280 And I think it's probably safe to say that the only thing more foolish than mindless 00:03:28.280 --> 00:03:33.120 faith is mindless unbelief. 00:03:33.120 --> 00:03:37.000 So let's go for it together. 00:03:37.000 --> 00:03:42.520 First, God the Father is saying something about who Jesus is. 00:03:42.520 --> 00:03:48.280 He says, this is my beloved Son. 00:03:48.280 --> 00:03:55.439 Now the study of Jesus is what we call Christology and there's many crucial truths to learn under 00:03:55.439 --> 00:03:56.439 that subject. 00:03:56.439 --> 00:04:05.039 I think that we are being shown here that lesson number one in Christology is that Jesus 00:04:05.039 --> 00:04:14.879 is God the Father's precious, beautiful, treasured, beloved Son. 00:04:14.879 --> 00:04:19.439 I think that in terms of understanding who Jesus is, this is the thing that God wants 00:04:19.439 --> 00:04:22.360 us to know most of all. 00:04:22.360 --> 00:04:28.000 But I think that we can prove that, that it's lesson number one, because if you go all the 00:04:28.000 --> 00:04:34.400 way back to the beginning of Matthew's gospel to the last time that our voice came from 00:04:34.400 --> 00:04:42.480 heaven at the baptism of Jesus, we find that God the Father says exactly the same thing. 00:04:42.480 --> 00:04:46.160 When Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, behold, the heavens were 00:04:46.160 --> 00:04:48.040 opened to him. 00:04:48.040 --> 00:04:51.360 He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him and behold, 00:04:51.360 --> 00:04:58.800 the voice from heaven said, this is my beloved Son with whom I am well pleased. 00:04:58.800 --> 00:05:04.439 Thus, the foundational truth that God the Father wants you and me to know about Jesus 00:05:04.439 --> 00:05:14.840 Christ is that he is God's Son and he is utterly loved by his Father. 00:05:14.840 --> 00:05:20.800 And that means that if you want to understand God, you don't need to try and wrestle with 00:05:20.800 --> 00:05:25.560 impossible philosophical concepts or with mystical secrets. 00:05:25.560 --> 00:05:33.759 You just need to think about a perfect loving relationship between a Father and a Son. 00:05:33.759 --> 00:05:41.759 Now I know that for many people, their experience of a father-child relationship is far from 00:05:41.759 --> 00:05:46.040 perfect and that's an incredibly difficult thing for anyone to experience. 00:05:46.040 --> 00:05:51.879 But whatever negative or difficult aspects you may have found in your own experience, 00:05:51.879 --> 00:05:56.520 I want you to try and just look beyond those if you can to think about everything that 00:05:56.520 --> 00:06:00.720 a father-son relationship should be. 00:06:00.720 --> 00:06:07.080 And the more you can do that, the more you will understand what God is like. 00:06:07.080 --> 00:06:11.240 And I also want to say that this is not to exclude mothers and daughters. 00:06:11.240 --> 00:06:15.920 That mother-daughter relationship is also used in the Bible to teach us, to powerfully 00:06:15.920 --> 00:06:19.560 teach us what God is like and about our relationship with him. 00:06:19.560 --> 00:06:24.879 But just now I want us to just focus on that father-son relationship. 00:06:24.879 --> 00:06:27.519 That's who Jesus is. 00:06:27.519 --> 00:06:31.439 So we need to think a little bit more about what that means. 00:06:31.439 --> 00:06:33.939 It means that Jesus is unique. 00:06:33.939 --> 00:06:37.259 So to God the Father, Jesus is a one and only. 00:06:37.259 --> 00:06:45.039 From all eternity, Jesus is the precious, beautiful Son of the Father. 00:06:45.039 --> 00:06:47.000 He's different to any other. 00:06:47.000 --> 00:06:52.000 He has a place in the Father's heart that no one else has. 00:06:52.000 --> 00:06:57.360 It means that Jesus is the object of the Father's affection. 00:06:57.360 --> 00:07:03.000 So here, God the Father is telling God the Son that he loves him. 00:07:03.000 --> 00:07:08.000 And even though that love is eternal, and even though Jesus understands that better 00:07:08.000 --> 00:07:13.399 than we ever will, and even though God the Father has the whole universe to think about, 00:07:13.399 --> 00:07:20.079 he never neglects to tell his Son that he loves him. 00:07:20.079 --> 00:07:26.439 And that of course is a really good example for us to remember too. 00:07:26.439 --> 00:07:31.360 And it also means that God the Father is proud of his Son. 00:07:31.360 --> 00:07:35.480 Now, we always have to be a bit careful with that word proud. 