2-14-2021 -- TRANSFIGURED? OR TRANSFORMED?

PRE-SERVICE LOOP — goes up 5 minutes or so before 9:30, with WELCOME/DATE slide and any pre-service announcement

WELCOME AND DATE

SERVICE BEGINS PUSH BUTTONS TO START LIVESTREAMING AND START RECORDING IN PROCLAIM AND IN OBS AND TO GO ON AIR

click on duplicate WELCOME AND DATE slide, leave up a second or two

WELCOME AND DATE

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GREETING

pastor gives a few words of greeting change to ANNOUNCEMENTS slide, which will stay up just a second or two. Then move through however many announcements there might be, giving time for people to read and/or pastor give details, then move on to next announcement if there is one

ANNOUNCEMENTS — listed by date

illnesses, deaths, prayer requests, or announcements that need to go on the prayer list, in the bulletin, or that the pastor needs to know about.

change slide to FIRST ANNOUNCEMENT

Make a Difference

Men’s Breakfast

Let Pastor Know

after final announcement, change to CENTERING OUR HEARTS ON WORSHIP slide and leave up a few seconds, then change to REFLECT IONS ON WORSHIP (if applicable), which will stay up until time for the FIRST HYMN slide

CENTERING OUR HEARTS ON WORSHIP

REFLECTIONS ON WORSHIP

There is a single theme that runs through our Old Testament, Epistle, and Gospel lessons. In one way or another, the theme is about revelation -- about seeing and not seeing, A secondary theme is one of light. There’s no light in the Old Testament account of Elijah being taken up in a whirlwind and a devouring fire. But Elisha does see Elijah being taken, which means Elisha inherits the mantle of Elijah and receives double Elijah’s spirit. In the Epistle lesson, Paul writes of those who are unable to experience the light of the gospel of Christ because of their unbelief in 2 Corinthians 4:3-6. The same God who declared “Let there be light” in the beginning has shone in their hearts the love of Christ Jesus, the glory of God. However, the gospel is veiled for the unbelievers. The god of this world, the ways of this world, makes it difficult for unbelievers to see, experience, and know the gospel of Jesus. And as we mark Transfiguration Sunday, we read about Jesus being transfigured into His true self – the Son of God, dressed in brightly shining garments – appearing with Elijah and Moses.

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FIRST HYMN — “He Lives” (THREE VERSES)

In the Transfiguration, we see Christ’s true nature — He has always existed, He walked this earth with His disciples, He died but rose again, He lives within us today, and He will live forever. In other words, “He Lives” in past, present, future, and eternal sense. We’ll sing three verses of “He Lives.”

I serve a risen Saviour, He's in the world today. I know that He is living, whatever men may say.

I see His hand of mercy, I hear His voice of cheer. And just the time I need Him, He's always near.--

He lives (He lives), He lives (He lives), Christ Jesus lives today

He walks with me and talks with me Along life's narrow way

He lives (He lives),He lives (He lives), Salvation to impart

You ask me how I know He lives? He lives within my heart.--

In all the world around me I see His loving care.

And though my heart grows weary, I never will despair.

I know that He is leading, through all the stormy blast.

The day of His appearing will come at last.--

He lives (He lives), He lives (He lives), Christ Jesus lives today

He walks with me and talks with me Along life's narrow way

He lives (He lives), He lives (He lives), Salvation to impart

You ask me how I know He lives? He lives within my heart.--

Rejoice, rejoice, O Christian. Lift up your voice and sing,

Eternal hallelujahs to Jesus Christ, the King,

The Hope of all who seek Him, the Help of all who find,

None other is so loving, so good and kind. --

He lives (He lives), He lives (He lives), Christ Jesus lives today

He walks with me and talks with me Along life's narrow way

He lives (He lives), He lives (He lives), Salvation to impart

You ask me how I know He lives? He lives within my heart.--

GATHERING PRAYER

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CALL TO WORSHIP

PASTOR: The Lord has called us here this day.

