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Rev. Cary M. Richert
The Transfiguration of Our Lord (B)
February 26, 2006
Listen to Him!
Mark 9:2-9
A week ago Kathy and I were visiting our daughter, Rebekah, in southern California. I was amazed at all the mountains! I guess I just didn't expect so many! They were awe-inspiring! What a wonderful surprise! From Bekah's apartment complex we could see the snow-covered peaks of the San Bernadino mountains. Such beauty and majesty in God's creation. We kept saying, AWow! Look at that!@
Today we travel to the top of a mountain, located in the high range near Caesarea Philippi in northern Palestine. A place where our Lord Jesus was transfigured in the presence of His disciples Peter, James and John. Where Jesus was miraculously joined in conversation by Moses, the Law-giver ... and Elijah the prophet. And, where God the Father audibly confirmed the identity, and thus, also the teaching and saving mission of His only-begotten Son.
There's much to learn on the mountain of our Lord's Transfiguration ... if we're willing to listen. Join me, as we dial in!
Our attention turns, first, to Jesus' disciples: Peter, James and John. Matthew's account of Jesus' Transfiguration tells us that, upon hearing the voice of God the Father: the disciples fell facedown to the ground, terrified.(1) Their utter sinfulness exposed. Their complete unworthiness brought to light. Yes, they were terrified! Terrified of dying! Terrified of God's righteous anger and punishment!
Have you ever stood in utter terror of God's eternal wrath and punishment because of your sinfulness? How easy it can be to simply dismiss our deceits, our indiscretions, our failures, our pride ... the disgusting filth of our sin. We rationalize that there's always someone more unworthy, more sinful than we are. That in the grand scheme of righteousness ... we may not be perfect, but we try hard to do our best. It's good enough for us. It ought be good enough for God, too.
How self-promoting, self-protecting, self-righteous our rationalizations can be. The disciples were terrified!!! Like Moses was, when the Lord appeared in the burning bush.(2) Like the children of Israel were, when Moses ascended Mt. Sinai.(3) And like Peter was, after the miraculous catch of fish.(4) All came face-to-face with their sin and their unworthiness in the presence of the Holy One.
When the mirror of God's holy Law brings to light the reality of our own sinfulness ... we, too, ought to hide our faces in fear and trembling and repentance. For nothing ... absolutely nothing ... is hidden in the bright light of the Lord's holiness. It reveals the truth spoken by the prophet: We've all become like one who's unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.(5) FROM THE DISCIPLES, WE LEARN TRUE HUMILITY AND SORROW FOR OUR SIN.
Next, we turn to Moses and Elijah. Moses, the great representative of God's Law, given to His people on Mt. Sinai. And Elijah, the great representative of the prophets, through whom God B time after time B called His rebellious people to repentance ... and promised to send a Messiah.
In the brilliance of Jesus' divine glory a holy conversation with Moses and Elijah erupted. What were they speaking about? Luke tells us: They spoke about (Jesus') departure, which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem.(6) A holy conversation about Jesus' imminent suffering and death. Amazing! In the glory of Jesus' Transfiguration, He was speaking about dying! How UN-glorious!
But, wasn't Jesus' earthly mission all along to suffer and die? To do for us what we can't do for ourselves? To redeem us from our sins? Of course it was! But the redemption price for sin is blood, as the writer of Hebrews notes: without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.(7) Jesus, Moses and Elijah were speaking about the blood path that Christ had to walk for the payment of our sins.
This, writes Peter Scaer, is the true glory of Jesus. Though He was God's glorious Son, He allowed Himself to be bruised and beaten, spit upon and mocked, nailed to a tree B all for our sake. In the cross, we see the glory of love.(8) In the cross! In an instrument of humiliation! Truly, a most unlikely place to find glory!
And where do we see this glory of Christ today? By faith, we, too, see it in lowly and unlikely ways! Earthy ways! Ways as unexpected as the cross! We see it in the ordinary water of Holy Baptism ... where God forgives our sins and grants us the gift of faith. We see it in the ordinary bread and wine of Holy Communion ... where God forgives our sins and strengthens the faith within us. We hear it in the ordinary language of our native tongue ... where God speaks to us the Gospel of His love and forgiveness in Christ Jesus. FROM MOSES AND ELIJAH, WE LEARN THE TRUE NATURE OF CHRIST'S GLORY.
And finally, we turn to our Lord Jesus. Now, it would've been easy enough for our Lord to remain on the mountaintop and bask in the fullness of His glory as the true Son of God. Yet, His stay on the mountain was brief. The Lord came down from the mountain and entered into the valley of the shadow of death.
That's really where we live most of our lives, isn't it? In the valley of daily challenges, difficulties and disappointments. On the plain of life's repetitious routines and responsibilities. Chores. Kids. Work. Email. Dinner. Laundry. Meetings. Traffic jams. Doctor appointments. The mountaintop seems so unreachable at times, doesn't it?
Yet, our Lord came to be by our side through the challenges, difficulties, disappointments, hurts, routines and responsibilities of our lives. He Himself hungered and thirsted. He Himself wept at the death of His friend. He Himself was tempted. For only in this way could our Lord set us free from our slavery to sin and death. In fact: For this (very) reason (Jesus) had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people.(9)
Because Jesus became flesh and lived among us as one of us ... and, because He went to the cross as one of us ... He also now brings meaning and purpose to our lives in the valley and on the plain. Even the most mundane chore is transformed into an opportunity to reflect the glory of Christ.
So daily and willingly, Scaer writes, we pick up our crosses, whatever they may be, and we follow Jesus wherever life may take us. In the valley and on the plain, Christ is with us. His presence makes everyday life worth living.(10)
The unusual joy that Jesus' disciples experienced when they witnessed our Lord's transfiguration ... seeing Jesus Christ in all His divine glory ... is a joy held in store for all God's people, as we await Christ's return. For then we, too, will see Him face-to-face! For that day, we wait in eager and faithful expectation.
For now, we stand on the threshold of the season of Lent ... a time to focus in faith on Jesus' sacrificial death to redeem us lost and condemned sinners from the eternal consequences of our sin. As we focus on the Cross of Christ ... may we live each day in humble faith and repentance. And may we take to heart the words God the Father spoke on the mountain: This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to Him!(11) God grant it for Jesus' sake. Amen.
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NOTES
(1) Matthew 17:6
(2) Exodus 3:1-6
(3) Exodus 20:18-21
(4) Luke 5:8
(5) Isaiah 64:6
(6) Luke 9:31
(7) Hebrews 9:22
(8) P. Scaer, AMountaintop Experience@ in The Lutheran Witness, February, 2006, 4.
(9) Hebrews 2:17
(10) Scaer, 5.
(11) Mark 9:7