2. Four Categories

Jesus went out of the house and down to the edge of the lake where people could approach him. He made himself available. He took his good news to the people. In order to get his message out to as much of the large crowd as possible, he got into a fishing boat and had the men push it just off shore so that his voice would carry clearly across the water to the crowd standing silently on the shore of the lake.

He has done this for you – no-one here can complain that he has never brought his message out of the house and laid it on them.

Jesus used parables to teach them. A parable is a story which illustrates an important truth. Each main feature of the story represents an idea so when you hear the parable it makes the truth come alive – as long as you are open to it. If you are not open to it, the parable actually hides the truth from you! (We will come back to this later in the series).

One of the parables he told was this one about the sower of wheat or barley. He was illustrating for them the purpose of his mission. He was saying that he was like a farmer sowing seeds so that he could reap a harvest. He was saying that he was sowing his message (the Word) so that he could reap a productive harvest. That harvest is people who are bursting with life and godliness. But he was also teaching them that not every person who hears his message receives it successfully, because of the condition of their hearts.

Jesus Christ has been sowing in your area for some time. He has been sowing the very information, witnesses, advice, examples, wisdom and help that you need for successful living. Successful living is a life that pleases God; a life that he can bless. Success is not to be measured in the amount of money and stuff you collect; not in the fame you get for getting picked for the Auckland Blues; not in the name that your children make by getting big jobs – success is measured in the degree to which you are safely nestled into the very centre of God’s will where you get everything you need for life and godliness.

2 Peter 1.3 His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, 4 by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises [this is the seed – the message], so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.

1. Four Categories

There are four different categories of people that you meet with in a church – including ours. Jesus taught us how to work out which category we each fit into. And these are not just convenient labels to stick on yourself – or others. They are the categories that Christ puts you into. Of these four categories only one is safe. Only one is approved by Christ. Only those people in one of these categories will turn out in the end to be his actual Church - and therefore share in the magnificent, eternal future Christ has planned for his people. There is a lot at stake here.

What follows is series of studies on the parable of the sower and the four grounds (Matthew 13).

3. Transfiguration - glory concealed/revealed

What happened on the mountain

While on the mountain with his three disciples, Jesus revealed more of his God-nature to them. It was stunning. It was glorious. From within himself, he shone – not a reflected light, but like the sun – a source of his own light. He exuded light, so even his clothing shone white as light. He didn’t slip on some better clothes – he transformed his clothing by exuding his personal glory.

Peter and the others had realised from Jesus’ teaching, miracles, self-confidence and gracious actions that he was the promised chosen leader for humankind: The Christ of God. But while this was a correct understanding, it was way, way short of just what it meant for Jesus to be the Son of the living God! So the Father and the Son graciously drew back the veil a little so that they could catch a glimpse of the glory that belongs to him – glory that up to that point was deliberately concealed behind his human flesh.

It is very gracious of our God to approach us in a way that will not consume us – for if he did not moderate or tone down his glory we would be like moths approaching a roaring bonfire – we would be instantly burned up. This is why God concealed himself in the Old Testament. When God met Israel at Mt Sinai, he concealed himself within a dark and lightning-wracked cloud when he touched the mountain top. When Moses went to meet with God in the wilderness, a cloud enveloped the meeting tent so that neither he nor the people would see God’s face and die. And when God came amongst his people to rescue them and bring the good news that would rescue people for all nations and subsequent generations, the manhood of Jesus softened the dazzling and fearful glory of God’s nature so he was approachable.

But in case we should stupidly assume that the meekness of Jesus Christ was weakness or that his manliness excluded his godliness, he appeared to these three witnesses (Peter, James and John) in a transfigured – changed – state. He allowed some of his personal glory to shine from himself.

