Saturday prior to Transfiguration

 

[1]

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.

The Hymn of the Day for Transfiguration (February 15, 2026) is LSB 413, “O Wondrous Type! O Vision Fair.” The text recalls the glory of the Lord, which was revealed on the Mount of the Transfiguration. It brings this glory into the present as something which “the church may share” (St. 1) and which “Christ deigns to manifest today” (St. 3). Stanza 3 pushes forward toward the eschaton, looking forward to the “glory [that] shall be theirs above.” The praise of Christ’s glory in stanza 4 moves on to a final doxological stanza that affirms that God’s grace will bring us into the eschatological kingdom where we will see his “glory face to face” (St. 5).

“O Wondrous Type! O Vision Fair” is a translation of a 15th century Latin hymn titled “Coelestis Forman Gloria.” John Mason Neale (1818-1866) translated it. The text is included in 99 hymnals. It appears in the Transfiguration section of LSB. It is not listed under any additional categories in the index. The hymn’s description of the transfiguration event makes it a good choice for Transfiguration Sunday.

LSB suggests the scripture references Luke 9:28-36, John 1:14, and John 17:24. The Luke passage, like the Gospel reading for the Day (Matt. 17:1-9), gives an account of the transfiguration. John 1:14 (“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”) may be connected to the reference to “[t]he incarnate Lord” in stanza 2. John 17:24 reads, “Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.” The use of “glory” in stanzas 1, 3, and 5 may be drawn from this verse.

The metaphor that is highlighted in the Transfiguration account is one of “tabernacle-ing.” As it says in John 1:14, “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” Peter takes this literally when he decides that three tents (or tabernacles) should be erected—one for Jesus, one for Moses, and one for Elijah (Matt. 17:4). Christ does tabernacle amongst us, but not in the literal way that Peter expects. The hymn tells us of “this great vision’s mystery.” The glory of God’s presence, which was revealed to Moses and Israel’s leaders on Sinai (Ex. 24:8–18) and to the disciples at the transfiguration, is not a presence, which requires a house. Rather, God is present with his people through Word and Sacrament. He dwells in us sacramentally as he enters our ears and our mouths.

The hymn text extends the narrative of God dwelling with his people. It is not just a moment in history, which can be captured by building a tent. It is an ongoing action, which Christ’s church, is compelled to share (st.1). The glory of Christ is manifest today in the church (St. 3). His glorious presence is cause for prayer and rejoicing (st.4), and his dwelling with us carries us through this life and on to the eschaton where we will dwell with him bodily.[2]

Collect for Saturday of the week of Epiphany 6:  In Thy will is our only peace; in Thy will shall we find Thine. Against everything that gets in the way of Thy will, even against us, be Thyself O God, to redeem us by such means as Thou wilt, out of our darkness into Thy light. Through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen [3]

Collect for St. Valentine: Almighty and everlasting God, You kindled the flame of Your love in the heart of Your holy martyr Valentine. Grant to us, Your humble servants, a like faith and the power of love, that we who rejoice in Christ’s triumph may embody His love in our lives; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. [4]

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[1] The Transfiguration of our LORD © Ed Riojas, Higher Things

[2]https://deaconessruthmcdonnell.wordpress.com/2020/02/14/transfiguration-o-wondrous-type-o-vision-fair

[3] Collect for Saturday of the week of Epiphany 6, For All the Saints, A Prayer Book For and By the Church, Vol. III © 1995 The American Lutheran Publicity Bureau, Delhi, NY  

[4] Collect for St. Valentine, Lutheran Service Book © 2006, Concordia Publishing House. St. Louis

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Friday prior to Transfiguration

[1]

Matthew17:1-9— 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.

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.[2]

Collect for Friday of the week of Epiphany 6:  For all that we know of Thee, O God, and for all Thou art which is beyond our knowing, we give thanks. Do Thou make plain to us each day Thy will, with so much of Thy love as shall hold us, and so much of Thy strength as shall be level to our need. Through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Amen [3]

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[1] The Transfiguration of our LORD © Ed Riojas, Higher Things

[2] Lutheran Service Book, © 2006 Concordia Publishing House. St. Louis

[3] Collect for Friday of the week of Epiphany 6, For All the Saints, A Prayer Book For and By the Church, Vol. III © 1995 The American Lutheran Publicity Bureau, Delhi, NY

 

Thursday prior to Transfiguration

[1]

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.

