TRANSFIGURATION, B – February 14, 2010

SCRIPTURES – Deuteronomy 34:1-12; Hebrews 3:1-6; Luke 9:28-36 

“One question, four guys, 100 things to do” – that is the byline FOX News used to drum up interest in a story they recently aired. The story was about four guys in their 20’s who thought about the question, “What do you want to do before you die?”, and then came up with a list of 100 things to do. The list included such things as:

• Delivering a baby

• Taking a woman to her mother’s grave

• Falling in love

• Breaking into the Playboy mansion.

I think it’s good that young people consider that their life will end and so think about how they should live. But, the focus of these four young men seems to be: live an exciting life now, while you can, before you get old and can’t do anything anymore and are left with regrets because of what you didn’t do!

How different is life for us in Christ! We don’t look ahead to an end, to being dead and gone and done. Because of Jesus we look forward to living after we die, and having a life that will be even more full and complete and satisfying than it was before! And, we also can live now knowing that, especially in times of difficulty and struggle, our lives are glorious because they are directed by and in God. The Transfiguration, when Jesus’ body began brightly shining and Moses and Elijah – men who had died hundreds of years before – appeared with Him, in the flesh and very much alive, announces this.

It does this first by showing us that Jesus is not just a great man or a mighty prophet, as were Moses and Elijah. He is truly God.

‡       Moses’ face shown after he was in God’s presence. Jesus’ entire body begins shining like the sun so that even His clothing is bright white; and, this happens before God’s presence overshadows them.

‡       God, who is infinitely greater than any human being and who tells us to listen to Him alone, calls Jesus His Son and says, “Listen to Him.”

This awesome event on the mountain proclaims Jesus to be God in flesh. But, note that Luke’s account of this event begins: “Now about eight days after these sayings [Jesus] took with him Peter and John and James and went up on the mountain.” Eight days after what sayings? After He had told His disciples that He was going to be rejected, suffer, and be killed. He repeated this the day after His Transfiguration. So, the disciples, and we, are to learn that even in, especially in, His suffering and death Jesus is God and is doing the work of God. Jesus didn’t shine in glory before His disciples to get their minds off of the depressing things He had just told them, but so that they would know that His glory is seen and God is glorified especially in His suffering and death.

If you believe in Jesus then this is true in your life, too. In your life as a Christian, and especially when you struggle and suffer, God’s glory is seen and His work of eternal blessing is being done, for then He is drawing you to Christ.

The book of Hebrews says that Jesus is “the apostle and high priest of our confession.” As apostle, He is God’s voice to us. When struggling, and especially when hurting and suffering, it can seem as if God doesn’t care or isn’t listening to you. This is never the case! Look upon Jesus, both in the glory of the Transfiguration and in the glory of His cross. The glorious God who became flesh and yet in His flesh was still God covered His glory, became weak, bore your sins and died for you! There is no doubt of His love for you! As our high priest, He is now in the presence of God to be your voice, bringing your cries and prayers to God. God surely hears your cries because He listens to His beloved Son. Believe this!

You will if you do as God says and “listen to Him.” Don’t listen to the latest and greatest author of a book about who God is and what He is doing; or primarily to others who have opinions about God and what He is doing. Don’t listen to what your heart is telling you, especially when you are suffering. Don’t focus on a bucket list of things – often selfish things, really – you need to do to have a fulfilling and satisfying life. Listen to Jesus! He speaks to you here in His Word, the Bible.

Listen to the first verse of Hebrews 3: “Therefore, holy brothers, you who share in a heavenly calling.” You are called holy. This doesn’t simply mean that you are pure and clean, without sin; although, it starts with this. That alone is an astounding thing to hear and believe. We sinners – whose sin is obvious and is seen in our lives day after day, who sin especially when we doubt God’s goodness and mercy because of sufferings and struggles – we sinners are not sinners! We are holy! By saying this the author of Hebrews is not exaggerating, trying to pump us up so that we’ll think more positively and go forth to live a victorious life in Jesus. He is speaking God’s truth. Jesus bore your sin, all of it! He paid its penalty in His flesh, and so you have no sin that is held against you. In the Christ who died for you you are holy, and heaven is before you when your life ends! But, you “share in a heavenly calling.” Heaven doesn’t simply await. God calls you to it, to see it and believe in it and live for it. And so, you are called holy, those who are set apart by God and for God. That in its essence is what the word “holy” means: set apart. God has set you apart in Christ, to live in Him and for Him; and He accomplishes this in your life as you listen to Jesus.

As you listen to Jesus. I had two interesting conversations this week that relate to this. The first was with several of the women of STAR who work here during the week. They were talking together at the end of the day, and when I walked in they asked me: “Pastor, why is there so much sexual promiscuity today?” I don’t think we can only blame society. Certainly, casual and rather cheap and meaningless sex is everywhere in our culture. But, how clearly have Christian churches, and we in our homes and in our own lives, spoken differently, lived differently, said and showed that we are holy people whom God sets apart to live holy lives? Do we listen to and follow Jesus in what we think, say, and do?

We also had a conversation in confirmation class about a middle school aged boy who goes to church with his folks but has told his friends that he doesn’t believe in God. Why not? He has learned about evolution. This is science: fact and truth! The stories from the Bible are now seen as just that: stories, similar to fairy tales and myths. How many Christian children end up denying Christ like this boy because they don’t give God a chance, don’t listen to Jesus and learn, not just a few stories but the deep truths of God’s Word?

We have so much to learn. We have so much to live. We have so much to look forward to! We are holy people, people whom God has chosen and set apart in Christ and for Christ!

So, live in Christ! Don’t worry about your life or about finding 100 things to do before you die to complete your life. Don’t dwell on what you have or haven’t done. God has set you apart in Christ for one thing: to listen to Him. Listen, then, until the day dawns when our Savior’s glory shines brightly forth, when there is no one else to listen to, and we stand with Moses, Elijah, Peter, James, and John – and millions of other brothers and sisters in Christ – in the glorious presence of Jesus in heaven.