Listen to Him!

Lectionary - love it for the Christian year, but often misses context

Today’s reading an example - Transfiguration Sunday - “mountain top experience” followed by problems in the valley

Truth - can’t stay on mountain forever

Expand context—see that the questions are bigger. Most Bible lessons - “How does this apply to my life?” Bigger question the Bible invites is, “How am I going to apply my life to what God has said?”

Transfiguration - connects to the authority of Jesus and his identity - one you understand who he is, then it’s not about applying his teaching to your life but altering your life to follow where he leads, even if it’s somewhere you don’t want to go.

“Listen to him” is a command—change your life in response to the revelation of his glory.

Context

Jesus and his authority are at the heart of Luke’s Gospel - “Who is this?”

Simeon - chap 2

Baptism - chap 3

Temptation - chap 4 (“if you are the Son of God”)

Nazareth - chap 4 - “Is this not Joseph’s son?”

Pharisees - chap 5 - “Who is this?

Disciples - chap. 8 - Who is this that even the wind & waves obey him?

Herod - chap. 9 - Who is this about whom I hear such things?

9:18 - Jesus turns the question around: Who do the crowds say that I am?

John the Baptist, Elijah, one of the prophets

Peter - “You are the Messiah” - but clear he doesn’t yet understand

Jesus talks about his impending death, about picking up a cross daily in order to follow him - not what they wanted to hear

The Transfiguration

“Eight days later” - new week, something new happening

Mountain - echo of Moses - place of revelation (theophany) - direct encounter with God

Transfigured - Shines with glory, much like Moses after his encounter with God

Moses and Elijah (how did they know it was them?) - represent Law and Prophets

Context even more specific - Elijah & Moses, deaths questionable, seen as forerunners of Messiah

v. 31 - Moses & Elijah talking with Jesus about his “departure” - Greek word “exodus” - a way of speaking about death but also connects to Israel’s history, salvation in past and in future

Messiah would lead new exodus—he will, and like the first it will begin with a different sort of Passover - the Lamb shedding his own blood to save his people from slavery and death

The Response