It’s that time of year again. Time to leave, or at least dream about leaving the snow behind and heading somewhere warm for a week or two. If you’re fortunate to take the trip down to Texas or Arizona, you’re in for long drive because those states aren’t exactly our next-door neighbors. What will keep you going on the long road-trip are the tourism billboards you’ll see between here and your destination. Just when you think you’re going to go mad if you have to spend another hour in the car, a billboard with a beautiful picture of Padre Island or of a cacti-surrounded Arizona golf course will pop up along the highway. Although these billboards won’t make your drive any shorter, they will give you the incentive to keep on trucking through states like Wyoming.
Jesus’ transfiguration is not unlike those tourism billboards. The Transfiguration gives us a glimpse of something better to come and it helps us keep on truckin’ to our heavenly destination. To explain further I’ve invited Peter to speak to you this morning. No, not our Peter, the Apostle Peter. His talk is entitled: “Transfiguration Revelations: What I Learned On That Sacred Mountain.”
Thank you and good morning! It’s a privilege to speak with you 21st Century Christians. Wow! The 21st Century! Has it really been that long since the Transfiguration? Although the Transfiguration may seem like ancient history to you, what happened on that mountain two thousand years ago is still meant to be comforting and encouraging for Christians like you. So let me share with you what I learned on that sacred mountain.
Let me begin by saying what I won’t tell you this morning. I won’t tell you where the Transfiguration took place. I’m afraid if I told people what mountain we were on when Jesus’ was transfigured, they would turn that spot into a shrine! Anyway, what’s more important then knowing where the Transfiguration took place is when it happened. Does anyone know how long before Jesus’ crucifixion the Transfiguration took place? It took place just six months before Jesus died on the cross.
Of course at the time I didn’t know Jesus would so soon be crucified. I mean I knew about the crucifixion. Heavens knows how many times Jesus told us about it. But we disciples just didn’t want to believe it. We had seen Jesus feed and heal people. We had observed him calm storms. We had witnessed him raise the dead! Why should a person like that have to die when he could do so much more good alive? At least that’s what we all thought and I even told Jesus that once.
I think that’s why Jesus made sure to bring me along that day, for the Transfiguration would reveal (again) his purpose in coming to this world. Besides me, Jesus invited James and John along for the trek up that mountain and when we were far away from the crowds and the other disciples, Jesus stopped to pray. Now whenever Jesus prayed in a secluded place you knew you were in for a wait. So James, John, and I sat down and before long we dozed off. We were awakened when we heard voices. We thought that maybe the rest of the disciples had caught up with us but when we opened our eyes we were almost blinded by a piercing light. The source of that light was Jesus. Jesus’ clothes, previously dusty and stained from the trek up the mountain, were white - whiter than any bleach could make them. Actually they were more than white; they shone with the intensity of a lightning flash! Then there was Jesus’ face. It was as bright as the noonday sun! This was the first Transfiguration revelation. From his appearance I learned (again) that Jesus was no weakling. Sure he would look pathetic six months later when he hung on the cross all bruised and bloodied, but I knew Jesus could have avoided all that because the Transfiguration revealed Jesus to be the glorious God of the universe.
So why did Jesus put up with a horrible death if he was so glorious and so mighty? That was a question I had struggled with but another Transfiguration revelation provided the answer. Remember I said that we were initially awakened by voices? Well those voices weren’t the other disciples as we first thought. The voices belonged to Moses and Elijah. Yes! Those two Old Testament prophets were there in the flesh. They were speaking to Jesus about his “departure.” I know that’s how your NIV Bible translates it but Luke literally and correctly reports that they were talking to Jesus about his “exodus.” I like that word so much better because it describes what Jesus had come to do. Just as God had used Moses to lead the Israelites out of the bondage of slavery in Egypt in the first exodus, God the Father was going to use Jesus to lead the world out of the bondage of sin in the second, more important exodus.
How was Jesus going to accomplish this exodus? Moses and Elijah were speaking with Jesus about that too. They reviewed the many prophecies that made it clear it was God’s plan for the savior to suffer and die and then three days later come back to life. At the time I didn’t understand why Jesus had to die but I do now. Just as in our day, you can go to the store today and buy things without paying for them, right? Sure, that’s what those things you call “credit cards” allow you to do. But paying for something with a credit card doesn’t mean you’re getting it for free. Some time later you’ll have to pay the bill with real money. If you don’t, the credit card company will come after you. In our day if you didn’t pay your debts, you were thrown into prison. God is like a credit card company. Whenever we sin we wrack up charges on our spiritual credit card. Eventually payment needs to be made for these sins. The thing is, you and I could never make the payment since every sin is only payable with an eternity in hell. That’s where Jesus comes in. He made the payment for us when he suffered and died on the cross. He was able to pay for the whole world’s sin because he wasn’t just human; he was in fact the Son of God – as the Transfiguration revealed.