PEOPLE: We ask the Lord to reveal to us His purposes for us. --

PASTOR: We lift the veils of our misunderstanding and complacency so that we may see His glorious Light.

PEOPLE: And in seeing His light, we ask that we may see His Vision for our lives and our world.--

PASTOR: We open our hearts to receive God’s good news this morning,

PEOPLE and we ask that He make us ready to serve Him with loving hearts. --

Pastor: Come, let us worship God!

People Let us sing our praises to the Almighty One.--

When the song is over, change slide to OLD TESTAMENT LESSON and leave up during the introduction to the passage, which is fairly long usually ends with something like, “Let’s listen to 2 Kings 2:1-12, reading from the Common English Bible.”

OLD TESTAMENT READING — 2 Kings 2:1-12 (CEB)

God has previously revealed to the prophet Elijah that he was to be taken directly up to heaven without dying. (We’re told of only one other person in the Bible who held that honor — Enoch, the father of Noah; even Moses died.) Elijah knows that the time for that departure is fast approaching, and so does Elijah's protege — a sort of prophet-in-training — under Elijah. In fact, Elisha had been called by God to be Elijah’s successor. As they move closer to where God has directed Elijah to go, three times he tells Elisha to stay behind, and three times Elisha — in no uncertain terms — says he would not leave Elijah. I’ve always wondered why Elijah was so insistent on Elisha staying behind and Elisha being so insistent that he continue on the journey with Elijah. Some scholars say that Elijah was testing Elisha — giving him a chance to decline the calling and the difficult and sometimes dangerous life of a prophet. As to why Elisha did not obey, we see in his refusal to even talk about Elijah’s departure that he didn’t even want to talk or think about the idea of losing his friend and his own commitment to be Elijah’s successor. It is interesting to note that the number three is almost a magical number having to do with testing loyalty. Three times between Elijah and Elisha. Later, in a courtyard, Peter denied knowing Jesus three times and shortly after Christ’s resurrection, He asked Peter three times, “Simon, son of John do you love me?” Later, Jesus asked Peter how much he loved Him.

In addition, it was fairly common for a prophet to give a parting blessing to a protege or someone else, and when Elijah asked Elisha if he had any request, Elisha asked that he receive a double portion of Elijah’s spirit. Elisha had seen Elijah’s mighty works, but he is not asking for twice Elijah’s spirit — it’s more asking for the portion that went to the firstborn son, with Elisha being the first-born son in ministry and Elisha is asking for the spiritual power to fulfill t e calling he had already received. Elijah doesn’t know the answer to that question — he simply answers that if Elisha actually sees him taken up to heaven, the request will be granted. Elisha DOES see Elijah’s departure, and after expressing his deep sorrow, he tears his clothes, which was a symbol of mourning. And the fact that he saw Elijah being taken, it means that he would carry on Elijah’s work.

Let’s read 2 Kings 2:1-12 from the Common English Bible to see how the story unfolds:

change to words of the Scripture Passage and click through whenever you see a dash (—)

1 Now the Lord was going to take Elijah up to heaven in a windstorm, and Elijah and Elisha were leaving Gilgal. --

2 Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here because the Lord has sent me to Bethel.” But Elisha said, “As the Lord lives and as you live, I won’t leave you. "So they went down to Bethel. --

3 The group of prophets from Bethel came out to Elisha. These prophets said to Elisha, “Do you know that the Lord is going to take your master away from you today?” Elisha said, “Yes, I know. Don’t talk about it!” --

4 Elijah said, “Elisha, stay here, because the Lord has sent me to Jericho.” But Elisha said, “As the Lord lives and as you live, I won’t leave you.” So they went to Jericho. --

5 The group of prophets from Jericho approached Elisha and said to him, “Do you know that the Lord is going to take your master away from you today?” He said, “Yes, I know. Don’t talk about it!” --

6 Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here, because the Lord has sent me to the Jordan.” But Elisha said, “As the Lord lives and as you live, I won’t leave you.” So both of them went on together. --

