2 Peter 1:12-21 Morning Star
Thank God for Ben’s message last week on Psalm 1-2. We learned about the importance of meditating on God’s word. How many times a day? That passage was actually a good segway for today’s message because we will learn something about the origin of God’s word. The word of God is the solid foundation for our faith and that is why we should meditate on it day and night. We can trust it and rely on it because of its historicity and authenticity, especially as we think about Jesus, who fulfilled the prophecies about the Messiah. But most of all, we will learn how, while living in this dark world, we can have a morning star rise in our hearts. The past few weeks, we heard so many sad stories of death and destruction not only in other countries, but in America as well. We cannot but live with hopelessness and darkness in our souls when we hear about these sad events. However, when we pray, meditate on God’s word, and see God’s world from God’s point of view the morning star can rise in our hearts. That’s what we want to think about today. That is why my title is:
THE MORNING STAR RISES IN YOUR HEARTS
2 Peter 1:12-21
Key Verse: 19:
“And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.”
Look at verses 12-13. “Therefore I intend always to remind you of these qualities, though you know them and are established in the truth that you have. I think it right, as long as I am in this body,[a] to stir you up by way of reminder.” In these verses, we find Peter’s clear purpose for writing this letter to the early believers. It was to remind them of the great things God had done for them. In the previous message, from verses 1-11, we learned that Peter had told them about their salvation based on God’s grace and salvation work in his Son, Jesus Christ. He had also written to them in verse 3, “His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.” They would lack nothing as long as they remembered what God had already provided for them. So, to Peter it was vital for him to remind them because he knew sinful man’s tendencies to forget God’s grace. As we know, we need many reminders so that is one reason why the American inventor, Arthur Fry, made the Post-it Notes product. [b]
While working as a fitness teacher in Ukraine, we learned about muscle memory. It means if you exercise your muscles for a long period of time they will remember and sustain a certain amount of strength and flexibility. For example, if you like to lift weights your muscles will remember how heavy you lifted and how many reps you did. Then you will be able to do it again next time. It is the same principle in other sports like running. But if you stop to do those types of exercises for some time your muscles will forget. And the next time you try to do the same workout your muscles will let you know the next day that they have forgotten a lot. It is the same way with the brain. Experts recommend for older people to prevent amnesia by reading, playing board games, socializing, and engaging the mind in different activities. Otherwise, the older the brain gets the more it will forget and amnesia may set in. Worst of all, if Christians forget God’s grace and God’s word, over time they will acquire spiritual amnesia. Human amnesia has a debilitating effect, and may cause an early death. I know because my mother died of dementia. So, spiritual amnesia will cause us to suffer debilitating effect in our spiritual life. Before entering the Promised Land, God had given this warning to his people. Deuteronomy 8:10-14, “When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you. Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day. Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, then your heart will become proud and you will forget the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.” Unfortunately, they did forget God’s grace and began to worship idols. Even though America has roots in the Bible and was known as a Christian nation, many people today no longer consider America as a Christian nation. It is because many have forgotten God and we have lost much of our Christian influence in the world. Spiritual forgetfulness is dangerous and we should remember God’s word and his grace upon our lives and our country every day. This is why Peter was doing his best to prevent this from happening to the early believers in regards to the blessings they had received in Jesus.
Look at verse 13 again. “I think it right, as long as I am in this body,[a] to stir you up by way of reminder.” It is interesting that in the NIV, “in this body” is translated as “in this tent.” According to Bible scholars, Peter was in his 70’s when he wrote his letter. He knew that his temporary life, which was like a tent, was almost over. Does anyone like to go camping here? A few weeks ago, Maria, Elena, and I went camping while it was raining. It was raining when we put up the tent, raining all the time we were camping, and raining when we packed away the tent. It took me two days of folding the tent, moving it here and there, and unfolding it to make it completely dry. In this picture, you can see Maria and Elena smiling because they were sleeping in our car where we have a bed, while I slept in the tent which was wet and cold. [Pic 1] So, I don’t look so happy in the picture. This past Friday, however, we stayed in Rhoel and Elena’s RV so it was much more comfortable and I was much happier. [Pic 2] We all want to stay in a nice home and permanent place. But our bodies as a tent is a good metaphor of what our bodies are like. When we get older the harder it is to live in this tent. It’s like looking at pictures of famous Hollywood stars who were handsome and beautiful a few decades ago, but when see them now they are wrinkled, old, and falling apart. [Pic 3] However, someday God will grant us a glorious, powerful, and everlasting resurrection body that will not get wet or cold or wrinkled. Peter knew that he was about to leave his body because Jesus had told him earlier when he followed Jesus as a disciple. Actually, knowing that we are living as spiritual nomads in this world helps us to look forward to our new life in heaven like our forefathers did. Hebrews 11:9-10 reads, “By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God.” We are just living temporarily in our tents until we reach our final destiny—the kingdom of God.
