Title: Transfigured and revealed to eyewitnesses!
Text: Luke 9:28-36
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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!”
In life we can become prideful with that which is added to it. The car we drive, the house where we live, and the clothes we wear, can all bring a prideful smile to the face.
But this is a foolish thought, isn’t it? If there is to be any glory in this, it belongs to the car, the house, and the clothes.
St. Francis de Sales.
The Death of Moses came about in this way:
34 Then Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, which is opposite Jericho.
4 And the Lord said to him, “This is the land of which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, ‘I will give it to your offspring.’ I have let you see it with your eyes, but you shall not go over there.” 5 So Moses the servant of the Lord died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the Lord, 6 and he buried him in the valley in the land of Moab opposite Beth-peor …
Moses died and was buried. Death claims us all.
In the Gospel reading:
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 been filled. The five thousand, had been fed with the five loaves and a two fish previously in Luke 9:16-17
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.
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
The Jews had been released from bondage in Egypt; being led by Moses for forty years, in the desert, before entering the Promised Land. But Moses had been prohibited from entering in.
The Lord says:
51 because you broke faith with me in the midst of the people of Israel at the waters of Meribah-kadesh, in the wilderness of Zin, and because you did not treat me as holy in the midst of the people of Israel.
This same Moses, buried in Moab and prevented from entering in, is now speaking with a glorified Jesus who will soon head 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, for the sins of the world.
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 to the God’s standards, is now in the presence of the disciples, Peter, John and James, standing with Elijah the prophet, who pointed forward to the coming Messiah - Jesus Christ - now transfigured on the mountain:
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.”
Men can become prideful of themselves because of the things that they have, where they live or how they dress.
But this is not of themselves, and is added to them - 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 - which had 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 not known what he said or was bewildered at what he was seeing. 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 overwhelming.
We all 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 gospel 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” had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit, but that didn’t help him to fully understand 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 he endured for you.
As Jesus is transfigured, Peter is thinking about building tents - building tents?
It could be that Peter was just very overcome by what was happening, or in some way wanted to preserve and contain the glory of God as the children of Israel desired to do in the wilderness. In the most holy place.
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.
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, covered in their own unrighteousness, they were afraid - as it should be for anyone who relies upon themselves.
What about you? Sitting here today in the pew, or me?
Do you ever miss the mark?
Do you ever fall short?
Do you see your sin constantly before you?
Do you carry the guilt that comes with your sin?
Do you ever feel 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.
Many times, we live dead in the Moab of our own sinful flesh, refusing to enter into God’s rest in Christ.
We miss the mark and opportunity to share the Good News with friend, neighbor, or relative, that are in need of the same forgiveness that we have received from our Lord and Savior by his death and resurrection.
Thank and praise him daily that Christ Jesus didn’t miss the 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.”
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
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