Know this: Jesus the man carries the full weight of God’s glory. What he says are not simply things to take into consideration as you choose your path through life. His words ARE life. Miss them and you miss life. The transfiguration, witnessed by reliable men, recorded and explained by them, teaches us that we must pay full attention to Jesus Christ and submit to him. Not do so is to offend God. The neglect of his call to repent and surrender our lives to him – failing to deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow him – is to lose our lives. (16.24-28).

Your opinion of Jesus matters little. It certainly will not affect him. What counts is Jesus’ certainty of his own identity plus the confirmation of his Father, who spoke directly from the cloud to the watching disciples. He said: “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.”

Briefly, let me explain the significance of Moses and Elijah appearing with Jesus. 17.3

First, it confirmed that they still exist and live in the spiritual world. They completed their work in this life and are participants in God’s kingdom – announced and introduced by Jesus; a kingdom that is working powerfully and undercover in the world now (as it has been for 2,000 years since his resurrection) but which will have its covers pulled off at the end of the present age when Christ returns publicly.

Second, their appearance showed to the disciples and us, their inferiority of Jesus. Israel held Moses and Elijah (representatives of the Law and the Prophets – the Old Testament scriptures) in very high regard. But God himself announces that the one voice to listen to, the one person to fix our attention on is Jesus. He is the fulfilment of the Law given through Moses and the Word behind all the prophets including Elijah.

Peter’s response to the magnificence of Jesus’ form and the appearance of the two Old Testament men, was to mistakenly suggest that he build three shelters (Luke comments that he didn’t know what he was saying!). Peter’s suggestion shows up his limited understanding of the scope of Jesus’ kingdom.

Peter was still thinking in Old Testament mode where the tent (later the temple) was the meeting place between God’s glory and Israel. But there is no need for tents or temples any more – God has pitched his tent among human beings in the flesh of Jesus Christ. Later on, after the resurrection, they would come to understand that all who are born again become members of the church – the body of Christ – the Temple of God’s Spirit. Christ IN YOU.

Finally, a bright cloud overshadowed them and a strong voice was heard. God the Father spoke from the cloud to the disciples concerning his Son.

17.5

The disciples fell flat on their faces in terror. Only as Jesus touched and reassured them did they lift up their eyes and discover he alone was now with them. Unless God approaches us, we will never be able to face up to him. He is too awesome, too clean and holy, too majestic and powerful and glorious for us to endure his presence. This is why he tenderly approaches us through his Son. No one comes to the Father except by him. He is the way, the truth and the life.

17.8 And when they lifted up their eyes, the saw no one, but Jesus only.

2. Transfiguration - establishing Jesus' identity

Now let’s go back and see what led up to this incident and what it might mean for us.

Jesus had recently been probing his disciples’ understanding about his identity. He was deeply concerned for their progress – most of all that they came to a proper understanding of who he is and how they could share in his mission. Did you realise that this is God’s greatest goal for you – that you should know him well in his Son, Jesus Christ?

Matthew 16.13-17.

Peter rightly understood and confessed that Jesus was the ‘Christ, Son of the living God’. Peter and the others had recognised that Jesus was more than a prophet and certainly not John the Baptist brought back to life. He was more than a mere man – he was the son of God, the leader appointed by God: Christ - or Messiah.

There is a hunger in people everywhere for good, strong, caring, just and noble leadership. The inauguration of Barak Obama confirms this. Even beyond America, people in other parts of the world hope longingly that he will be the man to bring peace and prosperity to nations. It is a Messiah they want. President Obama is not it – Christ is.

Peter had come a good way to grasping the significance of Jesus. So Jesus answers ‘yes… but’ to Peter’s correct answer. He tells them that although he is God’s Christ, he has to be rejected, killed and raised. Peter and the disciples had begun to understand two aspects of Christ’s identity: that of Prophet and King – that is, one who would reveal God’s message for mankind (prophet) and rule God’s people (king).

But Christ has been given not only as a King and Prophet he has also been given as a Priest. Prophet, Priest and King is what the Old Testament prophets revealed the Messiah would be.

