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Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father, from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, the text for this morning on this glorious celebration of the transfiguration of our Lord comes from the Gospel reading. You may be seated.
Today is the last Sunday of the Epiphany season. This coming Wednesday, we begin the season of Lent with Ash Wednesday, and you will see the Alleluia banner recess out at the end of this service, not to be brought back in until Easter morn. It’s an interesting time, the season of Lent, and it’s interesting that this would be the text for the last Sunday of the Epiphany. Remember, the Epiphany is a season of God’s manifestations or epiphanies to the world to show him to be the Savior of mankind, God in the flesh.
So let’s think back. The first Sunday after the Epiphany, back in January, that began the Epiphany season, was the celebration of the baptism of our Lord. The end of the Epiphany season is the transfiguration of our Lord. And the biggest connecting commonality between these two Sundays is the only place in Scripture where God speaks from heaven to declare very important truths about who his son is for you. At baptism, remember, it was said, “This is my beloved son with whom I am well pleased.” This today, the voice from heaven says, “This is my son, my chosen one, listen to him.”
Interesting. This is my son, my chosen one, listen to him. Some of the days in your life you are excited to listen and receive the Word of God. And you receive it with joy, gladness. Some days the Word of God does go in one ear and out the other, doesn’t it? You don’t want anything to do with it. You don’t want it to have its way with you. You’d rather keep it at arm’s length. That’s how it is with our life, isn’t it? Living it out in this world. Some days we want God’s Word and other days we don’t. The problem is not God’s word. The problem is us.
And that great statement by the Father from heaven saying, “Listen to him.” Now, lest we think that we’re the only ones, the three apostles that were with Jesus on that mountain were no different. Peter, James, and John enjoyed hearing the word of God on that mountain. They were above the fray on that mountain. They were joyfully gathered together, that select three, and Jesus and Elijah and Moses.
Far right-hand window, top frame, there’s the picture in the window. Moses on the right in purple, Elijah on the left, and Jesus in the middle. Why not stay there? I mean, my goodness, everything is grand. You’re with Jesus, and he’s transfigured in front of you. You get to see what he looks like in heaven before you die and go to heaven. You get to talk to two famous saints of the past who wrote about and lived out their faith for us to see. You get to see Moses and Elijah. You don’t have to put up with the rejection by the Pharisees or the Sadducees. You don’t have to experience the rejection by the chief priests and scribes. You don’t have to put up with any of the issues of down there, in the valley, in the plain. Because up on the mountain, you are protected, aren’t you?
But our Lord bids Peter, James, and John to leave the mountain. Our Lord says, “Follow me to the plain.” Beneath every mountain is the valley. The lower spot. The places where there are people to reject you, to ridicule you, to mock you, to scourge you, to crucify you, and to bury you in a tomb. That’s Jesus’ road, isn’t it? That’s the road he has called Peter, James, and John to follow him.
That’s when the word of God for you and me is not so fun. It’s not so joy-filled fun. It’s not so praise the Lord, Jesus is great kind of moment. It’s much more of a difficult moment for you and for me. Because when that word comes to follow him, he’s taking us places that we would not normally choose. He’s taking us places where we don’t want to go. He’s taking us places like he’s taking that little boy where he does not want to go. But he’s being taken nevertheless, just like you have been taken.
It’s not fun. We like it when we’re on the mountain because it’s peaceful. It’s joy-filled. It’s exactly the way we want it in our life. Easy, pleasing, not full of thorns and thistles, not full of difficulties and hardships. And yet, what does Jesus call us to do? Suffering always precedes glory, doesn’t it? Suffering always precedes glory.
But out of God’s great love for his disciples, these three apostles, he gave them a glimpse, didn’t he? He showed them what the glory was to be in the future. He gave them a little glimpse of heaven. He showed them what it is to be glorified. And then it was gone. But they were shown it, weren’t they? Did he have to show them that?
Was that for some… A Lutheran Christian sermon. We began this Epiphany season being called and being told we were the beloved of God because we have Christ within us who is beloved by God. Absolutely. So what does it look like to be the beloved of God? It looks like that. That’s what it looks like. It looks like the very place where Jesus is leading Peter, James, and John. And it looks like when he has led you down those same paths, the paths that he marks with blood, so that you know where you’re going and who has saved your soul. But he leads you, doesn’t he?
