Transfiguration
Resources
By Glen Dawursk, Jr. – www.yuthguy.com
Family
Devotion
Bible Readings:
Exodus 24:12, 15-18 (NIV)
(Moses ascends Mt. Sinai to
receive the Law and witness God's glory.)
12 The LORD said to Moses, "Come up to me on the mountain and stay
here, and I will give you the tablets of stone, with the law and commands Ihave written for their instruction." ... 15 When
Moses went up on the mountain, the cloud covered it, 16 and the glory of
the LORD settled on Mount Sinai. For six days the cloud covered the mountain,
and on the seventh day the LORD called to Moses from within the cloud. 17
To the Israelites the glory of the LORD looked like a consuming fire on top of the
mountain. 18 Then Moses entered the cloud as he went on up the mountain.
And he stayed on the mountain forty days and forty nights.
Matthew 17:1-9 (NIV)
(Jesus is transfigured on the mountaintop.)
After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James,
and led them up a high mountain by themselves. 2 There he was transfigured
before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as
the light. 3 Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah,
talking with Jesus. 4 Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us
to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters-one for you, one for
Moses and one for Elijah." 5 While he was still speaking, a bright
cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, "This is my Son,
whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!"
6 When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified.
7 But Jesus came and touched them. "Get up," he said. "Don't be
afraid." 8 When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus. 9 As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus instructed
them, "Don't tell anyone what you have seen, until the Son of Man has been
raised from the dead."
Devotion:
It’s your birthday and dad
wants to take a picture of you before you blow out the candles on your birthday
cake. He lifts the camera to his eye and
proceeds to shout, “Smile and say cheese!”
You respond with a great big smile and the simple word, “Cheese.” Suddenly a dazzling light from the camera’s
flash bulb brightens the room with so much light, it seems brighter than
daylight. The flash momentarily “blinds”
you and you can see nothing but the glow of the camera’s bulb in your eyesight
– an image of the actual flash seems to be imprinted on your eyes. For the moment, this transparent image makes
it difficult to see the room clearly as you see the “flash spot” wherever you
look; but just as quickly as the flash filled the space, the normal dullness of
the room returns and you proceed to blow out the candles as your family and friends
sing “Happy Birthday.”
Does this sound
familiar? Have you ever had a “flash” of
light that seemed to blind you for a moment?
Maybe a car on a dark highway has its “brights” on as it approaches your car or maybe a
lightning bolt flashes across a darkened sky and catches you off guard.
In our Bible stories for
today, we read about two times were God’s followers climbed a mountain and saw
the “Glory of God.” In both cases, God’s
Glory caused a brightness and radiance which exceeded any “flash” from a
camera.
When Moses went up to be
with God, God initially used a cloud to represent His presence, or his “Glory”
before the people. Many chapters later
(Exodus 34:29), we read about how when Moses stood before God again, God’s
presence caused Moses’ face to glow. This radiance or brightness scared many of
the people, so whenever Moses came down from the mountain he wore a vale, a
piece of cloth, over his face. This
brightness was caused by the “perfect ness and power” of God. It was simply because Moses was in God’s
presence. The “Glory of God” caused
Moses’ radiance.
Almost 1500 years later,
Jesus’ disciples also saw this brightness or “God’s Glory” when they were with
Jesus on the mountain praying. The word
used in the Bible is “transfigured” which simply means that Jesus
“changed.” For a moment, Jesus’ clothes
became as bright as the sun or a lightning bolt, brighter than any camera
flash. In that moment, the disciples saw
God’s Glory in Jesus. Jesus, who lived
with the disciples as a man, was really God. He chose to take the form of a
man, because He wanted to live the perfect life we could not live. When Moses came down from the mountain, we
learned that if we could not be perfect, we could not go to Heaven; but God
loved us so much that He lived the perfect life for us through Jesus and then
died for our sinfulness, our imperfectness, on the cross. He took upon Himself our darkness so that we
could experience His brightness someday in Heaven. So the next time you see a bright light, think
of the brightness of the Glory of God, which we will see someday in
heaven.
Family Discussion:
How do we share the “light” of Christ with others?
What can we do to let “God’s Glory” shine through us?
Prayer:
Dear God, Thank you for the “light” of Jesus.
Thank you that because of your love for us, we will someday experience
your “radiance” in heaven. Please help
us to “shine” the light of Jesus to others around us. May we be your bright lights in a darkened world. In Jesus name, Amen.