As Priest he would deal with the sin that makes men and women the enemies of God – offensive to him. And to be that priest, he must make an offering – not an animal offering, but himself. The disciples did not yet grasp that his priestly work for us meant suffering, death and resurrection.

When the disciples thought of Jesus’ saving work, they thought of him saving and improving their current lives – they could not conceive of the new lives they would be living once the Spirit came.

When Jesus began to speak of his suffering and death, Peter – who a moment before had correctly identified him as God’s Son, the Christ – needed to be rebuked by Jesus for serving Satan’s interests! 16.22,23. Peter was tempting Jesus to reject his mission as self-sacrificing, suffering, dying Saviour. Jesus called this the man-centred rather than God-centred thinking: “You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God but on the things of man.”

Jesus told them that they must lose their lives in order to save them, because even if they accrued all the temporal worldly glory available (‘gain the whole world’) and yet lose their souls they would suffer deep, utter loss. 16.24-27.

Jesus taught them that his kingdom was different and more glorious than they could imagine. He would return with his Father’s glory plus his holy angels to bring in his kingdom. Then he said that in a day or two some of them would get a taste of the glory of that kingdom. 16.28

1. Transfiguration - glory exuded!

MATTHEW 17.1-8

Introduction

At the transfiguration of Jesus we see him exuding glory, not accruing it.

Let me explain the meaning of those two ideas. To accrue means to collect or add on. A person might accrue wealth when times are good, and lose it again when the economy goes bad. That wealth is not part of him – it is something he collected and then lost.

To exude is to radiate, to shine out or to ooze – to spread out in all directions. It means that something within is being expressed - poured out abundantly. We sometimes comment that a player is exuding confidence.

We mean that he is passing and running with certainty and seems self-assured and certain he can win. A bride exudes happiness on her wedding day as she walks down the aisle towards her groom. It is not something put on – it comes from deep within. When we speak of Jesus exuding glory, we mean that the glory that belongs to him by nature shines out.

Human glory is accrued through ‘add-ons’. For example, John Key, when he moved from private citizen to prime minister accrued some things that would befit the office of prime minister. He got a title, prime ministerial house, access to big BMW official cars, advisors, secret intelligence officers to protect him etc. All these things did not change the nature of the man, they were accrued or accumulated accessories designed to bring him glory. Likewise Mr Obama has accrued (taken over and possessed) all the trappings of the office of President of the United States. Mr Bush had to move out of the White House and leave the presidential seal on the desk in the oval office. The things that he had accrued as president were add-ons.

The glory of Jesus Christ is not attached to him – it is not given to him – it is not increased by us – he exudes his glory. Jesus IS glorious.

Glory has at the heart of it’s meaning ‘weight’ and ‘worth’. You know how you might pick up a piece of jewellery and it’s lightweight assures you that it can’t be gold – it’s cheap. But (unless its made of lead!) a gold item that his weighty has high value. When we speak of Christ’s glory we are speaking of his weightiness (not his physical weight in kilograms – but the immense worth and value of his person and character. His glory is infinite and uncontainable. It cannot be neatly classified. It demands our worship.

When God reveals himself his glory is seen. When he gave the law to Moses at Mt Sinai his glory was both seen and concealed by storm, lightning, earthquake, fire and smoke. That glory is too great for sinful humans to bear – so he conceals it – so it will not burn us up.

In the Old Testament, God’s glory was especially centred on the Temple. A cloud shrouded the tent when they worshiped in the wilderness. But in the New Testament, with his coming into the world as a man – his glory is centred on Jesus Christ. And the word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1.14.

On the mountain, Jesus was dressed in his normal simple clothing and yet he exuded his personal glory, to the point where even the dead objects associated with him (his clothing) shone with his glory.

His clothing did not add anything to his glory; rather his clothing served his glory by reflecting it. His clothes dazzled because he is dazzling.