The Transfiguration of Our Lord

Part  ll- Feb 25, 2024

2. Corinthians 3:12-13; 4:1-6

Two weeks ago it was Transfiguration Sunday in the church year. Our elder John Cox gave an excellent message on what went on that day when Jesus and his 3 disciples Peter, James and John climbed up the mountain. 

Today I would like to follow up with that message, especially due to the situation I am facing today with my cancer situation. So, let's go back to the beginning a couple thousand years ago to Transfiguration Sunday. Jesus took His three disciples: Peter, James and John upon the Mount of Transfiguration. As we are sitting in Church this morning, I want you to imagine that you are walking along with them and being observers to the event taking place. Imagine this church, Peace Lutheranc Church as the Mount of Transfiguration and you are sitting on the Mount watching and listening to what is taking place. Perhaps even close your eyes to help you imagine the scene. Just don't fall asleep. Ok? 

That day Jesus went up to a mountain with some of His disciples and revealed His glory to them. He began shining as bright as snow in the sunlight. As this was happening, He was visted by Moses and Elijah. These where two important people in the Old Testament. It was to Moses that God gave the Law on Mt. Sinai. Elijah was one of the greatest prophets in the Old Testament. These two men represented God's plan and promises to send a Savior into the world. 

Now Moses and Elijah stood with Jesus on the mountain. They talked about Jesus' suffering, death, and resurrection. Moses and Elijah clearly understood the purpose for Jesus' approaching passion and crucifixion. Moses had been appointed by God to lead Israel out of slavery in Egypt to the promised land of Canaan, So Jesus was the God-appointed Savior who would lead a new exodus from the slavery of sin to the promised land of Heaven. 

The lives of Moses and Elijah pointed ahead to the Savior that God promised to send for the world. Jesus came as God planned and fulfilled all that was written about Him in the Old Testament. And this same Jesus cares for, lived for, and died for you and me. He has freed you from the eternal bondage of our sins, from hell itself. Through Jesus, you can count completely on God's faithful promise to take you to be with Him in Heaven. 

Hidden beneath the sinner is a glorious Saint. Glory often hides. Jesus his His glory under His humanity, so to speak, to fulfill the law as true man, the 2nd Adam. 

The scripture reading starts with, "after 6 days'... So what is happening in those six days? What was going on for those six days? In the preceding chapter recorded by Matthew, Jesus had just set two paths before His followers, and each path was rather unnerving. The first path was this: Follow Jesus and carry a cross for a lifetime. It will not be easy! Or you could escape the cross and on a different path, the path most people take in today's would. It is an easier path, but that means no Jesus, no Heaven, just maybe some temporary joy followed by shame and condemnation with no forgiveness for all eternity. Jesus had explained these two paths to those who would follow Him, and then there is silence for 6 days. 

After six days, Jesus pulls Peter, James, and John aside. These guys had to be pondering what Jesus has said to them, and the others, for a week or so. And it would be like us too, if we were sitting with them as they pondered what had been said. I wonder if they asked Jesus any questions as they were climbing the mountain? We know that Jesus had to be thinking about them. He told them that soon He would be going to Jerusalem to die, but  theses guys just didn't want to hear it.(Just like my children.) They rebuke me, they don;t want to hear that kind of talk. Peter was the same when Jesus brought up His coming death in Jerusalem. Jesus needed to make it clear to them that the cross was the only way to go for Him, He had to die, and that would be the only way for His followers to follow Him, the way of the cross. 

So Jesus takes them up a mountain so He can tell the truth to them. Jesus has always been God from all eternity. He is God in all His fullness, but most often Jesus is His glory in the world. But now, on this mountain, Jesus drops the veil. The glory, hidden for so long, shone forth. His face was like the sun, His clothes were light itself; Moses and Elijah also appeared with Him in glory. 

They speak to each other, and what did they speak about? They spoke about the way of the cross, that Jesus would soon go to Jerusalem to die. How could anyone be a witness to this event and not see Jesus, full of such immense glory and power, and then ask the million-dollar question, how would the Father allow His death to happen? People constantly ask that same question today. Like deaths due to earthquakes, death of a child, etc. Jesus had to go to Jerusalem to die, or we would all be lost forever, condemned to spend eternity apart from God in an abyss of darkness and pain. Trust Jesus, He knows what He is doing, even in today's world of confusion and darkness. And that is where I am today. I am trusting in Jesus to guide the outcome of my life. That it be to His glory in whatever direction He guides me. 

God the Father then appears. Yet even on this mountain of glory the Father continues to hide himself. He covers himself in clouds just as He did in the Old Testament. There is still no sinful soul who can stand in the unveiled presence of God and live. The Father hides himself to spare these men, the disciples of Christ, and we too, if we were sitting there and listening in on the conversation, from getting what they deserve as sinners. But as the father hides himself, He is also revealing to them His Word: "Listen! This is my son. I love Him. Listen to Him!"

In this life, when following the path to the cross, you see what looks like defeat. It is in my life for Him that I want Him to walk this path and that I might see the glory that has no equal. It is on this path, The path to the cross. The cross alone that our salvation lies. "Listen to Him!"