One might ask what relevance the Transfiguration has for our faith and life. How is it possible to relate this event, so bound up in experiences beyond our participation, to our living the life of faith and hope? Apart from an historic commemoration, what can we do with the Transfiguration.

It would seem that one way is to view it in the same light as the apostles who experienced it did. For them, it serves to underscore that in Jesus of Nazareth all of the promises of God found their yes and Amen. For us it shows that in Jesus Christ we find the prophetic Word made more sure.

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.[2]

Collect for Thursday of the week of Epiphany 6: We are never lonely, Father, through any fault of Thine. Give us grace to yield ourselves, body, mind and soul that we may be found of Thee. For Jesus’ sake. Amen[3]

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[1] The Transfiguration of our LORD © Ed Riojas, Higher Things

[2] Lutheran Service Book, © 2006 Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis

[3] Collect for Thursday of the week of Epiphany 6, For All the Saints, A Prayer Book For and By the Church, Vol. III © 1995 The American Lutheran Publicity Bureau, Delhi, NY 

 

Wednesday prior to Transfiguration

[1]

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.

Moses’ experience on Mt. Sinai was for the purpose of both making a covenant and the receiving the Law. The covenant came first; the work of God grace of offering to make a covenant. The Decalogue consists of the human conditions or counterpart of the covenant. The laws are not primarily to please God but they are given for our good. The Law is an expression the grace of God. It is significant that the Ten Commandments are not developed but they come from God as depicting God’s will for our well-being.

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.[2]

Collect for Wednesday of the week of Epiphany 6:  Not our thought of Thee, O God – let Thy thought for us hold our eyes and keep us steadfast. We do not ask so much for the strength which Thou has promised as for the grace to use what Thou hast already supplied in Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen [3]

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[1] The Transfiguration of our LORD © Ed Riojas, Higher Things

[2] Collect for Transfiguration, Lutheran Service Book © 2006 Concordia Publishing House. St. Louis

[3] Collect for Wednesday of the week of Epiphany 6, For All the Saints, A Prayer Book For and By the Church, Vol. III  © 1995, The American Lutheran Publicity Bureau, Delhi, NY 

 

Tuesday prior to Transfiguration

 

[1]

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.

Psalm 2 – The Reign of the Lord’s Anointed

Like many psalms, the theme of Psalm 2 is emphasized in the final verse. We can defy God and perish, or we can surrender to Him and be blessed. The psalm itself does not identify its author, but Acts 4:25-26 clearly attributes it to David.

I have set My King on My holy hill of Zion.  God wants defiant mankind to know that He has established a King. The defiant men closest in view in the psalm are kings and rulers, and God especially wants them to know there is a King greater than they are. God’s King is established (set), and established in Jerusalem (Zion).[2]

Collect for Psalm 2: Lord God, you gave the peoples of the world to be the inheritance of your Son; you crowned him as king of Zion, your holy city, and gave him your Church as his bride. As he proclaimed the way of your eternal kingdom, may we serve him faithfully, and so know the royal power of your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. [3]

Collect for Tuesday of the week of Epiphany 6:  O God, the strength of all those who put their trust in you. Mercifully accept our prayers; and because in our weakness we can do nothing good without you, give us the help of your grace that in keeping your commandments we may please you both in will and deed; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen [4]

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[1] The Transfiguration of our LORD © Ed Riojas, Higher Things

[2]https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/psalm-2

[3]Collect for Psalm 2, For All the Saints, A Prayer Book For and By the Church, Vol. III © 1995 The American Lutheran Publicity Bureau, Delhi, NY

[4]Ibid, Collect for Tuesday pf the week of Epiphany 6

Monday prior to Transfiguration

 

[1]

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.

Psalm 99 – The Holy God – Present and Revealed

This psalm, without title in the Hebrew text, is a triple proclamation of God’s holiness, as Isaiah would later do (Isaiah 6:3).

Here, after the carefree delight of Psalm 98, we recollect how exalted and holy he is, and how profound is the reverence we owe him.[2]

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.

