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Date: Transfiguration Sunday Text: Mark 9:2-9
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Welcome to the teaching ministry of Kungsvinger Lutheran Church. Kungsvinger is a beacon for the gospel of Jesus Christ and is located on the plains of northwestern Minnesota. We proclaim Christ and Him crucified for our sins and salvation by grace through faith.
Alone.
And now, here's a message from Pastor Chris Roseberg.
The Holy Gospel according to Saint Mark, the ninth chapter. After six days, Jesus took with Him Peter and James and John and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And He was transfigured before them, and His clothes became radiant, intensely white, as no one on earth could bleach them.
And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus. And Peter said to Jesus, Rabbi, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you, one for Moses, one for Elijah.
For he did not know what to say, for they were terrified. And a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud. This is my beloved Son, listen to Him. And suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone with them, but Jesus only.
And as they were coming down the mountain, He charged them to tell no one what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. This is the gospel of the Lord. In the name of Jesus, amen. Transfiguration Sunday.
Every time I read this text, I think of that song, Shine, Jesus, Shine. Gets stuck in my head. But you're going to note something here. It says in our creeds that Christ will return with glory to judge both the living and the.
Dead.
Glory is one of these things that Pentecostals and Charismatics talk a lot about of. But the way they talk about glory doesn't seem to make any biblical sense to me. Number one, it's a polysyllabic word.
They always say glory, like this. And then when the so-called glory appears, they fall down, they shake and convulse. It looks like somebody's demonized, if you ask me. And then they talk about baking in the glory, or soaking in the glory, and all this kind of stuff.
Have you noticed that when the glory shows up in Scripture, people are not stopping and surfing the glory, like guys in Southern California like to do. Get on their surfboards and wait for a wave, and when the wave comes in, they ride it in.
Charismatics seem to do that. The glory is like the wave that they like to surf in, and after they've surfed it in, they go, cowabunga, dude, that was really awesome, let's do that again. But no, when glory shows up, it usually is terrifying.
Absolutely terrifying. We remember when Moses went up Mount Sinai, 40 days he was up there with the Lord, and the Lord revealing to him the beginnings of what will become the Old Testament that he will write down.
And when Moses comes down, his face is shining with the glory of God. Note, it's not his glory. Moses' face shines with the glory of God in much the similar way that we see the moon shining with the glory of the sun.
It reflects it. And when he came down, people were not going, cool, let's hang out and just kind of bake in the glory. They were terrified. Ah, turn your face off, Moses, you're scaring the kids, they're all crying.
So what'd they make Moses do? Veil up to hide the glory. They made him veil up. And so here on the Mount of Transfiguration, Jesus takes Peter, James, and John in order to establish something. You need two or more witnesses.
Jesus takes the minimum number plus one, brings them up to a high mountain, and I always like to say this word, blammo, blammo, all of a sudden Jesus' divine glory is now unveiled. Jesus has the ability to tuck away that glory whenever needed.
And for all of his life, he's done that, and now the divine glory shines out, and guess who shows up? Moses and Elijah. I always wonder how they knew it was Moses and Elijah. Were they wearing name tags?
The text doesn't say. I've never seen Moses and Elijah, and if I were to see the two of them having coffee at Starbucks, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't recognize them. Maybe their beards are epic, who knows?
But the point is, is there's Moses and Elijah, and the Gospel of Luke. Luke reveals to us a little bit of what their discourse is about. They're conversing with Jesus, and it says in the Gospel of Luke that they are discussing with him about his exodus.
That's what the Greek word is, which is a borrowed word from the Old Testament. It's a Hebrew word transliterated into Greek. You sit there and you go, hmm, Christ is going to have his exodus. Well, I know how Christ had his exodus.
It was by bleeding, suffering, and dying for our sins on the cross. So they are discussing weighty, important matters with Christ. And there's poor Peter, James, and John, and you can see them. Their knees are knocking together.
The text says that they are terrified, absolutely bonkers terrified. Their knees are knocking. They're not even sure what to do. And this is the normal reaction for sinful human beings in the presence of the glory of God.
Now, coming back to our creed, we confess that Christ will return in glory to judge the living and the dead. And for we sinners, that's notice I'm including myself in the group, that is not exactly a comforting thought, Christ returning in glory to judge the living and the dead.
The mere thought of it, the mere thought of it causes my knees to knock, thinking that this would be, well, something that I'm not exactly looking forward to.
Why?
Because I have so woefully fallen short, and so have you. And so you'll note, the glory isn't the gospel. The glory actually terrifies human beings, and rightly so. And it's at this point then that God the Father points Peter, James, and John, as terrified as they are, to the real gospel.
And you're going to note, the text says that Peter at this point, kind of terror-struck, just kind of gives out word vomit. That's pretty much how the text reads. It says, Lord, it's good that we're here.
You can hear the nervous laugh, right? Would you like me to set up three tents? One for you, one for Moses, one for Elijah. And the text says he doesn't even know what he's talking about, right? Just doesn't even know what he's talking about.
If you'd let me know, you were going to have guests, I would have baked cookies. You know, that's kind of what we're talking about here. So what happens? God the Father then speaks up, and he overshadows them, not to terrify them, but to comfort them in their terror.
And here's what the voice of the Father says. This is my beloved son. Listen to him. Listen to him. These are good words. In fact, I would say this is beyond good advice. This is what we call divine advice.
In fact, we would be wise to listen to Jesus. Let me give you some of the words that Christ has spoken through his Gospels. It says in the Gospel of John chapter 3, Christ speaking, as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.
