January 27, 2008 2 Peter 1:16-21

16 We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17 For he received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, AThis is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.@ 18 We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain.

19 And we have the word of the prophets made more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. 20 Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet=s own interpretation. 21 For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

What is a Acleverly invented story@? It=s one that someone puts time and effort into - one that puts thought and purpose into examining who he or she is writing to and why he or she is writing it. This is what Athe Golden Compass@ was said to be according the reports I have read. The writer was an openly proclaimed atheist. He felt that the message of Christianity and any religion was dangerous to people - that it created many bigots and murderers. So he maliciously fashioned a picturesque book like C.S. Lewis= AChronicles of Narnia@ - but with the purpose of convincing children that there actually was no god - that the very concept of god was evil and needed to be put to death. Again, I don=t know whether this is a fair assessment because I=ve never read the books or seen the movie. But if the accusations are true - this would be a Acleverly invented story.@

The same could be said of the DaVinci Code - which took particles of truth and history and fabricated them together to concoct a story about the secret blood line of Christ=s children that He supposedly bore with Mary Magdalene, and how the early Church suppressed the information in order to suppress women. Many people read this cleverly invented story and watched the movie; and some were convinced the early church evilly tried to murder all of Jesus= offspring.

The difference between these stories and the stories of the Bible is that Bible stories are real. They happened with real people and in real places and they match with other secular history. They draw real pictures of trees, clouds, wars, hills, kings, queens and people who really existed. The Mt. of Transfiguration shows us another one of these stories - as Jesus is on the top of a mountain talking with Moses and Elijah about what Jesus was about to face. As beautiful as this story is, we still don=t want to get caught up in the pictures of what happens here.

The Greatest Light on the Mt. of Transfiguration is Heard and Not Seen

I. What are you hearing?

Peter wrote that he and the apostles did not follow Acleverly invented stories.@ The very mention of these Astories@ makes us assume that such stories were common already in his time. Listen to what Peter says of these false prophets in chapter 2 -

2 Peter 2:13‑15 Their idea of pleasure is to carouse in broad daylight. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their pleasures while they feast with you. With eyes full of adultery, they never stop sinning; they seduce the unstable; they are experts in greedCan accursed brood! They have left the straight way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam son of Beor, who loved the wages of wickedness.

Somehow these false prophets were able to use their Arevelations@ to convince Christians that adultery and drunkenness was ok. They were even seemingly bragging about it in their meals with the Christians. They were also able to use their seeming ability to receive revelation as a way to collect and hoard money for themselves - just like Balaam. Paul also wrote in 2 Thessalonians of people writing fake letters and reports claiming the authority of the apostles.

When you read through 2 Peter it is interesting to note how Peter re-emphasizes the purpose of God=s flood and the burning of Sodom and Gomorrah - and how he even puts an explanation of Lot=s character in the middle of chapter two as well. I can=t help but think that these false prophets were using all kinds of fanciful explanations to give a different Aspin@ to Lot or the flood - one that made it sound like these people who were clearly condemned according to God=s Word - that they really weren=t that bad of people. I wouldn=t put it past them to claim direct revelation from God to reexplain these stories in a way that would play to people=s sinful passions. I could imagine them saying, Ayou=ve been led to believe that Sodom and Gomorrah were judgments from God on sinful people for sexual behavior. Yet Lot was the same kind of guy with the same kind of sexual behavior. It wasn=t the sex that God condemned! We know by revelation from God that this was done to them because of their inhospitality! Just as Abraham and David and Solomon had more than one wife, it=s ok to have sex with plenty of women! God isn=t as strict as you=ve been led to believe! He=s just been interpreted wrongly!@ Peter said, Ano prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet=s own interpretation.@

So we need to be cautious of some Ainterpretations@ and Acleverly invented stories.@ Listen, for instance, to the Mormon Ainterpretation@ of the Fall -

ASome people believe Adam and Eve committed a serious sin when they ate of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. However, latter-day scriptures help us understand that their fall was a necessary step in the plan of life and a great blessing to all of us. Because of the Fall, we are blessed with physical bodies, the right to choose between good and evil, and the opportunity to gain eternal life. None of these privileges would have been ours had Adam and Eve remained in the garden.@

This is actually a popular view of liberal theologians and teachers of Areligion@ in major universities yet today.

