Series: 2 Peter
Title: Eyewitnesses Testimony
Text: 2 Peter 1: 16-18
Date: January 15, 2012
Place: SGBC, New Jersey
As the Spirit of God moved along the hand of the apostle Peter, he bears record of something he saw with his own eyes and heard with his own ears.
Title: Eyewitnesses of Christ’s Majesty
Proposition: Christ Jesus the Son of God is coming again in great power and majesty.
I. THE WORD OF CHRIST’S POWER AND COMING IS TRUE
2 Peter 1: 16: For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty.
Why do we speak of the gospel with such seriousness? I take care to show these scriptures and to declare this word with all sincerity because this gospel is not a fictional story.
The gospel of salvation accomplished by Jesus Christ is the very counsel of God, the word of truth. It is vital to the salvation of our souls. This is the word of the Most High God with whom you will have to do business—sooner or later.
As soon as Adam sinned in the garden God promised Christ would be born of a woman. Christ has now come in the flesh.
Do you realize that whosoever does not confess in faith that Christ is come in the flesh is not of God, but under the influence of the spirit of anti-christ? That is a serious thought
1 John 4: 3: And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.
Be sure you get this: The word of God is not fiction. This word is the word of the true and living God. So listen carefully. This is truth. You will not find truth anywhere but in Christ, in his word, in his gospel. This word is true.
II. The Gospel is of the Power and Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Christ has come. When Christ first came he came with divine power.
His being formed in the womb of the virgin declared him to have come in the power of the most High God. The elect of God were flesh and blood Christ took part of the same that he might suffer in our nature, as our substitute, and he has made atonement for his people thereby.
His teaching came with power and authority.
John 7: 46: The officers answered, Never man spake like this man.
Every miracle the Lord Jesus worked declared he is co-equal with God his Father.
Matthew 11: 2: Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples, 3: And said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another? 4: Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see: 5: The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. 6: And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.
The work of redemption which he came and finished declared his power.
Matthew 27: 51: And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent
His rising from the dead declared he is the Son of God come in power.
Romans 1: 4: And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:
Peter was an eyewitness of the majesty with which Christ ascended and shall come again, along with the two sons of Zebedee, James and John.
2 Peter 1: 16:…[we] were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17: For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. 18: And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount.
Who received it? For he received--Christ Jesus only—there came such a voice to him. From whom did he receive it? From God the Father…when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory. What did Christ only receive from God the Father when God spoke? Honor and glory
III. PETER’S EYEWITNESS TESTIMONY (Mt 16: 28-17: 1-8.)
Matthew 16: 28: Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom. 17: 1: And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart,
The Lord told them about his death upon the cross. Now he would show before their eyes the glory which awaited Christ as the reward of his agony upon the cross (II Pet. 1:16; John 1:14).
Matthew 17: 2: And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light. [Mark says, they became "exceeding white as snow, so as no fuller on earth can white them".
Matthew 17: 3: And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him.
Christ’s transfiguration in glory and majesty was a pledge of Christ’s power and coming again in glorious majesty. Seeing Moses and Elias was a pledge of the resurrection of the dead.
Both these men had been dead for years, but here they appeared talking with the Lord Jesus Christ. Peter knew them, either by immediate divine revelation, or from hearing them speak with the Lord Jesus. But Peter knew who they were. This was a demonstration of the glory which awaits every believer. (I John 3:1-2).
1 John 3: 1: Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. 2: Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
What were they talking with the Lord about? Luke 9: 31: “[They] spake of his decease, which he should accomplish at Jerusalem” The putting away of the sin of his people by the sacrifice of himself.
· Moses delivered the children out of Egypt—pictured Christ’s accomplishment of redemption
· Elias was translated—called up out of this earth to heaven—a picture of Christ’s ascension.
Matthew 17: 4: Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias.
Will God allow that? Will God share his glory—the glory belonging to his Son—with another? Moses (law) and Elias (the prophets) may bear witness of the righteousness of God—of Christ Jesus and they do. But Christ alone fulfilled the law of God. Christ alone fulfilled all that is written in the law and the prophets.
Romans 3: 20: Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. 21: But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; 22: Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ…25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; 26 To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.
Everything God has given us in this word bears witness of the righteousness of God manifest in his Son Christ Jesus the Lord. None but Christ shall receive honor and glory.
IV. HONOR AND GLORY GIVEN
Matthew 17: 5: While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.
“This is my beloved Son”
MY Son--God the Father, from the excellent glory above, publicly owns and identifies Jesus, the Son of Mary, as his own Son. That babe of Bethlehem, Jesus of Nazareth, the One who laid down his life for his people on the cross, is himself "God over all blessed forever."
My BELOVED Son.
· The Only Begotten Son of God (John 3:16).
· The eternally begotten Son of God (Prov. 8:22-23).
· The Son co-equal with His Father (John 5:18; 10:33).
· Because our Savior is God in human flesh the salvation he accomplished is eternally effectual.
v5: “In whom I am well-pleased”
· Well pleased in Christ the Mediator from eternity, as the Surety and Representative of those given to him in the covenant of grace (Isa. 42:21; Eph 1: 1-8).
· Well-pleased in him by his life on this earth when magnified and fulfilled all righteousness as our representative, by which he brought in everlasting righteousness for us (Matt. 3:13-17).
· Well-pleased with his substitutionary, sin atoning death, by which Christ satisfied justice and put away the sins of his people (Isa. 53:10; Psa. 85:9-11).
· Well-pleased with his High Priestly, heavenly Intercession for his people (I John 2:1-2).
· Well-pleased with his Rule as the Sovereign King by which God will be forever glorified (Isa. 42:1-4; I Cor. 15:24-28; Rev. 19:1-7).
"I do always those things that please him" (John 8:29).
John put it this way:
John 1: 14: And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
v5: Hear ye him.
God gives Christ the honor and glory of being the great Prophet and Teacher in his kingdom. His Voice is the Voice to be heeded. If you wonder if the scriptures are true—those prophecies which foretold of One coming who is both God and Man in one Person—God spoke from heaven and said, “Yes, they are true. This is my beloved Son, Hear ye him.” In every word of this book look for Christ and hear the Voice of salvation accomplished by him and heed his command, “Believe on him!”
2 Peter 1: 19: We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: 20: Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. 21: For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
Application:
1. We have not followed cunningly devised fables—we have eyewitness testimony, God’s own testimony from glory, the written word of Holy Men of old.
2. God has come from heaven to earth and saved his people by the sacrifice of his darling Son—Christ is God’s only begotten Son and God is well-pleased in him. God is not well-pleased with any sinner in ourselves. All we are is sin and death and abomination in our flesh. But God is well pleased with every sinner who trusts His Son, who gives all glory and honor to Christ.
3. Do you hear his Voice this morning? Are you pleased with him? God is pleased with him?
Matthew 17: 6: And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid. 7 And Jesus came and touched them, and said, Arise, and be not afraid. 8: And when they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no man, save Jesus only.” (Mt 17:1-8.)
Has he put you on your face this morning? Has he touched you, and commanded “Arise, be not afraid,” if so then you see no one worthy of glory and honor save Jesus only—that is what true saving faith does.
4. To those who go on in rebellion, you will see this majesty with your eyes as well. Christ is coming again. (2 Peter 3: 10-13.) If God gave him all honor and glory from the excellent glory, you will too, every knee shall bow and give him glory and honor as well? But then the day of grace will be over. Kiss the Son, now!
Amen!