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Series C – Transfiguration Sunday – Sunday, February 7, 2016 | Pr. Chris Rosebrough

Welcome to the Teaching Ministry of Kongsvinger Lutheran Church. Kongsvinger is a beacon for the Gospel of Jesus Christ and is located on the plains of Northwestern Minnesota. We proclaim Christ and Him crucified for our sins and salvation by grace through faith alone, and now, here’s a message from Pastor Chris Rosebrough:

Time Stamp	Transcript
0:30	the holy Gospel According to Saint Luke
0:32	chapter 9 verses 28-36
0:35	now about eight days after these sayings
0:38	he took with him Peter and John and
0:41	James and they went up on the mountain
0:43	to pray and as he was praying the
0:45	appearance of his face was altered his
0:47	clothing became dazzling white and
0:50	behold two men were talking with him
0:52	Moses Elijah who appeared in glory and
0:55	spoke of his departure which he was
0:57	about to accomplish at Jerusalem now
1:00	Peter and those who were with him were
1:02	heavy with sleep but when they became
1:04	fully awake they saw his glory and the
1:07	two men who stood with him and as the
1:09	men were parting from him Peter said to
1:11	Jesus Master it is good that we are here
1:13	let us make three tents one for you one
1:16	for Moses one for Elijah not knowing
1:19	what he said
1:21	as he was saying these things a cloud
1:23	came and overshadowed them and they were
1:26	afraid as they entered the cloud and a
1:28	voice came out of the cloud saying this
1:30	is my son My Chosen One listen to him
1:33	and when the voice had spoken Jesus was
1:37	found alone and they kept silent and
1:39	told no one in those days anything of
1:42	what they had seen in the name of Jesus
1:45	all right you’ll notice in Our Gospel
1:47	text Our Gospel text begins with these
1:50	words now about eight days after these
1:52	sayings he took with him Peter and John
1:55	and James and went up on the mountain to
1:57	pray
1:58	of course that begs the question which
2:00	sayings after which sayings and I think
2:02	let’s back up just a little bit to verse
2:05	23 and let’s pick up that context
2:08	because I think the context is vital so
2:10	Luke chapter 9 verse 23 and he Jesus
2:14	said to all if anyone would come after
2:17	me let them deny himself take up his
2:20	cross daily
2:22	and follow me
2:24	yeah Christianity is not for the faint
2:27	heart if you’re looking to have your
2:29	best life now I think you’re missing the
2:30	whole point Jesus is all about denying
2:33	yourself taking up crosses crosses kill
2:36	people by the way so keep that in mind
2:38	whoever would save his life is going to
2:41	lose it whoever loses his life for my
2:43	sake will save it what does the prophet
2:46	a man if he gains the whole world and
2:48	loses and forfeits himself
2:52	well let’s answer the question doesn’t
2:54	really profit him anything does it
2:56	you could be the wealthiest billionaire
2:58	you could be the most powerful
3:00	politician who builds an Empire and
3:02	conquers and seizes the whole world
3:05	and at the end of the day you’re still
3:06	going to stand before Christ none of
3:08	this you get to keep anyway we’re
3:09	passing through right
3:12	so whoever is ashamed of me and of my
3:15	words of him will the son of man be
3:18	shamed when he comes in his glory and
3:20	the glory of the father and the Holy
3:22	Angels but I tell you truly there are
3:24	some standing here who will not taste
3:27	death until they see the kingdom of God
3:30	real quick I don’t know if you’ve had
3:32	any conversations with atheists atheists
3:34	like to talk to me apparently I have
3:37	conversations from time to time with
3:38	them and usually you’ll get a
3:40	conversation like this the Bible can’t
3:42	be true because it says right here that
3:45	they will not taste death until they see
3:46	the kingdom of God so that means that
3:49	the disciples were expecting Jesus to
3:51	return in their lifetimes and since
3:53	Jesus didn’t return while they were all
3:55	still alive well in Jesus lied to him
3:56	then they’re not he’s not really God
4:00	and you just say well let’s take a look
4:02	at the next verse you see what’s going
4:04	on here is not some promise that Jesus
4:07	is going to return in the lifetime of
4:09	the Apostles if you run across anybody
4:10	who thinks this way just have them read
4:13	the next verse because this is the
4:15	context not taste death until they see
4:17	the kingdom of God well they see the
4:20	kingdom of God right here next verse
