We are finishing the Epiphany season today. In a difficult time for the church, this Epiphany has been a timely season as we have looked at the ways in which Jesus makes himself known to us and reveals Himself to us in the church today. His baptism in the Jordan River, His calling of first disciples and teaching God’s people about life in the kingdom.
The Transfiguration is a great close to the season with its exciting mountaintop earth shaking revelation of the full glory of Jesus as the Son of God. The vision of Jesus shining as bright as the sun transcends the worries of yesterday and today and tells us something about ourselves- that we are destined for a share in His glory.
We sang a few moments ago: “O Father with the eternal Son and Holy Spirit ever one, We pray Thee bring us by Thy grace to see Thy glory face to face.”
The glory of the transfiguration of Jesus is for us the church to share. He showed His glory to us so that we could know that our God is here for us, He has not left us alone, as the Epistle reading describes, with the coming of Jesus into the world, the veil that covered the face of Moses and concealed the glory of God has been uncovered.
In Christ we now can see the glory of God completely uncovered, shining as bright as the sun. 2Corinthians 3:18 celebrates this change: “and we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.”
What does it mean to say that we have unveiled faces? The most common example of the veil is the wedding veil a bride can use where her full beauty is concealed until she walks down the aisle and when she is standing face to face with her future husband the veil is removed, the barrier no longer present, her beauty is there for all to see.
But in what way are we as Christians unveiled to shine? Sin is the covering that keeps us from seeing Jesus. On account of the fallen nature of humanity the flesh cannot see the glory of God. It is only through the Spirit that we can behold this glory. We are unveiled as we look on the glory of Jesus without barrier- as we look at Jesus and see the full extent of His glory, just like the three saw him on the mount of Transfiguration.
Sadly, a veil remains for many in this world on account of their sin. Many people in the church in recent years have asked me how can people persist in unbelief with the countless ways that Jesus fulfilled the prophecy of the scripture and countless ways in which God’s Word has proven to be true?
How could people hold onto a stubborn belief in evolution despite all of the evidence for an intelligent design in creation and none of Darwin’s theories fitting the facts of what we can observe by scientific means? And how can people not see the fruits of Darwin’s teaching leading to the awful genocide and wars of the 20th century? In 1 Corinthians 2:14 we have an answer to these questions:
“The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.”
The things of the Spirit of God are folly to the unbeliever. Each and every one of us came into this world turned from God, and even an enemy of God. This is why the gospel of John says : “He came to his own , and his own people did not receive him.” But God in His infinite love and mercy called us as his own through the waters of Holy Baptism.
“But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.”
The waters of baptism washed away the covering of sin so that we could actually see the glory of God. Often people who have struggled with addiction and learned how to obtain sobriety will talk about how difficult it was to think or do anything with clarity while under the influence of alcohol or other drugs.
Our church has hosted a weekly AA meeting for many years and the group has been most respectful of our church. Society may look down on those who have struggled with addiction, but we as the church can learn from their experiences of how thick and dark the veil of sin can be on our vision.
Even when Peter James and John first saw Jesus transfigured before them, the covering of sin shaped their reaction. Just prior to the events of the Transfiguration Jesus begins to tell the disciples about the cross. Peter tries to rebuke Jesus in regards to this fate. “Far be it from you Lord! This shall never happen to you.”
What Peter saw and wanted for Jesus was different than what was his purpose. Peter needed a realignment of focus. Jesus told him “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind son the things of God, but on the things of man.”
And as they made their way up a high mountain six days earlier Jesus was transfigured before them. They recognized Moses and Elijah talking with Jesus. Instead of simply marveling at how amazing it was to be able to recognize Moses and Elijah without ever seeing a painting or sculpture of either prophet, instead of marveling at the meaning of these great prophets of the past now talking with Jesus- Peter interrupts this magnificent meeting with his own agenda. He was reacting from the covering of sin. “Rabbi it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah. For he did not know what to say , for they were terrified.
Under the veil of sin we are terrified before the presence of God. And at that moment the veil was lifted away by the message of the Son’s identity from the Father: “This is my beloved Son; listen to him.”
In listening to the Son, the Lord Jesus- there is no need for fear. As the scripture teaches in 1John “Perfect love casts out all fear.” In listening to Jesus there is no uncertainty in our life of who we are in this world and what is our purpose. Contrary to what secular religion scholars want us to believe, there is no mystery as to what Jesus was teaching the disciples.
Secular historians often want to teach that the church embellished and added to its teaching over time about who Jesus is and over a few centuries time started to see him as God. As we study the scripture we see it is all there already, the glory of the Son was as clear as day.
Through the power of the Spirit we know as clear as day that the Transfiguration was a real event, that the Son of God shined as bright as the sun right in the midst of the three disciples. 2 Peter chapter 1 records:
“For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eye witnesses of His majesty. For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was born to him by the Majestic Glory, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” We ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain.”
There was no doubt for the disciples what all of this meant, that the veil that was the law was fading away. Moses and Elijah as great as they were, they were only meant to point to Jesus. They faded away on the mountain and there was only Jesus. The majesty of Jesus, confirmed by the voice of the Father was something they could put their hope and faith in, something that they knew with complete certainty.
And we have this same certainty because we have God’s Word which shows us the glory of Jesus. In the Old testament times people only had the law playing a role as a teacher and a guardian until Jesus came. Yes, they were shown the glory of God in Old Testament times, but it was always a reflected glory.
When Moses came down from Sinai, “The Israelites could not gaze at Moses face because of its glory, which was being brought to an end.” Now as the church we see the full picture of the glory of God in our Lord Jesus Christ.
As the prologue to the gospel of John records: “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father full of grace and truth.” This glory of Jesus- grace, truth, and perfect love.
After the disciples heard and saw all they did on this mountain the scripture records: 9 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 revelation was only for their eyes and ears until after the crucifixion and resurrection. They were given a glimpse of the glory for a few moments to prepare them for the trials to come in the days leading up to their master’s betrayal and crucifixion.
We know from church history that all of the disciples faced persecution in one way or another after Jesus ascended into heaven. The Transfiguration gave them a foretaste of the eternal joys of heaven that awaited them. As we are gathered hear this morning may we also feel joy at the clear revelation that the Son of God has revealed his glory to us, he has forever lifted the veil of sin. No matter the difficulties we face in the coming days- Lord help us to look to the glory of the Son. Amen.