St. Mark 9:2-9
Dearly beloved,
The saints of Christ gather today around this altar, seeking God's
answer for sinners in a crazy world. We gather to hear a word of
absolution—forgiveness from Jesus. We come to the Divine Service in
order to have bestowed upon us God's favor through His sacrament and
His holy word. There may be a few reasons that people may give as to
why they are Christians. But, for most, I presume, they would say
that they want to go to heaven.
Some may say they desire to see God and live in His peace. After
all, the struggles of the world usually make the seasoned Christian
long to be with their Lord at one time or another. Peter, James and
John were blessed to be with their Lord during His earthly sojourn.
The disciples had the benefit of eating with Jesus, learning, and
sharing company with Him. They beheld God in the flesh. We Nicene
Christians emphasize the incarnation of Christ—His taking on of flesh.
But Christ's flesh had the benefit of hiding His glory. This was
important because the Bible demonstrates over and over again that
sinful human beings were not supposed to see God's glory and live.
The reason was simple. Sin was not to be allowed even a remote
presence in the midst of God's glory. People in the Bible understood
that they should die if they saw God in His glory.
One good example was Samson's father, Manoah. Manoah and his wife
were told that they would bear a son. They thought it was a man
talking to them, until He jumps into the fire of the sacrifice and is
sent up to heaven. Once they realize it was God who was speaking to
them, Manoah exclaims with fear that they should die (Judges 13). But
God, being a merciful and loving Lord, blessed them instead.
It becomes very interesting, then, that Jesus takes Peter, James, and
John up on a mountain. Mark records that Jesus did this after six
days. In other words, Jesus does this on the seventh day—the day that
symbolizes God's rest. They were alone together, just the four of
them. Jesus is transfigured before them. Jesus is beaming white.
Then appears Elijah and Moses talking to Jesus. The disciples were
greatly afraid. Peter is out of his head, wanting to make three
tabernacles.
Then a cloud overshadows them and comes down on the mountain. Within
that cloud comes the voice of God, the Father. We hear almost the
same thing that He said at Christ's baptism—"This is my beloved Son.
Hear Him!" Suddenly, everything was back to normal. Today is
Transfiguration Sunday. It is an important day in the church year.
It is a day that is highlighted, preached on, and we change the
paraments to white. It is a brief stop before Lent.
To get the full understanding of the Transfiguration, one must look
at the Old Testament. The presence of Moses and Elijah is one of
consent. St. Luke's account says that Moses and Elijah were talking
with Jesus of His coming death that was drawing near. Then, they go
down the mountain just as they had ascended up the mountain. Jesus
was walking down the mountain as a flesh and blood man. Jesus did
emphasize to the three disciples that they were to tell no one about
this until He had risen from the dead.
Moses and Elijah represent the Old Testament. Jesus in being
transfigured is showing the disciples that He is God. Moses and
Elijah were symbolically showing that the Old Testament and Jesus
agree with one another. Jesus was the coming Messiah, which the Old
Testament had prophesied for centuries. But there is more to it.
Moses once came down a mountain. He, too, had been overshadowed by a
cloud and God's voice spoke through the cloud. Moses, however, came
down the mountain with two tablets, the Ten Commandments. Moses' face
shone with the glory of God. It was so disturbing to the Israelites
that Moses had to put a veil over his face. So, on the one hand,
Moses a mere man radiates with God's presence and comes down with Ten
Commandments which are holy but condemn us because of our sin.
Jesus coming down the mountain shows us just the opposite picture.
Jesus, who is God, comes down the mountain, not radiating with glory,
but comes as a man. Jesus doesn't descend the mountain with
commandments which kill, but He comes down the mountain with three men
who will be the first "gospellers," those who will preach forgiveness
and salvation from the condemnation of the Ten Commandments.
They will someday preach what they have seen, heard, and
touched concerning the Son of Man. Jesus is going down that mountain
to die for the world in order to redeem them from the sin which
hinders all mankind from keeping the Ten Commandments. Jesus is going
down the mountain to bring power and substance to the message which
these three men will someday preach.
Today we have this apostolic preaching. We have the account
of the Transfiguration. The question for you to ponder, knowing all
that Jesus has done, is how do you live? Is your life considered holy?
Do you live as though God is transfiguring in your midst? Do you
ascend the mountain of holiness to see God? Or worse yet, do you live
as if the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ doesn't matter? When
you give place to sin and allow it to maintain a place in your life,
you are in danger. Now, we all sin but we are not let it maintain a
place in our lives. When we see our sin, we must confess it and ask
Jesus to take it away. To let sin maintain a place in your life is to
keep sinning without searching your soul and without asking for Jesus
to give you the strength to stop the sin.
In other words, we must live a life of repentance, seeking God's
mercy and strength to live holy lives. For when we live a life of
repentance and seek the merits and protection of Jesus from those
sins, then we find ourselves living and abiding with Jesus. Whether
you are down below the mountain in this busy world or up on a mountain
praying and studying, Jesus is with you.
Jesus abides with His baptized children and cares for them. His
transfiguration shows the disciples and us that Jesus is who He says
He is. He is about His Father's business. Jesus is God who has power
and dominion over creation, heaven, and our lives. Today we have a
mountaintop experience with Jesus every time we gather around this
altar.
For when we receive the sacrament, Jesus is coming to us in and under
the bread and wine to sustain us, until one day we will find ourselves
beholding His glory in heaven, the true mountain of salvation. It is
the seventh day. Jesus is with us. You are blessed with His
presence, and He shall abide with you now and forever. Amen.
--
Rev. Chad Kendall
www.frchadius.blogspot.com
Trinity Lutheran Church
Lowell, Indiana
www.trinitylowell.org
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