Transcript of “The Transfiguration”

Reflections on Scripture with Dr. Leins

Time StampTranscript
0:03hello
0:06today let’s talk about the
0:09Transfiguration of Our Lord
0:12this wondrous event takes place just
0:15after the famous confession of caesarea
0:17Philippi
0:19but I think the two events are connected
0:22the confession of caesarea Philippi and
0:25the Transfiguration of Our Lord
0:27let’s see
0:28how they might be connected first the
0:32Lord Jesus is talking with his disciples
0:34and he asks them a question
0:36what do people say that I am
0:39and the the disciples answer well some
0:42think that you’re John the Baptist and
0:43something that you’re Elijah and some
0:46think that you are another prophet and
0:48Jesus says but who do you say that I am
0:51and
0:52Peter responds you are the Christ
0:56the son of the Living God
0:59unfortunately Peter didn’t know all that
1:01that meant but he was absolutely correct
1:04Jesus is the Christ
1:07that is the messiah
1:08the son of the Living God he is the Lamb
1:11of God who takes away the sin of the
1:14world
1:15but Peter was unprepared for the
1:18consequences
1:20of that Declaration of that truth
1:23the son of man Jesus explained must
1:26suffer and be killed at the hands of
1:29cruel men
1:31and on the third day rise again
1:34this was God’s plan from the beginning
1:36of History even before the fall of Adam
1:40God had planned that his son would be
1:43the atoning sacrifice that would take
1:45away the sin of the world
1:47that his son the obedient and perfect
1:50one
1:51would reconcile all Humanity to God the
1:55Father
1:57Peter was unprepared for this message
2:03and so he began to rebuke Jesus
2:06Lord there shall never be
2:09and for that Jesus rebuked him
2:12that Peter was not
2:14following the way of God but following
2:16the way of man
2:20then Jesus went on to say
2:23that anyone who would follow him must
2:26deny himself and take up his cross and
2:29follow him
2:31now there’s only one Christ and there’s
2:34only one atoning sacrifice and there’s
2:37only one life-giving cross
2:41but Jesus is explaining that all those
2:43who believe in him
2:46will share
2:47in a life
2:50of serving and suffering and sacrificing
2:54for others
2:57that they will take up a cross also
3:01it will not be across that um that
3:04redeems the world
3:07but it will be across
3:09that serves for the sake of Christ
3:13the way of the cross
3:15is really the opposite of what Peter is
3:18thinking about he doesn’t understand
3:19that yet
3:22but that’s what Jesus is teaching
3:26and now he takes the disciples to the
3:28Mount of transfiguration and there Peter
3:31and James and John go with the Lord
3:34and
3:35Jesus is transfigured before them
3:41Matthew explains oh Matthew calls the
3:44Transfiguration a metamorphosis a change
3:46of form and he explains
3:50that when that took place that Jesus
3:53began to shine like the sun his face
3:56Shone like the sun and his garments were
3:58as white as light
4:01Luke uses a little different language
4:03Luke says that Jesus looked like
4:05lightning
4:06we can’t barely stand to look at
4:09lightning but it quickly dissipates
4:12Jesus in this case was like lightning
4:15that continued
4:16to glow and maintain the level of
4:21Brilliance of lightning imagine that
4:23Jesus was allowing a glimpse of his true
4:27Heavenly glory to be seen by those
4:29disciples and then suddenly with Jesus
4:31we’re standing Moses and Elijah Moses
4:35who had been
4:37on the mountain with God for 40 days and
4:3940 nights
4:41and
4:43you’ll find that in Exodus chapter 24
4:46and Ezekiel no I’m sorry Elijah
4:50who had
4:52been with God on the mountain also
4:54and
4:56in the midst of earthquake Wind and Fire
4:58had heard the still small voice of God
5:01as recorded in First Kings chapter 19.
