Matthew 17:1-9.                              A glimpse of the greatness of Jesus         2/3/14

17 After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. ² There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. ³ Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.

⁴ Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.”
⁵ While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!”
⁶ When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. ⁷ But Jesus came and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don’t be afraid.” ⁸ When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus.
⁹ As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus instructed them, “Don’t tell anyone what you have seen, until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”

 In the last weeks we have been reminded of how Jesus and his crucifixion are central to our life and living as God’s people. Now sure, it is not an easy thing for us to go along with, because it goes against the grain of our human thinking. Well this week we are given a glimpse of who this Jesus really is so as to help us cope not just that message but also reality of his death and resurrection. Also again to help us to come to grips with the importance of it all for us; and to help us as Christians to live out our lives in the midst of the uncertainty and seeming tragedy of life.

 Here in this reading we are given an account of Jesus taking Peter, James and John up onto a mountain and there him being transfigured before their very eyes: glowing in perfect radiance. Not only that, but also of having Moses and Elijah appear in their midst – two great prophets who had long, long since passed from this earth. On top of that we have God the Father speaking to them, telling them who this Jesus really is –God’s very own Son and that they should listen to him. This is all pretty amazing stuff - unbelievable in fact - beyond the realms human possibility. Is it any wonder that Jesus tells them not to tell anyone of this until after his death and resurrection?

 So why do we have this transfiguration account and what is its purpose for us today? Surely nobody out there who is a non-christian would believe this story if we were to tell them. However, let us remember that here Jesus takes his closest friends up onto this mountain to experience this event, in order to strengthen and encourage them: to strengthen and encourage them for the tough road ahead. You see, just before this Jesus had told his disciples that now it was time for him to head down the road to Jerusalem where he would suffer, die and rise again three days later.

 Now we know that Peter and the disciples had just grasped idea that Jesus was the Messiah – the Promised One that God would send who was going to come and rescue his people and set up God’s new and glorious kingdom. How could he then be going to die? A great king doesn’t suffer and die – he comes to town with power and might, and he conquers and rules victorious – he is a winner. So to go to Jerusalem – the centre of action – and there to die is a sign of a poor and weak human being: a failure. How could he then be the Messiah? It all seems so ridiculous. Poor Peter and the others, it all doesn’t make much sense.

 It is here then that Jesus takes his close friends up onto this mountain and all of this that we have just read takes place. Yes, there they are reminded that Jesus is more than mere human being:            more than a great prophet. He glowed with the perfection of Almighty God himself. Here was someone who truly is much closer to God: in fact he obviously is from God himself. So this talk of suffering and death has something to do with the Almighty. It is not merely a sign of weakness. Somehow there is something greater involved here.

 Up there they were drawn to see that life is more than simply our three score and ten years here on earth, or maybe a few more, by the grace of God;  but then that is it. Here Moses and Elijah appear – guys who lived hundreds of years before and they are really there. So there is much more to life here on earth and then death is the end of things. There is another whole dimension to life and it is there connected to Jesus Christ.

 So despite this talk of suffering, death and resurrection, there is somehow a connection to things much greater than what we can see and understand. It all has greater and more far-reaching implications than what we can see here and now.

 It is then that God himself arrives on the scene in a cloud – to shield his glory so that it does not harm them – and he says to them: This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him! So here in Jesus it is confirmed that we have God himself - His very own Son who is loved and in whom God is pleased.

So he is not banished to earth because he has done something wrong or some such thing. No this is some plan that God himself has in mind for us.

Elsewhere we are told that it was God’s plan so that we might be saved from the mess that we have made for ourselves by disobey God and going against what he tells us is good for. Because of this we were told that will suffer death and hell. But God in his love for us wanted to provide a way out for us. He sends his Son to take the punishment that we deserve on himself, so that we can again be restored back into the family of God. This was the only way that we could get to be with God in heaven.

 So God tells Peter, James, John and all of us, to listen to him – not just when he performs his miracles and does the good things; but particularly when he speaks of suffering, death and the like. His ways are God’s ways – even when it may seem foolish to us. Listen to him, because there you will come to know the things that are important to God.

 Naturally all this seems too much for Peter, James and John. The presence of God and all that he is telling them is too much for them. They are afraid and perplexed. They fall flat on their faces. So Jesus says to them, Get up. Don’t be afraid.”  He encourages them and us to get on with life and do what needs to be done, for God himself is at work for the good of humanity. And they and we are a part of it all.

 As a result Peter could come down off mountain and face the road to Jerusalem. Even though he would struggle to come to grips with it all, here in Jesus he knew that there was God himself. Here in what Jesus was going through there was something vitally important happening. So now he could face the rough uncertainty of life and know that somehow it was all going to work for good. Somehow Jesus’ suffering, death and resurrection was going to turn life upside down, because God himself is at work in it all.

 So now we here too can and are given that same assurance as we are reminded of Christ and his death on the cross. As we in these next weeks are brought face to face with the reality of sin - our sin; and of our hopeless situation before God on own merits,  we are given the same assurance that here in Jesus God is at work making things right for us. Because Jesus has come as God’s Messiah and suffered and died for us and for our salvation, we now can face the rough and tumble of life – the hurts and tragedy of life – and know that the Almighty is working things for good. So we also are helped to face the road through life, to our own death, knowing that in connection with Jesus all will be made right.

 Now this assurance is not just given as we hear of Jesus transfiguration on the mountain. No, in fact every Sunday we taken up onto the mountain and Jesus is revealed to us as God’s very own Son. Every Sunday as we gather together in worship we see both the crucified and glorious Jesus come to us in the midst of the ordinary things of life; reassuring us over and over again of his love for us: of forgiveness of sins, and the eternal life that he extends to us.

 

Through the hearing of the Word read, preached and sung: through the waters of baptism: through the bread and wine of the Lord’s Supper we have Jesus revealed as the holy one of God – who came in order to die on the cross so that forgiveness of sins, life and salvation could be ours: We are reassured of his presence with us as we live out our lives in the midst of the struggles and joys of life in this world. So we can be confident that it will all work out for us as we go down the road of life.

 Yes, here again our Lord comes to us to strengthen and encourage us    particularly as we are about to face another Lenten season; were we are confronted with the message of our sinful and our need for repentance for the forgiveness of sins, and of the importance of Jesus and his death and resurrection. All this he reveals to us so that we too are able to deny ourselves and take up our crosses and follow our Lord Jesus; and to receive all the wonderful blessings he has in mind for us.

 So may the peace of God revealed and made possible through the Lord Jesus Christ and which is beyond our understanding keep you hearts, minds and lives focussed on our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.  AMEN

 Pastor Roger Atze

Glandore/Underdale Lutheran Parish