4:22	when they go up to the Mount and Jesus
4:25	is transfigured before them that’s what
4:27	that’s referring to so now we get into
4:29	our text proper so about eight days
4:31	after these Saints Jesus Took with him
4:34	Peter
4:36	in John and James and went up on a
4:39	mountain to pray and as he was praying
4:41	the appearance of his face was altered
4:42	and his clothing became dazzling white
4:44	and behold two men were talking with him
4:47	Moses and Elijah who appeared in glory
4:50	and spoke of his departure let’s unpack
4:53	a little bit of this now
4:55	the fact that we have eight days not a
4:59	coincidence
5:00	right in scripture oftentimes numbers
5:03	have meanings now people like to assign
5:06	crazy meanings to things but let’s take
5:08	a look at kind of a sober meaning of
5:10	what’s going on here when we talk about
5:12	eight days this is super significant
5:14	eight days how many days did it take for
5:17	God to speak the universe into existence
5:20	six Six Days on the seventh day he did
5:22	what he rested right so here you have a
5:26	full week now it’s significant to note
5:28	that Jesus is crucified on a Friday
5:34	and he has a Sabbath rest the seventh
5:36	day in the Tomb on a Saturday right and
5:40	Jesus is raised again from the grave on
5:43	the Eighth Day the beginning of a new
5:46	week the beginning of a new creation and
5:48	so sometimes in scripture when you see
5:51	eight days it’s signaling something
5:54	something important is happening and
5:56	it’s relating to the new creation and
5:58	you get a glimpse of what’s coming
6:01	and also you’ll notice that they went up
6:03	on a mountain to pray
6:05	big things have happened on mountains in
6:08	scripture you think of Moses climbing
6:11	the mountain it’s Mount Sinai and he
6:14	received from the Lord The Ten
6:15	Commandments Jesus is going up the
6:17	mountain you think of Abraham climbing
6:19	Mount Moriah to sacrifice Isaac and the
6:23	Lord intervenes and provides the RAM for
6:25	the sacrifice important things happen on
6:27	mountains something important is taking
6:29	place here and so pay attention so as he
6:33	was praying the appearance of his face
6:34	was altered his clothing became dazzling
6:36	white behold two men were talking with
6:38	him Moses and Elijah who appeared in
6:41	glory and spoke of his now the ESV there
6:44	says departure
6:46	and just about every translation is
6:48	going to say something close to that but
6:50	if you read Greek you read through this
6:52	and you go whoa that word’s important
6:55	the reason I say that is because stuck
6:58	in the middle of this Greek manuscript
7:00	is a Hebrew word
7:02	here’s the word are you ready they
7:04	didn’t speak speak about his departure
7:07	they spoke about his
7:09	Exodus
7:12	is Exodus
7:13	that is significant because here in the
7:16	middle of this Greek manuscript is a
7:18	Hebrew borrowed word
7:20	that has major significance we’re
7:23	talking now about knowing what’s going
7:26	on in The Exodus itself The Exodus
7:28	points to what Jesus was doing and Jesus
7:31	is about to do his Exodus for you in
7:34	other words pay attention Jesus the
7:36	Passover Lamb is to go to Jerusalem and
7:40	be slain
7:41	so that the Destroyer would pass over
7:44	you who you who are covered in his blood
7:48	right he’s going to Jerusalem to do his
7:51	Exodus and so there’s Moses and Elijah
7:53	talking with him and Moses and Elijah in
7:55	this sense you can think of it this way
7:56	all of the Old Testament is represented
8:00	by Moses and the prophets
8:02	right it’s the prophets who are the ones
8:05	who put the histories together and it’s
8:07	the prophets who are the ones who
8:08	receive the direct Revelation for all
8:10	the prophecies that we have in the Old
8:12	Testament so Moses and the prophets
8:14	perfect representatives of all of the
8:16	Old Testament and now they’ve done their
8:19	Duty Moses pointing us to Christ
8:23	the prophets all pointing us to Christ
8:25	represented by Moses and the prophet in
8:27	Elijah himself
8:29	and now they’ve done their Duty they’re
8:31	going to talk to Jesus about his Exodus
8:33	he’s heading to Jerusalem to die and
8:36	bleed for the sins of the world
8:39	and then Peter chimes in
8:42	poor Peter this this he’s the only
8:45	Seminary Student that I have ever
8:47	witnessed who failed every single test
8:50	in seminary and became the greatest it’s
8:53	amazing and here Peter just botches it
8:56	again so Peter and those who were with
8:58	him were heavy with sleep
