"Every Picture Tells a Story" (Sermon for the Transfiguration of Our Lord)

Today is the Transfiguration of Our Lord. “Trans-fig-uration?” you say. “What’s that?” That’s a word you don’t use every day. And that’s OK. Because this was an event you don’t see every day, either. And one, if you did see it, you would never forget. That’s why Peter, writing many years later, remembered it so vividly. He says of Christ:

“We were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, ‘This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,’ we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain.”

So this is what the Transfiguration was. Peter saw it with his own eyes. He heard the voice from heaven with his own ears. Both the “picture” and the words told a story, an amazing story.

We heard about it in the Gospel for today. Jesus took three of his disciples--Peter, James, and John--up a high mountain. There he was transfigured before them. His appearance changed--that’s what a “transfiguration” means. How so? It says: “His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light.”

Every picture tells a story. What story is this picture telling us? “His face shone like the sun.” He who created the sun--and the moon and the stars--now shines with the brilliance thereof. Christ is revealed in his divine glory as the very Son of God. “God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God.” This is a glory which Christ always had, from eternity, from before the foundation of the world. But it is a glory which had been hidden once the Son of God became flesh and made his dwelling among us. Jesus did not always or fully manifest his glory during the days of his earthly ministry. But on this day, on this mountain, he did. He pulled back the curtain, so to speak, and his disciples were shown that this is indeed the eternal Son of God. They beheld God, the Second Person of the Trinity in his divine majesty. The one “by whom all things were made, who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven . . . and was made man”--this same Jesus is here revealed as true God in the presence of his disciples.

“And his clothes became white as light.” What story might this picture be telling? The holiness, the purity, of the Son of God come in the flesh. Jesus is without sin, unstained by transgression or misdeed. He is perfect in righteousness. He perfectly kept all the commandments. As a man, born under the law, Jesus loved the Lord his God with all his heart, soul, mind, and strength. As a man, born under the law, Jesus loved his neighbor as himself. Righteous, holy, spotless and unblemished--that’s who Jesus is, and his white-as-light clothes here reflect that fact.

Now when we look at our own garments in that light, what do we see? Our clothing is soiled, stained with sin. And we cannot get it out, no matter how hard we try. The Bible says that all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags. “All our righteousnesses!” Even our best deeds, done in the flesh, are considered as filthy rags in God’s sight. This is a permanent stain that even our most noble efforts cannot remove.

But the good news is that Jesus kept the law in our stead, in our place. He did what you and I cannot do, which is to keep God’s law of love perfectly. Love for God. Love for neighbor. We don’t do it as we should. But Jesus did. And he did it all for us. His righteousness gets transferred to our account. More on this in a moment.

So the picture we see in the Transfiguration is that of Jesus, his face shining like the sun, his clothes white as light. Jesus, the holy Son of God come in the flesh, revealed in his divine glory.

Now what else do we see? “And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him.” Moses and Elijah appear. What are they doing there?! They haven’t been around for centuries! But now, for this unique occasion, God brings them into the picture. Moses, the great deliverer, who led Israel out of bondage in Egypt, through the wilderness, and up to the Promised Land. Moses, the great Law-giver, who at Mount Sinai gave Israel the Ten Commandments straight from God. Moses, the greatest of the prophets, but who also told Israel, “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers--it is to him you shall listen.” And now, here he is, that long-prophesied Prophet who would be even greater than Moses. That’s what God is saying by having Moses standing there next to Jesus. Here he is, the one Moses was talking about. The one you now must listen to. He will fulfill the Law for you. He will bring you out of bondage, the bondage of sin and death. This Jesus will lead you to--and into--the Promised Land of the kingdom of heaven. Yes, here is one greater than Moses.

One greater than Elijah also. Elijah, another great prophet from Israel’s past. In fact, all of God’s dealings with Israel, all of salvation history, finds its goal and fulfillment in the person of Jesus Christ. He is what it all was pointing ahead to, driving at, moving toward. That’s what the presence of Moses and Elijah here is signaling. For later, when the disciples look up, they see “no one but Jesus only.”

“No one but Jesus only.” If you want to know where to look for your salvation, if you want to know what the focus and purpose of the whole Bible is, look at Jesus Christ. Look to Jesus. Not as a law-giver. No, we already have Moses for that. Not as an example, not primarily. “What Would Jesus Do?” He would go to the cross and die for your sins. So look to Jesus for who he is and what he came to do. He is your Savior, the Savior of the world. He came to do what you and I will never be able to do, and that is, save us from our sins and give us his life, his righteousness, forgiveness for our sins, and life with him forever. Who is able to do this? “No one but Jesus only.”