00:07:35.480 --> 00:07:40.680 Often in the Bible it's a negative thing, and in English it's a tricky word because 00:07:40.680 --> 00:07:47.560 that word pride can refer either to something really good or to something really bad. 00:07:47.560 --> 00:07:53.319 Negatively pride refers to an arrogance and a hardness of heart, which is obviously not 00:07:53.319 --> 00:07:55.160 what I mean here. 00:07:55.160 --> 00:08:05.040 But positively, pride refers to a sense of deep satisfaction, fulfillment, and completeness. 00:08:05.040 --> 00:08:11.280 And in that sense, I think we can say that God the Father is proud of his Son. 00:08:11.280 --> 00:08:16.960 And that's emphasized, I think, by the fact that here the Father does not hesitate to 00:08:16.960 --> 00:08:19.520 identify Jesus as his own. 00:08:19.520 --> 00:08:22.760 And you'll notice that the emphasis is not on who the Father is. 00:08:22.759 --> 00:08:25.399 He's not saying, I am his Father. 00:08:25.399 --> 00:08:26.920 All the focus is on Jesus. 00:08:26.920 --> 00:08:31.719 He's saying, this is my Son. 00:08:31.719 --> 00:08:36.600 And I don't think that we're stretching it too far to suggest that God is saying, I want 00:08:36.600 --> 00:08:44.399 everyone to know that this is my Son, and I love him so much. 00:08:44.399 --> 00:08:52.319 So all the love, care, joy, interest, and concern of a brilliant Father is what lies 00:08:52.320 --> 00:08:58.160 at the heart of the relationship between God the Father and Jesus Christ, his Son. 00:08:58.160 --> 00:09:02.840 Now, in saying all that, we must not think that the Holy Spirit is separated from all 00:09:02.840 --> 00:09:03.840 of this. 00:09:03.840 --> 00:09:05.120 The very opposite is true. 00:09:05.120 --> 00:09:07.720 The Holy Spirit is actually at the heart of this. 00:09:07.720 --> 00:09:10.840 In fact, that's who the Holy Spirit is. 00:09:10.840 --> 00:09:17.080 He is the breathing out of God's essence, proceeding from the Father to the Son, from 00:09:17.080 --> 00:09:21.280 the Son to the Father, and from God outwardly. 00:09:21.279 --> 00:09:28.199 So perhaps we could even say that the Holy Spirit is the great carrier of love from the 00:09:28.199 --> 00:09:34.519 Father to the Son and from the Son to the Father, which is why this love between God 00:09:34.519 --> 00:09:39.000 the Father and God the Son is never exuding the Spirit. 00:09:39.000 --> 00:09:44.399 It's actually where God the Holy Spirit thrives. 00:09:44.399 --> 00:09:53.079 At the heart of who God is is a beautiful loving relationship between Father and Son. 00:09:53.079 --> 00:10:00.199 Now, this has massive implications for our worldview, how we understand reality around 00:10:00.199 --> 00:10:01.639 us. 00:10:01.639 --> 00:10:07.519 For centuries, people have wondered what lies at the foundation of reality. 00:10:07.519 --> 00:10:12.399 In other words, what's the kind of… what's at the core of existence? 00:10:12.399 --> 00:10:19.439 If you step everything else away and get reality down to its basic component, what do you find? 00:10:19.439 --> 00:10:22.879 People have wondered about that for centuries. 00:10:22.879 --> 00:10:28.799 The ancient Greeks wondered whether it was fire or water or atoms. 00:10:28.799 --> 00:10:33.879 So some people thought that if you broke everything down to its most basic part, you'd 00:10:33.879 --> 00:10:34.879 find water. 00:10:34.879 --> 00:10:37.240 Others said it was fire. 00:10:37.240 --> 00:10:39.840 Others said it was atoms. 00:10:39.840 --> 00:10:43.040 Others have wondered whether, rather than being a material particle, whether it's actually 00:10:43.040 --> 00:10:47.960 knowledge, like there's kind of knowledge particles that are the foundation of reality. 00:10:47.960 --> 00:10:54.920 Others have suggested that it's energy or gravity or chance or maybe even nothing. 00:10:54.920 --> 00:11:07.600 Christianity says that at the foundation of all reality is a Father who loves His Son. 00:11:07.600 --> 00:11:14.759 The implications of this are huge because for us as humans, most people, I think, would 00:11:14.759 --> 00:11:21.840 agree that a loving relationship is the best experience that we can have. 00:11:21.840 --> 00:11:26.120 So both in terms of a parent to a child or in terms of marriage, a relationship that's 00:11:26.120 --> 00:11:31.759 really loving and full of care and joy and kindness, that's the dream. 00:11:31.759 --> 00:11:33.800 It's what we long for. 00:11:33.800 --> 00:11:35.600 It's what we aspire to. 00:11:35.600 --> 00:11:41.279 It's the ideal that we'd love to be able to reach. 00:11:41.279 --> 00:11:43.639 And some people get quite near to that. 00:11:43.639 --> 00:11:48.759 Others don't get anywhere close. 