Title: No One Was Seen Except Jesus
Contents
They saw no one except Jesus.
Text: Matthew 17:1-8
The mountain that Jesus ascended is Mount Hermon located in the Philippi region of Caesarea. In Mount Hermon, it is summer weather below and winter weather above, but there is a lot of snow on the top of the mountain. It is called perennial snow because it has never melted snow in ten thousand years.
The first thing that happened when I climbed the mountain
Jesus was transfigured in front of his disciples.
Jesus' face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light.
What does it mean?
First, it teaches us that although Jesus took on the likeness of the flesh, he is different from us who belong to heaven.
In Matthew 1:18, Jesus was conceived and born of the Holy Spirit through the body of the virgin Mary. Philippians 2:6-7 Although he was in the form of God, he did not consider equality with God to be robbery, but emptied himself, taking the brother of a servant, and became like men, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in human likeness. appeared as a man, humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of a cross.
Mark 1:23-24
Just then, there was a man in their synagogue who had an unclean spirit, and he cried out,
What have we to do with you, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God.
Matthew 27:53-54
After the resurrection of Jesus, they came out of the tomb and entered the holy city and appeared to many. When the centurion and those who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were very afraid and said, "Truly, this was the Son of God."
Second, it means that Jesus had a sinless nature that was completely different from ours.
Luke 5:8
When Simon Peter saw this, he fell down at Jesus' knees and said, "Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinner."
When people came to Jesus with the paralytic on stretchers, Jesus said, “Your sins are forgiven you.” The scribes and Pharisees are saying that Jesus, who you are, who dares to forgive people's sins... They revolted.
But Jesus said in Luke 5:24, “I will make you know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.”
Continuing to Jesus
Luke 5:31-32
He said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”
Acts 2:36
Therefore, let all the house of Israel know for sure, that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.
Acts 2:38
Peter said to him, Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit...
Acts 3:19
Therefore, repent and be converted, so that your sins may be blotted out in the name of Jesus, and in this way the days of rejoicing will come from the presence of the Lord...
Acts 10:43
All the prophets testify of him, saying that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.
John 1:29
The next day John saw Jesuk coming to him and said, Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
If you repent in the name of Jesus like this, God forgives your sins. This is because Jesus, who was without sin, took on all our sins, died on the cross and rose again. Jesus did not come to create democracy. Jesus did not come to solve economic problems. Jesus came to solve the problem of sin. Where the problem of sin is solved, there is love and sharing. Where there is love and sharing, the country is stable and the family is stable. Therefore, Jesus came to solve the problem of sin, the highest factor in unhappiness.
John 8:12
Jesus spoke again, saying, I am the light of the world; he who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.
We turn away from sin by turning to Jesus. I just hate sin. My conscience has been changed to a good conscience because of Jesus, so I don't rejoice in evil things. In the past, even though we sinned, we did not repent, but the closer we get to Jesus, the bigger our small sins seem, and we cannot sleep at night without repenting of our sins. When you believe in Jesus and your spiritual eyes are opened, you will have the ability to distinguish between good and bad. Distinguishing right from wrong improves quality of life. You have control over your sin. I hate dark and gloomy things. I hate being sad. I hate being drunk.
Verse 3 Moses is the representative of the law. Elijah is the most recognized of all the prophets. When asked to pick two of the greatest men in the Old Testament, it is of course Moses and Elijah. The disciples saw Moses and Elijah come down from heaven and talk with Jesus. Peter was bewildered. This is a dream, it's real... I pinched my thigh, but it wasn't a dream. Events that can only be seen in movies are happening right in front of your eyes. When Moses, Elijah, and Jesus finished their conversation, Peter cautiously approached Jesus and asked a question. Jesus is so amazing. Don't go down, I'll just live here.... If it's okay with Jesus, why don't we build one house for Jesus, another house for Moses, and another house for Elijah and live here until we die...
In other translations of the Bible, it was written that Peter did not know what he was saying even after he was speaking. Unfortunately, Peter saw Jesus, Moses, and Elijah as people with the same power. Those who believe in Islam treat Jesus, Moses, and Elijah equally.
Many people today see Jesus as the same as Buddha, Muhammad, and other figures, like Peter, who speaks without realizing it. There is only one mountain peak, but there are many ways to climb it. In India, through Hinduism, through Islam in the Middle East, through Buddhism in Asia, and through Christianity in Europe, isn't God saving us in different ways? says without hesitation.
There are many people in the church who think that they do not believe that they must believe in Jesus to be saved. Everyone, you can go to Seoul from Busan, from Jeju Island, from Yeosu, from Jeonju, from Daejeon, but heaven is not Seoul. How do you treat and compare going to heaven as inferior to going to Seoul? The Bible does not say that we can meet God through various branches and religions.
1 Timothy 2:5
There is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.
Acts 4:12
Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.
John 14:6
Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through me.
Matthew 7:13-14
Enter through the narrow gate, for the gate that leads to destruction is great, and many go beyond the road and enter by it, and the gate is narrow and strait that leads to life, and few find it.
Buddha, Socrates, Confucius, Muhammad, etc. are all wonderful and great human beings, but they did not die on the cross for our sins. These people have more knowledge than we do, but they are sinners just like us. Only Jesus is the savior sent by God.
Verse 5 To the disciples who did not understand anything, God covered the disciples with a cloud of light for a moment, and said, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; listen to me.”
As God Himself said, we must listen to the words of Jesus. “Listen to me” means that Jesus is the only person sent by God.
Verses 5 and 6
When God spoke, the disciples were terrified. When God spoke, the disciples did not dare to raise their faces. When God spoke, the disciples fell to the ground like dead people.
Is there anyone who thinks that if you see God with your own eyes, you can believe it? The disciples only heard the voice of God, but their bodies became hard like dead people. Still don't know? Humans cannot directly encounter God.
Look at verse 7 of the text. Who was the one who raised the disciples who had become as dead before the absolute God? Jesus. Jesus covers all our faults with love and grace. It is Jesus who protects us from the righteous judgment of God. Jesus is the one who saves us from being judged for our sins.
8 The disciples lifted up their eyes, and saw no one except Jesus.
Moses and Elijah looked great like Jesus, but at some point they disappeared like a mist.
Only Jesus was there. It means that Jesus is the only savior sent by God. Do you still think that you can meet God and be saved by a name other than Jesus? Not so. Only Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life.