Transfiguration Sermon!

Opening prayer:

Today Lord, we pray for health for the members of this church, we pray for safety in the midst of living amongst the accidents, violent outbreaks & evils of the world, we pray for guidance in parenting, in marriage, in work, and in service to others. We pray for encouragement, for hope & for a chance to live in peace amongst our neighbors & we pray that we can both allow ourselves to be supported by others, and by Christ’s Spirit, to be able to be a support for others – but above all we pray for unity between us & Christ, as Christ is in perfect unity with you, Father & we pray for unity between one another even above these other “good” things. Amen!  

Transfiguration sermon

So, I’ll be honest… we all know Brian is a great preacher, he has that natural gift of gab & ability to relate with others, an easy confidence in the pulpit & wanting to be a bit like him, I wanted to start out with a story that lead into our passage today… something with a bit of whimsy, history & that folksy wisdom that relates back to our passage…which is not as easy as it sounds. J  

(Pause)
And here’s the thing. Occasionally, in history, there are a few stories where the reigning king or a prince of a nation disguised themselves as a commoner, blending in, to move amongst the people. From the ancient Roman Emperor Nero (who was a cruel & violent king) & his brat-pack of buddies dressed as commoners going out at night to make catcalls at the wives of his noblemen and to get into fistfights with locals or the French King Louis the 16^th running for refuge from the grips of the impending French Revolution or even UK’s Prince Harry (popularized recently by his royal wedding) but who not long ago was deployed in Afghanistan as a normal front lines soldier amongst other Britons.

But to be honest, most of the time… in fact, in all those cases, the leader’s disguise failed them. One husband knowing a disguised Nero would not out himself as being dressed as a commoner & acting childishly got away with beating him in public for mistreating his wife. Louis the 16th’s flight from Paris to Montmedy where a sizable force loyal to the king awaited him was foiled as he traveled with nearly the entire royal family (a group much too big & too slow to stealthily sneak to safety) and so poorly disguised the local postmaster Jean-Baptist immediately recognized the king from his own portrait on a French coin & he was caught some 30 miles from his destination…This bungled failure lost the king much of his own needed support & hastened his journey to the guillotine. Even Prince Harry in our modern age with England & Canada agreeing to a complete media blackout of his deployment information, still German & Australian newspapers & magazines desperate to capitalize on people’s interest published constant updates on his military service which lead to him to being pulled from the front lines at one point.

So, all this to say… that while we have ideas similar in history to today’s passage (someone of a high station wondering around amongst us “normies” the everyday people) nothing… & I mean nothing, even comes close to the passage we have today. While all of these rulers & leaders failed at blending in with everyday people Jesus may have blended in a little too well.

           

In today’s passage we have no mere Earthly king or prince but the very King of kings & Lord of lords, and Prince of princes revealing a bit of his Divine Glory, who he really is, to some of his closest friends & followers.

So friends I’m like you, I’m a laymen, I’m no ivory tower theologian, no bubbling fountain of prophetic insight & so I come to this passage with real world questions. Questions you may have, questions I may not be able to entirely answer. Questions like: Why now & not some other time, Why here & not somewhere else, Why some select disciples & not others, Why not in front of the Masses at the feeding of the 5K or the 4K or on display before Harrod or Pilot or the Pharisees even who often begged and demanded proofs and signs? And what’s with the brief cameos from Moses & Elijah? Well we may not be able to answer all of these, but I hope as we work through this text together we may be able to glean some insights into Jesus’ intentions here; some context to make clearer what the Transfiguration truly means.

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So let’s set this up with a bit of context. The context in Mark so far to steal an idea from Mel just a couple of weeks back is Numbskull, dim, disappointing disciples. See here’s the thing I can grant some leeway to the everyday people Jesus ran into here or there who only got a glimpse of who Jesus is but I hold the disciples (the apostles) to a higher standard. They knew him they basically saw & heard all he did. They shouldn’t have needed this moment, but Jesus granted it.

