+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti Amen. +

Text: Luke 9:28-36
Theme: Unfading Glory

Dear baptized in the Lord Jesus,

The glory of Christ is most stunningly revealed on the cross. Today is the Sunday of the Transfiguration. The three closest disciples of Jesus are privy to an unparalleled display of His majesty. On an unnamed mountain Jesus’ appearance becomes blindingly bright and Moses and Elijah also appear and converse with Him. The focus of their discussion is Jesus’ fulfillment of the work of salvation. The cross still lies ahead. The Father voices His approval of His Son making it clear to the disciples that only Christ can open way to heaven. The experience was so overwhelming the disciples first keep the news to themselves.

But this isn’t the normal way that God works. Baptismal living in this dimension is not a matter of perching on mountaintops but of negotiating the valleys. Peter wanted to remain on the mountain to behold the face of glory, but the Lord soon led Him through the valleys to a different hill called Calvary. History prepares the faithful. The Israelites too beheld the face of Moses while it glowed with God’ radiance. When Moses came from the presence of God he veiled his face so the people wouldn’t see the fading of God’s glory. He didn’t want their trust to become dulled by the appearance of God’s power ebbing away.

The old covenant was never intended to be the definitive revelation of God. Only Christ removes the veil of the law. Only He tears away the cloak of darkness. Only He is the unfading glory of God. Only the gospel continually re-creates and revives unwavering trust in the mercy of God. The provisions of the law were only a shadow and reflection, Christ is the essence and fulfillment.

Human nature is prone to desensitization. This is true both in regards to God’s blessings and also the reality of evil. For this reason we are continually called to repentance. Evil has many faces. Some are almost universally recognizable. Assault, bloodshed, rape, murder, abduction, abuse, addiction- these hardly need to be explained as expressions of wickedness. But it’s the less graphic faces of evil that are the most deceptive. The devil rejoices when evil is given the face of anonymity or neutrality. Evil as an unnamed, indefinite, non-threatening concept causes much less fear and concern than wickedness that can be identified by very specific characteristics.

On the scale of the average person’s measurement of evil false teaching usually receives low billing. This is so because it often appears so innocuous; sometimes having no clear or urgent consequences. The concern for purity of teaching is often dismissed by the ideology of experimentation and pragmatism. In this approach the lack of immediate and obvious harmful consequences of false teaching undermines the concern for purity. Does it matter if we teach Christ is the only way to heaven? Is acceptance of homosexuality really a problem? Can’t abortion be an acceptable option for those who want it? Is fidelity in marriage as important as God says it is? Will people stand for an unbending body of Christian truth? Don’t they rather desire their own opinions to be heard? Perhaps the words of Scripture need some tweaking!

These questions are often raised in the context of evangelism. The practical approach values results over precision and even truth. If the outcomes seem to be forthcoming than a few compromises along the way are deemed to be acceptable. Many Christians are drawn to this approach. Defense against it not only requires trust in the truthfulness of God’s word, but confidence in the accumulated wisdom of the ages.
A small leak in the dam may not put the town below in immediate danger but the signs are ominous. Jesus compares false teaching to yeast. A small amount leavens the whole lump. We heard the Holy Spirit say through the apostle earlier, “We do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.”1

On the mountain God made His intentions clear. We might wonder why only three were privileged to witness the transfiguration. Yet the Holy Spirit needs only one through which to record it in the Holy Scriptures. There is a lesson here that relates to the nature of faith. It can be maintained only through reliance on the external promise and never by interaction with sensual phenomena- even for the eye-witnesses of God’s activities throughout history. Millions watched the parting of the Red Sea yet a whole generation fell away from God in the wilderness. More was accomplished through the faith of the one man, Moses, than the throngs who were eye-witnesses to the miracles. After His resurrection Jesus appeared to more than 500 of the believers at one time. Still, many fell away! How much more was accomplished through the persistent preaching of the one man, St. Paul!

Faith can never be grounded on the observable and impressive activity of God no matter how miraculous. Faith is the activity of the Spirit; created through the preaching about Christ- His life, death, and resurrection. The gift of faith may be inspired or even dazzled by the experience of God’s power through healing, or the proximity of angels, or preservation from eminent danger, or any endless number of possibilities. But faith grows and is fortified by a steady diet of the word. It is tested, refined, and strengthened through the endurance of hardship, trial, and tribulation which drives one repeatedly to know and rely on God’s promises alone.

We might desire to have our faith boosted by an impressive epiphany of God’s power or an exciting revelation of the Holy Spirit. In so desiring we would be no different than the apostles whose same desire was voiced through Philip. “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.”2 But Christ knew that in the weakness of their humanity the experience would fade and they would soon struggle with doubt. What number and frequency of miraculous or impressive experiences of God is necessary to maintain one’s faith? It’s crucial to understand that we would never be completely satisfied; our trust would never be unwavering even if we saw a spectacular miracle every day. So what is Philip told by the Lord? “Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father.”3 Jesus doesn’t offer more miracles or merely direct the way to God; He is the location of God. And His word is truth. The full glory, majesty, and deity of the Godhead reside in Him, even though clothed in the humility of human flesh. “In Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form.”4

Dear friends this is where a Christian dwells through Spirit-created faith in the Word: namely, in the body of Jesus. “In Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ.”5 In baptism the Holy Spirit takes you from wandering among the walking dead and locates you in the living Jesus. The very same Jesus who was crucified under the subjection of the fallen and sinful world now safeguards for you an eternal future in His new creation. You have protection not because your faith perches you on a vulnerable mountaintop but because the Crucified One tucks you into His wounds. Cleansed and forgiven and already raised with Him in faith, His wounds remain your shelter. From these wounds you also partake of sacred food; not a fast-food snack for those on the go, but a participation in the eternal feast. Holy Communion is not take-away fare. It is dine- in only! Where the word is taught purely and the sacraments administered properly the Holy Spirit assures us of God’s gracious presence. This is a greater miracle than any passing glimpse of His power. Amen.

+ in nomine Jesu +

The Transfiguration of Our Lord
14 February 2010 Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 2 Corinthians 4:2
2 John 14:8
3 John 14:9
4 Colossians 2:9 5 Colossians 2:9-10