Collect for Psalm 99: Almighty God, neither let us go astray, as did those who murmured in the desert, not let us be torn apart by discord. With Jesus as our shepherd, bring us to enjoy the unity for which he prayed and to you be the glory and the praise now and forever. Amen [3]

Collect for Monday of Epiphany 6 Father in heaven, the loving plan of your wisdom took flesh in Jesus Christ and changed mankind’s history by His command of perfect love. May our fulfillment of his command reflect your wisdom and bring your salvation to the ends of the earth. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen [4]

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[1] The Transfiguration of our LORD © Ed Riojas, Higher Things

[2]https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/psalm-99

[3] Collect for Psalm 99, For All the Saints, A Prayer Book For and By the Church, Vol. III © 1995, The American Lutheran Publicity Bureau. Delhi, NY

[4] Ibid, Collect for Monday of the week of Epiphany 6

THE TRANSFIGURATION OF OUR LORD study notes

 

Exodus 24:8–18
2 Peter 1:16–21
Matthew 17:1–9

 

God Manifests His Glory in the Body of Christ Jesus, Transfigured for Us by His Cross

Alleluia, song of gladness, Voice of joy that cannot die
Alleluia, is the anthem Ever raise by choirs on high;
In the house of God abiding That they sing eternally.
 

Alleluia, thou resound-est, True Jerusalem and free;
Alleluia, joyful mother, All thy children sing with thee,
But by Babylon’s sad waters, Mourning exiles now are we.
 

Alleluia, cannot always, Be our song while here below;
Alleluia, our transgressions, Make us for a while forgo;
For the solemn time is coming, When our tears for sin must flow.
 

Therefore in our hymns we pray Thee, Grant us, blessed Trinity,
At the last to keep Thine Ester, With Thy faithful saints on high;
There to Thee forever singing, Alleluia joyfully.
-Alleluia, Son of Gladness Lutheran Service Book #417
 

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 fullness of our inheritance in heaven.

 

The transfiguration confirms “the prophetic word, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place” (2 Peter 1:19). The divine glory of Jesus is manifested in the word of His apostles, who were “eyewitnesses of his majesty” (2 Peter 1:16). “He was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun” (Matthew 17:2). Moses and Elijah witnessed the fulfillment of the Old Testament in this Lord Jesus, and the Father testified concerning Him: “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 17:5).

By His own blood, shed on the cross, Jesus makes and seals the new covenant with us. Hence, “the appearance of the glory of the Lord” is no longer “like a devouring fire” (Exodus 24:17), but it is graciously revealed in His own body. As “Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel” went up the mountain with Moses and “beheld God, and ate and drank” (Exodus 24:9, 11), we also behold the Lord our God in Christ Jesus, and we abide with Him as we eat and drink His body and blood at the altar.

From Oswald Bayer’s interpretation of Martin Luther’s Theology, pages 228-9:

“The effect that the law creates is not surprising. One has no trouble understanding what it means to rely on oneself and on one’s own deeds; the action-consequences relationship has its own logic. But the gospel is absolutely, completely incomprehensible. That God rescues one from, and brings one safely through, the deserved judgment is a miracle. Law and gospel cannot be plausibly intertwined together; their existence is hard and fast in opposition to each other. The gospel is literally a paradox: it stands against that which the sinner can reasonably expect; it stands against damnation.”

Only the gospel changes hearts.   

The Transfiguration - Matthew 17:1-9

Matthew 17:1

Καὶ μεθ’ ἡμέρας ἓξ παραλαμβάνει ὁ Ἰησοῦς τὸν Πέτρον καὶ Ἰάκωβον καὶ Ἰωάννην τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἀναφέρει αὐτοὺς εἰς ὄρος ὑψηλὸν κατ’ ἰδίαν.

And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves.

Jesus bore carried them up to a high mountain according to themselves.

6 days after what? The confession and prediction of His passion...

Why 6 days? He will rest perfectly in the tomb He dies on the day old Adam was created. A contrast with Luke who spoke of 8 days...Matthew sees this in view of Good Friday....Luke looks to Easter. See Exodus 24 a bookend with the Beatitudes where Jesus incarnates the Law.  5 books of the law and 5 discourses from Jesus. Fulfillment of Deuteronomy 18.

Each of the gospels is prologue to the passion.  John will speak of the Transfiguration in chapter 1, "we have seen His glory" Peter will mention it in his epistle. (2 Peter 1:12-18) this is a picture of Jesus' exaltation, a glimpse of the last great day...His 'glory' is demonstrated in the cross... 

