The Transfiguration

Exodus 2:1-22
1 Corinthians 12:27-13:3
March 19, 2010

After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them. 3His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus. Peter said to Jesus, "Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah." (He did not know what to say, they were so frightened.) Then a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and a voice came from the cloud: "This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!" Suddenly, when they looked around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus. As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus gave them orders not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. They kept the matter to themselves, discussing what "rising from the dead" meant. And they asked him, "Why do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?" Jesus replied, "To be sure, Elijah does come first, and restores all things. Why then is it written that the Son of Man must suffer much and be rejected? But I tell you, Elijah has come, and they have done to him everything they wished, just as it is written about him."- Mark 9:2-13

The Transfiguration of Jesus Christ was and is an historic occasion. The challenge, is to answer the question “so what?” What does the fact that the Lord Jesus was transfigured mean to you living in the 21st Century? How is it relevant to your daily life? What is the Lord saying to us in this experience? Let us take a look.

The Lord’s glorious Transfiguration is an example to follow – go to a mountain of prayer. “Jesus went to a mountain where they were all alone.” Vs. 2 It was Jesus’ pattern to pray. It was Jesus’ pattern to get away from the crowd, away from the hustle of life, away from His plans and priorities. We too are busy people. There are commitments and deadlines, appointments and schedules that have to be kept. Yet, Jesus first priority was to His heavenly Father. He said to Mary and Joseph, “Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?” (Luke 2:49) He said to his disciples, ‘But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you.” (Matthew 6:33) In the midst of our busy lives we need to turn off the computer, disengage the cell phone, walk away from our television series and spend both quality and quantity time with the Lord in prayer.

O God, in the glorious transfiguration of Your only-begotten Son You once confirmed the mysteries of the faith by the testimony of the ancient fathers, and in the voice that came from the bright cloud Yu wondrously foreshowed our adoption by grace. Therefore mercifully make us coheirs with our King of His glory, and bring us to the fullness of our inheritance in heaven; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Collect for the Transfiguration of our Lord Lutheran Book of Worship © 1980 Concordia Publishing House St. Louis

Schnorr von Carolsfeld, woodcuts © WELS Permission to use these copyrighted items is limited to personal and congregational use.