7 Fifty members from the group of prophets also went along, but they stood at a distance. Both Elijah and Elisha stood beside the Jordan River. --

8 Elijah then took his coat, rolled it up, and hit the water. Then the water was divided in two! Both of them crossed over on dry ground. --

9 When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “What do you want me to do for you before I’m taken away from you?” Elisha said, “Let me have twice your spirit.” --

10 Elijah said, “You’ve made a difficult request. If you can see me when I’m taken from you, then it will be yours. If you don’t see me, it won’t happen.” --

11 They were walking along, talking, when suddenly a fiery chariot and fiery horses appeared and separated the two of them. Then Elijah went to heaven in a windstorm. --

12 Elisha was watching, and he cried out, “Oh, my father, my father! Israel’s chariots and its riders!” When he could no longer see him, Elisha took hold of his clothes and ripped them in two.--

13 Then Elisha picked up the coat that had fallen from Elijah. He went back and stood beside the banks of the Jordan River. --

14 He took the coat that had fallen from Elijah and hit the water. He said, “Where is the Lord, Elijah’s God?” And when he hit the water, it divided in two! Then Elisha crossed over.--

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CENTERING OUR HEARTS IN PRAYER

Updates on people on prayer list

change to PASTORAL PRAYER slide, which stays up during the prayer — when the pastor says “the words our Lord taught us, saying...” change to LORD’S PRAYER slide

PASTORAL PRAYER

change to LORD’S PRAYER slide

THE LORD’S PRAYER

Our Father, Who art in heaven. Hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.--Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

change to TITHES AND OFFERINGS slide and leave up for a second or two. This will be followed by an announcement slide on where to send offerings. Leave up a few seconds so people can see addresses, etc.

TITHES AND OFFERINGS

Where to send regular offerings

change slide to EPISTLE LESSON slide and leave up during the introduction to the passage. The introduction will end with something like “… let’s hear [Scripture citation] in the Common English Bible.

EPISTLE LESSON — 2 Corinthians 4:3-6 (CEB)

In our Epistle reading today, Paul writes of those who are unable to experience the light of the gospel of Christ because of their unbelief The same God who declared “Let there be light” in the beginning has shone in their hearts the love of Christ Jesus, the glory of God. However, the gospel is veiled for the unbelievers. The gods of this world, the ways of this world that draw us away from God, makes it difficult for unbelievers to see, experience, and know the gospel of Jesus. Let’s read 2 Corinthians 4:3-6 from the Common English Bible to see how Paul tells the Corinthian Christians to preach the Gospel of Jesus and to let their light shine out into the darkness.

change slide to words for the Scripture, clicking through slides whenever you see a dash (—)

3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are on the road to destruction. --

4 The god of this age has blinded the minds of those who don’t have faith so they couldn’t see the light of the gospel that reveals Christ’s glory. Christ is the image of God. --

5 We don’t preach about ourselves. Instead, we preach as your slaves for Jesus’ sake. --

6 God said that light should shine out of the darkness. He is the same one who shone in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory in the face of Jesus Christ.--

After the Scripture, change to SECOND HYMN slide, which gives the name of the hymn and stays up for a short introduction of the hymn . (The introduction usually ends with how many verses will be sung, etc.)

SECOND HYMN —“Open Our Eyes, Lord, We Want to See Jesus” (CHORUS IS SUNG TWICE)

Those of you who have been a part of Emmaus probably know this last song pretty well. For others, it may not be as familiar. And the request — asking Jesus to open our eyes — has a different context than the one we’ve been reading about today — the disciples seeing the true personality and identity of Jesus. And one day we WILL see Him in that way. IN the meantime, let’s sing the simple chorus. The introduction goes all the way through the little tune, so you’ll hear how it goes. Then we’ll sing the chorus, followed by a full interlude when you can hear the tune again, and a final singing of the chorus with the last two lines thrown in.

change slide to words to the second hymn, which will look like a single slide, but will include several slides, depending on the number of verses, etc. If a verse is broken up into more than one slide, the signal for the slide change is a dash (—)

Open our eyes, Lord, We want to see Jesus, to reach out and touch Him, and say that we love Him. --

Open our ears, Lord, and help us to listen. Open our eyes, Lord, We want to see Jesus. INTERLUDE--

Open our eyes, Lord, We want to see Jesus ,to reach out and touch Him, and say that we love Him.--

Open our ears, Lord, and help us to listen. Open our eyes, Lord, We want to see Jesus.

