Matthew 17:1-9
The Transfiguration of our
Lord
March 6th, 2011
“Just a Peek”
Transfiguration. Now
there's some churchly insider lingo for you. What does it mean?
Trans, as in, change – figure, as in figure or appearance. Jesus'
appearance changes on the mountain. And we mark this unusual event
every year with a special Sunday at the end of the Epiphany season
and right before Lent.
So why the change? And
what does this have to do with you and me? As the three apostles have
front row seats to this miraculous sign, we sit and peek over their
shoulder this morning, ponder the meaning of the Transfiguration. And
be encouraged with them, for here we come to the mountain, yet we may
not remain...
First, let's recall the
context of this event. Jesus had less than a week before pointedly
revealed to his disciples that he was the Christ! And he immediately
started to tell them what that meant – that he would go to
Jerusalem, that he would suffer and die. Mark tells us, “he spoke
about this plainly”. But the disciples didn't want to hear it, and
Peter tried to rebuke him. “Get behind me, Satan!” Jesus told
him, “You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of
man!”
And then he told them,
“some standing here today will not taste death until they see the
Son of Man coming in his kingdom”.
With these words hanging
in the air for just 6 days, the very next thing the Gospel writers
detail is the Transfiguration.
In those six days, we can
only wonder what ran through those disciples' minds. Was the truth
about Jesus starting to sink in? That he was a suffering Messiah, not
a triumphant conqueror? Were they perhaps becoming doubtful about
him? What's this crazy talk about death and resurrection, anyway? And
what did he mean by they will see him coming in his kingdom?
Have you ever been put off
by the word of God? Have you ever struggled to understand, or to
believe what the holy scriptures teach? Has a sermon ever not sat
that well with you, bothered you – made you churn and squirm? Does
the law have its way with you? And are you sometimes not only
confused about God, but also yourself – how you fit in with his
plan?
Sometimes we get it right,
like Peter, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God!”.
Sometimes we get it wrong like Peter, thinking we know better than
our Lord. And sometimes, we just don't get it. Confusion reigns.
We look at ourselves and
see something far afield from the glory that shines in Christ. We are
bumbling fools in our sins, filthy and slimy. Dark and dull. Twisted
and evil. We are are the opposite of the mountaintop, we are the
depths and chasms, wallowing in the muck of our miserableness. Oh, to
even be in the presence of such glory – we can see why Peter wanted
to build some tents and stay awhile. But that wasn't the point
either.
So then, the
transfiguration. A high mountain, Peter, James and John. Jesus'
appearance changes – dazzling white glory – they get a peek
behind the veil of his humility. After all, he truly is God of God
and Light of Light. Moses and Elijah, representing the law and the
prophets, all the Old Testament scriptures testifying to Jesus as
Lord. And best of all, the voice from heaven, God's own voice, “This
is my beloved Son with whom I am well pleased. Listen to him.” The
same voice and the same remarks from Jesus' Baptism, only now he
adds, “Listen to Him”. You may see a spectacle here. You may be
startstruck by your Old Testament heroes. You may have the image
seared on you forever – but listen! Listen to him!
And so what does he say?
“The Son of man will go up to Jerusalem, and suffer and die, and be
raised again.” He speaks the Gospel!
This great event, this
mountaintop experience, this bright shining moment is great and all,
but it's nothing compared to the glory yet to come. It's nothing
compared to the day, the Friday that Jesus has in mind, and the
Sunday morning to follow. There, on that mountain called Calvary,
Jesus would come into his kingdom. And John, who had a front row seat
to the transfiguration, will also stand at the foot of the cross.
There Jesus will be
stripped of all earthly dignity, rather than clothed in glory. There
Jesus will be flanked by common thieves, not great men of faith.
There darkness will blot out the sun, rather than radiance shining
forth. There no one would say, “it is good to be here, let's build
some tents and stay a while”. There, God would not consider Jesus
his beloved Son with whom he is well pleased, but instead, he would
forsake him who was made to become sin for us.
But listen to him. What he
says there, on the cross, matters even more.
Father, forgive them, for
they know not what they do.
You will be with me in
paradise. It is finished.
The transfiguration of our
Lord – it shows Jesus' glory. It gives the disciples, and us, just
a peek of what our eyes cannot see – that this Jesus is indeed the
Son of God. The voice of the Father confirms it. But this mountaintop
experience isn't the goal. It simply prepares us for that other
mountain, where Jesus does what he really came to do – die for
sinners like us. Knowing his true identity is important to
understanding that death – that the God made flesh dies for all
people – it's foundational to our faith. It's the heart and center
of it all.
What does the
transfiguration mean to us? It means that Jesus Christ is the Light
of Light and very God of very God - he has and deserves all the
glory. But it means that the cross matters all the more – that his
suffering and death for us are all the better – because he is who
he is. The transfiguration reminds us that it's not just some guy who
dies for us – but God's own Son. The transfiguration, a picture of
glory, actually points us away from such glory to the darkness and
scandal of the cross. There is God's kind of glory – a power made
perfect in weakness – a salvation through suffering – sweet life
for all won by bitter death for him.
And finally, the
transfiguration gives us a hint of that kingdom that is yet to come –
the kingdom of glory, when we will see Christ as he truly is, when he
comes to raise us up forever. Then, we too will be like him,
glorified. Then, we will be transfigured – changed – made perfect
– body and soul forever. The transfiguration is Christ as he truly
is – but it's also a glimpse of our future in him.
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Until then, the glory
remains hidden. The promise is heard but not seen. He comes to us
humbly, still – under bread and wine, by the water, in the Gospel.
His kingdom comes to you today – forgiving you, renewing you, and
transfiguring you, by faith. So receive him, see him, listen to him.
In Jesus' Name, Amen.
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