based on Luke 9:28-36
Transfiguration – February 18, 2007
Pastor Richard Mau
Immanuel Lutheran Church – Des Plaines, IL
Today’s Scripture
Psalm 77 Deuteronomy 34:1-12 Hebrews 3:1-16 Luke 9:28-36
In today’s Gospel account, we are told of the transfiguration of our Lord. On this mountain top, he is transfigured, changed before the disciples’ very eyes. We also note in verse 30 that Moses and Elijah appeared in changed form also.
Change:
What are some of the changes in your life?
What changes are:
Good?
Bad?
Changes you like?
Changes ou do not like?
What changes do you look forward to?
What changes do you wish would never happen?
What changes do you wish for?
A change happens here with you today. We begin the service with repentance, each one confessing his sins. In this act of repentance, we find ourselves wanting to be as God intends us to be, followers of his will. We find ourselves unable to fulfill that expectation and cry upon his mercy for his work. That work is forgiveness of sins and eternal life that is won for us by Jesus on the cross. It is for Jesus’ sake that we are forgiven, changed back into God’s righteousness again.
Repentance – confessing sins,
wanting to follow Christ
forgiveness and newness of life
We remember that change happened with water. We use water to cleanse ourselves of dirt, and to refresh our thirsty bodies. When connected with God’s word, this simple water cleanses our souls of all sins and refreshes those souls with a new life in Christ Jesus.
A change happens today with bread and wine. Day by day bread and wine nourish and sustain your bodies. Today, that simple bread and wine, connected with Jesus’ words, now mysteriously and miraculously carry Jesus’ precious body and blood that was given and shed for your sins. That body and blood now strengthens and sustains you in the one true faith to life everlasting.
At his transfiguration Jesus takes 3 disciples apart from the others to pray. He did that often, taking his disciples with him to pray. On different occasions he took this threesome, Peter, James and John aside from the others. Remember that he did this in the Garden of Gethsemane?
The timing is interesting as well. It was 8 days after Peter’s confession that Jesus is the Christ. It was 8 days after Jesus had told the disciples that he would be crucified and rise again on the third day. It was 8 days after Jesus instructed all that to follow him means to take up our cross to do so as this world does not naturally look to faith in Jesus’ death and resurrection for salvation. 8 days means the beginning of a new week. In seven weeks we will celebrate the greatest “first day of the week,” the resurrection. Jesus changed from death to life on that 8th day. We also look forward to our 8th day when each one will be changed suddenly in the final resurrection.
A cloud now appears. How about clouds in Scripture? There is the cloud that led and protected the Israelites out of Egypt and for forty years in the wilderness. God spoke to Moses in that cloud on Mount Sinai. God enveloped the tabernacle as a cloud to demonstrate to the people that he resided there and for them to come to him there. Likewise, at the dedication of Solomon’s temple, God resided in a cloud. Now God speaks to the disciples from this cloud. Forty days after the resurrection Jesus ascends into heaven in a cloud, being restored to his rightful position at the right hand of the Father.. On the last day Jesus will again appear in the clouds and angels will gather up all believers to join him in those clouds of heavenly splendor.
The transfiguration, the change: Jesus shines in pure light. It’s radiance is beyond definition. In the beginning God created light before anything else and that light was good as it is his holiness. Note that Moses and Elijah also are changed into this glorious light. Sanctification is demonstrated before us as they appear as all departed saints are today, in God’s holiness.
You and I and all believers will be changed into this glorious light. John, who was there that day writes that at that time, “…we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is,” [1 John 3:2]. Paul writes that these perishable bodies will be raised imperishable [1 Corinthians 15]. Job declared our change as he proclaimed, “I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God;
I myself will see him with my own eyes-- I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!” [Job 19:25-27].
As glorious as today appears to the disciples, Jesus will endure another change on Calvary, from glory to disgrace. He will change from his glory to our disgrace. Your disgrace, my disgrace, as all of our sins are on his face. A perfect man dies on behalf of those he loves. God himself dies, an unjustified death to justify you, making your sinful account right before him again. On that cross God looks weak and defenseless. But in that apparent weakness and defenselessness is a strength that changes you and all believers. It is a change we cannot do for ourselves. It is the change we need to be in his presence, his holy presence and in his perfect image again. In that humble death, is victory over sin and Satan and all of his works. That hopeless grave is changed to victory in resurrection.
Change:
From: our own flesh, our own expectations, our own way of doing things
To: what Christ does for us to change us from what we are to what he wills
Change:
This is my son, whom I love, in whom I am well pleased
God is not pleased with our sinfulness – but pleased w/ Jesus’ perfections
Listen to him
He who believes in me will not perish but have everlasting life
Jesus is the word of life
Listen and Believe
We are no longer sinners but saints.
To that we can say Alleluia! Praise God.
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