00:11:48.759 --> 00:11:53.159 But for us all, it's the pinnacle. 00:11:53.159 --> 00:11:56.360 It's the best. 00:11:56.360 --> 00:12:07.440 But with God, a beautiful, loving relationship is not ultimate, it's basic. 00:12:07.440 --> 00:12:10.200 Now, please don't misunderstand me. 00:12:10.200 --> 00:12:14.840 When I say basic, I'm not saying that it's insignificant or unimportant. 00:12:14.840 --> 00:12:21.639 What I'm saying is that this is the foundational starting point from which everything else 00:12:21.639 --> 00:12:23.080 comes. 00:12:23.080 --> 00:12:29.560 So in other words, we long to reach the heights of a beautiful, loving relationship in our 00:12:29.560 --> 00:12:31.060 experience. 00:12:31.060 --> 00:12:34.639 But God doesn't reach that point. 00:12:34.639 --> 00:12:38.960 God starts from that point. 00:12:38.960 --> 00:12:46.480 And that's reminding us that the very best of human experience, the very best aspects 00:12:46.480 --> 00:12:53.360 of human experience are really just the basics of God. 00:12:53.360 --> 00:12:58.399 In other words, when we see or experience the very best of what love is meant to be, 00:12:58.399 --> 00:13:03.960 at that moment we're getting a glimpse of what God is like all the time. 00:13:03.960 --> 00:13:09.240 What we long for, what we aspire to, what we hope for in terms of love, that's just 00:13:09.240 --> 00:13:13.440 what God is through and through. 00:13:13.440 --> 00:13:20.040 And it's the same of all God's other qualities, love, truth, justice, wisdom, joy, community. 00:13:20.040 --> 00:13:28.680 The best that we experience is just a glimpse into the universal basics of God. 00:13:28.680 --> 00:13:35.040 So in terms of love, human experience is often a bit like being in a desert where there's 00:13:35.040 --> 00:13:36.880 not much water. 00:13:36.880 --> 00:13:41.200 So for many of us, we are searching for love and we're struggling to find it. 00:13:41.200 --> 00:13:48.000 There's not enough to go round and even when we do find it, it doesn't last long enough. 00:13:48.000 --> 00:13:54.680 Our human experience of love, whether it's parental or with a partner, is often one of 00:13:54.680 --> 00:13:59.560 searching and longing in a desert. 00:13:59.560 --> 00:14:04.560 But with God, love is not a desert with little water. 00:14:04.559 --> 00:14:14.799 With God, his love is an ocean of pure, fresh, clean water. 00:14:14.799 --> 00:14:21.199 The very basic truth of Christology is that Jesus is a precious, beautiful son who is 00:14:21.199 --> 00:14:25.199 utterly loved by God the Father. 00:14:25.199 --> 00:14:30.599 And that means that for the Christian, our worldview is grounded on the fact that love 00:14:30.600 --> 00:14:35.600 is real and that people matter. 00:14:35.600 --> 00:14:41.240 And a key point I want to emphasize is that God the Father wants you to know this. 00:14:41.240 --> 00:14:45.000 That's why at this crucial moment at the top of the Mount of Transfiguration, the first 00:14:45.000 --> 00:14:50.680 thing that God says to us is that Jesus is his beloved son. 00:14:50.680 --> 00:14:52.519 Why is it so important that we know that? 00:14:52.519 --> 00:14:54.960 Well, there's at least three reasons. 00:14:54.960 --> 00:15:00.379 One, we need to know this because it corrects misunderstandings of God. 00:15:00.379 --> 00:15:04.399 So for example, it's easy to think of God as an absent Father. 00:15:04.399 --> 00:15:09.759 He's too busy, he's not interested, he's got better things to do and you're not particularly 00:15:09.759 --> 00:15:11.519 important. 00:15:11.519 --> 00:15:16.439 It's easy to think of God as a harsh Father, always demanding more, never happy, always 00:15:16.439 --> 00:15:21.799 finding fault, impatient, angry, cruel, and you're just another source of frustration 00:15:21.799 --> 00:15:22.799 to him. 00:15:22.799 --> 00:15:26.879 It's easy to think of God as a cold Father. 00:15:26.879 --> 00:15:32.639 So yes, he's powerful, authoritative, and strong, but he's also intimidating and distant 00:15:32.639 --> 00:15:38.080 and you're a long way down the line of things he cares about. 00:15:38.080 --> 00:15:43.840 It's easy to think of God as a reluctant Father, almost as though being Father is an inconvenience 00:15:43.840 --> 00:15:49.279 and is not as important as being holy or righteous or almighty and you have to make sure you 00:15:49.279 --> 00:15:54.000 impress him if he's going to take any interest in you. 00:15:54.000 --> 00:16:02.679 It is so easy to think of God in these terms and they are all totally wrong. 