Open our eyes, Lord, We want to see Jesus.—

When the song is over, change to the CENTERING OUR HEARTS WITH THE WORD slide

CENTERING OUR HEARTS WITH THE WORD

change to SERMON TITLE and leave it up until the end of the introduction, which usually ends with something like: Let’s listen to [Scripture citation], reading from the Common English Bible:

TRANSFIGURED? OR TRANSFORMED?

Today we’re looking at transfiguration and transformation. To me, it’s almost like flip sides of the same coin. That is, both words relate to the nature of a person or object. The dictionary tells us that transfiguration is revealing true nature of something or someone, while transformation is the remaking of the nature of a person or object.

Or as Nicholas Knisely puts it, “Jesus is not transformed on the Mount that day. He doesn’t go up the mountain like some sort of caterpillar, to wrap Himself in a cocoon and emerge as a glorious butterfly, full of light and beauty. That is what happens at the Resurrection event, but not here, not today. What happens here is that Jesus stands revealed. It is as if a mask is taken away from His face, and the disciples are granted a vision of who He really is, as God the Father sees Him and loves Him.”

He goes on to say that we’ve seen those kinds of moments in our own lives, although we might not use the word “transfigure” or “transformation.” He asked, “Have you ever seen the face of child transfigured with joy at some gift or unexpected event? It is as if you are peering into their very soul, through the layers of dirt and chocolate cake on their face, and seeing them as they truly are on the inside.” On the other hand, he asks, ”Have you ever seen someone, beautiful to behold, so overcome with anger and frustration, that their face becomes transfigured as well? It is frightening sometimes to see how people really are on the inside when that happens, and it is certainly disillusioning as well.” [ATTRIBUTION: Nicholas Knisely from “Transfiguration, not Transformation”]

We haven’t been in Mark very long, but already know that one of his favorite words is “immediately,” and he likes to pinpoint when certain things happen. That’s why we’re going to start our Gospel lesson a couple of verses earlier than the ones the Lectionary suggests. That is, the lesson begins w ith the words, “Six days later...” Six days later than what? Well, if today is Transfiguration Sunday, it stands to reason that the “what” is the Transfiguration. Last week we were in chapter 1 of Mark and today we’re in chapter 9. A LOT has happened in the intervening time — at least a couple of weeks, perhaps more. Some have been miracle stories and teachings, and some of those have been covered in the Cycle B and Cycle C lessons of the three-year Lectionary cycle for Mark in previous years. I’ll summarize some of what comes before today’s lesson, because some of it shows us what Jesus has been doing with what comes later. But the words just before today’s reading are extremely pertinent to today’s reading, and so are those just after. So let’s listen to Mark 8:38-9:13, reading from the Common English Bible:

change slide to GOSPEL LESSON and then to the words of the Scripture, which will look like one slide but is several slides. Change slide when you see a dash (—)

GOSPEL LESSON — Mark 8: 1-13 (Common English Bible)

1 Jesus continued, “I assure you that some standing here won’t die before they see God’s kingdom arrive in power.” --

2 Six days later Jesus took Peter, James, and John, and brought them to the top of a very high mountain where they were alone. --

He was transformed in front of them, 3 and his clothes were amazingly bright, brighter than if they had been bleached white. --

4 Elijah and Moses appeared and were talking with Jesus. --

5 Peter reacted to all of this by saying to Jesus, “Rabbi, it’s good that we’re here. Let’s make three shrines — one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” --

