"Transfigured and Prefigured"

The Transfiguration of our Lord serves as sort of a transitional celebration in the church year. Epiphany is over and Lent is about to start. The Transfiguration prefigures the glory of our resurrected and ascended Lord. But to get the full picture Christ’s glory, we must first get the full picture of his suffering. So the Mount of Transfiguration also prefigures the Mount of Calvary. God’s glory is often more clearly revealed in paradoxes, and these two mountains portray such a paradox. Let us see if we can see in the Transfiguration of Jesus a foreshadowing of what would occur with Jesus not far down the road.

In order to achieve success in our everyday lives, we need to see the big picture. We take a look at where we are. Then we take a look at what’s ahead. Finally, we make a mental picture of where we’ll end up. That’s the big picture.

For example, a physical fitness program includes this big picture. We look at where we are now. We have an idea where we want to end up. But what’s important is coming to terms with the pain and sweat that are required to achieve that goal. We need that entire perspective.

In the Transfiguration of our Lord, we see his glory. In the resurrection and ascension we see his glory too. But it is imperative that we see the pain and suffering of our Lord in between those glorious accounts. We need to see Christ’s glory in light of his Passion.

Some of you may be thinking, "Why can’t we just focus on the good things and the glory today? Why do we always have to bring the cross into it and talk about sin? We get it already — sin and grace, law and gospel, death and life, damnation and salvation, Satan and Jesus — we’ve got it, we’ve heard it a hundred times, so let’s get on with it. Why can’t we just focus on the glory?"

It’s easy to see to good part, the really cool and exciting part of the Transfiguration, because it is so full of God’s glory. People might miss the good in Jesus’ Passion because it is full of suffering and death. But don’t feel bad if you have trouble getting a handle on the Transfiguration. Peter, James and John were there, and they didn’t have a handle on what they were seeing on the Mountain either.

Their lack of understanding is obvious when Peter tries to control the vision before him by offering to put up tents for Jesus, Moses, and Elijah. Peter wants to hang on to this vision of glory. But ironically, he is unwilling to accept Jesus’ words about him impending Passion, death, and resurrection.

Sure, it’s a glorious Christ seen in the Transfiguration. But even the Transfiguration prefigures a suffering Christ. Jesus and Moses and Elijah are talking about Jesus’ upcoming departure – The Greek says literally; his exodus. The Transfiguration also prefigures the culmination of Christ’s glory in his resurrection and ascension.

As we look to the glory of Jesus, we also find comfort…comfort in knowing this Jesus is the Savior of mankind; that this Jesus did not come with just the law, but He came with God’s grace. In the glory of Jesus we find comfort…comfort because He was able to defeat death. He was able to overcome the devil. He was able to put our sins into the tomb. Like Peter, we too would say, ‘Master, it is good that we are here.’ It’s good for us to be here to see this glory of Jesus.

Today we make a step of transition where we leave behind the glory of Jesus and for the next six weeks study Jesus’ suffering and death. We listen to the words that Jesus speaks. We see Jesus in the sacrifice that He makes. It’s a sad time, yet it’s a blessed time because it reminds us of Jesus’ mission. As people who are redeemed by the sacrifice of Jesus, you and I can see the glory of Jesus in His death.

We also see it in His Word; we experience it in His sacraments. At baptism, we’re reminded very visibly in the washing of the water and the Word of the forgiveness of sins. Today we celebrate the Lord’s Supper, where in, with and under the bread and wine we see and have the very body and blood of Jesus…given and shed for the forgiveness of our sins.

Every Sunday that we gather here, we say, ‘Master, it is good for us to be here.’ Every other time that we gather together to study God’s holy word, we can say, ‘Master, it is good for us to be here.’ Each and every day when we

We are reminded that Jesus came to die for our sins and the sins of the world. Our sinful nature doesn’t want us to read God’s word, doesn’t want us to study God’s word, doesn’t want us to hear God’s word…but…our new man repeats the words of Peter, ‘Master, it is good for us to be here.’

And so when we wake up and see the glory — here every week, every day in our devotions, and every time our faith intersects with our thoughts, words, and actions — when we wake up and see the glory, we will be waking up to one opportunity after another to bring them all together — endless opportunities to learn, opportunities to be forgiven, opportunities to worship, opportunities to be strengthened, and opportunities to say "thanks" to God with our lips, our labor, and our lives, because in Christ God has loved us, saved us, forgiven us, fed us, strengthened us and stood by us. It is good to be here, isn’t it? It is good to be here. That’s what we will say, every time we wake up and see the glory.

Then they went down the mountain and said nothing about the experience. Peter, James and John saw, but what did they see? First they saw that Jesus was connected to their past. They saw Moses and Elijah with Jesus. They saw Jesus talking with those who had led their people many years ago. They saw the continuation of that history in this man Jesus. And they might have heard what was to happen to Jesus as he set his face like flint to go to Jerusalem. They saw in Jesus God who indeed became flesh.

They saw Jesus as more than a teacher, but as one who would die for them on the cross. They saw this moment and wanted to stay on the mountain. They wanted to stay in this glory. The mountain top experience for the disciples was so glorious that they wanted to stay.

Many times we as Christians want that mountain top experience in our faith life. We want that glorious feeling of being with Christ. Some even demand it. Some even make those who don’t feel that way feel guilty! We like the highs, we shun the lows.

Some Christians feel that if their life or the lives of those around them are not always glorious, something is wrong with their faith or the faith of those around them. This theology of glory says that if you are not healthy, wealthy, feeling good because of Jesus then something is wrong, either with you or your faith. If you are with Jesus everything is good, great, and glorious.

But Jesus didn’t see it that way. After the experience on the mountain, what did he do? He went down the mountain and continued his journey to Jerusalem and the cross. Jesus knew that it is good to have those mountain top experiences, but the real work is in the valleys, in the depth of the human condition of sin and brokenness.

On that cross, Jesus felt and experienced the human condition in all of its brutality. He knew the depth of suffering we human beings suffer. He knew the guilt, the anguish, the despair that comes with living life. He knew and felt it all on that cross. And then, through the resurrection of Easter, he conquered it all for us.

Jesus went to the mountain to be transfigured, to give his disciples a glimpse of his glory that would come in handy in their future ministries. But most of all, he came down the mountain to be a Savior.

In the Transfiguration, we see a glorious Jesus. In our Baptism, we are invited to share in that glory. In the Transfiguration we see a prefiguring of our suffering Jesus. In our Baptism, we are invited to share that also. In the culmination of glory, we see our risen and ascended Jesus, sitting at the right hand of his Father in heaven. In our Baptism, we are invited to share in that glory too.

The Transfiguration serves as a springboard into Lent. We begin our journey with Christ to the cross. It’s a time to focus on the suffering of our Lord, a time to share in his humility. It’s also a time to see beyond the cross, into an empty tomb and an open heaven. And it’s a time to rejoice that we, too, shall rise and live in the glory of heaven. Amen.