"We shall be like Him,
for we shall see Him as He is." (I John 3:2)
Sunday School Opening: Transfiguration
Song: Faith
Opens Doors
Glen
Dawursk, Jr. 7/17/96
The door was closed when
we were born;
No way to get in.
Real
life was lost and we had died,
Due to our sin;
Due
to our sin;
Due to our sin.
Chorus:
But
then a light from God above,
Came
shining through the door.
Jesus
is the key to life,
And
faith has opened the door;
Yes,
faith has opened the door,
‘Cause
Jesus opens the door.
The
world gives us a window,
And claims that we’ll see more.
And
we desire that window,
When
God gives us a door;
When
God gives us a door;
When God gives us a door.
So praise our Heavenly
Father
And Jesus, His own son,
And
glorify His spirit,
For
He makes us one;
Yes,
He makes us one.
Trinity
is one.
Alternate Chorus:
And
praise Him for the light above,
Which shines through our doors.
For
God has given us new life,
And
faith has opened our doors;
Yes,
faith has opened our doors.
Jesus
opened our doors.
Today’s Memory Verse:
Today’s verse is taken from Matthew 17:8; where Jesus
came to the disciples who were afraid and said, “Don’t
be Afraid.” Jesus says
this to us also. He is our friend and is
always with us, even when we are afraid.
Puppet Play:
Pie, Fish and Change
Written by Glen Dawursk, Jr. 3/17/02 – www.yuthguy.com
(Music fade)
Narrator: It was
a peaceful quiet day the town of Caesarea Philip - pie
Gramps: (Pops up his head) Hey did you
say something about a pie?
I simply love pie. What kind of pie is
it anyway?
Narrator: Pie?
No not pie, I said the city was named Caesarea Philippi.
Gramps: Oh, sorry, I thought you said pie. I
love pie.
Narrator: Well, anyway it was a peaceful day and
Jesus and three of His disciples, Peter, James and John decided to hike up Mount Hermon so they could pray.
Gramps: PLAY on a mountain? Why would you PLAY football or baseball on a
mountain? The ball goes flying off and
then you have to hike back down to get the ball. Well you know what I mean. It just doesn’t sound too safe too me. Playing on a mountain.
Narrator: No, No, not PLAY, PRAY! They went up the mountain to pray!
Gramps: Did you say PRAY?
Narrator: Yes.
Gramps: Yep, I do it all the time. Praying is a great way to talk to God.
Narrator: Well that is true. Anyway, while they were on the mountain,
Jesus “changed.”
Gramps: Changed? You mean He brought different clothes along
and changed into his PRAY clothes? (laughs at his own joke)
You get it, Instead of PLAY clothes, I said PRAY clothes?
Narrator: No, No, No, No! Jesus changed – He became transfigured!
Gramps: Yeah, my wife is trying to change her
FIGURE too. Got a
little big from eating all those pies.
Narrator: Listen, the word is
“transfigured”. It means that Jesus, who
was 100% man, showed for a moment that He is also 100% God. His human appearance “changed” for a moment.
Gramps: It did?
He changed how He looked? How did
He change?
Did
He shave off His beard or something?
Narrator: Well, the Bible tells us that His
clothes became as bright as lightning or as bright as the sun.
Gramps: Wow, I sure hope those disciples
remembered their sunglasses. Bright
lights are murder on my eyes. They got a
name for that brightness thing?
Narrator: Well, we call it the “Glory of God.”
Gramps: The “Story of Cod”, huh? I just love a good fishing tale.
Narrator: No, the “Glory of God.” You see they were in the presence of
God. Jesus is God.
Gramps: Bet they were real surprised.
Narrator: They wear very surprised and not only
was the bright light from Jesus’ clothes hard on their eyes, but then something
even more fantastic happened?
Gramps: Oh, I know, let me guess, they all ate
pie and went fishing. Right?
Narrator: No, that’s not right at all. While Jesus was glowing with the Glory of
God, two special visitors suddenly appeared out of nowhere.
Gramps: Yep I figured as much, two thieves
showed up looking’ to steal their fish and pies?
Narrator: No, no, no – There was no fish and
pies.
Gramps: Of course not, they stole them.
Narrator: There were no fish and pies on the
mountain – just Jesus and the three disciples…
Gramps: …and the thieves.
Narrator: No the men who appeared weren’t even
alive.
Gramps: You mean they were dead thieves?