Look at verses 14-15. “…since I know that the putting off of my body will be soon, as our Lord Jesus Christ made clear to me. And I will make every effort so that after my departure you may be able at any time to recall these things.” According to Peter’s own testimony, Jesus had made it clear to him how he would die. When did Jesus tell Peter about his death? It was during the Resurrected Jesus’ visit of his disciples when they had returned to their fishing boats. They had given up hope because they had seen Jesus crucified on the cross. Even though the Risen Jesus visited the disciples they did not know what to do. So they went back to do what they knew—that was fishing. Peter was disgusted with himself because he had denied his master and Lord Jesus three times. They wanted to return to their old way of life, which was fishing for their survival. But out of his grace and mercy the Risen Christ met them on shore and prepared a delicious breakfast for them. During their discussion, Jesus had reinstated Peter as the leader and shepherd for the early church. However, it would not be easy for him because as Jesus said to his disciples if people persecuted him, they will also persecute his followers. Then the Risen Jesus predicted Peter’s death in the future. John 21:18 reads, “Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.” Peter would be bound and taken to where he did not want to go. Prisoners at that time were bound to be taken to execution by Roman soldiers either for flogging or crucifixion. Because Peter knew he was soon leaving the body, he worked hard to remind the early believers God’s truth. The truth he received from God, not from his own imagination or cleverly made-up stories.
Look at verses 16-18. “For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, ‘This is my beloved Son,[c] with whom I am well pleased,’ we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain.” As we studied in the introduction to our 2 Peter study, there were false teachers who were challenging the teachings of Apostle Peter, saying that he was only making up these clever stories. As we know, before Jesus came there were already many stories and myths about many different gods. Just think about all the Roman and Greek gods we studied about in high school and we see in movies like Thor, the god of thunder. But Peter told them clearly his testimony that he had seen the glorious image of Jesus when he will return again. He wrote in verse 16b, “we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.” But how can he say that he saw the coming of Jesus in power and majesty when it had not occurred yet? It was because God showed to them what would happen in the future. In the end of Matthew 16, Jesus had told his twelve disciples that some of those with him would not taste death before they would see his second coming to establish his kingdom. As we know, in the original autographs of the Scriptures there were no chapters and verses. So, after Jesus said this, the following was written in Matthew 17:1-3, “And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him.” God had given them an audio and visual presentation of the future glorious second coming of Jesus. This was the preview of his return Jesus had given to his top three disciples Peter, John, and James. Even John, when he wrote Revelation 1, he described Jesus’ glory in his vision sitting on his throne in heaven and his face “like the sun shining in all its brilliance.” They had witnessed Jesus’ glorious transfiguration with their own eyes.
So, Peter and the other apostles did not meet secretly to plot a fantastic story about Jesus’ death and resurrection. They did not take his body and buried it somewhere so that no one could find it, and then say Jesus will come again. Actually, even if they wanted to, they couldn’t because Roman guards were stationed at Jesus’ tomb. When Peter was writing this letter, there were terrible and excruciating tortures for those who followed Jesus instead of the Roman deities. The disciples did not decide to make a death pact to all die together so that they will all become famous men in the future. Imagine the meeting with Peter leading it—”James you die first by beheading, John you die last and be put in a pot of boiling oil, and then I will go being crucified upside down. Sounds good everyone? Let’s do it.” It was illogical for them to give their lives to follow a dead and crucified leader. Actually, another valid argument for the apostles telling the truth is because no one wants to die for a lie. Enemies threatened to crucify them or throw them to the lions to be eaten alive unless they detracted on what they had said. Many of the disciples like Peter had a wife and probably children. If it was just a made-up story, they surely would have denied it. But they couldn’t deny the truth because they saw it with their own eyes. They also saw how Jesus had fulfilled the prophecies about the coming Messiah. The author C.S. Lewis wrote a mythological book for children called The Chronicles of Narnia. He wrote that there are human myths but Jesus’ death and resurrection is God’s myth for us. [Pic 4] What did he mean by it? It is because of God’s amazing love and grace upon sinful mankind, who had rebelled against him and even killed his only Son. It seems too incredible to believe, but it happened as a historical event. This is why Peter was not afraid to die for the truth, even if it meant being crucified on the cross. By believing it we receive forgiveness for our sins, salvation, and eternal life in the kingdom of God. Most of all, we receive God’s light, his revelation to us, while we live in this dark and sinful world.