9:01	what is it with these guys right you
9:04	think of Jesus on the night he’s
9:06	betrayed what were they doing then
9:08	sleeping what is with you guys you are
9:11	not setting a good moral example for us
9:13	to follow here so they’re up there the
9:16	most significant events in all of
9:18	recorded spiritual history is taking
9:21	place I know charismatics who would sell
9:23	their mothers Into Slavery to have seen
9:25	the glory of Jesus right and they’re
9:29	sleeping
9:31	hmm is this boring you what’s wrong with
9:34	these people right
9:36	so he finally wakes up and decides he’s
9:40	got to do something right so he saw
9:42	Jesus’s glory and the two men who stood
9:44	with him and as these men were parting
9:46	from him Peter says to Jesus hey hey
9:49	Master it’s good that we’re here
9:52	um I have an idea let’s make three
9:54	tenths one for you one for Moses one for
9:58	Elijah
10:00	and the text says not knowing what he
10:02	said
10:04	it’s almost as if he’s completely out of
10:06	his mind and there’s a reason for this
10:08	all right
10:09	let’s take a look back at our epistle
10:11	text Hebrews chapter 3. let me re-read
10:14	it
10:15	therefore holy Brothers ah gotta pause
10:17	there for a second don’t you love it how
10:19	in the Epistles it treats Christians as
10:21	if they’re Christians think about it
10:23	okay therefore holy Brothers you are
10:26	Brothers and Sisters in Christ You Are
10:28	Holy it doesn’t say you who are striving
10:30	to become holy no no no no no it says
10:33	you who are holy you who share in a
10:36	Heavenly calling that’s us we share in
10:38	this heavenly calling consider Jesus Oh
10:41	yes the Apostle the high priest of our
10:43	confession he was faithful to him who
10:46	appointed him just as Moses also was
10:48	faithful in all of God’s house so Jesus
10:51	has been counted worthy of
10:54	more Glory than Moses
10:58	Jesus is not an equal with Moses and
11:00	Elijah
11:02	and this is what this text says more it
11:04	just says much more Glory as the Builder
11:06	of a house has more honor than the house
11:08	itself where every house is built by
11:10	someone but the Builder of all things is
11:13	God now Moses was faithful in all of
11:15	God’s house as a servant to testify to
11:17	the things that were to be spoken later
11:21	but Jesus he’s Faithful over God’s house
11:24	as a son and we are his house if indeed
11:27	we hold fast our confidence and our
11:29	boasting in in Our Hope so the idea here
11:32	now going back to the Mount of
11:33	transfiguration Peter once again
11:36	speaking out of turn that lousy example
11:39	for us of what it looks like to be a
11:40	Christian he mistakenly thinks he can
11:43	somehow Maybe
11:44	capture the moment make it last a little
11:46	bit longer why don’t you guys all hang
11:48	out here we’ll we’ll set up three tenths
11:50	one for each of you and by saying this
11:53	he’s kind of putting them all on the
11:55	same level
11:56	wow Jesus is just as important as Elijah
11:59	just as important as Moses and the
12:01	father from Heaven is having none of
12:03	that and sets Peter straight right
12:07	so here’s what happens so as he was
12:09	saying these things a cloud came and
12:12	overshadowed them
12:14	like a blizzard
12:16	and they were afraid as they entered the
12:18	cloud
12:19	and a voice came out of the cloud saying
12:21	this is my son My Chosen One listen to
12:27	him and when the voice had spoken Jesus
12:30	was found
12:31	alone
12:33	Moses and Elijah they depart
12:37	they’ve done their job all of the Moses
12:40	and Elijah all the prophets of the Old
12:42	Testament they were pointing us to the
12:45	one who is now here on the scene and he
12:48	is not hiding his glory he’s letting it
12:51	shine like you wouldn’t believe
12:53	now keep this in mind did all of Jesus’s
12:57	disciples witness this
12:59	no this is an extraordinary and we’ll
13:04	say unique blessing that they had
13:08	Barnabas wasn’t there Thaddeus wasn’t
13:10	there
13:11	Bartholomew wasn’t there Matthew wasn’t
13:14	there
13:16	right the majority of the disciples
13:18	didn’t witness this and so the idea is
13:21	this if you think for a second that
13:23	somehow the Christian life is all about
13:24	experiencing the glory of Christ here
13:27	and now you’re kind of missing the point
13:29	because only some of them
13:33	didn’t have to die to see this
13:36	the rest they did die before they saw
13:39	this
13:40	this is a unique thing and so the idea
13:43	then is this is that Jesus is doing this
