Matthew
Don’t Tell
Visions can be exciting, but the most important thing we must know and share with others is The Son of Man, Jesus, has been raised from the dead.
This is the only proof a person can have of life after death
We will see Jesus sharing vision of eternal life
Seeking revelation of things to come is fun and exciting
But the glory of end time things is not our knowledge of those things
But the reality of the Son of Man, Jesus,
Coming back again to set up His Kingdom forever
Jesus is more than a good man, more than a teacher
Jesus conquered death for us
In the last chapter of the Bible, we read the vision or words of the Prophecy are not to be sealed, everyone is to know what Jesus is about to do
Then he told me, "Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, because the time is near. Let him who does wrong continue to do wrong; let him who is vile continue to be vile; let him who does right continue to do right; and let him who is holy continue to be holy."
"Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. Revelation 22:10-13
Jesus told Peter James, and John "Don't tell anyone what you have seen, until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead."
We have seen, Son of Man has been raised from the dead
Now we are told "Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book
Jesus has risen from the dead so it is time to tell everyone
Don’t Tell
Visions are great.
Visions give us hope, direction, a sense of security.
Vision is seeing something in the future.
It might seem strange that God would find it
so important to show Peter, James and John
the vision on the Mount of Transfiguration and then tell them …
“Don’t tell anyone what you have seen”
Why “Don’t tell”?
Because visions don’t always
turn out the way we think they will.
Throughout scripture
God has given vision of His coming Kingdom.
Visions don’t always turn out the way we see them.
The Pharisees and Sadducees had the prophetic visions
of the prophets, but…
They did not recognize the fulfillment
of the visions when they took place.
Like Peter, we can get the wrong idea of what
to build like shelters for Moses, Elijah, and Jesus.
Visions can be hard to understand until it takes place.
Joel prophesied what God would do
400 years before it took place
Joel 2:28-32
On the day of Pentecost when the promise or vision
of the Holy Spirit fell upon the believers…
Peter, recognized what Joel had said about 400 years earlier.
…this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:
"'In the last days, God says,
I will pour out my Spirit on all people...
Acts 2:16-21
Because visions are not given to everyone.
Daniel had a vision and was told to seal it up
until the appointed time
Daniel 2:26; 9:24
Peter, James and John were selected out
of the 12 close followers of Jesus
and told not to share the vision with anyone
including their close friends…
until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead."
Matthew 17:9
We realize after the resurrection, the story was told
because Mark and Luke write about it.
Mark 9:2 and Luke 9:28
When we are entrusted with something…
It is important we properly handle the trust.
Jesus choose Peter, James, and John because
He was grooming them to be pillars of the church.
Galatians 2:9
Receiving visions is a matter of trust and responsibility…
Not Pride.
Why “Don’t tell”?
Because of timing…
Jesus instructed them,
"Don't tell anyone what you have seen,
until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead."
Matthew 17:9
The most important thing God has done for us
since the fall of man and the sentence of death
had been put upon us is…
The Son of Man being raised from the dead.
Everything seen and heard on the Mount of Transfiguration
was meaningless until Christ rose from the dead.
Every vision given from Adam and Eve
up till the time of Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection
was meaningless without…
The Son of Man being raised from the dead.
Everything you and I read in the Old Testament
needs to pass through the death, burial and resurrection.
Seeking revelation of things to come
John tells us of Zechariah’s vision.
A king seated on a donkey was not understood
until Jesus was glorified (rose from the dead).
Jesus found a young donkey and sat upon it, as it is written,
"Do not be afraid, O Daughter of Zion;
see, your king is coming,
seated on a donkey's colt."
At first his disciples did not understand all this. Only after Jesus was glorified did they realize that these things had been written about him and that they had done these things to him.
John 12:14-16
Only after the glory of the vision
is fulfilled will people understand.
You and I, your friends and family all must recognize…
The Son of Man has been raised from the dead.
We can talk religion.
We can talk about the way we see spiritual things.
But if it does not find its reality in…
The Son of Man being raised from the dead, it is meaningless.
There is no hope of life after death
without Jesus’ conquering sin and death.
Make all the points you want about spiritual things…
But without the resurrection of Jesus,
it is all powerless to save us.
Jesus talking of His death and the glory of the resurrection said…
But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself."
He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die.
John 12:32-33
Visions can be exciting…
But the most important thing we must know
and share with others is…
The Son of Man, Jesus has been raised from the dead.
This is the only proof a person can have
that there is life after death.
We will see Jesus sharing visions of eternal life.
Seeking revelation of things to come is fun and exciting…
But the glory of end time things is not
our knowledge of those things…
But the reality of the Son of Man, Jesus,
coming back again to set up His Kingdom forever.
Jesus is more than a good man, more than a teacher…
Jesus conquered death for us.
In the last chapter of the Bible
we read the vision or words of the Prophecy
are not to be sealed.
Everyone is to know what Jesus is about to do.
Then he told me, "Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, because the time is near. Let him who does wrong continue to do wrong; let him who is vile continue to be vile; let him who does right continue to do right; and let him who is holy continue to be holy."
"Behold, I am coming soon!
My reward is with me,
and I will give to everyone according to what he has done.
I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last,
the Beginning and the End.
Revelation 22:10-13
Jesus told Peter, James, and John…
"Don't tell anyone what you have seen,
until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead."
We have seen…
Son of Man has been raised from the dead.
Now we are told…
"Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book.
Jesus has risen from the dead
so it is time to tell everyone.
Scripture Reading
Matthew 17:1-13 NIV
17 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."
10 The disciples asked him, "Why then do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?"
11 Jesus replied, "To be sure, Elijah comes and will restore all things. 12 But I tell you, Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but have done to him everything they wished. In the same way the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands." 13 Then the disciples understood that he was talking to them about John the Baptist.
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