00:16:02.679 --> 00:16:09.039 At the heart of God's being is a loving Father, a beloved Son, and a Holy Spirit pouring and 00:16:09.039 --> 00:16:12.879 carrying and sharing that love. 00:16:12.879 --> 00:16:20.399 Two, we need to know this because it's telling us who we are dealing with whenever we interact 00:16:20.399 --> 00:16:21.399 with Jesus. 00:16:21.399 --> 00:16:26.840 And the crucial point we have to recognize is that everyone is interacting with Jesus. 00:16:26.840 --> 00:16:31.759 Some of us are interacting positively, so we worship Jesus, we talk to him, we follow 00:16:31.759 --> 00:16:38.919 him, we serve him, and in every way that you do that, you should be hearing God the Father's 00:16:38.919 --> 00:16:43.559 voice saying, this is my beloved Son. 00:16:43.559 --> 00:16:50.159 That's why your praise is a delight to God, no matter how good or bad you are at singing. 00:16:50.159 --> 00:16:55.799 That's why your prayers in Jesus' name are so precious, no matter how long or short or 00:16:55.799 --> 00:16:57.000 eloquent they may be. 00:16:57.000 --> 00:17:04.599 That's why your service for him is so valued as you offer your gifts to him for his work 00:17:04.599 --> 00:17:12.680 because everything that you do for Jesus is being done for the one who is utterly loved 00:17:12.680 --> 00:17:16.240 by his Father. 00:17:16.240 --> 00:17:21.799 But other people are interacting negatively with Jesus. 00:17:21.799 --> 00:17:29.160 So many people ignore him, reject him, some even look down on him, and a huge amount of 00:17:29.160 --> 00:17:32.039 people think that they don't need him. 00:17:32.039 --> 00:17:36.160 That was through of the Pharisees in the New Testament and the other religious leaders. 00:17:36.160 --> 00:17:42.160 It's through of the crowds today, maybe it's through of you. 00:17:42.160 --> 00:17:50.160 But if that is you, then I want you to realize that every time you do that, God the Father 00:17:50.160 --> 00:18:00.040 is saying to you, this is my beloved Son. 00:18:00.040 --> 00:18:10.240 And three, we need to know who Jesus is because God's ultimate goal is to make you like him. 00:18:10.240 --> 00:18:13.559 That brings us on to the second thing that God says in verse five. 00:18:13.559 --> 00:18:19.480 He says, this is my beloved Son with whom I am well pleased. 00:18:19.480 --> 00:18:22.559 These words are telling us what Jesus has come to do. 00:18:22.559 --> 00:18:27.480 Now, of course, at one level, these words are echoing what we've just been saying, that 00:18:27.480 --> 00:18:32.319 part of the fact that the Father loves Jesus means that he's well pleased with him. 00:18:32.319 --> 00:18:36.720 God the Son is a delight to God the Father. 00:18:36.720 --> 00:18:42.360 But I think there's a little bit more to it than that, that we need to make sure we understand. 00:18:42.360 --> 00:18:45.880 That phrase that you can see on the screen with whom I am well pleased, it's already 00:18:45.880 --> 00:18:48.720 appeared twice in the Gospel of Matthew. 00:18:48.720 --> 00:18:54.319 Once way back in chapter three, which we read at Jesus' baptism, the other time is in Matthew 00:18:54.319 --> 00:18:56.480 chapter 12. 00:18:56.480 --> 00:19:02.960 As Jesus confronted the religious leaders and as he healed those who were oppressed, Matthew 00:19:02.960 --> 00:19:10.319 says that what Jesus did, this was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah, behold 00:19:10.319 --> 00:19:16.759 my servant whom I've chosen, my beloved with whom my soul is well pleased. 00:19:16.759 --> 00:19:22.360 I will put my spirit upon him and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles. 00:19:22.360 --> 00:19:28.240 So the phrase, with whom I'm well pleased, is pointing us, as Matthew tells us, back 00:19:28.240 --> 00:19:33.160 to the prophecy of Isaiah and in particular it's chapter 42, which is where Matthew is 00:19:33.160 --> 00:19:35.120 quoting from. 00:19:35.120 --> 00:19:41.200 And that's really important because Isaiah chapter 42 is one of the key chapters in that 00:19:41.200 --> 00:19:48.319 book where it speaks about God's servant. 00:19:48.319 --> 00:19:55.079 And I think that part of that phrase, with whom I am well pleased, is telling us that 00:19:55.079 --> 00:20:00.759 a key aspect of why the Father is well pleased with his son is not just because he loves 00:20:00.759 --> 00:20:05.199 him, but because the son is his servant. 