13:45	as a sign to manifest who he truly
13:47	really is he really is none other than
13:50	God in human flesh and if you look at
13:51	the context back in chapter 9 of Luke
13:53	well that’s right right this takes place
13:56	right after Peter’s great confession
13:57	that he’s the Messiah that he’s the
13:59	Christ the son of the Living God takes
14:01	place after that he lets them all so
14:03	he’s letting them all mow Yep this is
14:05	for sure boys this is what’s coming by
14:08	the way this is what is coming
14:11	there is a day coming when this Jesus
14:14	who was shining with all of his glory
14:17	when we will see him in this state in
14:19	this state as well not here not now
14:23	we carry our cross
14:26	we deny ourselves
14:28	we follow Jesus to his death
14:31	to our deaths
14:33	then we will see his glory then we will
14:38	see him face to face
14:40	and so the idea here is is that we learn
14:43	from this text that Jesus really is our
14:47	Passover Lamb we also learn from this
14:49	text that he is also the pillar of fire
14:51	that was shining there leading the
14:54	children of Israel in the wilderness
14:55	this is you know Jesus is like a literal
14:58	Pillar of Fire now
15:00	but
15:01	all of this gives way to the here and
15:04	now because Jesus at this point has
15:06	really come not to shine his glory and
15:08	freak us all out instead he’s come to
15:10	humbly
15:11	go to the cross and accomplish his
15:13	Exodus and bleed and die for our sins
15:15	the same Jesus who was shining on the
15:18	mountain here in all of his glory is the
15:21	same Jesus who in darkness was bleeding
15:24	and dying for your sins and mine
15:26	the same Jesus who in darkness cried out
15:29	to the father my God my God why have you
15:32	forsaken me
15:36	we call that a Victory lap
15:38	and then he sees dad and runs the other
15:40	way that’s called Original Sin
15:42	[Laughter]
15:52	oh how funny yeah and that’s the reason
15:55	why we come to church
16:00	so the same Jesus who’s Shining
16:02	suffers and bleeds and dies for our sins
16:05	and the words of the father now come to
16:08	us today these words that say this is my
16:12	son My Chosen One listen to him
16:16	what does it mean for us to listen to
16:18	Jesus
16:19	what does it mean
16:20	to listen to Jesus is to believe him to
16:23	believe that he came to seek and save
16:25	the lost that’s you and me it’s to
16:27	believe that he comes to us this morning
16:29	and he does he comes to Us hidden not in
16:33	glory he comes to us this morning hidden
16:36	under the bread and the wine as we take
16:38	the Lord’s supper and we hear again
16:40	these comforting words take eat this is
16:43	my body broken for you take drink this
16:46	is my blood shed for you for the
16:48	Forgiveness of your sins Jesus tells us
16:51	to believe that in the waters of our
16:53	baptism his blood has been mixed in it
16:55	and we have been washed and our sins
16:58	though they be as Scarlet have been made
17:00	white as snow white
17:03	as his glorious Radiance here on the
17:06	Mount of transfiguration
17:08	Jesus says to us the sins you forgive
17:11	they are forgiven
17:12	the sins you retain they are withheld
17:14	and so this morning he heard in the
17:16	words of the Absolution that you are
17:18	forgiven listen to him
17:22	he speaks the truth you are forgiven
17:25	and so this day as we remember the Mount
17:28	of transfiguration
17:30	remember to listen to Jesus and to
17:32	believe
17:33	he comes to us humbly now but he will
17:36	return in glory to judge the living and
17:38	the dead and we will see that glory and
17:40	the greatest thing is because we are in
17:42	him because we are forgiven because he
17:43	has given us the gift of faith in him to
17:45	believe these amazing promises this
17:48	unbelievable promises dare you believe
17:50	that you can be saved yes even you even
17:54	I we can be saved because of what Christ
17:57	has done for us so believe this and know
18:00	that what it is that Peter James and
18:02	John experienced that you too also will
18:06	experience you will see Jesus you will
18:09	see him in his glory and you will not be
18:12	afraid and you will not say stupid
18:14	things like Peter
18:16	instead you will say glory to God in the
18:19	highest Glory
18:21	what Mercy that we have in Jesus what a
18:24	blessed and glorious day that will be
18:25	and we all get a little bit of a peek of
18:27	it here and now in the name of Jesus
18:30	Amen
18:31	[Music]

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