In my ignorance at the time I actually tried to stop Jesus from making this payment for sin. I was so struck by Jesus’ glory and the fact that Moses and Elijah were there from heaven I suggested we make a lodge on the mountain for the three of them to stay. I wanted the experience to last. I wanted to bring the other disciples up there to see Jesus and to meet Elijah and Moses. I wanted the Pharisees to make the trip too and be convinced that Jesus was the Messiah we were all waiting for. But here’s the thing. Had Jesus stayed on that mountain shining in his brilliant glory, no one would have been able to approach him. I came to understand this when a cloud enveloped the mountain as I was speaking about putting up those huts. It wasn’t a dark and ominous cloud, no, actually it was quite bright but it still terrified us. We disciples fell to the ground and covered our faces because the cloud seemed to go right through us as if it was probing and exposing our inmost thoughts like how I often thought I was the greatest among the disciples, or how I had often complained about my hard life as a fisherman, or how I had cursed the officials who took a large chunk of my salary in taxes. You see this was another revelation on that sacred mountain. I realized what it means that God is holy. It means that he hates my sinfulness, and he hates your sinfulness too.
Just about the time I thought I was going to die, a voice spoke. It was the voice of God the Father. He said that Jesus was his Son whom he had chosen and that we were to listen to him. And boy, were we happy to listen to Jesus – especially when he came over, touched us and said: “Don’t be afraid” (Matthew 17:7). And you know what? We weren’t afraid anymore. That’s the thing about Jesus. He is the only one who can take away our fear when we’re in the presence of God’s glory – like when your big brother shows up to protect you from the playground bully (not that the heavenly Father is a bully). Jesus removes our fear because he has paid for our sins so that we don’t have to face God’s judgment. What things are you afraid of? Are you afraid of being alone? Are you afraid of dying? Are you afraid of losing your parents? Whatever your fears listen to Jesus. Listen to him speak to you about his love and forgiveness. Let him touch you in Holy Communion and assure you that all is well.
After Jesus’ spoke, we opened our eyes to see that the cloud had disappeared and so had Moses and Elijah. I wish I would have had another look at those prophets of old. It was so awesome to see them alive (of course Elijah had never died) and gleaming like Jesus. Moses’ and Elijah’s presence on that sacred mountain revealed that everything the Bible says is true that those who die believing in Jesus go to heaven where they are glorified and will live forever speaking to Jesus as if with a friend. It’s not just famous believers like Moses and Elijah who have this privilege but believers like Arnold, Anne, Dennis, Carmen, Shaun…do you recognize any of these people? Sure you do. And you will see them again when you go to heaven. The Transfiguration not only reveals it, it guarantees it.
But before you can join us in glory you still have to go through the cross. It was that way with Jesus. That’s why he ignored my suggestion to build a lodge for him on that mountain. Jesus still had work to do. He had to descend that sacred mountain so he could ascend Mt. Calvary and die. Only then could Jesus give us lasting glory.
It’s like that for believers too. You will not enter heaven without first going through many hardships here on earth - the cross before the glory. I know. Sure, I was privileged to help baptize three thousand souls on Pentecost. I was able to heal a cripple, and even raise the dead. But my life wasn’t easy street. I was put in prison a number of times for speaking about Jesus and I was finally crucified upside down before I entered glory. But let me tell you, it’s worth it! So hang in there. I know you’re hoping to build a new church here and I pray that God blesses your efforts but remember, the cross comes before the glory. There is still committee work to be done and so there will be late nights and agonizing decisions. Keep plugging away knowing that the cross comes before the glory. Or you may be ready to go to heaven now and be reunited with loved ones but if you’re still here, it’s because Jesus has work for you. The work may not be easy. God may have in mind that you serve as a witness for him from a hospital bed - the cross before the glory. You recently called Staff Minister Stuht as your Outreach Coordinator and are no doubt looking forward to the blessings God will bring this congregation through him. But even here the cross comes before the glory. There will be challenges. There will be disappointments. There will be hardships. When you become discouraged pause and think about the Transfiguration. Like a tourism billboard it won’t make your journey to heaven any shorter or easier but when you see Jesus glorified on that sacred mountain, and Elijah and Moses gleaming too you’ll be encouraged because you’ll be reminded that glory is coming! This is what I learned on that sacred mountain. Amen.
