Readings:
Sermon:
Arguably the transfiguration stands as one of Jesus’ major life events – his birth, baptism, transfiguration, crucifixion, resurrection; each being significant in its own right but also each marking a turning point in Jesus’ ministry.
But what are we to make of the transfiguration itself, what does it tell us?
We may recall from the book of Exodus that when Moses, Israel’s great leader, returned from speaking with God in the Tent of Meeting, his face was shining so he wore a veil to avoid frightening the people. Here on the mountain Jesus’ face is also shining, which both affirms Jesus’ status as being at least in parity with Moses, and also suggests that he too has been speaking face to face with God.
We may reflect too that Jesus’ clothes becoming dazzling white are an outward sign of his sinlessness, his purity; the one in whom no sin is found, the lamb without blemish.
But I am sure there is more to it; let’s look a little deeper.
This passage begins, ‘About eight days after these sayings’ – about a week previously Jesus asked the disciples who people think he is, and who do they think he is, eliciting Peter’s response, ‘The Messiah of God’. And Jesus replies that there are some standing there ‘who will not taste death before they have seen the Kingdom of God’.
What is your idea of what the Kingdom of God looks like? Maybe a great city with a tree-lined river flowing from the centre, as suggested in the book of Revelation. However there is no indication in Luke’s account, or any of the other Gospels, that this is what the disciples saw. But, Luke tells us, there was a great cloud which descended upon them, “and they were terrified”. This is not your regular “pea-souper” then. Referring back to Exodus again, whenever Moses went into the Tent of Meeting to speak with God, the cloud of the Presence descended and rested on the Tent until they had finished speaking and Moses came out again. The Tent of Meeting was God’s dwelling place among the Israelites, the Holy Place amongst the travellers, the place among the people where God was. The place where the Kingdom of God broke through into the created order.
According to my Bible timeline the Exodus happened around fifteen hundred years before Jesus, but the disciples would have well known the stories from the Jewish scriptures; by now something of legend. And now on the mountain with Moses and Elijah and the cloud, legend breaks through into reality. No wonder they were terrified.
And then as Moses and Elijah begin to leave, the voice comes from the cloud:
“This is my Son, my Chosen. Listen to him.”
Do not be in any doubt as to who Jesus is. He is not Moses, he is not Elijah; they are leaving but Jesus remains.
Maybe, just maybe, we lose something in the written word. Every time I read this passage I hear the emphasis on Listen. And rightly so. Don’t ignore him; don’t just carry on as usual, but listen to what he has to say. And by implication, do something in response.
But what if we move the emphasis to the last word – Listen to him. Don’t listen to Moses and Elijah any more, listen to Jesus, because he surpasses them and everyone else who has come before. In this interpretation God is declaring a putting away of the old ways and the beginning of something new; moving from the old covenant of the Law to the new covenant of salvation through faith as revealed by Jesus himself.
As we prepare to enter into the season of Lent which takes us into dark places where we might prefer not to venture, and leading to the events of Jesus’ arrest, trial and crucifixion, we do so with the knowledge of the glory of his resurrection and ascension, the great light at the end of the tunnel, as it were. But we do not enter this time alone. The light of Jesus’ transfiguration comes with us, giving us a hope to hold onto even if we do not know quite where the next step leads.
Questions:
- Do we have any significant events in either our personal lives or our churches? How do we mark them, and do we allow them to become turning points for us, or do we carry on as usual?
- What is your idea of the Kingdom of God? Has today’s reflection changed that in any way, and if so, how?
- How does your faith in Jesus act as a light to sustain and guide you?