Advice from the Prophets

February 26, 2017, Transfiguration Sunday


Matthew 17:1–9 [Jesus is transfigured on the mountaintop.]
And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. And Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.” He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were terrified. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Rise, and have no fear.” And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.
And as they were coming down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, “Tell no one the vision, until the Son of Man is raised from the dead.”

Jesus took his three close disciples with him when he went up the mountain to meet with Moses and Elijah. As we read the Gospel of St. Matthew, we too join the group and so we too can see the transfiguration of Jesus and hear the conversation.

The details of the conversation are not given here, but in the Gospel of Luke we are told that they talked about the work of Salvation that Jesus would be doing in Jerusalem. It would be a new Exodus from the slavery of sin and the devil. They talked about how Jesus would be arrested, tried, beaten, crucified, buried and risen from the dead.

Moses and Elijah were the two greatest prophets in the Old Testament. We all know the story of how Moses led the people of Israel out of slavery in Egypt and then how he met God on Mt. Sinai and was given the Law. We know how Moses tried to lead the stubborn people of Israel through the wilderness. The Law told the people how to live, but it also promised that The Lord God would always take care of them if they were faithful to Him.

Elijah lived at a time when many of the people of Israel were not faithful to the Lord God. They worshiped the idol Baal. When Elijah tried to bring the people back to the Lord, King Ahab and Queen Jezebel tried to kill him. There was the contest with the prophets of Baal: whose God would light the fire of their sacrifice? Finally, Elijah was taken to heaven in the Fiery Chariot.

Moses and Elijah had trouble in their lives, and perhaps they gave words of advice and comfort and encouragement to Jesus. But Peter, James and John also heard those words and they would be encouraged for their work in the church. And we too can be encouraged when we think about what we might hear them say. What would they say to us?

Surely Moses would tell us to obey the Law of God. As Christians we do not have to keep all the religious, ceremonial, and ethnic regulations, but Moses might tell us that the Law is based upon the Salvation of the Lord God. The Lord brought the people out of slavery in Egypt. The Lord gave them manna to eat in the wilderness. The Lord guided them to the Promised Land. And so the First Commandment is “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before Me” (Exodus 20:2-3). The next nine commandments tell us how to live in that relationship with God and with other people. And so when we break one of those nine commandments we are also breaking the First Commandment. That is why the penalties in the Law of Moses are so great; it is because sins against our neighbor are sins against God. And that is why we need Jesus. Jesus took upon himself the punishment for our sin. As the Voice from heaven tells us, Jesus is the beloved Son of God, and so sin placed on him is completely forgiven. The Law of Moses talks about sacrifices to forgive sins, but Jesus is the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world. And so even though the Law accuses us, we have the reassurance of the Gospel that our sins are forgiven. And so, the radiant glory of the Transfiguration is made even brighter by the glory of the darkness of Good Friday when Jesus died on the cross and the brightness of Easter morning.

The Prophet Elijah might have something to say to us when we feel weak or discouraged as Christians. When we feel that no one in Okinawa wants to come to church and become a Christian, it is like how Elijah felt. But Elijah would tell us that God is always faithful to his promises. Jesus knew that his Father would be faithful. And even though the suffering was horrible, Jesus carried his cross and willingly died in our place on the cross. He could do that because he knew he would be resurrected. There are times when we wish that a fiery chariot would swing low and come and rescue us. Meanwhile, like Elijah and Moses and Jesus and the Disciples, we walk with God. As the church season of Lent comes this week, we see and feel the darkness and sorrow and sadness of the sufferings of Jesus. Transfiguration reminds us that Jesus really is the Glorious Beloved Son of God.

On the Mount of Transfiguration, the disciples saw the glory of Jesus. There are times when we too see the glory of Jesus in our lives. Perhaps we see a miracle or healing or deliverance. Perhaps we feel the relief when the burden of a sin is taken away. There are times in the worship service that I feel the presence of God, for example, in the Lord’s Supper. There are times when I feel the glory of love and happiness. And I thank God.

Amen.

Michael Nearhood, Pastor
Okinawa Lutheran Church


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