The Transfiguration of Our Lord (2022)
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Setting the Scene
Setting the Scene
Each year we relive this passage of the great transfiguration. Luke’s account is particularly fun with its strong ties to the Old Testament. He starts with the mention of eight days later, an allusion to the eighth day theme of consecration through circumcision or the temple. Then Luke recaps the entire Exodus account including going up on a mountain, the transformation of faces, the theophanic vision, and even the use of the greek word Exodon for departure - Exodus rather than the customary erchomai. He then goes on to call Jesus not just the chosen one but the ELECT one - as in Israel is his chosen, ELECT people. Jesus is all of Israel and all that they have condensed into one.
Gospel Presentation pt 1
Gospel Presentation pt 1
Jesus is the new and greater Exodus, The new and greater Moses, and the New and greater Elijah. See, for the Old Testament to make sense we have to read it on its own terms. The law and the prophets.
If you have ever hung around Jewish scholars they don’t refer to the Old Testament as ‘old’ they don’t have a new one. Instead they call the first testament of God the Tanak. It’s an acronym of sorts.
Torah - The books of Moses
Neviim - The prophets
Ketuviim - Just means writings, Psalms, Proverbs- Ezra etc.
Moses is… well moses.
And there has not arisen a prophet since in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face,
Elijah is the prophet without a written book. Unlike Isaiah and Jeremiah he didn’t just speak God’s Word He performed it! He is THE prophet- the neviim of neviim’s. He fought the baal worshippers, raised the widows dead son, and called down fire. Finally - he didn’t die- he just was taken up into heaven! Jesus is constantly compared to both of these figures but unlike Moses and elijah He did all these things on His own Steam!
Friends, in the past some were saved by being born right, others by doing right, and still others just by thinking right. We are saved by Jesus born of the virgin, suffered under Pilate and He eternally thinks of you and became one of you!
You are saved by Christ- by grace alone. He chose you from the foundation of the world
Now I’d like to press a bit on our readings a bit. It is a little allegorical but I think it holds true- yes it’s not strictly what the passage says and it is an artificial division but it is certainly true about the passage.
Moses and Elijah
Moses and Elijah
Moses represents the virtue of doing what is right.
Elijah represents the virtue of thinking or saying what is right.
Peter sees these two pillars of virtue starting, Moses & Elijah, to depart - the total man of God and says
And as the men were parting from him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah”—not knowing what he said.
Peter wants to be in proximity of what is right, aligned with virtue and truth. Don’t we all?
I remember hearing that when the Toyota Prius came out it wasn’t the most fuel efficient hybrid. The Honda Civic hybrid was- but what vaulted the prius into popularity was that it had a distinct look that communicated that it was a hybrid.
It communicated that it was virtuous. Now not all people did that but many did!
On the other side of the artificial political spectrum, one of our college students came to the preschool pumpkin party dressed like Forest Gump, now it was just after election year and he was wearing generic clothing and a red hat. I didn’t understand his outfit and asked him if he was going as a trump supporter thinking and immediately someone in the crowd stomped on me for making fun of him. I didn’t say any such thing.
They communicated that this red hat was virtuous. Not all people who voted that way felt that way but many do!
We could do this sort of thing ALL DAY LONG. I don’t shop there or I read this author or I worship in this church or don’t think that or am anti that or not attending this or boycotting silly putty for its use of overseas minerals that oppress freedom of speech.
In the last year we have recieved emails accusing us of persecuting christians because we let a group that had a vaccine mandate use our building. We have also recieved accusations that we are deliberately putting people at harm in how we conduct our services.
Enough is enough. This is nonsense. Moses and Elijah were not left standing with Jesus. The most virtuous men cannot hold a candle to Christ. We have no virtue. We spend SO MUCH TIME trying to justify ourselves to others and ourselves that I don’t know how we ever expect to see Jesus. As the author of Hebrews says “Jesus has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses.
Moses, who by the way did not get to see the promised land because He disobeyed God.
Jesus is the Holy one of God. The elect one, the righteous one. Apart from Him we have nothing. What were Martin Luther’s dying words? We are all just beggars.
Gospel Presentation pt 2
Gospel Presentation pt 2
This is actually good news.
Have you ever been pulled over for presumed speeding? What is one of the first questions they ask you? Do you know how fast you were going? When we answer that; often we answer truthfully but we answer with an admission of guilt- even 1 mile over is an admission of guilt. Our miranda rights remind us that what we say and do WILL BE USED AGAINST US.
Thanks be to God that He does not use US, AGAINST US. A great example of this in Luke 5 Jesus calls Levi, a tax collector and you hear this:
And the Pharisees and their scribes grumbled at his disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?”
Then just two chapters later- an incredulous Pharisee does this:
One of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee’s house and reclined at table.
WE HAVE NO righteousness and Yet GOD COMES TO BE WITH US. We are beggars of righteousness. We beg to be near the good.
Whether you are a prostitute, tax collector or pharisee God has graciously transformed you into His own person not by proximity but by His blood.
Christ is faithful over God’s household- not just Israel but you- His elect people. When we boast we boast of Christ -
but Christ is faithful over God’s house as a son. And we are his house, if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope.
Look at what God has done. He made us look like Moses and Elijah, more than that when He looks at us He sees His only beloved and chosen son.
His righteousness is now our righteousness and we can eat wherever we want, on the mountain, with sinners, with saints - so can you.
You are His people. You are Holy. You are beloved and you shall inherit the earth. Thanks be to God. Amen.