Transfiguration Sunday Feb 14, 2021

2 Corinthians 4:3–6 NRSV

And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For we do not proclaim ourselves; we proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and ourselves as your slaves for Jesus’ sake. For it is the God who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

2 Corinthians 4:3-6

3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4 In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 5 For we do not proclaim ourselves; we proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and ourselves as your slaves for Jesus’ sake. 6 For it is the God who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 1

1 The Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1989), 2 Co 4:3–6.

Mark 9:2-9

2 Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain apart, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, 3 and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no one on earth could bleach them. 4 And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, who were talking with Jesus. 5 Then Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” 6 He did not know what to say, for they were terrified. 7 Then a cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud there came a voice, “This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him!” 8 Suddenly when they looked around, they saw no one with them any more, but only Jesus.

The Coming of Elijah

(Mt 17:9–13)

9 As they were coming down the mountain, he ordered them to tell no one about what they had seen, until after the Son of Man had risen from the dead.1

1 The Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1989), Mk 9:2–9.

A principle tenet of Christianity is that Jesus Changes Everything. But does He? Has He for you? For being Christian to have meaning, if we believe what the Bible says, then it must be true that Jesus Changes Everything.

I don’t know about you, I’ve always had a desire to stand up on the mountain with Peter, John, and James to experience that moment when the divineness of Jesus shines through and I bow down to my knees to worship. The deity of Jesus became visible to the three disciples. Can you imagine.

The Greek word used in the text from Mark is “metamorphoo”. Most of us know the word metamorphous which means to be changed into a different form. For example the larva becomes the butterfly. Thus, Jesus became God in his glory before them. For the disciples that were there, this changed everything. Jesus changed everything.

At the same time, I also find myself reflecting on all the times that I witnessed a transformative moment in time, or a life, or an event and went on with my business as usual.

Do you find yourself doing that?

Paul used the same word “metamorphoo” to describe the development of Christian character in Romans 12:2 and 2 Cor 3:18 .

The why of the transfiguration may be that we need to know that the divineness can shine through in ordinary life.

My favorite moments are when the light comes on in someone’s eyes and they have a transformative moment. Those are the moment I remember, like:

... back in the 80’s helping my step-daughter Jessica and later her cousin to do their math. It was algebraic equations and they struggled mightily but could not quite get what was going on. It came to a point, where they both gave over to complete despair and cried their hearts out. Then a minute or two after the crying, suddenly they had transformative experiences of getting what the equation was all about. They were changed. They smiled again, their previously red-eyes sparkled with the understanding. It transformed them from despair to knowing that they could do this.

And you know what, when these two darling young ladies came to recognize that the equations were their friend and helped them to solve problems in their life, it changed their trust in math and respect how it was their friend, not an enemy.

This is why the recognizing the transfiguration of Jesus, and transfiguring moments are so important. It is here where faith begins.

I remember too moments in the life of those who God gave me the gift of mentoring to see the light come into their eyes, to see their lives become changed because Jesus changes everything.

When the disciples Peter, John, and James witnessed Jesus’ transfiguration, they recognized their God in this Jesus. And they went to their knees and worshiped him. Here was their “steadfast God” right before them. This changed everything for them.

I think that transformed their life. What do you think?

Paul is point to this in 2 Corinthians 4:6 “For it is God who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ who has shone in our hearts to give the light of knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”

Jesus was the full representative of who God is. Jesus and God are one and the same. This changes everything, doesn’t it?

Earlier Paul told the churches 2 Corinthians 3:17-18 “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another, for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit.”

Thus, witnessing the transfiguration we can say that Peter, John, and James were transformed because they witnessed the God they knew had become flesh and was their mentor, was their Lord by whom they had set their lives. And their lives were changed.

As Paul says the purpose of being discipleship is to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God.

A light we are to use not for our purpose but for the sake of the world that we might point to transfigurative moments in the lives of people and in events. So that they too might come to repent, come into a kingdom life, to fall on their knees to worship.

I don’t know about you, but that is for what I live. I live to see God working in the world somewhere and saying, “look at that. God is working in your life.” I don’t expect everyone to see it when I do, but I believe that God expects me to do the pointing and rejoice when the light comes on in the eyes of someone who by the work of the Spirit sees it too. For me, there is no greater joy.

What say you, my friends? Have you witnessed this joy of seeing Jesus change everything in someone’s life? I think there is no greater joy. If you think so too, then share the light that you have been given, share Jesus and let everything change.