Then there is one more thing we see in the picture at the Transfiguration. A cloud. “Behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them.” Notice that, a “bright” cloud. Not a dark and threatening cloud, like the storm clouds on Mount Sinai when God gave Moses the Ten Commandments. No, this is Gospel, not Law. A bright cloud. The presence of God, but not in a threatening way. In a saving way. The presence of God surrounding us with his love, his protection, his presence to guard and guide us--like the pillar of cloud that led Israel through the desert. In Christ we have the presence of God with us, to lead us all the way through the dreary desert of this world, all the way home to heaven.

So there is the picture. Jesus shining like the sun, his clothes as white as light. Moses and Elijah there, telling us that Christ is the goal and focus of God’s plan of salvation. The bright cloud of God’s presence, his saving presence surrounding us. That’s the picture, that’s what we see.

Now what do we hear? Are there any words? A voice comes from the bright cloud, saying: “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” This of course is the voice of the heavenly Father. The Father’s voice, testifying to his Son, approving of his Son. “This is my beloved Son.” The Father loves the Son with a perfect love. Always has, always will. But especially does he testify to his love for the Son precisely as the Son goes forward with his saving mission, to save sinful mankind. With him, with Christ, God is well pleased. God’s good pleasure is shown in sending his Son to do this great work. God is well pleased with Jesus.

“This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” Now you might think this is just a word for Jesus, that the Father is saying how much he loves him. But where does that leave us? Out of the picture? No. For through Jesus, this becomes a word for us, too. When the Father says of Jesus, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,” he’s speaking to us, too.

God is telling us to what measure he would go to rescue us. He would give his only-begotten Son, his beloved Son, to die for us. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Because the Father loves his Son, he loves us, too. For in Holy Baptism we were joined to Christ, you and I. We were clothed with the white robe of Christ’s righteousness. Our sins were washed away. God placed his name on us. Now we are God’s children, accepted and dearly loved for Christ’s sake. Now, through baptism, God the Father says of each one of us, “This is my beloved child, with whom I am well pleased.” All this, because of Christ. Through Jesus and his saving work of dying for us sinners, God is pleased with us and loves us.

And so the Father says of Christ, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” “Listen to him!” Yes, disciples, listen to Jesus when now he tells you that he must go to Jerusalem, where he will suffer and die. For this way to the cross is how God’s plan of love will be carried out. Yes, sinners, one and all, listen to God’s beloved Son Jesus, when he says to you, today, “Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Yes, church, listen to Jesus. And keep on listening. For he alone has the words of eternal life.

Today we have been with the disciples on the holy mountain for the Transfiguration of Our Lord. Both the picture and the words speak volumes of God’s love for us. Here we have beheld our bright and shining Lord, our beautiful Savior, Jesus Christ. He is the Son of God come in the flesh. He is the goal and focus of all salvation history. In him we are surrounded by the bright cloud of God’s gracious presence. We lift up our eyes and see no one but Jesus only. And we hear the Father’s voice, testifying to his beloved Son. Thus we hear how much God loves us, so as to send his Son to suffer and die for us. Now, joined to Christ in baptism, you and I have God as our Father, telling us that we too are his beloved children. And telling us to listen to Jesus, for our Lord has more words for us disciples to hear, our whole life long.

Every picture tells a story. And in this picture, the Transfiguration of Our Lord, God is telling us the never-ending story of his great love for us in Christ, in both the picture and the words.

Matthew 17:1-9 (ESV)

After six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. And Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.” He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were terrified. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Rise, and have no fear.” And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.

And as they were coming down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, “Tell no one the vision, until the Son of Man is raised from the dead.”

Thanx for the ping to your sermon, Pastor! Forgive me for asking this, but have you ever thought about how that brightness of His righteousness kept Satan’s eyes and ears away so he could not know the Cross was coming to end his wicked powers over the souls/spirits of men? Is that perhaps a part of why Jesus told Peter, James and John to tell no one until ...? I think it is!

And keep on listening. For he alone has the words of eternal life.

Aye, "Take this, all of you, and drink of it: For this cup is the cup of my blood of the new and everlasting covenant, shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins."

"Hear ye Him!"

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