00:20:05.199 --> 00:20:12.720 He's obeying the Father and he's doing what the Father wants and needs him to do. 00:20:12.720 --> 00:20:17.559 And that makes perfect sense because you can love someone but not be pleased with them 00:20:17.559 --> 00:20:20.000 if they're going down the wrong path. 00:20:20.000 --> 00:20:24.240 With Jesus, it's never like that. 00:20:24.240 --> 00:20:30.640 He is fulfilling the mission that the Father has given him. 00:20:30.640 --> 00:20:35.839 And that fulfillment of mission and of God's purposes is emphasized by the appearance of 00:20:35.839 --> 00:20:37.799 Moses and Elijah. 00:20:37.799 --> 00:20:41.440 These are two massive figures from the Old Testament. 00:20:41.440 --> 00:20:46.319 And their appearance here along with Jesus is pointing us to the fact that Jesus has 00:20:46.319 --> 00:20:52.839 come not to replace or contradict everything that Moses and Elijah did and taught, but 00:20:52.839 --> 00:21:00.319 instead he's come to fulfill everything that they were pointing towards. 00:21:00.319 --> 00:21:04.559 There's two important points here I want to highlight and both are in relation to humanity 00:21:04.559 --> 00:21:08.439 which instantly includes all of us. 00:21:08.439 --> 00:21:19.199 First of all, we're being reminded that Jesus Christ and Christ likeness is pleasing to 00:21:19.199 --> 00:21:20.639 God the Father. 00:21:20.640 --> 00:21:24.480 Now, on the one hand, that probably seems really obvious. 00:21:24.480 --> 00:21:25.640 Jesus is the Son of God. 00:21:25.640 --> 00:21:27.280 He shares God's nature. 00:21:27.280 --> 00:21:31.960 He's one with him and therefore when we look at Jesus, we see the character of God. 00:21:31.960 --> 00:21:37.680 In other words, if you look at Jesus, you see what true divinity looks like. 00:21:37.680 --> 00:21:40.320 And obviously that's going to please the Father. 00:21:40.320 --> 00:21:45.320 But on the other hand, it's also important to remember, really important to remember 00:21:45.319 --> 00:21:51.159 that when you look at Jesus, you don't just see what true divinity is like. 00:21:51.159 --> 00:21:57.319 You also see what true humanity is meant to be. 00:21:57.319 --> 00:22:05.759 Jesus, the beloved Son of God, is also the perfect human. 00:22:05.759 --> 00:22:08.960 He's the most human of all humans. 00:22:08.960 --> 00:22:14.200 So if you want to see everything that humanity was created to be as image bearers of God, 00:22:14.200 --> 00:22:19.759 as loving towards God and towards others, as responsible rulers of creation, then look 00:22:19.759 --> 00:22:21.640 at Jesus. 00:22:21.640 --> 00:22:25.600 Way back at the beginning of the Bible in Genesis chapter one, when God created humanity, 00:22:25.600 --> 00:22:27.559 He said it was very good. 00:22:27.559 --> 00:22:32.559 But after the fall, after humanity rebelled against God and sinned, God couldn't look 00:22:32.559 --> 00:22:34.840 at humanity again and say, it's very good. 00:22:34.840 --> 00:22:39.200 He couldn't say that until now. 00:22:39.200 --> 00:22:48.279 Until the moment when Jesus came, because once again, God finally sees what a very good 00:22:48.279 --> 00:22:52.120 humanity looks like. 00:22:52.120 --> 00:22:55.440 That's why when we say that we should be like Jesus, we're not giving kind of a sort of 00:22:55.440 --> 00:22:58.880 rosy, optimistic, self-help advice. 00:22:58.880 --> 00:23:03.680 When we say that we should be like Jesus, we are describing the fulfillment of the created 00:23:03.680 --> 00:23:06.680 purpose of humanity. 00:23:06.680 --> 00:23:09.720 And that's why studying the life of Jesus is so important. 00:23:09.720 --> 00:23:14.360 And what you discover is amazing, because when you look at Jesus, you see a human who 00:23:14.360 --> 00:23:21.400 loves the outcast, who challenges corruption, who protects the weak, who delights to spend 00:23:21.400 --> 00:23:26.000 time with people, who takes an interest in others, who goes out and explores what he 00:23:26.000 --> 00:23:30.960 lives and who stands up for what is right no matter what it costs. 00:23:30.960 --> 00:23:37.600 In other words, we discover the kind of person that we all long for. 00:23:37.600 --> 00:23:42.519 Who in the world wants a leader who is corrupt or colleagues who are selfish or friends, 00:23:42.519 --> 00:23:47.880 who are fickle or injustice, that's glossed over or a way of life that's dull? 00:23:47.880 --> 00:23:49.960 No one. 00:23:49.960 --> 00:23:56.519 And the ultimate example of the opposite of all those things is Jesus. 00:23:56.519 --> 00:24:00.240 And that's why, that's part of the reason why Jesus is well-pleasing to his father. 00:24:00.240 --> 00:24:05.319 Because everything humanity is meant to be. 00:24:05.319 --> 00:24:11.400 But alongside that, the father is well-pleased with Jesus, not just because he's come to 00:24:11.400 --> 00:24:21.839 model perfect humanity, but because he has come to save a broken humanity. 