5:04these two men
5:06Moses and Elijah had both been with God
5:09on the mountain and now they were with
5:12God on a mountain again the second
5:14person of the Holy Trinity Jesus Christ
5:19and the Transfiguration of Jesus was
5:23God’s sign
5:25God’s affirmation
5:27his verification that Jesus is God
5:30telling God’s truth
5:32and that God’s plan for salvation
5:35is the Cross of Christ
5:40he
5:42in the midst of this
5:46Peter begins to miss the point again
5:49or he misses the point again
5:52because Jesus is talking with Moses and
5:54Elijah and he’s talking with them about
5:57his impending departure the word used
6:01there in Luke’s gospel is his
6:03his impending Exodus is very important
6:07word
6:08because Jesus is the perfect Passover
6:11Lamb
6:15and he is the
6:16fulfilled Moses figure
6:19who leads the captives out of slavery
6:21through the water into the promised land
6:23Jesus is the the fullness of that event
6:27taking the people all people out of the
6:31bondage of Slavery to sin death in the
6:33devil and leading people through the
6:35waters of holy baptism into the kingdom
6:38of God
6:40Peter
6:42interrupts this conversation between
6:44Moses Elijah and the Lord Jesus
6:49what would cause such an impertinent act
6:52on the part of Peter well
6:54let’s see what he says lord it’s good
6:57that we should be here
7:00let us build three booths one for you
7:02one for Moses one for Elijah obviously
7:04what Peter wants to do is to remain
7:06there long enough to build some houses
7:09and remain for a Time
7:13we can’t blame Peter how glorious it
7:15would be to dwell forever in the light
7:19Glory joy and peace of God
7:23but Peter is interrupted
7:25by God
7:27the father
7:29for
7:30there is an overshadowing cloud of the
7:33glory of God and the voice of God
7:35himself is heard saying this is my
7:38beloved Son
7:40listen to him
7:44the way of the Cross is my plan
7:48just as Jesus has explained
7:53the disciples may not understand the way
7:55of the Cross but they do understand the
7:57voice of God in the presence of God and
8:00they fall on their faces
8:07God’s way is the opposite of what we
8:11expect
8:13God’s demonstration of his glory
8:17is by serving and sacrificing
8:21God’s demonstration of his power
8:27is by sacrificing his life
8:30and dying on a cross
8:36we may want to be powerful because we
8:39follow Jesus but I suspect it will find
8:41that God demonstrates his power through
8:44our weakness he does things in the
8:46opposite way we would expect
8:48Peter says that he wants to build booths
8:51so he can remain in the glory we can’t
8:54blame Peter for that it’s just the wrong
8:57time
8:58and that’s what Jesus says not yet
9:01for Jesus must go down the mountain must
9:04take up his life-giving cross Must
9:06Destroy the power of sin death in the
9:08devil and open the way of the kingdom of
9:11God to all believers
9:14and we too may wish that we could stay
9:16on a mountain with God
9:18we’re holding his glory forever and ever
9:20not yet says the Lord he understands our
9:24need for that
9:25I suspect that’s why he allowed the
9:27apostles to see his transfigured glory
9:31and that’s also the same reason that he
9:33allows you and me
9:34to catch glimpses of his glory in his
9:37holy word
9:39and in his blessed sacraments there we
9:41meet Jesus
9:44but we must leave and go down the
9:46mountain
9:49we too must deny ourselves and take up
9:51our crosses
9:53not that our sacrifice will ever be
9:57propitiatory that it will ever Set the
10:00World free from sin death in the devil
10:02our sacrifice is not the one
10:04all-sufficient sacrifice but because
10:06Christ’s sacrifice
10:08was
10:10perfect
10:12and was made Ours by grace through faith
10:14now Christ lives in us and now though
10:17our sacrifice is weak and meek and
10:21sometimes hard-hearted we still want to
10:23make our sacrifice
10:25to follow Jesus to take up our cross
10:30because one day we know
10:33if we will reside with him
10:35we will see his glory
10:38his face will shine all of heaven will
10:40be filled with his joy and peace and we
10:43will Behold Him
10:45we will see him
10:47and that day will never end
10:51amen