In this world, the life of a sinner-saint does not seem so glorious. Life under the cross often is not easy. Life under the cross can be ugly, unfair, messy, full of conflict, and sickness like cancer, even painful. However, because you are connected to Jesus, the crown remains secure. It is also in your connection to Jesus that in him you will find strength to even get through the worst of days, you will find strength to carry the cross, just as Moses and Elijah did during their earthly lives. 

The picture of Moses and Elijah in our text is but a glimpse into your own future in heaven where glory hides no more. 

But we still live here on this earth. Let's discuss that a little. For example, you go on a vacation to a sunny island. You lay on the beach. 

The sun is shining. The sand slips between our toes. The sound of the waves lulls us to sleep. Relaxing on a beach vacation might make you think to yourself: "It is good to be here." But vacations do not last forever. Eventually, you have to leave. You have to go back to reality.

The disciple Peter wasn't on vacation, but he had good reason to say: "It is good for us to be here' when he hiked to a mountaintop with Jesus. All of a sudden, Jesus' face shone like the sun. His clothes glowed with light. Moses and Elijah, two of the greatest Old Testament prophets from the past, showed up and talked with Jesus! Peter could not help it. The scene overtook him, and he blurted out, "Lord, it is good for us to be here!" And I am sure that if any one of us were there with Jesus on that Mountain top we would feel the same way. It was an amazing place to be, in the presence of all this glory, seeing Jesus for who He really was.

Peter was right. That was an amazing place to be. But the moment could not last forever. Jesus still had a job to do, and it involved some dark days ahead as He walked to the cross loaded with the world's sin. The disciples had to face some tough days ahead, so not only the death of their friend and Savior, but also persecution as they spread the word about Him.

Our Elder John Cox said two weeks ago, "Om this Sunday, Jesus lifts the veil between here and the after to show us a little bit of heaven. What is heaven like? Here's what the Bible says: 

First, it's glorious, radiant, white, shiny, clean, pure... like the face and clothes of Jesus. Nothing here on earth can compare to that heavenly glow. 

Second, heaven is permanent...forever- not like the fading glory on the face of Moses. Remember. Remember that even? After talking with God and receiving the Ten Commandments on Mount Sanai, the face Moses shone with heavenly glory. But this was a fading glory; So, so Moses put a veil over his face so Israel would not see the radiant glory disappear. Think of what that means- the glory of anything, no matter how good, fades when compared with Jesus. Like the tents, Peter wanted to build to make the glory of transfiguration last. Tents, however, are temporary- like this life. Heaven is a permanent dwelling as St. Paul say's: "We have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens." When Israel celebrated the feast of the Tabernacle, the people lived in tents, in temporary dwellings, to remember the forty years they wandered in the desert. Heaven, however, is not like that. "In my Father's house are many mansions,"  Jesus promises, "I go to prepare a place for you."

Third and finally, heaven is not an empty, lonely place; it is populated with "Angels, archangels, and ... all the company of Heaven" as we sing in the divine service. And included in ' the company of Heaven' are those dear Christian relatives and friends, my sister and the unborn child we lost in an early pregnancy we knew here on earth, and who is now with the Lord in heaven. We remember them every Service of the Sacrament. 

And at that center of the company of heaven is Jesus. After Peter, James and John saw the heavenly brightness...after seeing Moses and Elijah...after the overshadowing cloud...after hearing God the Father speak to them-yes, after all the heavenly glory of the transfiguration had passed; what is it that we read? " And they no longer saw anyone with them but Jesus only." The heart of Heaven is Jesus. Our happiness comes from gazing into "the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." He is the image, the icon, of God the Father. Do you want to know what heaven is like? Look as Jesus. 

Now, who doesn't like free examples? In our lives, we're all looking to get something for free. Today, God's Word gives us a free sample of what heaven is like- Jesus, transfigured in all His heavenly glory. We see Jesus as He really is, as He really is now, living and reining at the Father's right hand and powerfully working among us in His Word and Sacraments just as He promises...assuring us that heaven is free-open to all who believe in Him.

Joy, encouragement, hope, faith-that is what God gives us today...a little bit of heaven.

And at the center of heaven's population is Jesus. After Peter, James and John saw the heavenly brightness, after Moses and Elijah, after the overshadowing cloud, and after God the Father spoke; after all the heavenly glory has passed, "They no longer saw anyone with them but Jesus only." The heart of heaven is Jesus. Our happiness comes from gazing into "the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ" He is the image, the icon of God the Father. Want to know what heaven is like? "Look at Jesus," John Cox concluded a couple of weeks ago. 

And so,I also say that one day Jesus will bring all of us to eternal glory, to stand with Him in the heavenly Mount Zion. On that day we will say, "It is good for us to be here," and we will never have to, nor want to leave. But until then, we still live in the reality of a sinful world. Yet, even now, we can live in this often difficult place, knowing that Jesus didn't stay on the Mount of Transfiguration or Mount of Peace Lutheran. HE best showed us who He really was by going to Mount Calvary to save the world by dying on the cross. Now, No matter what place we find ourselves in, We rejoice that Jesus joins us in the highs, the lows, and everywhere in between.

And in this church today, or shall we say "Mount Peace Lutheran Church;" It is good for the Lord to be here."

Today, we thank God for His grace. He sent His Son to enter into our suffering and to take from us our sin that we might rise and serve him in His kingdom, and yet all the while rest in God's loving embrace. 

We Pray: Dear Jesus, thank you for showing us who you truly are. Amen!