Narrator: They weren’t thieves at all, they were
Godly men who had already died and gone to heaven.
Gramps: You mean some dead guys just (snap
fingers) showed up uninvited and all?
Narrator: Hmmm (Nods
head) Moses and Elijah suddenly appeared next to
Jesus.
Gramps: Just zapped out of nowhere huh? Kind of like an X-File Episode. Do, de, do do, do
de, do, do (Hums Twilight Zone theme) Scarey!
Whoa. I love that stuff.
Narrator: Peter, one of the disciples even wanted
to put up tents for the men. Then a
voice from heaven scared the disciples.
They fell to the ground and tried to hide. It said, “This is my Son,
whom I love, with Him I am well pleased. Listen to Him!” It was God the Father speaking about His Son,
Jesus.
Gramps: Wow, sort of a family reunion.
Narrator: But just as quickly as the men
appeared, they soon disappeared. They
were gone.
Gramps: Off course they were gone, sounds like
they wanted some fish and pie to me – and you didn’t have any. Some family reunion you planned. Without any
food, I’m surprised anybody showed up.
Narrator: Moses represented the Law or the Ten
Commandments and Elijah represented the Prophets who predicted the Jesus’
birth. Jesus is the fulfillment of the
“Law and the Prophets.” Jesus told the disciples “Do not be afraid.” Because of Jesus, we also do not have to be
afraid. He is God and He is with us
always and someday we will all have a family reunion with Him in Heaven.
Gramps: Well, maybe there’ll be fish and pie at
that Family reunion! Mmmm,
you think there’ll be pie in heaven? I
do. Maybe Chicken pie, or maybe Fish
Pie, or maybe “pie squared”. Yah get it? Pi-squared.
Narrator: Oh no, not again! (Exits)
Gramps: I just crack myself up. Hey come back here I want to talk more about
this “transfigured” stuff. (Exits)
(Music
up)
Song:
(Options)
·
This Little
Gospel Light of Mine (I’m Gonna Let It Shine)
·
Shine Jesus
Shine
·
Jesus is the
Light, He is the Light of the World
Prayer:
Dear Jesus,
We praise you for being God and Man. We thank you for suffering and dieing on a
cross for our sins. Thank you for being
a light of forgiveness in our darkness of sin.
May we reflect your light, your love, and your forgiveness to others today. Amen.
Board Meeting
Devotion
Bible Readings:
Exodus 24:12, 15-18 (NIV)
(Moses ascends Mt. Sinai to receive
the Law and witness God's glory.)
12 The LORD said to Moses, "Come up to me on the mountain and stay
here, and I will give you the tablets of stone, with the law and commands I
have written for their instruction." ... 15 When Moses went up on the
mountain, the cloud covered it, 16 and
the glory of the LORD settled on Mount Sinai. For six days the cloud covered
the mountain, and on the seventh day the LORD called to Moses from within the
cloud. 17 To the Israelites the glory of the LORD looked like a consuming
fire on top of the mountain. 18 Then Moses entered the cloud as he went
on up the mountain. And he stayed on the mountain forty days and forty nights.
Matthew 17:1-9 (NIV)
(Jesus is transfigured on the mountaintop.)
After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of
James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. 2 There he was
transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became
as white as the light. 3 Just then there appeared before them Moses and
Elijah, talking with Jesus. 4 Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good
for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters-one for you, one
for Moses and one for Elijah." 5 While he was still speaking, a
bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, "This is my
Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him! 6 When the
disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. 7 But
Jesus came and touched them. "Get up," he said. "Don't be
afraid." 8 When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus. 9 As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus instructed
them, "Don't tell anyone what you have seen, until the Son of Man has been
raised from the dead."
Message:
It is amazing to me how our society’s conveniences have shaped who we
are and how we live. I came across a commentary on the Internet the other day
that demonstrated this. The writer,
David Roher talks about how society has even changed
how we camp.
“The motor
home has allowed us to put all the conveniences of home on wheels. A camper no
longer needs to contend with sleeping in a sleeping bag, cooking over a fire,
or hauling water from a stream. Now we can park a fully equipped home on a
cement slab in the midst of a few pine trees and hook up to a water line, a
sewer line and electricity. One motor home I saw recently had a satellite dish
attached on top. No more bother with dirt, no more smoke from the fire, no more
drudgery of walking to the stream. Now it is possible to go camping and never
have to go outside. We buy a motor home with the hope of seeing new places, of
getting out into the world. Yet we deck it out with the same furnishings as in
our living room. Thus nothing really changes. We may drive to a new place, set
ourselves in new surrounding, but the newness goes unnoticed, for we've only carried
along our old setting.”
