Transfigured and Prefigured

The Transfiguration of Our Lord, February 18, 2007

Text: Luke 9:28–36

Other Lessons: Psalm 99; Deuteronomy 34:1–12; Hebrews 3:1–6

Sermon Theme: The transfiguration prefigures Christ’s Passion, the cross of suffering before glory.

Goal: That in the transfiguration hearers would see both Christ’s suffering and glory as the assurance of both their own suffering and glory.

Introduction: The Transfiguration of Our Lord is certainly a time to focus on the glory of Jesus Christ. Peter, James, and John saw the brilliance of Jesus’ glory. And Peter apparently wanted to stay right there with Moses and Elijah and Jesus. Why else would he want to pitch tents for them? But the full glory of Christ must also be seen in the specter of Christ’s suffering at the hands of sinners, and His crucifixion. There seems to be no end of proclamations of glory made by well-meaning Christians these days. But, take Christ’s suffering away and there is no glory for mankind. May we never lose sight of the big picture:

The Transfiguration Prefigures Christ’s Passion,

the Cross of Suffering comes before Glory

I. When we consider the transfiguration, the resurrection, and the ascension, we do indeed see Jesus’ glory. However, none of these individually, mean anything without His suffering and crucifixion.

A. But this is something that makes us feel ill-at-ease and sorrowful. So we are reluctant to see the big picture of Jesus’ work of salvation.

1. We like the transfiguration because it is filled with glory. We see Jesus praying, and " as he was praying, the appearance of his face was altered, and his clothing became dazzling white." Lk 9:28-29 What a glorious picture. It makes us want to find out just how His face was altered and how dazzling white His clothes became. It’s easy to get caught up in the glory of the moment. Witness Peter.

2. But, Peter had apparently already forgotten what Jesus had told the disciples just a week or so prior to this: " “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.”" Lk 9:21-22 I hate to tell you all this but we easily forget the cross too, just like Peter.

3. Consequently, many well-meaning Christians demonstrate an attraction to a theology of glory that consistently misses God and leads one to glory in oneself. It is very similar, if not the same as, Peter, James, and John being heavy with sleep (vv 32–33).

B. But if we are shaken out of our sleep we can plainly see The Scriptures reveal the glory of, and the glorious Christ through suffering.

1. We see this in the transfiguration when Moses and Elijah speak with Jesus regarding His “exodus” from this world in (vv 30–31). You see, there is no glory for Jesus apart from going to Jerusalem to suffer and die. Gosh! That is hard to grasp, isn’t it? We dislike conflict. We dislike confrontation. We dislike anything that hurts someone we love. But, without it, Jesus is just another man, and not the God of our Salvation. And woe be unto us without the God of our Salvation! Thank God that He receives here the repeated affirmation of His Heavenly Father. " saying, “This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him!”" Lk 9:35

2. Thank God, indeed, that The transfiguration prefigures the conclusion of Christ’s glory in his resurrection and ascension by pointing to the Cross of Calvary. In our Baptism we are invited to participate in His glory. In Baptism, Scripture tells us that we have put on Christ—that is, we have been clothed in the dazzling attire of His sinless righteousness. That is what assures us of salvation. Faith receives that precious gift even through times of suffering. I think our dear sister Judy Dyer was a living example of seeing Christ’s glory in the face of suffering with cancer and certain death. Her desire to imitate her Lord with her life bore witness to her faith.

II. Through the cross, then, the transfiguration also anticipates the glory to come. How so?

A. Let’s start with what the Scriptures proclaim. "For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross." Col 1:19-20 This peace, gained by Christ on the cross, assures us that the glory of God is found through the cross.

1. Further assurance is gained in Colossians 2:8-15:

"See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him." Col 2:8-15

I’m going to let you all in a little secret about being Christian. The secret is this: We don’t find God. He finds us—through the cross of Jesus Christ. Apart from His Cross there is no glory—neither for Christ, nor for us!

2. This theology of the cross is spoken very clearly by Jesus when He says: " “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me." Lk 9:23 I think it is important here to clarify what it means to take up one’s cross. We tend to think only of what we suffer in this life as crosses. But, the cross Jesus wants us to take up is the cross of suffering for our witness of Him. Remember the Gospel reading from last week? It spoke clearly to this: "“Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man!" Lk 6:22 Indeed, some of our suffering is a cross. It burdens us, though we bear it in submission to God’s Fatherly will—looking as Jesus did to the glory to come.

B. And, indeed, glory is the final result after the cross.

1. The Mount of Transfiguration points to the Mount of Ascension.

2. The three tents could point to the mansions prepared for us in heaven.

3. Through faith, we share in that glorious culmination beginning at the resurrection.

Conclusion: 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 in 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. It’s a time for going to the cross with Jesus. It’s also a time to see beyond the cross to the empty tomb and know that we, too, shall rise and live forever in the glory of heaven. Amen.