Transfiguration 2 Peter 1:16-21

We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and
coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he
received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the
Majestic Glory, saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” We
ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred
mountain. And we have the word of the prophets made more certain, and you will do well
to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the
morning star rises in your hearts. Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of
Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation. For prophecy never had its
origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy
Spirit.

Certain images just etch themselves in your minds. I’m sure that each one of you
can call up a mental replay of the video of the jets crashing into the twin towers of the
World Trade on 9/11. There probably are other images that are permanently fixed in your
mind as well – places you’ve seen, important events in your lives. If you’ve been to
Mount Rushmore, you might be able to close your eyes and picture the four presidents. If
you’re married, you might have a wedding picture that you can remember almost like
having it in front of you. Indeed, we keep photos of our loved ones on our desks or
dressers to remind us of our loved ones.
Back in the days of Jesus they did not have cameras and photos. The apostle Peter
would not have a clue if you talked to him about mega pixels and color printers.
Nevertheless, Peter could visualize the images of Jesus’ Transfiguration as if he had the
photo right in front of him. That image had burned itself in his memory as a key support
to his faith. Today we want the image of the Transfiguration to burn itself in our memory
as well.
• See Jesus in his glory.
• Hear Jesus his grace and truth.
• Share the photo with others.
Peter speaks of the events of the Transfiguration in his 2nd letter. We read: We did
not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our
Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received honor and
glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying,
“This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” To Peter, the Transfiguration
was convincing evidence of the reality of Jesus Christ and the truth of his message.
Because the Transfiguration was such an important event to him, it is certainly worth a
closer look from us. Let’s consider some of the details of the Transfiguration.
Let’s reread a portion of our gospel lesson for today: After six days Jesus took
with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by
themselves. There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his
clothes became as white as the light. Just then there appeared before them Moses and
Elijah, talking with Jesus. Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you
wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.”
 The gospel of Mark adds the note that Peter didn’t know what to say because he
was so frightened. It’s clear that his words do not make much sense. Why would there be
a need for shelters? Jesus in the fullness of his glory would not need any kind of shelter.
And Moses and Elijah were also in a state of glory as they appeared with Jesus. They
would need no shelters. Nevertheless, as on some other occasions, not knowing what to
say didn’t stop Peter. Even in the midst of being scared he kept talking.
However, Peter was silenced as someone else started talking, someone who did
know what he was talking about. We read from the gospel of Matthew: While he was still
speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my
Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!” When the disciples heard
this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified.
Now Peter, James, and John were more scared than ever. They were terrified.
They had just heard the voice of God the Father speaking from heaven. If we had been
there, we would have been terrified as well. There is something that makes all of us
terrified of God—our sin.
Here we can be reminded of the glory of God that appeared on another mountain
—mount Sinai. Here God also revealed his glory in a terrifying way. We are told that to
the Israelites the glory of the Lord appeared like a consuming fire. God was giving out
his commandments, and he was showing the Israelites that he was dead serious about the
need for them to keep the commandments. He was a fire that would consume anyone
guilty of sin. His commandments show us that all of us are unworthy, miserable sinners.
Our hearts are full of evil even from our youth, while God is a holy God who hates evil
and punishes sinners with death. No wonder the glory of God fills us with terror!
However, Jesus did not show his glory on the Mount of Transfiguration with the
purpose of filling his disciples or us with terror. Let’s keep reading from the gospel of
Matthew: But Jesus came and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don't be afraid.” These
words are pure gospel. Jesus did not mean, “You don’t have to be afraid because the
vision is all done now.” No, Jesus was telling them that they did not have to be afraid of
God, not then, not ever. You see, Jesus did not appear in his glory to scare the disciples.
He showed them his glory so that they might know that he truly was the Son of God who
was saving them from their sins. Jesus is our Savior too, and that is where we see him in
his greatest glory.
In the Transfiguration the disciples saw Jesus in glory. Jesus face shone like the
sun, and his clothes were as white as the light. Jesus is here displaying God’s saving
glory, as opposed to his condemning glory. We read in 2 Corinthians 3: “If the ministry
that condemns men is glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry that brings
righteousness! For what was glorious has no glory now in comparison with the
surpassing glory.” Do you want to see God at his great and most glorious? God wants us
to see him as our forgiving God, the one who took away the filth of our sin and put it on
Christ, the one who gives us the holiness of Jesus and applies it to our account. In Jesus
our sins are wiped out. In Jesus we become children of God. In Jesus we look forward to
the day in which we too will see him in his glory and from then on share in his glory for
all eternity.
Hear him.
That’s what Peter was talking about when he wrote: “And we have the word of
the prophets made more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light
shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.”
For Peter the Transfiguration was proof that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. It was
also proof that the Old Testament was true and confirmed as God carried out his promises
in Christ. And since all of this is true, there is an obvious conclusion. We need to pay
attention to what Christ has to say. The words Peter heard at the Transfiguration were still
ringing in his ears: “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to
him!” These words were meant not only for Peter, James, and John. They are meant for
us and for everybody. We need to listen to Jesus, because he is the Son of God.
What does Jesus have to say to us? Let’s listen to a few of his sayings recorded
for us in the gospel of John. Jesus said, “No one can see the kingdom of God unless he is
born again.” Here we learn that no one is a member of God’s kingdom by virtue of his
own effort and goodness. All of us are on the outside and must be brought in. Jesus also
said, “I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has
eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.” So by
listening to Jesus we find forgiveness for our sins and eternal life. However, Jesus also
said, “Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands
condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.”
Those who are not willing to listen to Jesus will die in their sin, be condemned, and sent
to hell forever.
Now we can see why God the Father tells us to listen to Jesus Christ. By listening
to him, we gain eternal life. However, if we ignore him, if we refuse to listen, we lose
eternal life and instead face eternal punishment. So Jesus makes the difference between
heaven and hell.
That’s why Peter tells us to pay attention. So let me ask you now: Are you paying
attention? Wake up! This is important. I’m not saying pay attention to me or what I have
to say. Pay attention to what the Son of God has to say. God the Father commands us to
pay attention to him. He has the words of eternal life. In Christ we have new spiritual life
now; in Christ we will have a glorious new life in heaven. There we will share in the
glory and joy of Christ forever. However, if we don’t want to pay attention, we would
miss out on all of this.
So let’s examine our thinking. Is it a burden to come to church every Sunday? Is it
a chore to study the Word of God during our daily lives? The devil would like us to think
so. The truth is that by hearing the Word of Christ, we have eternal life. And listen to
Peter remind us that this is no fairy tale. He saw Christ with his face shining like the sun.
He heard the words of the Father speaking from heaven. He kept this image in his mind
throughout his life. And whenever he had the opportunity, he told others what he had
heard and seen.
So let’s learn from the apostle Peter. Keep a picture in your mind of Jesus shining
like the sun. Let the words of the Father ring through your ears: “This is my Son, whom I
love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!” And look for the opportunity to share
this vision with others. May God keep this image in our minds until we see Jesus in his
glory with our own eyes in heaven. Amen.