Rev. Cary M. Richert
Transfiguration Sunday (C)
February 18, 2007

FIX YOUR THOUGHTS ON JESUS
Hebrews 3:1-6

          You tired of winter yet?  Had enough of the cold weather and the snow? . . . of scraping your windshield? . . . of being chilled to the bone?  Sinclair Lewis said, "Winter isn't a season; it's an occupation." ⁽¹⁾   Our occupation these days seems to be bundling up with layers of clothing, slipping and sliding on the roads and sidewalks, trying to keep the salt off our cars, our clothes, and our shoes!  In a week and a half, Kathy and I will be visiting our daughter.  Guess where our thoughts are pretty well fixed!  San Diego.  Coronado.  Sunshine.  Warm weather!

          Today is Transfiguration Sunday, the day on which we recall God's revelation of His Son's glory on the mountain of Hermon, joined by the ancient prophets Moses and Elijah, and witnessed by Jesus' disciples -- Peter, James and John.  The Transfiguration of Jesus was a pivotal event in the brief 3-year public ministry of Christ.  From that point on, our Lord set His face squarely on Jerusalem and the events leading up to His suffering and death.

          Peter, James and John had seen the divine nature of Christ revealed in His many miracles.  By this time they'd seen water changed into wine at a wedding in Cana of Galilee, the raising of a widow's son in Nain, the healing of many, including Peter's own mother-in-law, the exorcism of demons, and so much more.  The disciples knew Jesus was no ordinary rabbi.  In a moment of divinely given clarity, Peter had confessed Jesus to be the Christ, the Son of the living God. [Matthew 16:16]

Somehow on the mountain the disciples recognized Moses and Elijah.  It would've been tempting to fix their gaze and their thoughts on them:  Moses, the great leader, prophet, and law-giver . . . and Elijah, the great prophet taken into heaven riding a chariot of fire, a prophet like whom another had been promised by the prophet Malachi. [Malachi 4:5-6]   The challenge for our Lord's disciples was to fix their thoughts on Jesus.

Today's Old Testament reading reminds us of the greatness of the prophet and law-giver Moses.  Today's Epistle reading establishes the important part he played in the history of God's people.  Yet, while Moses is honored - and rightfully so - the greater honor goes to Jesus.  Moses is the house . . . Jesus, the Builder.  Moses is the faithful servant . . . Jesus, the faithful Son over God's house, His Church.  Where ancient Israel focused its gaze on Moses . . . God’s Church today fixes its thoughts on Jesus, the apostle and High Priest, [v.1].

Moses is often identified with God's holy Law given to His people at Mt. Sinai.  How easy it is to be drawn to salvation by works of the Law.  That magnetic attraction is inherent in our sinful natures.  We like to think that, in some way, God owes us a great eternal reward for our earthly good deeds and for our best efforts at doing the right thing, at trying to keep the commandments of God.

We're rather like the Pharisee who prayed, God, I thank you that I am not like other men . . . [Luke 18:11].  In other words, "God, I deserve Your favor, because I try harder than most to live by the requirements of Your law."  Fixing our thoughts on Moses in this way would not be good for the health of our faith . . . for the Law can only show us our sin and condemn us for it.  Living by the idea that somehow we can earn our salvation would be like building a house on the sand, which is eroded by the wind and the rain, resulting in a fallen house.  Salvation by Moses is no salvation at all!

Fix your thoughts on Jesus, for in Him alone is forgiveness and salvation, gracious gifts from God that are ours by faith alone - and not by works of the law - so that no man can boast before God of his own, self-created worthiness.

          The Transfiguration of Jesus in all His divine glory served to connect two historic "exodus" events:  the ancient exodus of Israel from Egypt under Moses' leadership, and the exodus of Jesus, which He was about to fulfill in Jerusalem, as Moses, Elijah, and Jesus were discussing. [Luke 9:31]  The exodus of Israel brought them freedom from slavery to the ancient Egyptians.  The exodus of Jesus brought all sinful mankind freedom from slavery to sin, death, and the power of the devil.

          The exodus of the Israelites, the greatest redemption event in Old Testament history, notes Rev. Arthur Just, was a forward-pointing prophecy of the perfect and complete salvation to be accomplished in the "exodus" of Jesus . . . in His suffering, death, resurrection and ascension. ⁽²⁾   Just as Moses led God’s people out of slavery, and to the earthly Promised Land of Canaan [Exodus 13:1], so Jesus leads His people out of slavery, and to the Promised Land of heaven [James 2:5].

In the brilliance of Jesus' Transfiguration, we learn the true nature of our Lord's glory from Moses and Elijah.  Our Lord's true glory is revealed on another mountain, Calvary.  There He suffered and died to redeem sinful mankind.  There He shed His holy, innocent blood, that we might be His own and live under Him in His kingdom.  To see His true glory, Fix your eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross. [Hebrews 12:2]

That's what we’re about to do starting this coming Wednesday, Ash Wednesday, as once again we enter into the season of Lent.  From the banners hanging in the Sanctuary, and from the devotion book you received recently, you know that our eyes and thoughts will be fixed on  OUR SUFFERING SAVIOR.  Each midweek in worship we'll focus on one aspect of our Lord's Passion, which He willingly and lovingly endured to pay the price for the forgiveness of our sins and our eternal salvation.

          So today, with Jesus' disciples, we bask in the radiant glow of Jesus’ Transfiguration.  Tuesday we eat paczkis.  But Wednesday we come down from the mountain with Jesus' disciples . . . we wear the ashen cross . . . and we begin our journey with Jesus to Jerusalem.

          Someday, like the disciples, we’ll be privileged to see the full glory of Christ shining brilliantly in heaven.  And while we wait, we take to heart the words spoken by God the Father on the mountain, This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to Him, [Luke 9:35].   May we fix our eyes and thoughts on Jesus, as He comes to us in Word and water, in bread and wine, to prepare us for that great and glorious day, when, like Moses, Elijah, Peter, James and John, we will see our Lord face-to-face in all His radiant glory!

           God grant it for Jesus' sake.  AMEN.

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NOTES

(1)   D. Meyer, "The Meyer Minute for February 9, 2007,"  © Dale A Meyer 2006

(2)   A Just, Luke 1:1-9:50, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1996, 403.