Luke 9:28-36
Now about eight days after these sayings he took with him Peter and John and James and went up on the mountain to pray. And as he was praying, the appearance of his face was altered, and his clothing became dazzling white. And behold, two men were talking with him, Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. Now Peter and those who were with him were heavy with sleep, but when they became fully awake they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. And as the men were parting from him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah”—not knowing what he said. As he was saying these things, a cloud came and overshadowed them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him!” And when the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and told no one in those days anything of what they had seen.
And Peace be to you, from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, at the age of 78 and after one and a half years of my seminary studies at Fort Wayne, I often find myself thinking about how God has shown his glory in my life, having been on Earth for many years and married to my dear wife, Kay for 56 years, raising her two children and experiencing the joys and trials of life, I have come to see God's hand in both the extraordinary and the ordinary, I confess, as I am getting older and after my head injury a few years ago, I struggle with my memory.
This is a reminder to me that God works through every resource he provides when our human frailties make it hard to remember, even to remember all the blessings He has given us. Have you ever wished you could see God's power at work in your life? Maybe you've prayed for a sign, a direction, perhaps a miracle, a booming voice from heaven, or a vision of God's glory. Wouldn't that be incredible? Throughout history, people have desired to see God's power shown in a visible way.
In today's Gospel reading, we consider one of these moments when Christ's divine nature, nature was revealed before the eyes of his three disciples. The transfiguration was not just a simple dramatic event, but a moment that pointed to Jesus, true mission, his suffering, death and resurrection. This is the bedrock of our faith, the assurance that Christ is indeed the fulfillment of God's promises. Jesus took Peter, James and John up on a mountain, as he often did, looking for solitude to pray. In this moment, the disciples may have thought that this was another time for prayer. However, Jesus appearance changed. His face shown. His clothing became dazzling white. I wonder if this was a gradual change or a sudden flash.
He then joined. It was joined by Moses and Elijah. I suppose the disciples were completely blown away. I know I would have been the presence of Moses and Elijah with Jesus is important. Moses represents the law given at Mount Sinai, and Elijah represents the prophets. Jesus is fulfillment of both the law and the prophets. Their discussion they had was about Jesus departure. In Greek, the word is Exodus, a term that connects to God's great act of deliverance in the Old Testament. Just as Moses led Israel out of Egypt during the Exodus, Jesus was preparing to accomplish the ultimate deliverance through his suffering, death and resurrection, His Exodus would lead his people out of sin and death into eternal life. This event was a confirmation that Jesus is the promised Savior.
But did the disciples understand what they were seeing? Peter, always eager to act, suggested building three shelters, one for Jesus, one for Moses and one for Elijah. His intention may have been sincere, but he did not understand what was going on. Peter's response connects to the Jewish festival of Tabernacles, a time when Israelites would dwell in temporary shelters to remember God's provision. Us in the past, Peter may have been thinking of the promised messianic kingdom, wanting to prolong the divine moment rather than accept Jesus impending suffering. But Jesus purpose was not to remain in divine radiance on the mountain. He was preparing to walk the path toward the cross, to suffer, to die and to His resurrection. Jesus was talking with Moses and Elijah about this coming sacrifice for our sins. A cloud covered them, And God's voice spoke, saying, This is my son, my chosen one. Listen to him.
Peter, James and John were overwhelmed and fearful when they witnessed Jesus glory and heard the voice of God, Matthew, chapter 17, verses six and seven, says, quote, When the disciples heard this, they fell face down to the ground, terrified, but Jesus came and touched them. Get up, he said, Don't be afraid. The glory of Christ isn't just in this dazzling moment, it's in his mission, His suffering, His death and resurrection, and that's what changes everything for us. Just as at Jesus baptism, where God declared his son, the father affirms Jesus mission.
This commanded, command is clear. We are called not only merely to observe Jesus, but to listen to him, to heed His words, trust in his mission, and do what he says. For many of us, at first, Lutheran faith has been a lifelong journey. At my age, I can look back and see how the years have shaped my faith. There have been moments of sorrow, moments of worry, times of happiness, assurance and quite quiet perseverance for the very young among us, those who are being brought to church by faithful parents and grandparents, the knowledge received in worship Bible class and Sunday School is the foundation upon which they can build a life of faith.
What does listening to Jesus look like? That means actively engaging in His Word, praying daily, applying his teachings to our relationships, decisions and struggles. It means trusting Him, even when life feels ordinary and uneventful, we are not called to chase after dramatic experiences, but to listen to Christ daily in his word to trust in Him and to remain steadfast in faith, even in the ordinary days of life when the vision on the mountain ended, Moses and Elijah were gone, and only Jesus remain. The law and prophets have prepared the way, but now our focus is on Jesus. Only Jesus alone is a foundation of our faith, and we are sustained by His abiding presence. We do not require miraculous signs to confirm our faith. We have Jesus His Word and His promises through baptism, we have been brought into His family through Holy Communion. We are nourished by his body and blood, through His Word, we are strengthened to persist in faith. As we grow older, our faith deepens, not in excitement, but in trust.
Our hope is not temporary joys, but the promise. Sense of eternal life. The transfiguration gives us a glimpse of that future, the glory that awaits us in Christ. In summary, the transform configuration was not simply a moment of brilliance, what a confirmation of who Christ is and what he came to accomplish. It points us beyond this life to the promise of resurrection and eternal life. For those who have walked with Christ for decades, this is our anchor. As I look back on my 56 years of marriage decay, raising our children, I can see how Christ's faithfulness has been my rock, no matter our age, whether five or 95 the command remains the same. Listen to Jesus, trust Him, follow Him. Even when life is not dazzling, even when we are uncertain, the voice from the cloud still speaks. This is my son. Listen to Him. Jesus. Gospel message is one of love redemption and the call to follow him wholeheartedly. May the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding guard our hearts and minds in Christ. Jesus, amen.
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