6 He said this because he didn’t know how to respond, for the three of them were terrified. --

7 Then a cloud and a voice spoke from the cloud, “This is my Son, whom I dearly love. Listen to him!” --

8 Suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus. --

9 As they were coming down the mountain, he ordered them not to tell anyone what they had seen until after the Human One had risen from the dead. --

10 So they kept it to themselves, wondering, “What’s this ‘rising from the dead’?” --

11 They asked Jesus, “Why do the legal experts say that Elijah must come first?” --

12 He answered, “Elijah does come first to restore all things. Why was it written that the Human One [or the Son of Man] would suffer many things and be rejected? --

13 In fact, I tell you that Elijah has come, but they did to him whatever they wanted, just as it was written about him.”

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WHAT’S BEEN HAPPENING SINCE LAST WEEK’S LESSON?

Still in Mark 1, Jesus heals a man with a skin disease (or leprosy), although Mark doesn’t say whether that happened the same day or a day or so later. In fact, we know much of what happened in the next few weeks, but not when the events actually took place. For example, Mark says, “som time afterwards,” and after a few days of preaching and healing in Galilee, Jesus went back to Capernaum, where He once again encountered huge crowds seeking healing, including the paralyzed man let down through the roof. Jesus not only healed the man, He told His sins had been forgiven. This brought Him to the attention of the legal experts, who muttered among themselves that only God could forgive sins. Jesus responds by saying, “Which is easier? to forgive a man his sins or to heal a man?” To prove His point, then Jesus tells the authorities, “But so you will know that the Human One [the Son of Man] has authority on the earth to forgive sins, He then said to paralytic, “Get up, take your mat, and go home.” Which the man did, to the amazement of all.

Mark then talks about something Jesus was apparently already doing — eating with tax collectors and sinners, some of whom had become followers. When the legal experts questioned Him about that, He said, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor, but sick people do. I didn’t come to call righteous people, but sinners.” Around that same time, He called Matthew, the tax collector, to be a disciple. More questions followed about fasting and Jesus and His disciples picking heads of corn on a Sabbath, which would have been breaking t he Sabbath Law. That means it’s been a week since the healing of Peter’s mother-in-law, and He pointed out Old Testament references to David eating on a Sabbath and giving food to his companions. “The Human One [Son of Man] is Lord even over the Sabbath,” Jesus said, again making prophetic reference to the role He had come to fulfill. And He healed on the Sabbath and performed other healing miracles. He also rounded out His band of disciples.

It’s around this time we first hear of Him teaching in parables — farmers scattering seeds, lamps hidden under a bushel basket, the mustard seed. He stops two storms at sea — at the first, the disciples ask, “Who then is this? Even the wind and the sea obey him!” and He walks on water the second time — and He continues to heal, including Jairus’ daughter, who He later raised from the dead; the woman with a blood disorder for 12 years; and the blind, the lame, the deaf and persons possessed by evil spirits. In addition, He feeds a crowd of 5,000 on one occasion and 4,000 on another, and sent the disciples out in twos to preach and giving them the power to heal. Somewhere around this time, in the intervening time between last week’s lesson and this week’s, Jesus hears that John the Baptist has been killed for calling out the adulterous marriage of the king with his brother’s wife. .

In chapters 7 and 8 of Mark, we have Jesus going first to Gennesareth, later to the Gentile areas around Tyre and Sidon, back to the Sea of Galilee, and then on to Caesarea Philippi, which was outside of Galilee, or under Philip’s reign instead of Herod’s. it is on this journey of more teaching, preaching and healing that Jesus asks “Who do men say I am?” and Peter answers, “You are God’s Anointed One.” Of course, Peter and the others had no real idea what that meant, and Jesus begins teaching the disciples about the true meaning of Messiahship, with more urgency because they are now in His final days as they are on their way to Jerusalem. Mark tells us “He began to teach them that it was necessary that the Son of Man should suffer many things, and should be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed and rise again after three days. He kept telling them this plainly.” And it is that vein He continues with talking about how they must deny themselves and take up their crosses to follow Him and that “Whoever seeks to save his life shall lose it; and whoever loses his life for my sake and for the sake of the gospel shall save it. Whoever seeks to save his life shall lose it; and whoever loses his life for my sake and for the sake of the gospel shall save it. Whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him also shall the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”

change to SOME WILL NOT TASTE DEATH slide and leave up until time for the WHAT HAPPENS ON THE MOUNTAIN? slide