00:24:21.839 --> 00:24:25.400 And that's why the most astonishing thing in this narrative is not that Jesus went up 00:24:25.400 --> 00:24:31.480 to the mount of transfiguration and that his face shone and his clothes became dazzling. 00:24:31.480 --> 00:24:35.320 The most astonishing thing is not that he went up and was transfigured, the most astonishing 00:24:35.320 --> 00:24:40.480 thing is that he came back down. 00:24:40.480 --> 00:24:45.320 And as he came down, he points the disciples forward to what's about to happen. 00:24:45.320 --> 00:24:49.280 He told them to keep quiet at that stage because this is not the end of the story. 00:24:49.280 --> 00:24:50.960 There's more to come. 00:24:50.960 --> 00:24:55.380 Jesus is going down from the dazzling splendor of the top of this mountain down to the sea 00:24:55.380 --> 00:25:01.760 of Jerusalem, down into the hands of the soldiers and down into the depths of suffering and 00:25:01.760 --> 00:25:04.160 death on the cross. 00:25:04.160 --> 00:25:13.000 And because he is willing to do that and because he is determined to do that, his father is 00:25:13.000 --> 00:25:17.000 well-pleased. 00:25:17.000 --> 00:25:22.320 And the amazing truth is that the reason he's well-pleased is because if Jesus does all 00:25:22.319 --> 00:25:30.599 that, then God can save you. 00:25:30.599 --> 00:25:33.839 And ultimately, that's what Jesus has come to do. 00:25:33.839 --> 00:25:35.799 He's come to save you. 00:25:35.799 --> 00:25:38.039 He's come to die in your place. 00:25:38.039 --> 00:25:42.240 He's come to free you from all the guilt and burden of your sin. 00:25:42.240 --> 00:25:45.159 He's come to bring you back into a relationship with God. 00:25:45.159 --> 00:25:50.519 He's come to restore you to the person you were created to be and he's come to welcome 00:25:50.519 --> 00:25:57.000 you into God's family and to give you all the incredible blessings of eternal life in 00:25:57.000 --> 00:25:58.400 God's kingdom. 00:25:58.400 --> 00:26:05.599 In other words, he has come to make you like him. 00:26:05.599 --> 00:26:12.079 That means that going back to our desert ocean illustration, God's love isn't just an ocean 00:26:12.079 --> 00:26:16.319 of pure, clean, fresh water. 00:26:16.319 --> 00:26:23.720 He's also got the Niagara Falls pouring out of it because God's great goal is to share 00:26:23.720 --> 00:26:30.119 his love through his Son Jesus. 00:26:30.119 --> 00:26:35.240 And the key question is, how do we respond? 00:26:35.240 --> 00:26:40.480 And the answer is given in the third thing that God says. 00:26:40.480 --> 00:26:46.360 This is my beloved Son with whom I am well pleased. 00:26:46.360 --> 00:26:49.319 Listen to him. 00:26:49.319 --> 00:26:58.240 Now, I will forgive you if you find yourself thinking, is that it? 00:26:58.240 --> 00:27:05.279 Is the key to eternal life, security and peace just listening to Jesus? 00:27:05.279 --> 00:27:07.400 Is that all we have to do in response? 00:27:07.400 --> 00:27:13.920 And the answer is yes, it is as simple as that. 00:27:13.920 --> 00:27:18.880 But you might say, well, that seems a bit confusing because in so many ways Jesus' mission 00:27:18.880 --> 00:27:22.960 is based on his actions, on stuff he does. 00:27:22.960 --> 00:27:27.200 And he's just been talking to his disciples about things that he will do and things that 00:27:27.200 --> 00:27:29.280 will happen to him. 00:27:29.280 --> 00:27:34.440 And it's true that when we talk about the death and resurrection of Jesus, we talk about 00:27:34.440 --> 00:27:36.320 his works. 00:27:36.319 --> 00:27:45.519 However, the key to benefiting from all the works that Jesus does is to listen to what 00:27:45.519 --> 00:27:51.039 he says about everything that he is doing. 00:27:51.039 --> 00:27:58.799 That's why Christianity is not grounded on a particular place or a ritual or an activity. 00:27:58.799 --> 00:28:04.159 Christianity is grounded on words. 00:28:04.160 --> 00:28:08.480 And that's why we have to listen. 00:28:08.480 --> 00:28:13.880 And this point is powerfully reinforced in the narrative before us because as you can 00:28:13.880 --> 00:28:19.640 see there in verse four, Peter at this moment suggests making a tent or making three tents 00:28:19.640 --> 00:28:24.600 for Jesus, Moses and Elijah because he thinks that it's good for them to be there. 00:28:24.600 --> 00:28:31.160 In other words, Peter wants to hold on to this moment and he wants to hold on to this 00:28:31.160 --> 00:28:33.160 place. 00:28:33.160 --> 00:28:36.440 And we can very easily do the same thing. 