Back in chapter 1, John the Baptist is there to prepare the way for Lord’s coming.  Jesus is baptized by John. The heavens open, the spirit descends from above & God speaks from Heaven, “This is my Son, with whom I am well pleased.” But that’s not all!  Jesus heals many, casts out daemons, cleanses a leaper, heals a paralytic, heals a seemingly iron deficient woman bleeding for many years, raised the dead (no not Lazarus) Jairus’ daughter, he feeds the 5K, he walks on water, heals the deaf & blind & still feeds another 4K….

But Mark says the disciples & other Jews were astonished for they did not understand about the miracles & the people said in their hearts:

Isn’t this the Carpenter’s son!?

Where did this man get these things?

How can he do these mighty things?

Why don’t your disciples wash like us?

They said among themselves, what is this, a new teaching with authority?

Why does he say he can forgive sins?

Why does he heal & work on the Sabbath?

Now what do the people say to all of this, show us another sign!

Feed us again!

And they begged Jesus to leave after casting out a demon

They laughed at him when he said Jairus’ daughter wasn’t dead

They said, He must be possessed!

The Disciples –

So far in Mark we’ve heard about miracle after miracle, healing after healing, and teaching after teaching. Disciples still don’t totally get it. Who is he? How can he do these things? Cause that is the point that Mark has repeatedly been making that while demons & Gentiles, pagans & Romans were catching on that Jesus was more than just a Man, his own people the Jews especially the Pharisees & Sadducees & even some of his closest friends, the disciples, his own students were not entirely connecting the dots on who he really was.

Now every time that I need to be a bit sympathetic to the disciples & give them a bit of a benefit of the doubt here’s what I do. I think of my brother, Michael, who is about 12 years younger than me. By God’s grace, I got to pick Michael’s name, meaning “Who is like God?” A question that invokes not a lack of understanding but more of a sense of awe & wonder & worship. Oddly enough, this idea of ‘Who is like God’ is a question that should have popped into these 3 disciples minds at this moment, oh wait…that’s the point isn’t it. NO ONE else is like God but God! They should have fallen on their faces crying out, My Lord & My God! 

But back to Michael…Michael the angelic protector of Israel, the archangel, the one equal to or greater that the Devil himself casting him out of heaven. And by God’s providence Michael is also the name of Sandra’s brother & my neighbor the one that got me my job at Farmers & my best friend’s name. To the point where it seems like my family is quite literally drowning in a sea of Michaels there are Michaels everywhere & whenever my girls forget a guy’s name they tend to guess, well he must be a Michael since in their world about 60% of the male population is a Michael or so it seems.

So, let’s imagine I’m back in high school, it’s the 90s chain wallets are rampant & ska & bigband music is back on the radio & my friends starts telling me hey you know your brother, well some people in school are talking & some weird stuff has been happening & hey do you think Michael could be God in the flesh? I’d be like what? I would think hey buddy, I think maybe you hit your head on something or smoked something more than a Camel because I know my brother & he’s a great guy but even if some weird stuff has been happening I would definitely chock it up to coincidence or something merely unexplainable & move on rather than believing my own brother being the physical embodiment of the divine, the actual incarnation of Yahweh -- you know the one who brought low the Egyptians & saved a people unto himself.

That makes sense, right? If we really lived in this time, experienced all that they did, despite all the teachings & warnings & signs that the disciples should have caught on to by now its not entirely inconceivable that they are still confused or a bit skeptical, right? Does it show a lack of faith, sure! But to be fair to them, it’s a simple matter of proximity, missing the forest for the trees, as they say. It happened in Jesus’ life with not only his disciples & friends but with members of his own family as well. 

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So, to come back to our questions: why now?

Jesus has been asking his disciples who do the people say that I am, who do you say that I am, do you believe in me? I will go to Jerusalem to die & yet I will live again; can you believe this? Jesus is taking this opportunity to not only instruct on who he is putting himself on “glorious” display but He’s also here to help, to care for his friends, to stoke the fire of their faith in him knowing he’s not far away from his false arrest, the disciples scattering & his death on the cross. He wants them warned, prepared, ready for what is to come because he loves them, even in their faults & failings & tiny mustard-seed like faith in him he loves them as he loves you & me in all our faults & failings & our own tiny mustard-seed like faith.