It is also reflected in the modern day approach to the Scriptures, where everyone is said to have his or her own Ainterpretation@ of the Scriptures. One person quotes one Bible passage, while another one quotes another passage, and both end up agreeing to disagree. They say to each other, Athis is my interpretation.@ And so, with everyone being allowed to make his own interpretation, the whole idea of a denomination or confession and standard of faith is thought of as archaic and outdated. As a result, there is no absolute truth. What you believe is good for you, but it may not be good for me.

Perhaps you also inadvertently take the same approach? If I start getting into specifics about how much to give or what television shows to watch or how you should treat your specific spouse, do you relegate this to Pastor Pankow being too legalistic - of not understanding Ayour situation@? Do you immediately accuse your parents of being old fashioned and unloving just Anot getting it@ because their ideas of morality just don=t match yours? It=s amazing what guilt will do - how it will put any interpretation on any verse that doesn=t match with it. Just because you or your children or the world is doing it or believing it doesn=t make it right.

Peter wrote, prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit directed the men what to write and say and believe. Yet the way people approach Scriptures today is, Athis is what I want to say and believe,@ and Holy Spirit - I=ll find some passages which make you say what I want you to say. They turn this passage into being, Athe Holy Spirit speaks from God as He is carried along by the will of men.@ All of this is sinful and doesn=t lead to unity. It doesn=t lead to any sort of Godly conviction either. It in reality turns everyone into his or her own pope with his own church. We all end up growing our own little wings and flying up to heaven with Paul and John so we can see what we want to see. This is not how God designed it. He is the author. He makes the declarations. A truly God pleasing heart is willing to listen and submit to whatever God has to say - no matter how difficult or unbelievable or biting or seemingly degrading it may be.

II. Hear who Jesus is

When Peter wrote to these Christians he didn=t give them his own personal revelations or thoughts. We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. Peter told them about his actually eye-witnessed events - of things that he actually saw Jesus say and do. He wasn=t speaking according to some personal revelation that he claimed to have. He walked and talked with Jesus. Peter saw Jesus walk on water. He saw Jesus raise the dead. He saw Jesus heal the sick. He was one of the inner three disciples who actually saw Jesus turn to bright white and talk with the resurrected Moses and Elijah on the Mount of Transfiguration. He felt and ate with and talked with the resurrected Christ. Everyone knew he wasn=t making these stories up. His credentials spoke for themselves. That is not to minimize what happened to Paul as he did receive a revelation from the resurrected Lord - since Peter also makes mention of Paul as his Adear brother@ in Christ and says Paul=s words too are equal with the Scriptures. (2 Peter 3:16) But it does serve to distinguish Peter from the many fakes that seemed to be infiltrating the Christian church at this time.

Isn=t it interesting to see what Peter then points to as the seemingly most glorious event on the top of the Mount of Transfiguration? He doesn=t mention the fact that Jesus was speaking with Moses or Elijah - imagine that! He doesn=t mention the fact that Jesus clothes turned as white as snow and that light shone out from him like lightning. Imagine that! Nor does he mention the cloud that came descending on himself, James and John. What was it that impressed Peter the most about this Mt. of Transfiguration? It was hearing the voice of God! He received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, AThis is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.@ We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain.

Let=s think about the very revelation that God gives from the mountain. What is so earth shattering about this information? There are some who would probably hear this revelation and think it rather boring. After all, it didn=t tell Peter about any secret golden tablets hidden on a hillside somewhere far away. The Father=s words didn=t reveal any hidden secrets about Peter that Peter needed to know. The words completely ignored Peter, James, and John, and only spoke about Jesus. They say two main things about Him.

1. This is my Son. What is so novel about this? Aren=t we all children of God? Obviously from the fact that the Father felt compelled to say this of Jesus - it means something more. He is no mere son by adoption or grace. He is the Son of God by nature - the eternal Son of God - just as the Father is eternal. He is, in fact, God.