00:28:36.440 --> 00:28:42.560 Often in our kind of spiritual journey, we're tempted to hold on to a particular moment 00:28:42.560 --> 00:28:46.880 or a particular location that's of significance to us. 00:28:46.880 --> 00:28:53.519 So we can have or hope to have this experience that we can then always look back on and always 00:28:53.519 --> 00:28:57.160 hold on to or this place where something special happened. 00:28:57.160 --> 00:28:59.240 And we can hold on to that as well. 00:28:59.240 --> 00:29:05.599 It's so easy to do that and to make that our focus, but God has got no interest in making 00:29:05.599 --> 00:29:08.640 that the central idea. 00:29:08.640 --> 00:29:13.920 And that's why Christianity is different to the many other religions that we see in the 00:29:13.920 --> 00:29:20.000 world that try to hold on to a particular location or a building or a practice or an 00:29:20.000 --> 00:29:21.400 experience. 00:29:21.400 --> 00:29:32.280 God is saying that's not what this is about, instead he says, listen to my son. 00:29:32.280 --> 00:29:41.000 And that's reminding us that all the works of Jesus will have no benefit for you whatsoever 00:29:41.000 --> 00:29:45.200 unless you listen. 00:29:45.200 --> 00:29:54.160 Now at this point we have to be careful because there are many counterfeits to listening to 00:29:54.160 --> 00:29:56.000 Jesus. 00:29:56.000 --> 00:30:00.200 So to give you two or three examples, there's the pitfall of thinking that listening to 00:30:00.200 --> 00:30:03.720 Jesus is purely mystical. 00:30:03.720 --> 00:30:09.400 So we maybe think, well, we have to kind of wait for a voice to come to us to tell us 00:30:09.400 --> 00:30:10.400 something. 00:30:10.400 --> 00:30:16.720 And as we do so, we isolate ourselves into a kind of cocoon of our own making. 00:30:16.720 --> 00:30:22.040 And we interpret all the events of the world around us in reference to ourselves as the 00:30:22.040 --> 00:30:25.680 center point of it all. 00:30:25.680 --> 00:30:29.400 Or we can be selective as we listen to Jesus. 00:30:29.400 --> 00:30:33.640 In other words, we just choose the things that we like, the things that fit our tradition 00:30:33.640 --> 00:30:38.400 or our context, or the things that back up our point of view or that keep things the 00:30:38.400 --> 00:30:42.440 way we like them to be. 00:30:42.440 --> 00:30:47.920 Or we can think that our listening to Jesus is purely cerebral. 00:30:47.920 --> 00:30:52.800 In other words, it's just to do with our heads. 00:30:52.800 --> 00:30:57.759 That what we hear, we just keep this information in our heads and it has no real effect on 00:30:57.759 --> 00:31:00.440 our day-to-day lives. 00:31:00.440 --> 00:31:05.240 When God says, listen to Jesus, I don't think He means any of these things because these 00:31:05.240 --> 00:31:10.160 are actually all examples of not listening. 00:31:10.160 --> 00:31:14.759 So if we have Jesus' words before us in the Bible, but we go looking for some kind of mystical 00:31:14.759 --> 00:31:20.599 additions, then we're not listening to what's right in front of us in the pages of Scripture. 00:31:20.599 --> 00:31:24.920 If we are selective about what we want to hear, then maybe we're listening to some, but we're 00:31:24.920 --> 00:31:30.880 not listening to half or more of what Jesus is saying. 00:31:30.880 --> 00:31:39.280 And if what we hear just stays in our heads and has no effect on our lives, then we're 00:31:39.280 --> 00:31:41.040 not listening either. 00:31:41.040 --> 00:31:49.240 Instead, we're actually judging because we're concluding that Jesus' words aren't important 00:31:49.240 --> 00:31:53.800 enough for us to put into practice. 00:31:53.800 --> 00:31:59.880 And all the time we are being driven back to this simple instruction from God, this 00:31:59.880 --> 00:32:06.040 is my beloved Son, listen to Him. 00:32:06.040 --> 00:32:17.600 And that simply means trusting Him, learning from Him and following Him in obedience. 00:32:17.600 --> 00:32:23.320 And all of this is instantly confronting us with the question, who are you listening 00:32:23.320 --> 00:32:25.600 to? 00:32:25.599 --> 00:32:33.839 Or who are you listening to about what really matters in life? 00:32:33.839 --> 00:32:41.279 I don't know, but if you listen to Jesus, He will tell you the truth about your origin, 00:32:41.279 --> 00:32:44.759 your purpose, and your destiny. 00:32:44.759 --> 00:32:50.319 Who are you listening to about where you can find hope and joy and peace? 