Commentators say - Undoubtedly, the purpose of the transfiguration of Christ into at least a part of His heavenly glory was so that the “inner circle” of His disciples could gain a greater understanding of who Jesus really was. Christ underwent a dramatic change in appearance in order that the disciples could behold Him in His glory. The disciples, who had only known Him in His human body, now had a greater realization of the deity of Christ, though they could not fully comprehend it. That gave them the reassurance they needed after hearing the shocking news of His coming death.

The Setting –

So why here, why a mountain top experience, what does that phrase even mean?

Why not a valley or a castle or a garden? Gardens are big in Biblical imagery right? We all want to be back in the relative safety of the Garden with God, right?

Despite the phrase being popularized from my memory in a Martin Luther King Jr speech, what we do know is often in Israel’s history God has used these quote/un-quote “mountain top experience” to invoke an image in Israel’s memory a touch-point like that image of God & Adam touching finger-tips on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. A meeting point between God & Mankind, the meeting place for the temporal and the eternal, with Jesus himself as the connecting point, acting as the bridge between heaven and earth. It’s like when God & Moses meet in Exodus in the wilderness on the mountain top where Moses is ready to receive God’s law for God’s newly established people or God speaking to Elijah on the mountaintop in the still small whisper & God & Elijah facing the prophets of Baal on the mountain top in 1^st Kings. These tremendous events in Israel’s history where he reminds them they are not alone! You are not alone & while they & we don’t always “see” him God the Father, he is always there!

In various Christian teachings, the Transfiguration is seen as a pivotal moment, and the setting on the mountain is presented as the point where humanity meets God and he has a message for his people just like he did at Christ’s baptism “This is my beloved Son!”  Not a mere prophet, not a mere miracle worker, not another earthly king but God’s own son.

What’s with Moses & Elijah –

As the ancient church father Origen & Martin Luther taught long ago, the appearance of Moses and Elijah represents the Law and the Prophets. When the voice from Heaven, God’s voice says – “Listen to Him!” - clearly this is showing the disciples that even the Law and the Prophets must give way to Jesus. This One who is the new and living Way is replacing the old way – He is the fulfillment of the Law and the countless prophecies in the Old Testament. Also, in His glorified form the disciples get a glimpse, a preview of His coming glorification and enthronement as King of kings and Lord of lords which is what the entire chapter 5 of Revelation is about… I don’t have time now to preach on it, but do you remember it? No one in Heaven & Earth are found worthy & all of Mankind & the Angelic creatures wept & yet 1 was found worth, the Lion on the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, the Slain Lamb fulfilling centuries of OT prophesy & the entire animal sacrifice symbolism! That is Jesus Christ!... Worthy!... Why? Revelation says for he was slain & by His blood you bought us sinners (slaves of sin). You bought us off the slave market, redeemed us, all kinds & types of people of every tribe, language & nation & made them into 1 new kingdom.

 The Transfiguration not only supports the identity of Jesus as the Son of God (as did his Baptism), but this statement "Listen to him", & the presence of Elijah and Moses identifies him as the messenger and mouth-piece of God. It indicates to the apostles that Jesus is the voice of God "par excellence", and instead of Elijah or Moses, he should be listened to, surpassing the laws of Moses & miracles of Elijah by virtue of his relationship with God. 2 Peter, echoes the same message: that at the Transfiguration God assigns to Jesus a special "honor and glory" and it is the turning point at which God exalts Jesus above all other powers & nations & leaders in creation, and positions him as ruler and judge.

The Transfiguration also echoes the teaching by Jesus that God is not "the God of the dead, but of the living". That although Moses had died and Elijah had been taken up to heaven centuries before (in 2 Kings), they now live in the presence of the Son of God, implying that the same return to life can apply to all who face death and have faith.

So why now? – Cause Jerusalem is not far away, literally it’s in like 2 chapters from now!  

Why a mountain top? – It’s the classic meeting-place between God & Man.

