The Transfiguration of Our Lord - January 24, 2010

The Church Season of Epiphany,
The Transfiguration of Our Lord,
Our Savior Lutheran Church, Midland, MI (January 24, 2010)
One Year Series

“Just History”

Readings:

Psalm 2
Exodus 34:29-35
2 Peter 1:16-21
Matthew 17:1-9

Sermon Form: Deductive

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Grace, mercy and peace be to you from the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, Amen

The text for today is as recorded in the Gospel Lesson from the 17th chapter of St. Matthew, especially the following verses.

Matthew 17:1-9 (NIV)

1 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.”

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit

The lesson we hear today is known as the Transfiguration of Christ. The appointed Gospel reading for today has shifted back and forth through past history and is now celebrated at the end of the Church Season of Epiphany. But, that is just history, church history, and for most people that means boring history. Yet, whether we enjoy history or not, the lesson is from scripture, and all scripture points to Christ. Scripture points to the how of Christ, How He has come into our world, how He has manifested Himself among us. And Scripture does not only tell the how, but it tells us the why too, meaning why Jesus Christ came into this world. And that’s just what we need, it’s what we want to learn, it’s what we want to understand. And, to be honest, our motives may be suspect, and revealed in questions like; what’s in it for me, or how does this affect me and my world? But, you know, if you’re asking the wrong questions, scripture will still speak to you. You will hear the scripture, and be drawn into it too. Just like Peter, James, and John were, you too are drawn by Christ to high places to see, to hear, and to touch wonderful things, like the Transfiguration of Jesus Christ.

Jesus was transfigured before three of His apostles. His appearance was changed, “His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light.”(v.2) Christ Epiphanied, He manifested, He revealed Himself to those apostles. And the Old Testament history tells us that Daniel had seen a similar vision. For Daniel had said, “As I looked, thrones were placed, and the Ancient of Days took his seat; his clothing was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool;”(Dan. 7:9) Aw yes, a connection maybe, but that’s just history. History of visions and mountains, things which we no longer desire to see, and mountains which we do not have the ability to climb. Messages which go over our heads, because we have closed our ears. But, just like Peter, James, and John, the light of Christ shines upon us, we are dazzled by that light, and the message of that light escapes us.

And for those three apostles there’s more than just that great and dazzling light. Now on that mountain the apostles see with Jesus, both Moses and Elijah. And who are they? Well, they’re prophets of the Old Testament, men through whom God spoke to His people. And, of course, it’s just history, but they are “two of the greatest of those through whom God saved and spoke to his people in the past.”(New Bible Commentary) And on top of that, in a way Moses and Elijah are like Jesus, because both of them suffered rejection by God’s people. They spoke God’s Word, and they were not heard. In fact, they spoke God’s Word and were hated for it. But here on the mountain top, Moses and Elijah with Jesus what an amazing sight.

So what does Peter do? He tries to build a monument. He tries to mark the spot so that they can remember the spot. Three historical monuments, one for Jesus, one for Moses, one for Elijah, so that the location of the transfiguration will never be forgotten. Peter would have three roadside shelters to commemorate the past, Jesus was transfigured right here, and alongside Him appeared Moses and Elijah, but that’s just history.

Yet before Peter could chop down a tree to whittle those historical booths, tents and monuments.....Even before Peter could finish his sentence “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!”(v. 5) Now their there attention was picqued. And I would surmise that it had become very quiet. Because that little group had heard God speak from a cloud and so they fell to the ground on their faces and they were terrified. Ironic isn’t it? They could deal with standing next to Jesus. They could deal with Jesus turning into a bright white light. They could be amazed at seeing Jesus, with Moses and Elijah. But they weren’t really afraid until God spoke to them.

They had seen the unveiled glory of God, in Jesus Christ, but they couldn’t deal with the Word of God. The apostles, missed the big picture. We miss the big picture too for we are so wrapped up in ourselves, that our minds wander from the knowledge of Christ to that which attacks us in our lives. (Pepperkorn) The love of Christ draws us to heavenly heights, yet our faces look down, our minds turn inward. In our sinful self-centered thoughts, we look to our own problems, challenges, and illnesses and fail to see Jesus in our lives. We don’t look up and see Jesus is there with us. Jesus speaks to us and He touches us.

Whether or not you choose to look up or not does not matter, Jesus is here for you. He not only went up upon a mountain and revealed His glory to three apostles, He reveals His glory to you too. For Christ went up upon the temple mountain and there upon the cross Jesus died for you. In all that challenges you in your lives, whether it be pain, illness, sorrow, or loneliness. Whether it be from the pain of your sin of action or inaction, know that Christ has died for you. And in your baptism Christ transfigures you from one who is dead, Christ makes you the one who wears a spotless robe of white.

And when you have fallen down, when you can no longer bear to look at Christ, when you are afraid beyond measure, know that Christ still comes to you. In fact He comes to you this day. Christ comes to you in Holy Communion, in the wine and the bread, His true body and blood. Jesus went to His apostles and touched them. Today He touches you, for that bread which touches your tongue is Jesus Christ. The wine that passes through your lips, is Jesus Christ. Jesus is not transformed into bread and wine, neither is the bread and wine transformed, transubstantiated, or consubstantiated, into Christ.

It is Christ Himself and that is not just history, it is Christ’s very words, for you. In those words, this is my body, this is my blood, Christ promises to touch you, to forgive your sins. He promises that He will be with you always. He promises to heal your sin sick soul. That is the message of Christ. He came here for you, to heal you, to comfort you, to give you that which you cannot earn on your own. And though we approach God at His Holy meal, with our faces turned down from all that would burden our hearts and minds, Jesus touches you. In the Holy Supper of our Lord, Jesus forgives you. And in His forgiveness, Jesus tells you to “get up...do not be afraid”(v. 7) for your sins have been forgiven.

And Christ’s Words are indeed words to hear. For Christ’s words are not just history. In fact all of scripture speaks of Christ, for we know that, “In many and various ways God spoke of old to our fathers by the prophets, but now in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son.”(Heb. 1:1) Christ is revealed to you in splendid glory. Christ has spoken to you the forgiveness of your sins. In Christ you are given salvation, and one day when your body ceases to fight the toils and travails of this world, upon that last breath Jesus Christ will touch you once again. He will speak to you and tell you to get up, do not be afraid and you will be transformed from your lowly body and will see the brightness of Christ’s glory in the eternal life which has revealed and freely given to you. Amen.

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