Introduction:
One of the great joys and comforts in a believer’s life is the knowledge that in every way Jesus has chosen to relate Himself to us - it is greater, more faithful, stronger, than the ways we relate ourselves to Him.
He is the Shepherd; we are the sheep.
He is the Savior; we are the saved.
HE is all-wise, all-powerful, always present, always faithful - and WE are often foolish, always weak in our own strength, often failing, and always dependent.
HE IS GOD AND WE ARE NOT.
HE IS GOD AND WE ARE HIS RESCUED SERVANTS.
AND BECAUSE THIS IS TRUE, DESPITE ALL OUR WEAKNESSES, AND ALL OUR STUPIDITY, WE ARE ALWAYS SAFE IN HIS LOVING HAND.
That is what stands out as we hear the conversation that Jesus had with His disciples as they left the mountain on which He was transfigured before them.
He is giving them information that they clearly don’t fully grasp.
He is preparing them for a future that they clearly don’t fully perceive.
BUT THEY ARE SAFE IN HIS SHEPHERDING.
They don’t have to fully grasp it.
They don’t have to fully perceive it.
When the time comes that they need a greater understanding and perception of what He’s talking about, the Holy Spirit of God will make sure that they have it.
This morning we see four reminders of the weakness of a disciple but the faithfulness of the disciple’s shepherd.
Four reminders that our Shepherd is faithful.
• A COMMAND TO WAIT (vs.9)
The first thing we see about our faithful Shepherd is that He brought those men up on that mountain for a reason that they would not yet perceive.
THEY ARE SHOWN SOMETHING, THEY ARE MADE TO EXPERIENCE SOMETHING, THAT WOULD NOT JUST SERVE THEM IN THE FUTURE, IT WOULD SERVE ALL OF US IN THE FUTURE. But they are forbidden to speak TO ANYONE about what THEY HAD SEEN.
They experienced something in the moment, that in our Savior’s perfect wisdom, wasn’t for the moment.
JESUS SAID THAT THEY MUST NOT TELL OTHERS UNTIL AFTER HE WOULD BE RAISED FROM THE DEAD.
As we have already talked about in previous sermons in Matthew, if this sort of thing were disseminated at this point the crowds would respond to Jesus based on their misunderstandings of the Messiah and His mission.
BUT SOMETHING ELSE STANDS OUT HERE.
Reading our text carefully makes clear that the disciples didn’t understand what He was talking about.
It is not uncommon for people to ignore, to pass by something in a conversation that they don’t understand but don’t want to reveal that they don’t understand.
And when you read our verses there is NO MENTION ON THE PART OF THE DISCIPLES of what Jesus said about His RESURRECTION.
I mean that is a PRETTY SIGNIFICANT statement. But for whatever reason, they completely pass by it.
Mark’s account TELLS US IN VERY CLEAR TERMS that they didn’t understand.
ESV Mark 9:9 And as they were coming down the mountain, he charged them to tell no one what they had seen, until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. 10 So they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what this rising from the dead might mean.
THE LORD’S PURPOSE FOR TAKING THEM UP THAT MOUNTAIN WAS FOR A FUTURE DAY.
TO THEIR CREDIT, THEY OBEYED HIS COMMAND.
BUT THEY DID NOT UNDERSTAND THE PURPOSE FOR WHAT THEY HAD SEEN, AND FOR CHRIST’S COMMAND, UNTIL THE RESURRECTION OCCURRED. THEN THEY COULD PERCEIVE WHAT JESUS WAS TELLING THEM.
AND THIS IS A PATTERN WE SEE IN OUR LORD’S TRAINING OF THESE MEN.
ESV Luke 22:31 "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, 32 but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers." 33 Peter said to him, "Lord, I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death." 34 Jesus said, "I tell you, Peter, the rooster will not crow this day, until you deny three times that you know me."
ESV John 13:6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Lord, do you wash my feet?" 7 Jesus answered him, "What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand."
ESV John 14:26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. 28 You heard me say to you, 'I am going away, and I will come to you.' If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. 29 And now I have told you before it takes place, so that when it does take place you may believe.
QUESTION FOR DISCIPLES TODAY: Do you understand that our Shepherd has never stopped dealing with His sheep in this kind of way?
THERE ARE THINGS THAT YOU LEARN TODAY THAT YOU WILL HAVE GREATER UNDERSTANDING OF, AND GREATER OPPORTUNITY TO PRACTICE WITH THAT UNDERSTANDING, IN A FUTURE DAY.
What you learn today is a SPIRITUAL INVESTMENT.
It is an accumulation of treasure for future spending.