Look at verse 19. “And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.” As we discussed in our Bible study on Tuesday, Peter had an experiential and existential moment when he saw the glorious resurrection body of Jesus in all its majesty. Of course, only Peter, James, and John saw this event. But Peter wanted to assure believers that there was something more trustworthy than his eyewitness of the transfiguration, and that was the prophetic word of God. Let’s not forget also that Peter and the other disciples witnessed hundreds, if not thousands, of miracles Jesus performed during his earthly ministry, Actually, not only Peter but many other disciples, witnessed with their own eyes of how Jesus’ prophetic words were fulfilled. Jesus had prophesied to his disciples about his suffering, death, and resurrection. He said in Mark 10:33-34, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles. And they will mock him and spit on him, and flog him and kill him. And after three days he will rise.” Even though Jesus had told them this prophesies several times, they forgot about it, and when they saw Jesus crucified, they despaired and their souls filled with darkness. But after meeting the Risen Jesus, and believing in their hearts that he was resurrected the darkness of despair and death disappeared from their hearts. The morning star Jesus arose in their hearts. According to Apostle Paul, who wrote 1 Corinthians 15, there were more than 500 brothers who saw the Risen Jesus. The lives of those in this group, which included women and children, were changed forever. And they also became history makers who changed the world.
There are many people living with darkness in their hearts due to sin, despair, and death. They need the lamp of God’s word until the morning star, Jesus, rises in their hearts. Because today’s passage is about being reminded, I want to be reminded of God’s grace upon my life. I thank God for the morning star Jesus who rose in my heart when I was in darkness due to my sins, despair, and no clear direction for my life. When I was a freshman here at UIC, I did not really know what to do with my life. Of course, it’s normal for many young students to not be sure about their future. But on top of that I despaired with my sinful and meaningless life. Though I had known religion in my life, I did not have a personal relationship with my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Then in 1983, I was invited to one-to-one Bible study. Through Genesis Bible study I often had experiential and existential moments when many of my life questions and other ontological questions were answered. For the first time in my life, I realized that I was created by God to live for his glory and live a life holy and pleasing to him. During Bible study on Tuesday, Maria confessed she had the same kind of experiential and existential moments as a student during Bible study with Christy Toh. And I believe many of you have had also these kinds of spiritual moments. Through John’s gospel Bible study, I accepted John 8:12 into my heart, “When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’” Jesus became the source of light for me living in this dark and sinful world. Though many of our Ukrainians friends are under the shroud of darkness due to the continuing war in their country, those in our sister church, Podil UBF, are basically joyful in their souls and shining brightly their faith in Jesus as their Lord and Savior in a time of great difficulty. For example, Katya’s husband Anton is fighting and she is naturally worried about him and thankful every day to hear he is still alive. [Pic 5] But when she joins our prayer meeting every morning on Zoom, she is always happy and thankful for everyone’s prayer support.
In the last two verses, we look at the origin of God’s word and its veracity. Look at verses 20-21. “…knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” As we know, the Bible was written in an expanse of about 1,500 years, by 40 authors, on 3 different continents, and 3 languages. Do you know of any other book that has been written like this? But in spite of all these variants, there is one unifying theme throughout the Bible, and that is the coming of the Savior of the world. This was the salvation plan of God after man’s fall. God made it clear in the Scriptures who the Messiah would be and what kind of life he would live, and the kind of death he would die. So, God is the true Author of the Bible, and he inspired men to write the word of God, and the many prophecies about the coming Messiah. These fulfillments of Scriptures show the historicity and authenticity of God’s word.