SOME WILL NOT TASTE DEATH

And that brings us to the verse just before our official Lectionary reading. He tells the disciples: “This is the truth I tell you—there are some of those who are standing here who will not taste of death until they shall see the Kingdom of God coming with power, and it possibly sets the scene for what comes next, depending on your view of what seeing the Kingdom of God coming in power means. It does not mean the Second Coming, which refers to Jesus coming back to this world and establishing he real Kingdom of God on earth and the earliest Christians thought it would happen in their lifetimes. But it did not, so Jesus could not have meant it in that way when He said it.

Commentator William Barclay proposes a second idea — that Jesus is referring to what this tiny, little-known country would become within about 30 years, “Christianity had swept through Asia Minor; Antioch had become a great Christian church. It had penetrated to Egypt; the Christians were strong in Alexandria. It had crossed the sea and come to Rome and swept through Greece. Christianity had spread like an unstoppable tide throughout the world,” he said. “It was astonishingly true that in the lifetime of many there, against all expectations, Christianity had come with power. So far from being mistaken, Jesus was absolutely right.” [ATTRIBUTION: William Barclay (Ed.). (1976). The Gospel of Mark (p. 207). Philadelphia, PA: The Westminster John Knox Press.]

But there’s another way to look at this, and frankly, it’s the way I look at it. There were three men — Peter, James and John — who WOULD get just a glimpse of God’s glorious kingdom in just six days. That’s the six-day interval that our next verses refer to (although Luke says eight days. That’s sort of like saying “about a week, give or take a day.”

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WHAT HAPPENS ON THE MOUNTAIN?

The story starts out with Jesus taking what appear to be His three best buds — Peter, James and John — up the mountain. Which mountain is uncertain. It may have been Mount Tabor, but some scholars say Mount Herman.

And then something amazing happened in front of them. Mark says Jesus’ clothes became “amazingly bright,” brighter and whiter than any bleach known to man could ever achieve. Luke adds that His face changed, and Matthew says His face became like t he sun. We could say that He was bathed in the Father’s glory and in His own glory. What was really happening was that the three disciples could see Jesus for who He really was. As one pastor put it, “What happened on that mountain was not so much a change into something different, but a revealing of the essence of the one who was changed. Jesus became who He was on that mountain, even though He was who he was as he climbed up and then down again. He is always who He is; He is always present in the fullness of His being. We can see only a part of Him, the part we need at any given moment. We experience only a piece, a dimension of the reality that is the Christ. And we get used to that; it becomes familiar to us. [ATTRIBUTION: “But Only Jesus,” from Discipleship Ministries]

But it’s not just the four of them for long. Suddenly two other figures appear — two of the most prominent men of all Old Testament history: Moses, who led the children out of slavery in Egypt to t he Promised Land and to whom God gave the Law, and the prophet Elijah, who was the first and greatest of the prophets and who would be a forerunner for t he Messiah when He came. Even in modern-day Passover feasts, Jews leave a cup of wine for Elijah and wait a moment to see if he comes to drink it.

It’s significant that it was these two, because together, they represented all of the Law and all of the Prophets. As Barclay put it, “It meant that they saw in Jesus the consummation of all that they had dreamed of in the past. It meant that they saw in him all that history had longed for and hoped for and looked forward to. It is as if at that moment Jesus was assured that he was on the right way because all history had been leading up to the Cross.”