The author then goes on to say that “the adventure of new life in Christ
begins when the comfortable patterns of the old life are left behind.” To me
this is a perfect application of Transfiguration Sunday.
It is a pleasant
day for a hike, and Jesus leads three of His disciples up Mount Hebron, possibly to pray. Just a week
prior, Peter professed publicly His belief that Jesus was not simply a man;
Jesus is the Son of God. It is on this
mountain that Jesus gave Peter, James and John a unique view of His
“God-side.” When the disciples reached
the top, according to the Bible, He “changed.”
The word used was “Transfigured” which comes from the Greek word
“metamorphosis” or “Change.” Jesus’
three closest disciples experienced “God’s Glory” in Christ when His appearance
became as bright as the sun, “white as light” (Matthew 17:2), “bright as a
flash of lightning,” (Luke 9:29) and as “dazzling white, whiter
than anyone in the world could bleach them” (Mark 9:3). Jesus was significantly different and if that
was not enough, He had visitors appear with Him.
Moses,
representing the old covenant and the need for a savior, and Elijah, the
prophet who was called the “restorer of all things” (Malachi 4:5-6) appeared
with Jesus. The Jewish concept of the scriptures being the “Law and Prophets”
was being represented on this mountain top; but even more, the fulfillment of
the Law and Prophets” was represented through Jesus. But the story does not end here. After Peter offers to put-up some tents for
the visitors, God the Father speaks to the disciples with a booming voice from
heaven: “This is my son…listen to Him.”
Just as quickly as this “change” took place, it was over and the
disciples were left with obvious amazement and extreme trepidation. Knowing their hearts, Jesus touched them and
comforted them saying, “Do not fear.”
God consistently
offered “mountain top” experiences to His people throughout scripture. They are examples of God’s manifestation and
Jesus’ glory and demonstrate the “power of God,” and more importantly
demonstrate the fulfillment of the law in Jesus Christ. He is the “mountain top” experience for all
believers. Through Him, we can all
receive a “transformation” from our sinful condition toward the glory He has
prepared for us. These examples of
“glory” are significant. In the Old
Testament, I firmly believe that Moses did not want to leave the presence of
God on the mountain. Even Peter was
prepared to put up tents. He wanted to
stay on the mountain. Can we blame
him? We want to stay on the mountain
also? Who would want to leave the
presence of God? Not me.
So what does a motor home camper have to do with Transfiguration? Simply, they both involved a
“transformation.” While Jesus was
affirming His God-side, I think He was also emphasizing our need for a
“transfiguration” in our lives and then in our ministry approaches.
The theme of the Transfiguration is not simply the majesty and glory of
God, or the fulfillment of the Law in Jesus, but more importantly the fact that
God’s disciples had to return to earth.
God does not want for us to simply and exclusively dwell in the presence
of the Glory of God on the mountain – at least not now. Why?
Simply stated, ministry takes place at the base of the mountain. This starts when we are willing to
demonstrate the “transfiguration” in our lives to others. We must show that Jesus is apart of us; that
the glow of our lives is from the source of all power and light, God
himself.
What is the real focus of our church’s ministry? Are we making every effort to “touch” people
as Jesus did? Are we seeking to offer
relief from their fear? This type of
ministry makes Jesus real not just to our members, but also to our
community. Are we willing to minister
within our church’s wilderness, or are we still seeking the inward comforts of
our traditional “church motor home”.
Does our board seek to teach faith formation within the context of the
needs and experiences of the people we minister to now, or is it tied to the
traditions and culture of 20 or 30 years ago?
Just like the motor home analogy, true ministry and Christian education
begin “when the comfortable patterns of the old life are left behind.” The message of these verses is the necessity
to meet the needs of people who desire to meet God on the mountain. To seek God, but know that touching lives and
real ministry takes place at the base of the mountain. Here we will see people transformed, as the
glory of God is made known to them. May
it be so within this board and throughout our church for Jesus sake. Amen.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father,
Thank you for the
new life we receive through your Son Jesus Christ. We come before you tonight, asking that your
Holy Spirit would empower us to make decisions that are pleasing to you. May we as a board seek out ways to
demonstrate to others the “change” you have made in our lives. May we “touch” others the way you touched us
and may we be used by your Holy Spirit to be Jesus with “skin on” to a
community in need of your love and salvation.
