April 8, 2007

Cawson St. Church of Christ

Hopewell, Virginia

Mural Worthey

 

The Majesty of Jesus Christ

 

Text: 2 Peter 1:12-21

 

Introduction: On Sunday evenings we have been studying how to obtain the Christian virtues named by Peter. Immediately following this discussion, Peter speaks of two things: his coming death and what they taught about Jesus Christ. Knowing that he was shortly going to die, Peter wanted to remind them of certain truths about Christianity. He contrasted the message of the false teachers (chapter 2) who denied the Lord to their message confessing the glory and majesty of Jesus Christ.

 

The one event that Peter recalled that he was an eyewitness of was the transfiguration of Jesus Christ on the mount. It is interesting to think about why Peter chose this one event; there were many to choose from. It was not the only event when the voice of God the Father came from heaven acknowledging Jesus as his Son. “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” (2 Peter 1:17, Matt. 17:5.) In Matthew’s account, the words are added: “Hear ye him.” The Father affirmed his Son at his baptism (Matt. 3:17) and later when some Greeks came to hear Jesus in Galilee (John 12:28). The transfiguration was not the only significant event in the life of Jesus Christ our Lord. Why did Peter choose this event to highlight?

 

The transfiguration may have been chosen because: 1) Peter wrote earlier of his glory and virtue (excellence), (vs. 3); 2) he wrote about Christians being partakers of his divine nature (vs. 4); 3) because he wrote about Christian traits that make us more like God; 4) because it visibly demonstrated, more than any other event, the divine nature of Jesus Christ, which was being questioned by false teachers (2:1).

 

Like Peter, I want to tell the story again of the glory and majesty of Jesus’ life. Peter named one important event that happened to Jesus; I want to name seven events and speak briefly of each. All of these are found in Matthew’s gospel and Acts 1. (See 1 Tim. 3:16.)

1—What is a transfiguration? (Matthew 17:2.) It is described by Matthew in this way: “And he was transfigured before them (Peter, James and John) and his face shone like the sun and his clothes became white as light.” The word, transfigure, simply means to change one’s appearance. No one else on earth can do what Jesus did. Mohammad could not have done it; Joseph Smith certainly could not; the Dalai Lama could never do it; neither Hira Krishna, nor Confucius. Even Moses and Elijah who appeared with Jesus could not have been transfigured. If we could expose our spirit, we would be dead!

 

The transfiguration, another revelation of Jesus’ deity, was done before three witnesses to confirm what they had already read in the OT prophets and had seen in Jesus’ life. That is the meaning of the words, we have the prophetic word made more sure (1:19). This event confirmed what the prophets of old had already foretold concerning Jesus.

 

Note several similar things in this text. Jesus’ divine spirit shines forth in all its brilliance; the prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit; the day star arises in our hearts as a light that shines in a dark place; and Christians partake of the divine nature by escaping moral corruption that’s in the world and by putting on divine qualities.

 

2—Jesus’ birth. (Matt. 1:21-23.) Remember that the false teachers were denying the Lord who bought them. (2:1.) These seven events tell the story of who Jesus is. Jesus’ birth was unique in that it was not just a virgin birth. It was not just a miraculous birth; there were other miraculous births (like Isaac). Jesus’ entrance into the world was an incarnation. No one else could ever have experienced an incarnation. This special entrance of Jesus into the world is described simply and sufficiently by John. He wrote, “The Word became flesh and we beheld his glory (the glory of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth).” (John 1:14.) An incarnation is Spirit putting on a fleshly body.

 

The fact that Jesus was born of the virgin Mary is only part of the story of his birth. There is another important aspect of his birth. He is the Word that was in the beginning with God; he was God. (John 1:1.) Unbelievers often point out that many kings claimed to have been virgin-born. Yes, it is true. They also demanded worship of their subjects, but that does not mean that they were worthy of worship. Idolaters had many gods. But no one could claim that they pre-existed their births and came into the world. That is what happened with Jesus Christ. God has visited man and lived among him. Jesus was called Immanuel which means “God with us.” (Matt. 1:23.)

 

3—The Baptism of Jesus (Matt. 3:13-17.) John the Immerser was baptizing Jews in the River Jordan. It must have captured the attention of the whole country. Thousands of Jews streaming down to the Jordan wilderness; then Jesus came in the crowd. That shocks us. It shocked John as well. He told Jesus that he needed to be baptized of him. We are puzzled because Jesus had no sins to be washed away. This is the purpose of baptism; it is not just a ceremony without meaning or purpose. (Mark 1:4.) To baptize a saved man or a sinless man makes no sense. If you can be saved without being baptized or before baptism, then the ordinance makes no sense.