2. My beloved. With Him I am well pleased. Again, what is so earth shattering about this? Doesn=t God also say that He loves the world? Isn=t God pleased with all of us? If you don=t understand the importance of this statement, then you don=t understand the magnitude of sin. God=s Word says in Romans 3:10‑12

AThere is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.@

God=s Word plows everyone under a mound of sin - no matter how far up the dung hill you=ve dug. The greatest humanitarian this world has ever known - the most well known peace maker - from Gandi to Mother Theresa are all piled under God=s judgment of Anot righteous@ and Aworthless@. God is not really pleased with any of us as we are by nature. But then out of the depths of this sinful earth God calls one Man out on the Mt. of Transfiguration and says, AI=m pleased with THIS guy right here!@ Peter heard these words himself.

This is no minor statement. All of Christianity rests on this revelation of WHO Jesus is. If Jesus is not God=s Son - if God the Father is not pleased with Jesus - then He is only getting what HE deserves. But knowing that Jesus was who the Father said he was, means that Jesus was getting what WE deserved on the cross. Jesus predicted this in Mark 10:45 when He said, Athe Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.@ This revelation means that the Son of God - who is really God Himself - went to the cross and died for us. What could be more earth shattering and life changing than that - to know that Jesus died for US and not for Himself? It means all of our sins are paid for.

When God chose to spoke from heaven He only wanted to do one thing - reveal to the disciples Who Jesus was. This was the most glorious part of the whole story for Peter, James and John - the revelation of God the Father about Jesus. Peter and the apostles then follow in line. Christianity lives and dies on Christ. He is the stone, the foundation, the way, the truth and the life. Like Peter said, We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.

III. Hear who Jesus is in the Scriptures

Peter is no longer here. We have no more eyewitnesses of his majesty. So what are we to do? Who are we to follow? Who can we trust? As we live in an era of plenty of people who still claim heavenly visions and even perform miraculous wonders - how do we know who is legit? Listen to what Peter says. And we have the word of the prophets made more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. 20 Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet=s own interpretation. 21 For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. Isn=t it interesting what Peter tells his listeners to do? He doesn=t demand that he be the final word on the matter. Instead - he tells his listeners to go further back - back to the word of the prophets in the Old Testament. Through reexamining these Old Testament prophecies and paying attention to fulfillment of them in Christ through their testimony; the light of Christ - the Morning Star - would shine in their hearts and bring them a stronger knowledge of salvation.

Isn=t this interesting? After going up to a Mountain and hearing God speak from the clouds, Peter doesn=t recommend each of us to find our own personal mountain to climb where we can get our own personal revelation from the Father. No. He was most impressed by the words of the Father on that Mountain - how they pointed Him to who Christ was. So he instead points us all back to the same old words of the prophets and looking at them. The more we understand and know the Old Testament prophecies, the more we will be led to see and believe how they were fulfilled in Christ just as Peter and the apostles wrote about in the New Testament.

How many times do you hear people trying something new or novel or hip in order to try and bring more people into church or seem cutting edge? If we just use this musical style, if we just try this program, if we are just more Apractical@ and talk more about Christian living, if we can make people laugh more and make church seem less >threatening= then we will be more Amodern@ in the eyes of the world and bring more people in. They says, Apeople don=t want to hear about >doctrine= or whether Christ is >divine= or >human.=@ So they take down the cross and remove any Scripture readings from the service. Peter instead says, Ago back to old faithful - these old prophecies and see them with a new light in them - see how they were fulfilled as I have seen and testify to you!@ Christianity is neither new nor novel. It is the oldest and most ancient Areligion@ on earth. It dates all the way back to the promise of God to Adam and Eve to crush the serpent=s head. It has always revolved around the Christ. So if you want to see the light - have your own mountain experience, just go back to the old prophecies of God=s prophets. Go back to the fulfillment of these prophecies through the words of the apostles. As you do this, the Holy Spirit will carry you into the light of Christ.

This is the last Sunday in Epiphany - where we see Christ at his brightest. We are on the threshold of seeing Jesus go back down the mountain - only to walk up another hill with a cross on his back and a crown of thorns on his head. Instead of wearing a white robe he will be stripped of his robes and wearing a robe of blood pouring off his back. What did Peter say was the most important thing on the Mt. of Transfiguration? The words of the Father - which revealed who Jesus was. The Greatest Light on the Mt. of Transfiguration is Heard and Not Seen. Remember this as we head to the other hill of Golgotha. The sight will be ugly and hard to look at. But the words and the promises connected to that hill will be beautiful - because they will show us what a wonderful Savior we have in Christ. Amen.