In our group Bible study on Tuesday, we went around sharing one prophecy each about the coming of Jesus. There were 8 of us here at the Bible house and 4 online. According to a mathematician, Peter Stoner, [d] the probability for one man to fulfill even 8 prophecies is 1 to the 1017, and that is just 8. [Pic 6] Some Bible scholars have counted hundreds of prophecies about the coming of Jesus. For one man to fulfill twice as many,16, the probability is an astonishing 1 to the 1045. We remember the story of the Risen Jesus who met the two disciples on the road to Emmaus. They were running away from Jerusalem because Jesus had been crucified and they wanted to escape the persecution of those who followed him. But the Risen Jesus met them along the way on the road to Emmaus. He began to walk with them and started a conversation about what had happened in Jerusalem. They explained how they had hope that their master Jesus was the Messiah, the redeemer of Israel, but he was put to death. Not only that his body was now missing. Jesus rebuked them saying in Luke 24:25-27, “’How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?’ And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.” Jesus himself used the prophecies in the Scriptures to show how he had fulfilled them all. After listening to Jesus’ Bible study on the prophecies of the Bible, the hearts of the two disciples were burning within them. The morning star arose in their hearts and they no lingered in death. With new strength and courage, they went back to Jerusalem and encouraged their fellow believers. This is why we can trust that it was God himself, through the Holy Spirit, inspired the writers of the Bible to write exactly what he wanted them to write.
Look at verse 21 again. “For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” There are many today who call themselves Christians but do not believe in the inspired and inerrant word of God in the Bible. There are those who take many passages of the Bible figuratively and that they did not really happen. But they forget that the Bible did not originate from man, but from God. This is why it is important for believers to accept the verbal plenary inspiration of the Scriptures. Of course, this applies to the original autographs of the Bible, which God inspired the writers to write every word using the linguistic skills and creativity of the specific writer. The writers themselves were very careful and prayerful in searching and seeking guidance from God as they wrote. Peter had mentioned this back in 1 Peter 1:10-11, “Concerning this salvation the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow.” It was the Holy Spirit that inspired the writers and moved them along as they wrote the word of God. We must also know that they did not write out of human inspiration, but God’s inspiration. Human inspiration is different. When I was a teenager and played American football, I used to watch NFL running backs for inspiration like Walter Peyton or OJ Simpson. But for spiritual matters about Jesus, salvation, eternal life, and the kingdom of God we need to read and hear spiritual inspiration from God’s word. This is why we believe God’s word is inerrant and it is our lamp in a dark place. Several times during camping trips at night when we walk around it is pitch dark in the woods. But when we want to walk somewhere Maria and I wear head lamps that we affix around our heads like a headband. [Pic 7] They light the path in front of us so we can maneuver around the campsite to find the bathroom. Without these head lights we would be hopelessly lost in the dark. When we carefully and prayerfully read God’s word they become like a head lamp that gives us clear direction in this dark world. May God inspire you by his word until the morning star rises in your heart. Amen.
Footnotes
- 2 Peter 1:13Greek tent; also verse 14
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Fry
- 2 Peter 1:17Or my Son, my (or the) Beloved
- Peter Stoner, Science Speaks [Moody Press, 1963].
Questions:
1. Read verses 12-13. What did Peter feel compelled to remind the early believers about? What did Paul want to remind the Corinthian Christians about? (1 Corinthians 15:3-4)
1 Corinthians 15:3-4: For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.
2. Read verses 14-15. What did Peter know about his upcoming death? How had Jesus revealed the kind of death he would have? (John 21:18)
John 21:18 reads, “Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.”
3. Read verses 16-18. When did Peter and the other disciples see his majesty? Why did Peter feel compelled to tell his personal testimony? Explain the passage in Matthew 17:1-3.
Matthew 17:1-3 reads, “And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. 2 And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. 3 And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him.”
4. Read verses 19. How does the word of the prophets make certain our faith in God? Can we and should we always expect to have an “experiential and existential” moment when reading God’s word?
5. Read verses 20-21. How does God use the authors of the Bible to reveal his word to sinners? How can prophecies be a good testimony to those who are not yet believers? Can you share some good examples in the Bible about Jesus?
12 Therefore I intend always to remind you of these qualities, though you know them and are established in the truth that you have. 13 I think it right, as long as I am in this body,[h] to stir you up by way of reminder, 14 since I know that the putting off of my body will be soon, as our Lord Jesus Christ made clear to me. 15 And I will make every effort so that after my departure you may be able at any time to recall these things.
Christ’s Glory and the Prophetic Word
16 For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17 For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, “This is my beloved Son,[i] with whom I am well pleased,” 18 we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain. 19 And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, 20 knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. 21 For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
