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T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
February, 1942
the main purpose of the Transfigura tion is to be found in the teaching of the Lord which immediately preceded it. See verse 27 with Matthew 16:28. The entire ’Transfiguration scene was a pre-view of the second coming ,of the Lord. A careful examination of the record will reveal many details which *oreshadow that great event. 2. "And as he prayed" >(vi 29), It was no mere accident or coincidence that what we call the “ transfigura tion” took place as the Lord was pray ing. If this was true about the perfect and sinless Son of God, how much more ih the case of sinfhl men! It has been truly said that there is nothing harder for the Christian to maintain than his prayer life. Yet without this, there will be no “transfiguration,” no manifestation of the glory of God in our lives. 3. "And spake of his decease" (v. 31). Referring back to the lesson of last week, we should recall that when the Lord tried to teach His disciples about the necessity of His suffering and death, they were blind to the truth. Peter, chiefest of the twelve, even took Him aside and rebuked Him for suggesting such an apparently in glorious end of Messiah’s life on earth (Matt. 16:23.-23), The disciples were simply not interested. But it is highly significant that when two men come down from glory to meet the Lord on the mount of transfiguration, the sub ject of their conversation was this very thing in which the disciples dis played no interest. As some one has suggested, Moses and Elijah had been saved on credit, and they understood that unless the price of salvation was paid at Calvary, they could not remain in the place of glory. No wonder, therefore, they wanted to talk with Him about His “ decease.” “Those peo ple who see no glory in the blood of Calvary would not feel at home in heaven even if they should go there. Up there the cross is the center of everything. 4. "Which he should accomnlish (v. 31). This would be a strange way to speak of the death of Christ if it were the death of an ordinary man. But our Lord’s death was a work which He deliberately set out to “ accomplish.” For Him death was not an inevitable experience. Of His life He said, “No man taketh it from me, but I lay it dowjn of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again” (John 10:18). v Golden Text Illustration L uke 9:43 Dr. Matthews .in his book about Madagascar, where he was for thirty years a missionary, describes this na tive custom: “The prisoners were kept in chains, but they had to earn their own living, and were confined to
Clergy Clothing, Cassocks
prison only during the, night, On the days, however, oh which the Sover eign appeared, they were not allowed to leave the prison; or if allowed out on these dayi, at noon, before the Sov- ■ ereign was to appear, they had all to return to prison, were counted,, and locked up. Why? If one of these criminals managed to secrete himself, and then emerged from his hiding place to gaze at and salute the Sover eign, as she passed,, wearing her dia dem and beautiful in the glory'of her royal apparel, h e . was a free man, whatever his crime had been. His chains were at Once struck off, for he . had looked on the Sovereign in her beauty and saluted her, the salutation being, “Is it well with-you, my Sover- elgn?” And no one could do that and still remain a prisoner.—W. W. Land rum, in 1,000 Evangelistic Illustra tions, by Webb. Waiting for Jesus M atthew 1 7 :1 -2 0 :.M ark 9 ;2-29 L uke 9:28-43 MEMORY VERSE: “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mk. 16:15). APPROACH: Julie was very fond of her big sister, and was sorry when she went away to college. One ious to tell good ne\^s? I have some good news for- you this morning. \ LESSON STORY: Once the Lord Jesus took Peter and James and John up into a high mountain. There He was changed before them. They saw Him no more as the simple Carpenter - of Nazareth, but clothed with white garments that shone with light. He talked about the fact that He was going to the cross to die for |ffe sin of the world. They saw Him glorified as He was to be when He had risen from the grave and gone back to be with God. They heard a voice saying, “This is my beloved Son: hear him” (Lk. 9:35). But-soon the glory faded, and Jesus was there as they had al ways known Him, and they went back down the mountain together. But He did not want them to forget the good news He had told them, and He put them right to work helping others. As soon as they came down, He healed a boy who had an evil spirit. Then Jesus talked to them about the >vork He wanted them to do. It would seem as though He had let them see Him, as He really was in , order that they might serve Him bet- rx * fM i 5-wvision d a y h e r s i s t e r wrote her a letter. It said, “Lam com- ' i n g h o m e f o r Christmas.” Julie was very happy; s h e could hardly ‘wait to tell all her p l a y m a t e s her g o o d news. • Are you a l w a y s anx
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