But why only these 3 at the transfiguration? – Honestly its unclear; to me I would make a lot out of Peter & his leadership in the Early Church & the extent of John in the writing of the NT but James *shrug* a trinity reference? *shrug* Maybe its just because he was the 1^st Apostle to me martyred & Jesus grants James this small honor for that sacrifice.

Why Moses & Elijah? So the disciples would not think less of Jesus than God wanted – like our Muslim & Mormon friends make him out to be. A mere prophet? 1 of many spirit children of God? Not so! Preeminence, belongs to Christ – glory & worship!

And finally, why the Markian secret? Why does Jesus keep charging people to keep quiet about these amazing events until after his resurrection? I’d love Brian to explain this more but my impression is Jesus does not want people with a false impression of why he’s here.

Is he the tax-free Obama-care of the 1^st century? No. Is he the WIC & food-stamp program for the Jews? No. Is he merely another earthly king like David? No. Is he just another prophet? No. He’s God, coming to do God’s work: to obey because we don’t, to suffer & save because we wouldn’t, to die & rise again! Because we can’t. Listen to him!  

Wrap-up –

The transfiguration is considered one of the major milestones in the life of Jesus meant to put you on the dock & confront you with the truth of who Jesus is. Along with his Miraculous Birth, Baptism, Crucifixion, Resurrection, and Ascension and its close proximity with another important element, the Confession of Peter: pronouncing "You, Jesus are the Christ", Mark 8, The Transfiguration narrative acts as a further revelation of the identity of Jesus as the Son of God to encourage & motivate his disciples.

To steal from CS Lewis…

"I am trying here to prevent anyone saying that really foolish thing that people often say about Him: 'Oh well, I'm ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don't accept His claim to be God.' That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic--on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg--or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Your Lord and God like his disciples came to. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to."

 

(C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity, pp. 55-56)

End – So how to apply this text to our modern lives: Trust, Encouragement & Motivation.

The disciples never forgot what happened that day on the mountain. John wrote in his gospel, “We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only” (John 1). Peter also wrote of it, “We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty. For He received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to Him from the Majestic Glory, saying, ‘This is my Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased.’ We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with Him on the sacred mountain” (2 Peter 1:16-18). What do you think Peter goes on to say? Oh man, you totally missed out on this awesome 1 of a kind personal religious experience I just had, dudes? No! He goes on to say how lucky you are. How the Scriptures are even more reliable than these kinds of extreme religious experiences. How you can trust in them. Those who witnessed the transfiguration bore witness to it to the other disciples, in Scripture and to countless millions down through the centuries.

Let it motivate you to trust in his Word, to worship him correctly, listen to him, pray to him. He knows your weakness, he can sympathize. Get to know him! Talk to him, believe him, and motivate others into deeper faith. Hey, I got an “F” in speech in college. Public speaking scares the hell out of me…. but I’m here. This passage motivates me to do my part, what is yours?

Be gentle & patient with others who don’t yet get it regarding doctrine & Christianity, sometimes I hear these young pastors who I know are wanting to me “bold” preachers but preach with such vile & vinegar in their sermons its sounds like brass knuckles to your ears & hear rather than love & guidance, they have not yet learned who the Good Shepard is, be like Christ was with his disciples, gently guide others, bear with one another, learn more, love more. Act like Christ!

Closing prayer –

            Father, we all need rest it seems in these buys days but ironically, I believe that even more than this we need to know are bibles better, “I don’t care how” Bible Trivia pursuit, commentaries, classes, reading, dvds, podcasts, lectures – motivate us – to just do it! I believe that we will find rest spiritually & mentally if not always physically if we get to work in this & this will by design motivate us to be doing: doing what, my guess is 2 things 1 thinking less of ourselves & our need for consumeristic need to accumulate stuff which frees up our money & time to begin thinking of others in a million different ways: in support, service, and friendship. God, we thank you for this story to know the disciples didn’t always get it, so we can know you can be patient with us & guide us & reveal yourself to us more fully. But let us not rest there, let us mature by Your Spirit let us grow into the disciples after the resurrection too emboldened, brave, self-sacrificial servants of you & of friend to our fellow man.