It’s also significant that the three disciples were there. Jesus had already told them He was going to die and be resurrected, but they had not understood. They still don’t understand, and won’t for awhile. And you see that right a way when Peter suggests making shrines for Jesus, Moses and Elijah — he is putting Jesus on an equal status with Moses and Elijah, not higher as he Son of God would deserve.

But suddenly there was one other — OTHER with a capital O. God Himself: God the Father, present with His beloved Son. And there was an experience similar to the one Jesus had some three years earlier. Matthew 3:16-17 says, “When Jesus was baptized, he immediately came up out of t he water. Heaven was opened to him, and he saw t he Spirit of God coming down like a dove and resting on him. A voice from heaven said, “This is my Son whom I dearly love; I find happiness in him.”

And now Jesus needs to know He is on the right track — that He is doing what He had come to do — and again, a voice speaks, saying, “This is my Son, whom I dearly love. Listen to him!” Or as Barclay describes it, "Jesus has put all his plans and intentions before God. And God said to him, 'You are acting as my own beloved Son should act and must act. Go on!' On the mountain of the transfiguration Jesus was assured that he had not chosen the wrong way. He saw, not only the inevitability, but the essential rightness of the Cross.

And now the disciples know it, too. Jesus does NOT share equal status with Moses and Elijah. They have just heard God Himself call Jesus His beloved Son.In the terrible coming days ahead, they had seen something to hold on to — not only that Jesus was God’s Son but that He was doing His Father’s business. God was in this plan they didn’t understand, and it would be OK, ultimately. And Barclay adds one other point:This experience had made the disciples, “in a special sense, witnesses of the glory of Christ. A witness has been defined as a man who first sees and then shows. This time on the mountain had shown them the glory of Christ, and now they had the story of this glory to hide in their hearts and to tell to men, not at the moment, but when the time came.” [ATTRIBUTION: William Barclay, p. 211]

change to WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? slide and leave up until time for OUR HEARTS RESPOND TO THE WORD slide

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

And then there’s a final act to our little play. As Jesus did so often, He told the three not to tell anyone, not even their fellow disciples, what they had seen and heard until after a certain event occurred — that event being His rising from the dead. This is at least the fourth time He has told them He is going to die but will rise from the dead. And yet, here they are, puzzled amongst themselves, saying, “What on earth is He talking about? Rise from the dead? What does that mean?” NOBODY was expecting Jesus to rise from the dead, even though He had told them multiple times He would.

And then they go off on a rabbit’s trail, asking why the legal experts say Elijah must come first. Jewish tradition had it that Elijah would come as a forerunner three days before the Messiah, but the they — and all Israelites — never understood the true meaning of Messiahship, They were looking for a nationalistic, militarist Messiah who would deliver God’s people from the Roman tyranny, not a loving, compassionate God who would deliver them from the tyranny of sin and put them on a path to a right relationship with God.

Jesus replies to the question about Elijah coming first by saying that prophesy had proclaimed that Elijah would come back and restore all things before the coming of the Messiah, although it’s not clear to me why He said that. It’s clear that, for Jesus, Elijah has come back in the person of John the Baptist, and it’s not clear to me how John the Baptist restored anything. Although, he did point people on the road to repentance, so maybe that's what Jesus is talking about.

And then Jesus asks the three disciples a question: Why was it written that the Human One [or the Son of Man] would suffer many things and be rejected? They’re starting to see that maybe Jesus is the Messiah, but then what about Elijah? How does he fit in? Jesus is very pointedly telling them t at things aren’t going to happen the way they think they are. Elijah, the forerunner, HAS come, and look what happened to him — John the Baptist, the forerunner of t he Messiah, was killed. The implication is clear — if this what happened to the forerunner of the Messiah, what will happen to t he Messiah?

The disciples have had a glorious moment, when they saw the true nature of Jesus — the very SON of GOD — and the true nature of the Messiah. And must certainly be at least thinking about what it means to be a disciple.

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OUR HEARTS RESPOND TO THE WORD

One lesson we learn is that you can’t stay on the mountain. You always have to come down into the real world. Jesus still had to face the cross, but He knew He was doing the Father’s will, no matter the cost to Himself personally. And He had come to earth for this very reason.

