Sermon Feb 9, 2013 - Transfiguration

Title: Jesus Christ is the glorious chosen one, for you!
Text: Luke 9:35-36

35 And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him!”36 And when the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and told no one in those days anything of what they had seen.

Dear friends in Christ,

St Francis had this to say about the pride of man:

“Some men become proud and insolent because they ride a fine horse, wear a feather in their hat or are dressed in a fine suit of clothes. Who does not see the folly of this? If there be any glory in such things, the glory belongs to the horse, the bird and the tailor.”

St. Francis de Sales.

Jesus took Peter, John and James and went up on a mountain to pray. Not an unusual thing for our Lord to do. However, on this trip up the mountain the crowds that would have usually been following Him would be nowhere to be found.

You know the crowds; the ones who had followed Jesus; the ones who had just been filled. The five thousand, who had just been fed by the five loaves and a two fish?

16 And taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing over them. Then he broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd. 17 And they all ate and were satisfied. And what was left over was picked up, twelve baskets of broken pieces. (Luke 9:16-17)

These crowds were nowhere to be found. It was just Jesus and three of His closest disciples, Peter, John and James who went up on the mountain … but as it had been many times before it was Jesus who was praying. The others it appears were asleep. How do we know this? Well, Luke in his transfiguration account tells us this:

29And as he was praying, the appearance of his face was altered, and his clothing became dazzling white. 30And behold, two men were talking with him, Moses and Elijah, 31who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.  (Luke 9:28-30)

His departure which in the Greek is translated Exodus (ἔξοδος), for the Jew this meant freedom from slavery in Egypt. The Jews had been released from bondage in Egypt; being led by Moses for forty years, in the desert, before entering the Promised Land. This same Moses is now speaking with a glorified Jesus who will soon take His Exodus (ἔξοδος) heading towards Jerusalem, the Cross and death - a death that will ultimately lead to freedom from sin, death and the power of the Devil for all who are brought to faith by the power of the Holy Spirit’s work and believe. This reconciliation between God and man is made possible only by the once and for all atoning sacrifice of the God/man himself Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ is the glorious chosen one, for you!

Moses, the Law giver who carried the tablets of stone, etched by the finger of God, measuring the requirements that God has set and our inability to measure up - as it were - to the standards that God has set … is now in the presence of the disciples Jesus has brought with Him, standing with Elijah the prophet, who pointed towards the coming Messiah - Jesus Christ - now transfigured on the mountain … and we read:

32 Now Peter and those who were with him were heavy with sleep, but when they became fully awake they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. 33 And as the men were parting from him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good that we are here.

St. Francis pointed out that men become prideful of themselves because of the things that they have, the closes they wear or the horse they ride that are not of themselves but are added to themselves to give an appearance of  glory.

Jesus Christ, on the other hand has to remove the cover of His humanity to reveal the true glory that is His but has been veiled for a time from the eyes of the world.

Peter continues …

 … Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah”—not knowing what he said.

Peter may have been half asleep or he may not have really understood what had just happened or he just may have been confused. To be there in the presence of a glorified Jesus; a preview of the resurrected Christ drawing both the Old and New Testament focus together upon Himself … had to be revealing and may be even transforming because:

Jesus Christ is the glorious chosen one!

We too fail to recognize the true glory of Jesus at times, seeing only a good man that can be an example for us to follow. But what did Peter say just a short while earlier in our reading for today when Jesus asked the disciples:

“Who do the crowds say that I am?” 19 And they answered, “John the Baptist. But others say, Elijah, and others, that one of the prophets of old has risen.” 20 Then he said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” And Peter answered, “The Christ of God.”

Peter’s confession that Jesus is “the Christ of God” didn’t help him to understand fully what our Lord had to do in turning his face toward Jerusalem; knowing full well that what awaited Him was the Chief Priests and Scribes, rejection by the people, a trial, guilty verdict and death on a Cross – all this for you.

As Jesus is transfigured, Peter is thinking about building tents - building tents? It could be that Peter was just very confused by what was happening or in some way wanted to preserve what was happening and contain the glory of God as the children of Israel desired to do in the wilderness. Tents or no tents, Peter concludes, “It is good that we are here.”

Martin Luther put it this way:

Although out of pure grace God does not impute our sins to us, He nonetheless did not want to do this until complete and ample satisfaction of His law and His righteousness had been made. Since this was impossible for us, God ordained for us, in our place, One who took upon Himself all the punishment we deserve. He fulfilled the law for us. He averted the judgment of God from us and appeased God's wrath. Grace, therefore, costs us nothing, but is cost another much to get it for us. Grace was purchased with an incalculable, infinite treasure, the Son of God Himself."

Martin Luther, Daily Walk, May 5, 1992.

Jesus Christ is the glorious chosen one, for you!

34 As he was saying these things, a cloud came and overshadowed them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. 35 And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him!”

As they were standing in the presence of our Holy Lord, Jesus Christ, covered in their own righteousness, they were afraid, as it should for anyone who relies upon themselves for their own righteousness.
What about you? Sitting here today in the pew? Do you ever miss the mark? Do you ever fall short? Do you see your sin constantly in front of you? Do you carry the guilt that comes with your sin? Are you burdened and weighed down? Have you fallen short of the mark!

36 And when the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and told no one in those days anything of what they had seen.

… until the proper time …

Many times we are silent.  We miss the mark and opportunity to share the Good News with those we come in contact with. Friend, neighbor, relative, Co-worker all are in need of the same forgiveness that you have received from your Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, crucified for you and have the blessed assurance of an eternity in Heaven with Him.

Thank and praise God daily that Jesus didn’t miss His mark! Thank and praise Him that you can listen to Him in His word proclaimed and His word preserved in the writings of Holy Scripture. Thank God you can partake of His body and Blood given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. Thank and praise God that the Cross was His mark and His destination. Thank Him that he fulfilled his goal as He resolutely headed towards Jerusalem, the Cross and death where He received the full wrath of God poured out upon Him as He suffered and died on this Cross and on this Mount of Calvary, for you!

His crucifixion and death satisfied God’s justice for the sins of the world for you. His death brought freedom for you and I as we receive the blessed exchange of His righteousness for our sins nailed once and for all to the Cross with Him. His death released you from the guilt you may at times still carry when you fail to cast all your burdens upon Him. His death accomplishes all of this because on the third day …

He rose … in the glory of His resurrected body, transfigured, incorruptible for you.  And you will too - and so will all who name the name of Jesus Christ having been brought to faith by the power of the Holy Spirit.  Knowing that in your Baptism you were washed clean in the blood of the Lamb given and shed for you!
“It is good that we are here.” It is truly good, right and salutary that through our Lord’s suffering and death at the Cross and His glorious resurrection on the third day that we can be made sons and daughters of our heavenly Father by faith. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be and abide with us all.

J.S. Bach said, "All music should have no other end and aim than the glory of God and the soul's refreshment; where this is not remembered there is no real music but only a devilish hub-bub."

He headed his compositions:

"J.J." "Jesus Juva" which means "Jesus help me."

He ended them "S.D.G."

"Soli Dei gratia" which means "To God alone the praise."



May our Lord and savior Jesus Christ who has redeemed you, through the power of the Holy Spirit who has called you, comfort you with this blessed Good News now and forever!

In the name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit

Amen