Thank you Father. In your Son’s name, Jesus, we pray.
Amen.
Transfiguration
Bible Study
Written by Glen Dawursk, Jr. -- www.yuthguy.com
While Genesis concentrated
predominately upon the family of Abraham and his descendants, Exodus’ focus is
upon the “redemption” of a nation of chosen people – namely, Israel. Exodus comes from the Greek words for “out,”
“departure,” and “exit”. This is appropriate
as it describes the departure of the Children of Israel from their bondage in Egypt and of
the “covenant” relationship they had with their God.
The book
of Exodus was written by Moses (17:14; 24:4;
34:27) as part of the “Law” or Pentateuch, one of the first five books
of the Torah and is included in the Old Testament cannon. It is believed that the Exodus took place
about 1446 BC (1 Kings 6:1). It clearly
points to God’s fulfillment of several promises and gives credibility to the
ones still to be fulfilled. Someday, if
we maintain our relationship with God while here on earth, we too will
experience a “Canaan” eternally with Him in
heaven.
Exodus can
be split into two sections: the first
dealing with the historical aspects of the nation or “church” of Israel and the
second half dealing with the “laws” or regulations for the church.
Read -- Exodus 24:12, 15-18
- Exodus 24 specifically speaks
to the _______ and glory of God and His desire for a relationship with His
people.
- It is here that Moses
experiences the “________” of God on the mountain.
- In the first verses, we
immediately see the “grace” of God as He willingly enters into a
___________ with His people.
- The ________ on the altar symbolizes
God’s part of the covenant.
- The sprinkling upon the people
symbolizes their part of the covenant – their __________to God.
However, the blood that was sprinkled upon the altar,
book and people could only assure the salvation of God’s people within the
promise that Jesus would fulfill it upon the cross. God already knew that His people could not
obey His laws. He had a plan from the
beginning to assure His relationship with His people. God’s grace or gospel message is even
sprinkled within the Law He gave them.
- In verse 12 through 18, we see
that God presents Himself with a “_______ and _______” show.
His presence is not simply a quiet and hidden event, but
instead His presence is one of “spectacle” and a manifestation of His
greatness. How amazing the faith of
Moses, that he willingly trusted God’s invitation to join Him on the
mountain. What fear and intrepidation most people would feel in the presence of
God. It is here that God finalizes the
covenant deal by putting His ‘laws” into writing. Offering two copies – as any good Jewish
contract would (Exodus 31:18; 32:15-16; 34:1).
- In verse 18 we see that Moses
stayed on the mountain for ____ days and ___ nights.
- Jesus, a sort of second Moses
who would again “deliver” God’s people from bondage, also fasted for ____
days and nights (Matthew 4:2; Exodus 34:28).
Moses was the “mediator” between God and man. Jesus was also the mediator for the New
Covenant.
Just as interesting is the fact that the church celebrated a
meal as part of the covenant. In 24:11,
we see the “covenant meal” spoke about in Genesis (26:30; 31:54) being
celebrated here also.
- There is a direct connection
with the Lord’s Supper celebrating the “______ Covenant” in Jesus Christ
(1 Corinthians 11:25-26).
- In one, they celebrate their
_______ to fulfill the covenant (Law) and in the other, we celebrate
_______’s fulfillment of our obligations (Gospel).
In both, it is God who inscribes the message of law on
the tablet (and on our hearts) and prescribes Himself as the only
fulfillment. For just as Moses attempted
to “carry” God’s law (he too broke it coming down from God’s presence on the
mountain), we are also not able to meet or maintain the glory of God. Only God can; God does it all.
As we experience glimpses of God’s glory in our life -- mountain top
experiences – nothing will ever compare to the ultimate glory that will be ours
on the “eternal mountain top,” heaven.
I can imagine Moses telling God, “Do I have to go back? Can’t I just
stay up here with you?” Who would want
to leave the “glory” and presence of God?
Matthew (also called Levi) was originally a tax collector or
“publican.” While himself a Jew, he
specifically worked for the Roman government and therefore was hated by most
Jews and was called a “sinner” or outcast (Matthew 9:10,11; Mark 2:15,16; Luke 5:30).
Most scholars feel that Mathew was the first of the New
Testament gospels written possibly around 50-60 AD in Palestine. He wrote specifically for the Jews and made
numerous references to Jewish prophecies fulfilled by the “Messianic King,”
Jesus.
