The sermon for February 9 was based on Matthew 17:1-9.

          Grace and peace to you . . .  

          This Gospel lesson, the Transfiguration of our Lord on that high mountain, and the whole Epiphany season is a pause that refreshes. It is a time to be refreshed by Jesus’ reassuring revelation of who He really is and who you become as you are joined to Him in Baptism. Everything you have heard this Epiphany — His kingship over the wise men, His youthful wisdom in the temple, His power over water at Cana, His healing of the leper and centurion’s servant, His presentation at the temple, and now His transfiguration on the mountain — has the purpose of strengthening and refreshing your weary faith as you face the struggles of daily life lived in this world of sin.

          Sin has disastrous effects. Sin affects your daily life even as it affected the life of Christ, driving Him to the cross to suffer and die. These effects are sobering, painful, serious, and harsh. You need this Epiphany pause that refreshes. You need to hear the voice of the transfiguration, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!” Hearing the Word of Christ is your only remedy against the effects of sin. By His Word He forgives your sin. By His Word He gives you strength against the suffering you experience on account of sin. As this Epiphany season has shown you, you have every reason to trust His Word, for He is not merely a Man, but the Lord God Himself.

          Jesus revealed Himself as the Lord God on that mount of transfiguration. Why? He did so in order to strengthen the faith of those disciples who would soon follow Jesus to the cross in Jerusalem . When Christ told them of His death to come and of their taking up the cross, He knew they would fall prey to weakness and would need His strength and reassurance along the way. So, on that mountain, Jesus visibly proved to those disciples, and to you, that He is the Christ, the Son of the living God.

          The transfiguration is the unveiling of Christ’s divinity. When He came to earth, He hid His divine nature in the lowliness of a human servant. On occasion, He gave a glimpse of His divine nature when He performed miracles. But with only glimpses, weak human beings have their doubts about Jesus. The disciples would have their doubts as they watched Him suffer and die on the cross. You even have your doubts when the devil, the world, and your sin-ridden flesh cause you to see in Jesus only a Man hardly worth entrusting your eternal life. The transfiguration removes this doubt. “[He] was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as light.” God reveals Himself on the mountain, and His divinity outshines the darkness of doubt.

          To further remove all doubt, Christ is accompanied by Moses and Elijah. Moses had seen the glory of God on a mountain when He spoke from a cloud and gave Moses His Law. Those books of the Law testified of the Christ to come. Elijah also had seen the glory of the Lord. His prophesies pointed the people of Israel back to the promises of God to send His Messiah. Elijah is on this mountain to testify that his message was about this Man of light, the transfigured Christ. Moses and Elijah embody the Old Testament Word and assure you that in the Bible you see no mere human word, but you see the Lord’s Christ. God’s written Word is given to you as a light which shines in a dark place, to remove the doubt that sin and suffering bring.

          How do you respond to the transfiguration of our Lord? As a baptized Christian, united with Christ, you share in the glory of that mountain top experience. Like St. Peter, you would like to bask in that glory forever. “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, let us make here three tabernacles.” But Peter misunderstood the reason for the transfiguration until he later witnessed the suffering and death of Christ. At the time, he did not want to face the suffering which was to come. Jesus had told him about the cross which lay ahead in Jerusalem . Jesus had also promised, “Unless you take up your cross and follow Me, you cannot be My disciple.” Peter preferred glory to suffering.

          Can you blame him? Nobody really wants to face the realities of life with its suffering and sin. You know that you will experience bad things in your life. You may be experiencing bad things today. The stresses of daily life can bring you low, and the crises can break you in pieces. Sin brings a life of suffering, pain, sadness, sickness, and death. When you have finished your life of bearing your cross, you will die. That is not pleasant. How much nicer it would be to bask in the glory of the transfiguration! But the transfiguration was not an escape from suffering, but an experience to strengthen the disciples’ faith for the long road of suffering which lay ahead. The same is true for you. It sure would be nice to stay here and bask in the glorious light of God’s Word and the holy mystery of the Sacrament. But this Word and Sacrament are not an escape from your life of suffering. Rather, they are God’s means of strengthening your faith for the suffering you face in your life.

          God the Father confirms Christ’s divinity with His voice from the cloud, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!” In response, the disciples fell on their faces, full of fear. That is the proper way for sinful men to respond to the very presence of holy God. Peter, James, and John knew that they were in God’s presence, not at an amusement park. This realization shaped their worship. When sinful men come into the awesome presence of God, their attitude is one of repentance which confesses sin instead of ignoring it. The disciples knew that they had nothing to offer God, but could only receive what He had in store for them. The same is true for you. You are in the awesome presence of God, not at an amusement park. You have nothing to offer God. But here you receive what He has in store for you. You hear the Word of His beloved Son. You receive the forgiveness of sins in His transfigured body and blood. In this Supper, the Lord Jesus touches you and says, “Arise, and do not be afraid.” And so you depart in peace.

          You do not live your life shut away on a mountain top. You are not shut away from the world, or from your problems, or from your sin. Rather, Christ here strengthens you in the one, true faith so that you overcome the world, your problems, and your sin. In the midst of suffering, when life hurts, when you need a break, when you are full of fear, Jesus comforts you with His Word, “Arise, and do not be afraid.”

          Do not be afraid of your weakness. Do not be afraid of your sin. Jesus suffered for your weaknesses and sins and has taken them all away. Do not be afraid of the crosses and sufferings you will bear. Jesus suffered it all in your place, and He goes with you now. Do not be afraid, for Jesus is the beloved Son who forgives you and transforms you in holy Baptism. Now you stand in His presence united with Him as a beloved son of God. As such, you have no reason to fear.

          St. Peter calls the Word of Christ, “a light that shines in a dark place.” You have that same Word given to you here at Bethany . The Word is proclaimed from this pulpit and embodied in bread and wine, distributed from this altar. Here you receive the glorious, divine Man with your own lips. As you face the week ahead, with all its darkness and doubt, the Lord of light shines from this place and gives you strength for whatever you face. This sanctuary is your mount of transfiguration. In this Sacrament, you receive the divine presence of Christ in His flesh and blood. From this altar you receive that of which God says, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!” And here you hear Him say, “Take eat, this is My body. Take drink, this is My blood. Arise, and do not be afraid. Depart in peace.” Amen.

Last Updated: 7/15/2008