And he's talking here now also about his exodus. Jesus knows full well that just as Moses lifted up the serpent, that his very body would be lifted up between heaven and earth, as he suffered in the dark for your sins and mine, languishing, melting, withering under the wrath of God that we have earned because God had placed on him your sins and mine.
And so we hear from Jesus that he will be lifted up. And then we hear those comforting words. For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. That's you and me and all who would repent and forsake their sin and trust in this crucified and risen Savior who has done everything to secure our salvation for us.
Christ also says these words in the Gospel of John chapter 6, I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me shall not hunger. Whoever believes in me shall never thirst. But I said to you that you have seen me and yet you do not believe.
All that the Father gives me will come to me and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. These are comforting words as well. But it's really easy for us in our sin and under the temptations of our own flesh and the devil to question whether or not I have really come to Christ.
And I would remind you that you were brought to Christ in the waters of baptism. That in the waters of baptism you were united to Christ in his death and his resurrection and you were baptized in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
You remember the movie Toy Story?
Woody?
Woody had a name written underneath one of his boots and the name was Andy, right? And that showed who Woody belonged to. You also have had the name of God placed upon you like Woody. And rather than the name Andy being written on you, you have the name of the triune God, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
So you have been brought to Christ. You belong to him. In fact, then listen to Jesus because the Father says, listen to him, anyone, whoever comes to me I will never cast out. Yeah, even you.
Even me.
And he says, I have come down from heaven not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but I will raise it up on the last day.
This is the will of my Father that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life and I will raise him up on the last day. The devil comes along and tries to get you to listen to him rather than to Jesus.
But the Father says, listen to Jesus. The devil comes along and says, you know, I understand that Jesus says that he's never going to cast people out, but have you ever considered how special your sins are?
I mean, for heaven's sakes, fellow, get your act together. I mean, there are better Christians out there than you. You never seem to really follow through on your commitment to stop sinning now, do you?
And so the devil would have you believe falsely that you will be cast out. That Christ is eventually going to look at you and go, you know what, I know I said I will never cast anyone out, but you're kind of special.
It doesn't work that way. It doesn't work that way at all. Listen to Jesus, the Father says. Christ then goes on to say in John chapter eight, if you abide in my words, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.
Brothers and sisters, you are abiding in the words of Christ right now by coming to hear them. And hear then the words of Christ that if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed, and indeed you are.
He is absolutely the one who speaks the truth. And you're going to note here, what's missing in the words of Jesus is condemnation for those who believe. There is only condemnation for those who persist in their sin and their unbelief.
Jesus says also, if anyone keeps my words, he will never see death. And then he goes on to say these words, I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me. Just as the Father knows me and I know the Father, and I lay down my life.
For the sheep.
These sheep, which we are all a part of that flock, are the ones that never get their acts together. They're the ones who always seem to wake up every day intending to do well, intending to obey God's word, and then having to end the day praying the prayer that Christ taught us.
Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. But note then that Christ has laid down his life for you, his sheep. He has taken all of your sin upon him so that it cannot condemn you.
In fact, Jesus goes on to say in John 11, I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, even though he die, yet shall he live. And everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. You have already died.
You who have been baptized in Christ's death and his resurrection, and his promises are sure and certain. Christ also says in the Gospel of John 14, let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, also believe in me.
In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and I prepare a place for you, I will come again and I will take you to myself, that where I am, you may be also.
Then note then, this kind Jesus, who didn't come to condemn us, but came because of his great love for his fallen creatures, that not only has he laid down his life for the sheep, but having ascended into heaven, he is there working with his carpenter's hands, preparing a place for you and for me.
And he has promised that when he comes again with glory to judge the living and the dead, that rather than having something to fear when we see Christ in his glory, we can look up and have hope and be excited because Christ says that when he comes again, he's coming to take us to himself, so that we will be with him always.
I think the Father was right. The Father was absolutely right. This is the Father's beloved Son, and to him, we must listen. So hear these words of Christ, and let these words show you the great love of God, and hear what Scripture says, that it's God's kindness that leads us to repentance.
And so note then, Christ has words of kindness for you this Transfiguration Sunday, and every Sunday of the church year. Words of forgiveness, mercy, grace, and reconciliation, and we dare not listen to any other voice.
A voice that would tell us that we have to earn this, that we have to work for it, that now that we've come into the church, it's up to us to do... No, no, no, no. Christ is the one who takes care, who feeds, who sustains.
Continue coming to church to hear the words of Christ, so that you can keep on believing. Is it any wonder then that Paul writes in Romans 11, when he says, oh, the depth of the riches, and the wisdom, and the knowledge of God.
How unsearchable are His judgments, and how inscrutable are His ways. For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been His counselor? Or who has given a gift to Him that He might be repaid? You see, for from Him, and through Him, and to Him are all things.
Your very life and your existence is from God. Your very salvation is through Christ, and you are to be to Him. Everything belongs to Him, including you. So then we hear these wonderful words, then to Him be glory forever and ever.
Amen.
You'll note that having been forgiven, reconciled to God, that we can even end our prayers now by invoking the glory of God, not in terror, but in hope. And so our gospel text leaves us with these words, having heard the voice of the Father, this is my beloved Son, listen to Him.
Suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone with them, but Jesus only. And there is no one else, there is nothing else. There is only Christ. Hear His voice, be comforted, forsake your sin, recognize His great love for you.
Repent, keep on believing He's coming for you. When He returns in glory, in the name of Jesus, Amen.
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