Matthew 17:2

καὶ μετεμορφώθη ἔμπροσθεν αὐτῶν, καὶ ἔλαμψεν τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ ὡς ὁ ἥλιος, τὰ δὲ ἱμάτια αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο λευκὰ ὡς τὸ φῶς.

And he was transfigured before them, and his face (lamped) shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light.

These are heavenly clothes. Gold shines like light.

Matthew 17:3

καὶ ἰδοὺ ὤφθη αὐτοῖς Μωϋσῆς καὶ Ἠλίας συλλαλοῦντες μετ’ αὐτοῦ.

And behold, (right then and there before them) there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, (singing heaven's hymn) 'talking' with Him…

The is the "glory of the Lord." Where is Jesus now? Dispatched from heaven to be present with us. He is fully man and God and uses his exaltation to fulfill the Father's promised.

Matthew 17:4

ἀποκριθεὶς δὲ ὁ Πέτρος εἶπεν τῷ Ἰησοῦ· Κύριε, καλόν ἐστιν ἡμᾶς ὧδε εἶναι· εἰ θέλεις, ποιήσω ὧδε τρεῖς σκηνάς, σοὶ μίαν καὶ Μωϋσεῖ μίαν καὶ Ἠλίᾳ μίαν.

 And Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents (booths, tabernacles) here, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah."  

~ Luke "not knowing what he was saying." ~ Peter is a Buddhist we need to house the God who needs not be housed. Jesus is just one among many. Glory w/o the cross...

Matthew 17:5

ἔτι αὐτοῦ λαλοῦντος ἰδοὺ νεφέλη φωτεινὴ ἐπεσκίασεν αὐτούς, καὶ ἰδοὺ φωνὴ ἐκ τῆς νεφέλης λέγουσα· Οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ υἱός μου ὁ ἀγαπητός, ἐν ᾧ εὐδόκησα· [f]ἀκούετε αὐτοῦ.

He was still speaking when, behold, (right then and there here before you) a bright cloud "overshadowed" (see Colossians 2; Hebrews 1; only the son is revealed. The Father is the stamp of the coin. Jesus is the coin) them,(right then and there here before you) a voice from the cloud said, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him."

See Ex.40:34ff; 1 Kings 8,

Jesus is the source of this light, He is the temple, the cloud, the glory. See 2 Corinthians 4,

Matthew 17:6

καὶ ἀκούσαντες οἱ μαθηταὶ ἔπεσαν ἐπὶ πρόσωπον αὐτῶν καὶ ἐφοβήθησαν σφόδρα.

When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were terrified.

They feared greatly...they fall when the Father speaks...same verb as in Luke 2.

Matthew 17:7

καὶ προσῆλθεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς καὶ ἁψάμενος αὐτῶν εἶπεν· Ἐγέρθητε καὶ μὴ φοβεῖσθε.

But Jesus came and touched them, saying, "Rise, and have no fear."

Jesus says this walking on the water, notice the monergism; He came, He touched, He spoke.

Matthew 17:8

ἐπάραντες δὲ τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς αὐτῶν οὐδένα εἶδον εἰ μὴ [h]αὐτὸν Ἰησοῦν μόνον.

And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.

Still prostrate...fear not...now they can look up...yet an attitude of reverence, respect, honor.

The Father desires to be heard and known but only through the Son. Peter wants only to speak. Listen only to the Son.

Matthew 17:9

Καὶ καταβαινόντων αὐτῶν ἐκ τοῦ ὄρους ἐνετείλατο αὐτοῖς ὁ Ἰησοῦς λέγων· Μηδενὶ εἴπητε τὸ ὅραμα ἕως οὗ ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἐκ νεκρῶν [i]ἐγερθῇ.

And as they were coming down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, "Tell no one the vision, until the Son of Man is raised (out)from the dead."

-The three have just witnessed the resurrection yet they don't get it. This is NOT the be all and end all…only the resurrection.

This is an opportunity to preach the theology of the cross…how is God Known? You see God in no other way but Jesus. 

The Greek New Testament: SBL Edition. Copyright © 2010 by Society of Biblical Literature and Logos Bible Software

Schnorr Von Carolsfeld woodcuts, ‘The Transfiguration of our Lord’ © WELS permission granted for personal and congregational use

LCMS Lectionary notes © 2017

Lutheran Service Book © 2006 Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis