Transfiguration Sunday (2)

Context

Previously. I Have Decided to Follow Jesus.

Began with Baptism of the Lord. The Beloved Son of God.

Then teaching, miracles.

Last week: put what you have heard into practice.

Jesus foretells to his disciples where his ministry is headed. To the cross. The death. And that his disciples must be ready to also suffer and die. “Deny yourself and pick up your cross and follow me.”

We can imagine that this was a startling and confusing pronouncement.

What happens next.

Text

Luke 9:28–36 NRSV

Now about eight days after these sayings Jesus took with him Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. And while he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly they saw two men, Moses and Elijah, talking to him. They appeared in glory and were speaking of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. Now Peter and his companions were weighed down with sleep; but since they had stayed awake, they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. Just as they were leaving him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah”—not knowing what he said. While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were terrified as they entered the cloud. Then from the cloud came a voice that said, “This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!” When the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and in those days told no one any of the things they had seen.

Introduction

The most important question set before anyone in this world is,

What do you want to watch/ eat/ go to school/ marry

What do you want to do with your life?

“Who is Jesus Christ to you?”

The gospel story is that Jesus died as a sacrifice for sin on the cross…then that he rose again from the dead…and by following him in life, through death, will lead to eternal life with him..

That is a mighty claim.

A claim we will be invited to take up in Lent, on Ash Wednesday.

A lot riding on how you answer the question: who is Jesus? Who is Jesus that it would prompt you to follow him…

Exegesis 1: Jesus is Transfigured

Many people have been following Jesus because they were captivated by his teaching authority. Others because he worked miracles. When Jesus asks his closest disciples who they thought he was, Peter went as far as to say, You are the Christ, the Messiah of God.

Peter was right, so far as Peter could understand the idea.

Jesus wants to share with him and the others who he really is from a divine perspective.

He takes them up a mountain to pray. Probably Mt. Tabor.

Mountains always a place of encountering God. (Think Mt. Sinai in the day of Moses; Mt. Horeb in the days of Elijah).

Jesus is giving a mountain top experience.

Jesus prays.

What was he praying for? Well, he is suddenly transfigured..so I suspect he was praying for exactly what happened.

For his disciples to see his glory. A glory Jesus knew he had (since his baptism long ago) But that his disciples did not yet know.

Jesus is transfigured. His glory is revealed. Light and brilliance.

The glory as of the only begotten son of God.

Miracle of his transfiguration. The complement to the miracle of his incarnation. At his birth the glorious one took on flesh. At the transfiguration, the man is revealed as God. Two sides of a coin.

Not changing into something that he was not, but revealing who he the son of man has always been. The divine son of God.

As at baptism: this is my son, at transfiguration: this is my son

Jesus is the divine son of God and the center of God’s revelation on Earth

Application 1: Jesus is the Center of Revelation

Over the next 40 days we are going to get to follow Jesus toward the cross, always in the background, we should recall this picture, he is center of divine revelation.

The journey to the cross is revelation. Jesus is showing us central thing about who God is.

One who suffers for us. Invites us to follow Jesus in suffering…not just for suffering sake, but as part of a divine plan…that leads to eternal life. The glory of Christ is that he enters into our suffering to lead us through it.

Time of discipline, repentance,…prayer like Jesus on the mountain. I want to see your glory. I want to see you as the central revelation of God. Just when I need it to help me follow you!

Exegesis 2: Moses and Elijah Appear

Moses and Elijah also appear in glory. They are talking to him. They are turned to him. Just as they paid attention to the LORD on the mountain, they are paying attention to Jesus.

Elijah, Moses, and Jesus are talking together.

they knew intuitively. They heard Jesus address them by name.

The heavy hitters and Jesus! THE LAW (Moses) and THE PROPHETS (Elijah)

Blew the disciples minds! And esepcially if they saw Moses and Elijah bow the head or address Jesus as “my lord.”

PAUSE: WOW.

Is there an afterlife? Yes. Is Jesus at the center of it?

About the exodus he was about to accomplish.

recall the first exodus. Moses was there. A story of redemption from bondage. With a mighty hand God destroyed the Egyptians but passed over his people who obediently placed the blood of a sacrificial lamb on their doors. The Israelites were transformed from slaves to the People of God. Moses encouraged them to embrace their new identity.

Once in the promised land. The people struggled to stay faithful. They were harassed by foreign kings, they were tempted by wealth, paganism, power. Struggling to live in their identity. Elijah was there, he called down fire from heaven to exhort them to not return to the old way of life from which they had been saved.

Yet the people struggled to listen to Moses and Elijah or to obey them. They believed that one day, Another like Moses and Elijah — but greater— would come.

Now here are Moses and Elijah: talking with Jesus about “his exodus.”

HIS exodus. Jesus’ mission to fulfill The TRUE Exodus. The true redemptive event, spiritual event. Exodus of Son of God

Moses: By your death, you will be the new passover lamb, by whose blood you will deliver your people from slavery to sin, of which leaving Egypt was only a sign.

Elijah: You will people hearts that will truly belong to him, as I never could have done.

Jesus is the Center of God’s Saving Work.

Application 2: Jesus is the center of God’s work.

Over the next 40 days we are going to get to follow Jesus toward the cross, always in the background, we should recall this picture, Moses and Elijah flanking Jesus.

He is the center of God’s saving work.

The journey to the cross is how God saves us.

Jesus died for our sins to set us free and he rose again to give us new life.

“You know that you were ransomed ..., not with perishable things like silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, ... He was destined before the foundation of the world, but was revealed at the end of the ages for your sake. Through him you have come to trust in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are set on God.” (1 Peter 1:18–21, NRSV)

3. Jesus is the center of our attention.

Now the disciples almost missed it!

Peter and his companions were weighed down by sleep. But since they had stayed awake, they saw his glory.

They were sleepy. They were drowsy. Suggesting it was nighttime.

But they had managed to stay awake and the glory awoke them even more. Brought them fully to their senses.

Peter, speaks irrationally. John contemplates. James, cowering.

They don’t know what to do…

A cloud descends a voice speaks. The Father and the Spirit. The Triune God.

A commandment is given: God says, This is my Son, my Chosen, My Beloved, Listen to Him!” Imperative.

You do not understand yet about the cross and death and resurrection. But you will if you listen and follow and listen and follow you must. I have shown you my son as he really is, Moses and Elijah testify, now I speak.

Pay attention. Heed what you hear!

Jesus is the Center of our attention!

Application 3

Over the next 40 days we are going to get to follow Jesus toward the cross, always in the background, we should recall this picture, the disciples overcoming sleep and being commanded by God himself.

He is the center of our attention.

Sleep is a metaphor for spiritual sluggishness.

Instead we want to rouse ourselves.

As Jesus goes to the cross, to the grave, to resurrection, we want to pay attention.

Some of you use hearing aids. I use glasses. Chains and walkers. To help our bodies.

spiritual aids: Sunday worship, daily devotions, holy week services, special classes.

If we pay attention we won’t miss it when God reveals his son, his revelation, he salvation to us.

Conclusion

The most important question. Who is Jesus?

Why would we follow him?

He died, rose again, and calls us to follow to eternal life.

he is the Center.

He is the center of Revelation

He is the center of Redemption

He is the center of our attention.