00:32:50.319 --> 00:32:59.159 If you listen to Jesus, He will tell you how Almighty God is channeling all His resources 00:32:59.159 --> 00:33:02.399 into saving you. 00:33:02.399 --> 00:33:08.480 Who are you listening to about what's right and wrong? 00:33:08.480 --> 00:33:15.599 If you listen to Jesus, He will show you an unchanging ethical standard about what's 00:33:15.599 --> 00:33:22.559 really true, what's right, and what's good. 00:33:22.559 --> 00:33:32.319 And perhaps most importantly of all, who are you listening to about what you're worth? 00:33:32.319 --> 00:33:38.319 Because the world will tell you that your worth will come from your talents or your successes 00:33:38.319 --> 00:33:42.799 or your achievements or your social life. 00:33:42.799 --> 00:33:50.960 But if you listen to Jesus, He will tell you that you are the workmanship of God and you 00:33:50.960 --> 00:34:00.440 are infinitely precious to Him and Jesus Himself was willing to die to bring you into God's 00:34:00.440 --> 00:34:03.319 family. 00:34:03.319 --> 00:34:07.359 All of this is why Christianity is not blind or mindless. 00:34:07.359 --> 00:34:16.319 It is grounded on sensible, logical, attentive listening. 00:34:16.319 --> 00:34:21.359 And all of this is why Christianity is so beautiful. 00:34:21.359 --> 00:34:26.199 Because if you think again about that illustration of the desert and the ocean, we're saying 00:34:26.199 --> 00:34:33.199 that God's love is an ocean of pure, clean, fresh water. 00:34:33.199 --> 00:34:37.839 We're saying that the Niagara Falls are pouring out of it, and I know that that's a bit of 00:34:37.839 --> 00:34:43.239 a strange illustration, but just try and imagine that in your minds and ask the question, where 00:34:43.239 --> 00:34:47.399 does God want you to be in that picture? 00:34:47.399 --> 00:34:51.799 Does He want you on a kind of viewing platform looking on? 00:34:51.799 --> 00:34:53.480 No. 00:34:53.480 --> 00:35:02.960 He wants you right under that waterfall so that He can pour His love into you today 00:35:02.960 --> 00:35:10.039 and tomorrow and forever. 00:35:10.039 --> 00:35:15.480 And all of that is bringing us back to the fact that in this little statement from God, 00:35:15.480 --> 00:35:20.400 we are being told about three of the most important things we could ever consider. 00:35:20.400 --> 00:35:26.880 Who Jesus is, what Jesus does, and how we need to respond. 00:35:26.880 --> 00:35:29.440 And I've tried to say three main things. 00:35:29.440 --> 00:35:34.720 Who is Jesus, He is God's beloved Son, which means that at the heart of who God is and 00:35:34.720 --> 00:35:39.960 at the heart of reality is a beautiful, loving relationship. 00:35:39.960 --> 00:35:41.700 What does Jesus do? 00:35:41.700 --> 00:35:49.559 He has come to please His Father by fulfilling a mission to rescue humanity, which includes 00:35:49.559 --> 00:35:51.599 you and me. 00:35:51.599 --> 00:35:54.079 And how do we respond? 00:35:54.079 --> 00:36:00.719 We respond by listening to Him, and that has to be a listening that is grounded on trusting 00:36:00.719 --> 00:36:10.759 Him, that is willing to learn from Him, and that is ready to follow and obey Him. 00:36:10.759 --> 00:36:13.559 And what happens if you do that? 00:36:13.559 --> 00:36:21.880 Well, imagine you could go back to the top of this mountain again with Jesus. 00:36:21.880 --> 00:36:25.760 If you are a Christian, you're trusting in Jesus, or if you become a Christian by putting 00:36:25.760 --> 00:36:31.000 your trust in Him today, imagine you could stand there at the top of the mountain, and 00:36:31.000 --> 00:36:36.519 once again you would hear God the Father say about Jesus, this is my beloved Son with whom 00:36:36.519 --> 00:36:38.840 I am well pleased, listen to Him. 00:36:38.840 --> 00:36:47.680 But then He would look at you, and He would say, I want you to listen to me. 00:36:47.679 --> 00:37:01.199 Because of all that my Son has done, I am well pleased with you too, and you, you too, 00:37:01.199 --> 00:37:12.119 are also my precious, beautiful, beloved child. 00:37:12.119 --> 00:37:16.879 That is what Jesus wants to do for you today, and that is why knowing Him and following Him 00:37:16.880 --> 00:37:23.440 is the most amazing thing that we can ever have in our lives. 00:37:23.440 --> 00:37:25.800 Amen. 00:37:25.800 --> 00:37:28.880 Let us pray. 00:37:28.880 --> 00:37:39.360 Father, we thank you so much for your beloved Son, Jesus, and we thank you for all that 00:37:39.360 --> 00:37:48.000 He has done that is pleasing to you and that has fulfilled your great mission of salvation. 00:37:48.000 --> 00:37:57.880 And help us, help us all, oh God, to listen to Him, to really listen. 00:37:57.880 --> 00:38:10.079 Amen.