Doesn’t drive you from behind, but leads you like a shepherd leads. Going first and experiencing it all before you. So that you never have to experience the fullness and the brutality of that murder on that cross. He gives you a glimpse. He gives you a glimpse of this glory here every Sunday.
Look around you. That’s glory. Other people who, by faith you know, they believe as you. Look around you. You think you know what’s going on in their life. You think that they have things going on so well. Or you think they have things going on so difficult, and you don’t even know what’s going on in their life. Neither do I. And yet God has said, this is my family. This is what it looks like.
By faith. By faith, we get up off of our keister and line up at our Father’s supper table to be fed by our Father, the meal of Christ, who is the sacrificial lamb. And we eat it together as one, not as individual me in Jesus’ time, but as one body that doesn’t look the same, doesn’t talk the same, doesn’t act the same. This is what it looks like, the glimpse of heaven, filled with people like you.
Here is where singing doesn’t just have one little voice or one person who says, “I don’t sing very good,” but all different kinds of voices singing as one voice as we sing those hymns, as one voice as we pray those prayers, as one voice as we confess our faith. That’s a glimpse of heaven. Wouldn’t it be grand just to stay here, to abide here? Let this be it and end. But God says, nope.
You’ve got to go back out there in the world. That’s where I send my beloved. Just as I sent my beloved son, so I send you, my beloved, back out there on the plain. I know you want to stay here. I know I want to stay here. I know I want to be protected and insulated from all that’s out there. That’s when I love to hear God’s Word because it doesn’t make my life difficult. But out there, it makes my life difficult, doesn’t it? It’s like it makes your life difficult. That Word of God spoken to you.
We may cry out, “This is not what I signed up for.” And you’re right. You were drafted. You didn’t sign up. You were drafted by God in that draft of water. He called you to be His. You didn’t choose Him. And He doesn’t drive you from the rear like a commander-in-chief or general. He leads the charge into this world with you following Him, that path of blood that leads to glory.
Listen to Him. Listen to him. Not just when it is easy, not just when it feels good, but when it’s not easy and when things are not good. Not just when it’s a clear and beautiful day, but when it’s cloudy, gloomy.
Speaking of clouds, what was the response of those three when the cloud of God enveloped them? In wonder? Wow, we’re in the cloud of God! They fell on their face in fear. Because they knew who they were in God’s sight. And when the cloud lifted, what did they see? Only, only, only Jesus. That’s all. Only Jesus. When God speaks, that’s all we see is Jesus.
You know we’re not the only ones who have had struggles with God’s word proclaimed. Hear the great words of wisdom of the psalm writers who were sinners just like you. For example, “…the afflicted shall eat and be satisfied. Those who seek him shall praise him.” And again, “…he will put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God.” And again, “…why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God, for I shall again praise him, my salvation, and my God.”
And again. And again. And again. From generation to generation, from little kids that make noise in church to adults who don’t pay attention in church, all generations, that’s who prays God’s name. And finally, the one that we’re familiar with, but we don’t always think about it. When we are encountering God’s word, we don’t always have an answer, do we? And the psalmist thought of that too. You remember the response, “Lord, open my lips. And my mouth shall declare your praise.” God has to open our lips. God has to give us the words, especially when it’s not such a great time to hear them.
Oh, Peter had lots of words, didn’t he, on that mountaintop. He could talk his leg off. But when the cloud came, he was quiet because he had to have the right words placed in his mouth. All that matters is Jesus and where he leads you. Listen to him.
This is a very safe and beautiful place to be, but God sends us out. Listen to Him. Not just when the Word of God is enjoyable, but when the Word of God is difficult and causes us to wrestle. Listen to Him. For it is the only voice you will hear as you close your eyes in life. Listen to Him. They will be the first words you’ll hear when you rise again in heaven. Listen to Him.
In the name of Jesus, Amen. The peace of God which passes all understanding. Keep your hearts and minds on Christ Jesus to life everlasting. Amen.
