An
Experience with God
The Transfiguration was Jesus’
experience with God. Not the first. Not the last. But it was an experience so
intense that the glory of God transfigured Him into the brightness of the sun.
In the Epistle lesson, Peter gives the testimony of the disciples concerning
the reality of that experience. Moses had a similar experience with God on Mt.
Sinai. But it was related to the Law, not the gospel of the Son. In the Psalm
for the day, there is reference to God’s voice; “This is my beloved son.”
The Transfiguration marks the apex
of the Epiphany season. Through the season, we have witnessed the glory of God
manifested in Jesus. At the Transfiguration God’s full glory is reflected in
Jesus. Jesus’ glory is shown by the brightness of His physical appearance, the
appearance of Moses and Elijah and the presence of the Father evidenced by cloud
and voice. Since Jesus has come to the full possession of God’s glory, he is
prepared to fulfill his mission as the Messiah by going to Jerusalem to the cross.
Because of this, the Transfiguration is a preparation for our Lenten pilgrimage
to suffer and died with Jesus.
The importance of this
Transfiguration experience led the church the make the Transfiguration a
festival of the church. The liturgical color changes to white to express the
joy and celebration of the event.
Collects
for the season of Epiphany: Lord God, on this day you revealed your Son to the nations
by the leading of a star. Lead us now by faith to know your presence in our
lives and bring us at last to the full vision of your glory.
Father,
You revealed Your Son to the nations by the guidance of a star. Lead us to Your
glory in heaven by the light of faith. We ask this through our Lord Jesus
Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, One God,
forever and ever.
Father,
You make known the salvation of humankind at the birth of Your Son. Make us
strong in faith and bring us to the glory You promise. We ask this through our
Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives, and reigns with You and the Holy
Spirit, one God, forever and ever.
Collects
for Transfiguration: O God, in the glorious transfiguration of Your beloved Son
You confirmed the mysteries of the faith by the testimony of Moses and Elijah.
In the voice that came from the bright cloud, You wonderfully foreshowed our
adoption by grace. Mercifully make us co-heirs with the King in His glory and
bring us to the fullness of our inheritance in heave; through the same Jesus
Christ, our Lord, who lives, and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God,
now and forever.
Monday,
24 February 2014—Psalm99:1-5;
antiphon, Psalm99:5— The Psalm for
the Introit is a hymn celebrating the Lord as the great and holy King in Zion.
Seven times the psalmist will speak of the Lord. We are called to worship our
Lord as the antiphon suggests, “Exalt the Lord our God, and worship at his
footstool; he is holy.” At the mountain of the Transfiguration, the
disciples see the Lord Jesus in all of His holiness, glory and splendor.
Tuesday,
25 February 2014—Psalm 2:6-12;
antiphon v.6 — In Christ you are the Lord’s. To rebel against the Lord’s
Anointed is also to revel against the One who anointed him. The psalm refers to
the Davidic king, and is ultimately fulfilled in Christ. The English word ‘Messiah” comes from the Hebrew word for
“anointed one” and the English word, “Christ”
from the Greek word for “anointed one.” On the mountain of Transfiguration
Moses and Elijah will speak to the Lord’s anointed one and His glory at the
cross and empty tomb.
Wednesday, 26 February 2014—Exodus
24:8-18—God appears to Moses on Mt. Sinai.
It was an experience with God revealing His glory. What is the significance of
the mountain? A mountain is generally the site of a religious experience. It
was, at least, for Moses, Elijah, Abraham and Jesus. There is symbolism to a
mountain. It is high. Above the valley of the mundane. It is s solitary place
away from people. It is a silent site where God’s voice can be heard without
the distractions and confusion of human voices. A mountain also speaks of
stability, permanence and strength.
Thursday, 27 February 2014—2 Peter
1:16-21—The
disciples witnessed Jesus’ transfiguration. Peter will testify to the reality
of Jesus’ experience with God. People may ask, is the Transfiguration a legend
of the early church or an historical reality? The account in 2 Peter assures us
that it can be accepted as fact. The witness of eyewitnesses. The problem lies
in this, do we believe this testimony? Do we trust in Peter’s words? The
authority of the church today is the authority of the Apostles. Do we trust the
witness of the Apostles? Were you there at the Transfiguration as you were at
the cross?
Peter reminds us that the Transfiguration needs to be an historical
event but also an experience of faith today for the believer.
.JPG)
Friday,
28 February 2014—Matthew 17:1-9—
Jesus on the mountain is transfigured before three of His disciples. This
experience with God is transforming. Before the cross, Resurrection and
Ascension, we get a glimpse of the inner, true nature of the Son of God, Until
this time, we saw God’s glory manifested in Jesus as the wise Men saw in Him a
king, In John the Baptist’s confession of Jesus as the Messiah, and in the
miracles of Jesus. Now we see directly the divine nature of Jesus. This brings
us to the uniqueness of Jesus _they saw no one but Jesus only.” In the light of
Jesus’ being the only Son of God, then, we must confront the pluralism of our
day. In many circles Jesus, Mohammed, Buddha, Confucius are all “sons of God.”
The voice from heaven makes Jesus unique. He is God’s one and only Son.
In the Transfiguration,
many questions go unanswered. How could the holy presence of God come into a
human frame? How do you explain the exceeding brightness of the physical Jesus?
How could Moses and Elijah appear in bodily form? Does God come in a cloud and
does god have a real voice? Perhaps our
only reaction and answer is worship. Like Peter, we do not know what to say.
Like the disciples, we are overcome with awe and adoration. Jesus and His three
disciples go up to pray and worship. The experience results in the worship of
Christ.
Saturday,
1 March2014—Luke
9:28-36; John 1:14– Tomorrow’s hymn of the week is LSB #413 “O Wondrous Type! O Vision Fair” Through this
season of Epiphany, we have witnessed the glory of God manifested in Jesus, but
today God’s full glory is reflected in Jesus. Jesus’ glory is shown by the brightness
of His physical appearance, the appearance of Moses and Elijah, and the
presence of the Father evidenced by a cloud and a voice.
Since Jesus has come to
the full possession of God’s glory, He is prepared to fulfill His mission as
the Messiah by going to Jerusalem to the cross.
Sources:
Prayers from Lutheran
Service Book © 2006 Concordia Publishing House
Lectionary
Preaching Workbook Series A by John Brokhoff © 1980 CSS Publishing Lima OH
For All the
Saints A Prayer Book for and By the Church Vol. II © 1995 by the American
Lutheran Publicity Bureau, Delhi ,
NY
Schnorr von Carolsfeld
woodcuts © WELS
No comments:
Post a Comment