But we learn something else in this story — that God speaks clearly, but do we really listen? I know when I'm seeking assurance, guidance and comfort that I wish God would speak more clearly to me. God spoke clearly to the disciples and to us thousands of years later that Jesus really IS God's Son and that they — and we — should listen to Him. God has made perfectly clear His expectations for His children — that we should be seeking justice for all, offering mercy and forgiveness to those who have wronged us, loving our enemies.’ As one pastor put it, “On this earth, we struggle to live up to the example and the message of the prophets. We do not have their courage. We do not have their eloquence. We do not fight for justice as the prophets taught us to do. We do not seek to learn from the law that God gave through Moses. We do not open our hearts for God to write his laws inside us. We do not reflect on the Ten Commandments to guide our relationship with God and our relationships with each other. We do not hear the word of Jesus to love our neighbor as ourselves. This earth is marked by our neglect of the law and the prophets. But at the Transfiguration, the lawgiver and the prophet come alive in the presence of Jesus, and we can see for ourselves — at least, in part.

Maybe we should look at this story as a promise. For a brief moment, the divine world intersected with our world. “If we cannot solve all of our problems, if we strive to create a better world on our own but feel frustrated that we cannot accomplish it, maybe this scene from the life of Jesus tells us that God hasn’t given up on this world. Life in the resurrection awaits us, and God has more in store for us. This week, let us look for the ways God is still with us, for the ways life triumphs over death. Let us go out in hope and the assurance that Jesus has not given up on this world. I like the way someone at Discipleship Ministries put it. He had already said that sometimes we see a tiny bit of Jesus. “But every now and then, we catch a glimpse of something larger, something deeper and more profound. Every now and then, we hear a word that reverberates in our soul for weeks if not a lifetime. Every now and then, a tear comes to our eye as we stand on the precipice of glory. Every now and then, a lump comes to our throat as we encounter the depths of love and sacrifice. Every now and then, we climb a mountain and see what it is that we are following in what is most often the darkness of this life. Every now and then, we move a little closer, grow and little taller, move a little closer, and listen a little better. Then we can realize that who and what we are, even as we grow and change on the discipleship path, is possible because of him. Only Jesus.” [ATTRIBUTION: “But Only Jesus,” from Discipleship Ministries]

change to the words to the Affirmation of Faith

AFFIRMATION OF FAITH

I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ his only Son, our Lord;who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried;the third day he rose from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church,the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

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INVITATION

after the INVITATION, change to INVITATION HYMN slide, which gives the name of the hymn and stays up for a short introduction of the hymn . After the hymn introduction, change slide to words to the second hymn, which will look like a single slide, but will include several slides, depending on the number of verses, etc. If a verse is broken up into more than one slide, the signal for the slide change is a dash (—)

INVITATION SONG — “Turn your eyes upon Jesus” (THREE VERSES)

I think you all know the words and music to the chorus of our invitation hymn. You may not be as familiar with the verses. But Alan Jackson is g oing to lead us in singing the song, and you can just join in when you know the tune. We’ll sing three verses.

VERSE 1

O soul, are you weary and troubled?No light in the darkness you see?

There’s light for a look at the Savior,And life more abundant and free!

Turn your eyes upon Jesus, Look full in His wonderful face,

And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, In the light of His glory and grace.--

VERSE 2

Through death into life everlasting, He passed, and we follow Him there;

Over us sin no more hath dominion — For more than conquerors we are!

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,Look full in His wonderful face,

And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, In the light of His glory and grace.

VERSE 3

His Word shall not fail you — He promised; Believe Him, and all will be well:

Then go to a world that is dying, His perfect salvation to tell!

Turn your eyes upon Jesus, Look full in His wonderful face,

And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, In the light of His glory and grace.

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BENEDICTION

After the Benediction and the “Amen,” change to FINAL slide and leave up

FINAL SLIDE

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