The Sun and the Moon and the Son

I. Pastors all have their favorite analogies. One of my favorite analogies is the sun & the moon. (Explain)
A. No one gets up in the morning to say, “I’m going to go watch the fading of the moon.”
1. When the sun comes up, the moon suddenly becomes irrelevant.
B. Someone’s sin against me versus my sin against God. Matt.18:21–35 – 10,000 talents, 100 denarii
II. I have not found this analogy anywhere in the Bible. But there is a similar analogy in the Bible.
A. It occurs in a number of passages which talk about the sun & moon being darkened on the last day when Christ returns.
B. Joel 2:31 The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.
C. Jesus in Matt. 24:29 “Immediately after the distress of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light.” (Cf. Isaiah 13:10; Ezekiel 32:7)
III. Isaiah 24:23 “Then the moon will be confounded and the sun ashamed, for the LORD of hosts reigns on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and his glory will be before his elders.”
A. The silver one, the hot one
B. They will be outshined.
C. Tipping one’s hat, bowing
D. Just like the moon looks dim when the sun appears, so the sun looks dim when King Jesus appears.
IV. This means that Jesus is the light brighter than the sun.
A. Transfiguration — Matt.7:2 “His face shone like the sun.”
B. But in the new Jerusalem, we’ll have new eyes — Is.60:19-20 “The sun will no more be your light by day, nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you, for the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory. Your sun will never set again, and your moon will wane no more; the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your days of sorrow will end.” Cf. Rev.21:23; 22:5.
C. John the Baptist: “I must decrease and He must increase.” Why did he say this? Because it was his job to recede into the background and for Jesus to take center stage? Maybe partly. But that’s not the big reason. The big reason is that John was the moon, Jesus was the sun. And the sun was rising.
V. Conclusion
A. There is a radical change coming. There is a day coming which will make everything look different.
1. There is a day coming which will make us look back on this day as if it was darkness.
2. Right now Jesus is being hidden (Col.3:3). And who we are is also hidden with Him.
3. And when that day comes, and the Son rises from His hiding place, everything will be flipped.
4. On that day “Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy!” – Psalm 126:5
B. Knowing about this changes everything.
1. It gives us strength in grief: “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” - Mt.5:4
a. Luke 6:21 “Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh.”
2. It helps us be able to endure the world’s darkness, because we know that dawn is coming soon.
3. It helps us in the face of our problems. “This light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison.” (2Cor.4:17)
4. It helps us not to despise the day of small things (Zech.4:10), because we know the day of big things is coming!
5. It helps us in poverty. Lk.6:20 “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.”
a. Luke 6:21 “Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you shall be satisfied.”
6. It helps us when we experience rejection. Other people’s rejection will look like nothing in comparison with God’s acceptance. Luke 6:22-23 “Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man! Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers did to the prophets.”
7. It helps us in the face of pressure.
a. This is why we will not compromise God’s truth. Man’s disagreement or even outrage is dim.
8. And it’s not just our hardships, it’s also our temptations which grow dim in comparison.
a. The glory of created things versus the glory of God
(1) Beauty, talent, personality, intelligence — Athletes, actors, singers, personalities,
b. The best things in this world are still only dim reflections of His glory.
9. Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace.
C. Yes, we can know Christ now. But there’s a difference between engagement and marriage: different between faith and sight, between seeing through a cloudy window and seeing face to face
1. Mike and Esel
VI. The moon is a reflection of the sun. The moon is remarkably bright, because the sun is so bright.
A. The sun is a reflection of the Son of God.