Sermon - Transfiguration 2024 - Matthew 17:1-9

Moses Before the Burning Bush, Domenico Fetti, 1613

Jesus’ Glory Is Encouragement on the Way

1. The christian way is burdened with many crosses

2. Jesus reveals His glory in order to strengthen us

Out of the pot and into the frying pan would be an apt description of Moses’ early years in Egypt. You might remember when Moses was born Pharaoh had made an executive order that “Every son born to the Hebrews you shall cast into the Nile.” So after Moses’ mother could no longer hide him, he was placed in a floating basket into the Nile to be found by one of Pharaoh's daughters. She had compassion on him and in a fantastic turn of events Moses’ own mother was paid to nurse him until he was weaned. And then, Moses became Pharaoh’s daughter’s son and was raised in the palace.

Years later, when Moses had grown up, he became angry when he saw how his people were treated by the Egyptians, and he killed an Egyptian. It became known to Pharaoh so Moses had to flee for his life and he lived in a foreign land where he ended up getting married and having two sons. During those years the Egyptians continued to abuse the Israelites, treating them as slaves. Moses’ life was spared as a baby, then he lived in the palace, only to once again have to flee for his life and live in a foreign land.

 Forty years later, having spent half his life in a palace and half his life in exile while his own people suffered, while he was keeping the sheep in the wilderness, he came to a mountain and there “the angel of the Lord appeared to Him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush.” God spoke to Moses from the burning bush, saying: “Take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground. I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob… I have surely seen the affliction of My people… and I have come down to deliver them.” Then when Moses asked God’s name, the Lord revealed Himself to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.”

In order to strengthen Moses and all of the Israelites, God revealed Himself and His glory through the fiery burning bush and giving them His name. Moses’ life was not going to be easy, and what the Lord called him to do would be very miserable. Not only was Moses going to have to confront Pharaoh and lead the people out of Egypt, but Moses was going to have to deal with the rebellious and idolatrous Israelites in the wilderness for 40 years. So to encourage Moses and give him the strength to accomplish this mission, God encouraged him by revealing His glory to him.

It’s quite similar for the apostles. A week before the Transfiguration, Jesus had told His disciples “If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” Not too long after the Transfiguration Jesus literally took up the cross on our behalf and was crucified. After that all of the faithful apostles, except for John, were martyred for the faith. 

In order to strengthen the apostles for what they must face, Jesus revealed Himself more fully than God had revealed Himself to Moses. “He was transfigured before them, and His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became white as light.” Then, when Jesus was talking with Moses and Elijah, the Father enveloped them in the cloud and spoke, saying: “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to Him.” Here in the person of Jesus God is revealed to man! It’s not just a burning bush, but it’s Jesus Himself who shines like the burning sun!

In the Old Testament when God told Moses His name, it was really a cloaked answer. Yahweh, I AM WHO I AM, is only a partial answer. But that’s because God’s name isn’t fully revealed to man until Jesus. At Jesus’ baptism and the transfiguration God reveals Himself to us. Who is God? What is His name? What should we call Him? It’s the same name into which we are baptized! The name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. God is triune! This is who God is, who we are to call upon! What a miracle that God places this name upon us in baptism! 

This was a fantastic Sunday for a baptism, in which Audrey was given God’s own name and adopted into God’s family and made our sister in Christ. Today the Lord has said this is my beloved daughter. Through her baptism all of us are reminded of our own baptism; we’re reminded that we are God’s own beloved children. His name has been placed upon us, our sins are washed away, and new life is ours.

Our baptisms are kind of like our time with Jesus on the mount of transfiguration or the burning bush. God strengthens us and He shows us His glory because He knows our sufferings, He sees our afflictions, He hears our cries to Him. Being baptized doesn’t make your life any easier, necessarily. The life of the baptized is difficult because our lives are burdened with many crosses.

Take heart in this, dearly beloved children of God: God knows your sorrows and hears your cries unto Him. He sees you who are discouraged and frustrated, tempted to throw in the towel and quit. He observes you with difficult family situations and conflicts. He hears the cries of those who call to Him for mercy, burdened under a load of guilt and shame. He knows you who are bombarded with other people’s bitterness, anger, resentment, and grumbling. “But I will be with you,” He says to you.

God reveals His glory to you so that He might strengthen and encourage you. When Peter, James, and John were terrified at being in the presence of God, Jesus came to them and reassuringly touched them, saying “Rise, and have no fear.” Brothers and sisters, we are in the house of God, this is a holy place, God is here among us, so that you might rise and have no fear.

When Peter, James, and John lifted up their eyes, “they saw no one but Jesus only.” With the sight of Jesus they were given new found strength to face the trials along the way. I know that we can’t see Jesus’ face here, but we can still spiritually see the light of Christ. St. Peter explained: “We have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.” This is assurance for us that Jesus is still among us and His light still shines brightly in the darkness and the Father is still speaking to us! When the Father spoke on the mountain, saying, “this is My beloved Son, listen to Him,” He was also speaking to us. When Jesus says to “rise and have no fear,” He’s also speaking to us.

God is not silent. God is not absent. God doesn’t push us away. Instead, God is speaking through the prophecy of Scripture now. God’s far from being silent since He’s constantly speaking to us on repeat through the scriptures. God is not absent, but He’s near to us, and even He dwells within us. Don’t be deceived, God isn’t just spiritually present among us, but physically Jesus lives among us in the sacrament of the altar. God is revealing His glory to His people today.

God took an ordinary mountain and bush, which who knows how many times Moses had walked there before, but in this moment God came to Him. Jesus went up a high mountain, probably to pray as was His custom, with Peter, James, and John, the same mountain they likely walked by many times before, but on this ordinary occasion Jesus revealed His glory to them. Today ordinary water, the same kind of water Audrey has drank and washed in countless times before, was used to reveal God’s glory in Audrey’s body when her sins were washed away and God’s name was placed upon her. So it is for us Christians here below that in the midst of our sorrows God wants to strengthen us for the way of life. Rise, and have no fear, don’t be discouraged, look and see Jesus only in the bright light of His Word.