It is clearly an evangelical work with heavy emphasis on the
grace and forgiveness of God available through believing in Jesus.
1.
The "transfiguration" is the revelation of
the _____________ of the Son of God. It
will be fully revealed to us at the judgment.
2.
There are just ___days between Peter's confession of
faith in Matthew 16:13-20 and the transfiguration episode or ____ days total (including the first
and last days) as is recorded by Luke 9:28. ____ days are often
used to refer to a week in the Greek.
3.
Peter, James and John are the same disciples who
accompanied Jesus were very ____________ (Acts 3:1) and were present
with Jesus at the healing of Jairus' daughter (Luke
8:51), at Gethsemane (Mark 14:33) and here.
4.
We are not sure of where this took place, but in
Matthew 16:13, Peter's
Confession, it mentions Caesarea Philippi which was southwest of Mount Hermon.
Tradition has said that Mount _____________ was the
location, but scholars feel Hermon is more probable
because it is higher and closer than Tabor.
5.
Luke says the Jesus and the disciples went there to
_____________.
6.
Transfigured means that Jesus' appearance
____________. It is the climax of
Christ's Epiphany (His revealing or "shining" on the world).
7.
Transfigured comes from the Greek word "metamorphosis"
which means to be changed in______________.
8.
________________ appearance
was "like the sun", "white as light" (Matt. 17:2),
"bright as a flash of lightning" (Luke 9:29), and "dazzling white, whiter than anyone in
the world could bleach them" (Mark 9:3).
9.
____________ represented the old covenant and the
hope for a savior that Jesus fulfilled.
10.
Malachi 4:5-6 calls ____________ the "restorer
of all things."
11.
This event symbolizes Jesus' fulfillment of His claim
in Matthew 5:17. The Jews often referred
to the scriptures as "The __________ and the Prophets." Together we have the Lawgiver, the Prophet
and the fulfillment of them both, the Messiah.
12.
The three talked about Jesus' ____________ or
"departure". Exodus is
the Greek word used in Luke 9:31.
13.
__________ means "(my) teacher" in Hebrew.
14.
Peter may
have wanted to set up tents as a "place of meeting" as the Israelites
did in the Old Testament. This was where
God _______________ to His leaders.
Check out Exodus 29:42.
15.
Luke 9:32 says Peter
and his companions were "________________." Why is it whenever something significant
happens to Jesus, the disciples want to fall
asleep? What would we have done?
16.
The ______________ of God the Father happens three
times in the Gospels: at Jesus' Baptism
(Luke 3:22), here at
His transfiguration, and also while Jesus visited the temple before His passion
(John 12:28).
2
Peter: Book Synopsis
The second epistle of Peter has
been questioned for centuries as to whether Peter wrote it or possibly
Jude. Some scholars have questioned its
authorship, but its significance to the church is relevant.
The letter speaks
specifically to “false teachers” whose way of life and cynicism about Christ’s
return brought doubt to the church. The
connection with the first epistle seems to be apparent as they both speak to
the blessings God has given His church. In this letter, they are use these blessings
to stand up against the wickedness of false teaching and the church is to look
forward to the “glory” being prepared for them in heaven.
- Peter clearly takes
aim at the ________ teachers in verse 16.
- Here he attacks their
“___________ stories” which he refers to also in 2:3.
- Their false “stories”
are about the “_______” of Jesus.
- Peter here says that
the truth he shares is based upon his “___________” account of the
Transfiguration (“majesty”) of Jesus detailed in Matthew 17:1-8.
- Peter chooses to
build his case further by saying that the Old Testament
___________foretold (Acts 3:18) of this glory of God.
- The words “more”
certain can also be translated as “______” certain. There was no doubt in Peter’s mind of
the fulfillment of prophecy.
- In verse 17, Peter
refers to heaven as the “___________ glory” from where God the Father
spoke.
- He implies that the
glory they witnessed on earth was a foretelling of the “majestic glory”
___________would see in heaven (1 Peter 1:11).
- In 20 and 21, we
understand that no prophecy was intended or caused by_________.
- Instead, it has
always originated and was “____________” from God for His church (2
Timothy 3:16).
Note
also that the words in verse 21 show us that God’s “inspiration” of scripture
was not done as simply a “robot” cloning every word from God’s mouth. Instead, the verse implies a “cooperative
effort:” God’s content; man’s syntax.