Transfiguration Series C

TRANSFIGURATION OF OUR LORD

Series C 

Deuteronomy 34:1–12

Hebrews 3:1–6

Luke 9:28–36 

The Glory of God Is Manifested in the Body of Christ

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.

“Moses was faithful in all God’s house as a servant,” but Christ Jesus “has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses” (Hebrews 3:3, 5). A beloved and well-pleasing Son, faithful even to the point of death, Jesus’ own body was raised up on the third day as the house of God, and He has brought us into that house through the waters of Holy Baptism (Hebrews 3:6). 

Thus, it was not Moses the lawgiver, but his successor, Joshua (the Hebrew name for Jesus), who led the people into the promised land (Deuteronomy 34:1–4, 9). Now, on the Mount of Transfiguration, the New Testament Joshua appears in the glory that He is about to manifest by His “departure” (exodus) in Jerusalem (Luke 9:31). 

Having entered the waters of the Jordan in His Baptism, He passed through those waters and entered into glory by His Cross and Passion. 

What He thereby accomplished in His own flesh and blood, crucified and risen, He reveals and gives to His Body, the Church, by the means of His Word. Therefore, the Father declares from heaven, “Listen to Him!” (Luke 9:35).

Luke 9:28

Ἐγένετο δὲ μετὰ τοὺς λόγους τούτους ὡσεὶ ἡμέραι ὀκτὼ [a]καὶ παραλαβὼν Πέτρον καὶ Ἰωάννην καὶ Ἰάκωβον ἀνέβη εἰς τὸ ὄρος προσεύξασθαι.

it happened, about eight days (MK. and  Matt. say six days) is this a theological statement. Going to the new mountain. The glory of the Lord is revealed in Jesus. This is how the glory of the Lord will dwell with man. 

The cross is given and suffered - like vocation. James is mentioned last...he will be the first to die...significant?

Luke 9:29

καὶ ἐγένετο ἐν τῷ προσεύχεσθαι αὐτὸν τὸ εἶδος τοῦ προσώπου αὐτοῦ ἕτερον καὶ ὁ ἱματισμὸς αὐτοῦ λευκὸς ἐξαστράπτων. 

his face was "othered" his raiment was gleaming - (Jn.19:23 tunic was one fabric they separated the clothes and cast lots for the tunic)  this is a prophecy and a glimpse of his exultation.

Luke 9:30 

καὶ ἰδοὺ ἄνδρες δύο συνελάλουν αὐτῷ, οἵτινες ἦσαν Μωϋσῆς καὶ Ἠλίας,

right then and there two were preaching with him, Moses and Elijah. Where is Jesus now? In the words of Moses and Elijah.  

Luke 9:31

οἳ ὀφθέντες ἐν δόξῃ ἔλεγον τὴν ἔξοδον αὐτοῦ ἣν ἤμελλεν πληροῦν ἐν Ἰερουσαλήμ.  

they appeared in glory continually speaking of his exodus, which he was to complete in Jerusalem.  What is the glory of Jesus? It is his cross, suffering, the Christ who has come to die, the lamb who was slain.  The exodus of Jesus becomes our exodus. See 2 Timothy 4:6

"If you are" asked at the garden, temptation in the wilderness, at the cross. "You are" spoken at Jesus' baptism and here at the transfiguration. 

Luke 9:32

ὁ δὲ Πέτρος καὶ οἱ σὺν αὐτῷ ἦσαν βεβαρημένοι ὕπνῳ• διαγρηγορήσαντες δὲ εἶδον τὴν δόξαν αὐτοῦ καὶ τοὺς δύο ἄνδρας τοὺς συνεστῶτας αὐτῷ. 

Peter and those with him were taken over by sleep. Then they were wakened. They saw his glory and the two speaking with him. 

Luke 9:33

καὶ ἐγένετο ἐν τῷ διαχωρίζεσθαι αὐτοὺς ἀπ’ αὐτοῦ εἶπεν ὁ Πέτρος πρὸς τὸν Ἰησοῦν• Ἐπιστάτα, καλόν ἐστιν ἡμᾶς ὧδε εἶναι, καὶ ποιήσωμεν σκηνὰς τρεῖς, μίαν σοὶ καὶ μίαν Μωϋσεῖ καὶ μίαν Ἠλίᾳ, μὴ εἰδὼς ὃ λέγει.

when they were separating (only here in Luke)  Peter said, "Master it is good to be here.. "  He didn't know what to say.  The hardest thing is the cross, to receive it.  The old man wants a fix of measurable success not forgiveness.  Have faith in your faith.

Luke 9:34

ταῦτα δὲ αὐτοῦ λέγοντος ἐγένετο νεφέλη καὶ ἐπεσκίαζεν αὐτούς• ἐφοβήθησαν δὲ ἐν τῷ εἰσελθεῖν αὐτοὺς εἰς τὴν νεφέλην.

As he was saying these things, a cloud came and overshadowed them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. 

Luke 9:35

καὶ φωνὴ ἐγένετο ἐκ τῆς νεφέλης λέγουσα• Οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ υἱός μου ὁἐκλελεγμένος, αὐτοῦ ἀκούετε.

And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, my Chosen One; (my beloved) listen to him!”

Luke 9:36 

καὶ ἐν τῷ γενέσθαι τὴν φωνὴν εὑρέθη Ἰησοῦς μόνος. καὶ αὐτοὶ ἐσίγησαν καὶ οὐδενὶ ἀπήγγειλαν ἐν ἐκείναις ταῖς ἡμέραις οὐδὲν ὧν ἑώρακαν.

And when the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and told no one in those days anything of what they had seen.

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 © 2015

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