 

The baptism of Jesus was meaningful because God had commanded through John the Baptist to baptize all the Jews. They came out to him confessing their sins and being baptized. Thus, Jesus and John fulfilled all righteousness; that is, they did what God commanded them to do. Have you been baptized to wash away your sins? (Acts 22:16.)

 

When Jesus was baptized the Father said from heaven, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” (Matt. 3:17.) God will not speak from heaven, but you can be assured that he will be pleased with you when you obey the Gospel.

 

4—The Temptation of Jesus. (Matt. 4:1-11.) After Jesus’ baptism, Jesus was led into the wilderness by the Spirit to be tempted by the Devil. The Evil One tempted Jesus by appealing to his need for bread to eat (Jesus had been fasting for forty days); by appealing to his protection from God the Father (jump off the top of the temple, God will protect you); by appealing to an easy way to obtain the devotion of the nations of the world (bow down and worship me and I will give them to you). In each case, Jesus rejected the ground upon which Satan based the temptation.

 

Was Jesus hungry? Yes, but there is a better bread to eat that does not perish. Will God protect Jesus? Yes, but we should not be testing God to see if he will do what we want. Did Jesus feel the anguish of the coming cross? Yes, but only God should be worshipped.

Jesus was tempted in all points like we are, but without sin. (Heb. 4:15.) Jesus’ sinless life is the basis for our salvation. His sacrifice on the cross is meaningful because of his pure life. Instead of getting pulled into the meaningless debate over whether Jesus could have sinned, we should affirm and remember the really important matter—Jesus did not sin! It is astonishing that many so-called believers now say that they believe that Jesus sinned during his life on earth. This is said without any evidence whatsoever and contrary to all that is written of him in Scripture. Note this passage: He is a high priest that is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners and made higher than the heavens. (Heb. 7:26.)

 

5—His Crucifixion. (Matthew 27.) We know how Jesus died; that is, by the cruel method of crucifixion. We also know why Jesus died; that is, for our salvation. Isaiah, writing in the 8^th century BC, said that he was wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities. (Isa. 53:5.) Jesus heard the voice of God and felt the comfort of angels on many occasions before, but not this time. There was not a reassuring voice from heaven saying, This is my beloved Son in whom I am well-pleased. In fact, Jesus cried out, Why have you forsaken me?

 

The preaching of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to the saved it is the power of God. (1 Cor. 1:18.) The world has always rejected the cross for many reasons: a) it has moral implications about our lives; b) because it rejects any boasting by man; c) because death on a cross was a despised and shameful thing (who would boast and glory in such a thing?); d) and because it exposes the extreme sinfulness of man.

 

The death of Jesus occurred because of the love of God for lost man. Jesus laid down his life willingly. No man took it from him. (John 10:18.)

 

6—Jesus’ Resurrection. (Matt. 28.) If Jesus had only died, our hope would be incomplete. The Gospel is about the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. We need to make it clear that we believe in a real, physical resurrection from the dead. We do not preach or believe in a symbolic, spiritual resurrection where the body remains in the tomb. Paul wrote that our faith is vain and we are still in our sins, if Jesus did not arise. (1 Cor. 15:17.) We believe in the resurrection of Jesus for the following reasons: 1) His tomb was found empty, but an empty tomb alone does not prove that he arose; 2) He appeared to thousands over a forty-day period after his death on the cross; 3) Christianity was founded upon this central truth that Jesus arose. It was first preached in the very city where he was crucified and buried. If the Jews or Romans had the body, they could have produced it and stopped Christianity in its inception. It is rather foolish to be looking for a body when Jesus was alive and preaching among them.

 

Why is there so much attention being given to disproving the resurrection of Jesus from the dead? In America, we are very much like ancient Greek and Roman culture. We are a godless society as a whole. The ancient Greeks, long before Charles Darwin, believed in evolution. Like them, America worships the god of science. True science is a study of the creation (and only a tiny part of it at best). Science cannot explain a resurrection of the dead; this has to do with the power of God. (Matt. 22:29.) The basic issue concerning the resurrection of the dead is whether such is possible. Paul asked Agrippa, “Why should it be thought an incredible thing with you, that God should raise the dead?” (Acts 26:8.)

 

7—His Ascension to Heaven. “So then after he had spoken to them, he was received up into heaven and sat on the right hand of God.” (Mark 16:19.) “And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up and a cloud received him out their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, which also said, You men of Galilee, why stand ye looking up into heaven? This same Jesus which was taken you from you shall so come in like manner as you have seen him go into heaven.” (Acts 1:9-11.)

 

The ascension of Jesus into heaven is an important and final part of the great events that happened in Jesus’ life. If Jesus died and did not arise, his burial would be the end of the story of his life. If he did arise, as indeed eyewitnesses have reported, then the ascension to heaven and remaining of earth forever are the only possibilities. His ascension is significant in his role as our high priest. He has entered into heaven itself for us.