Transfiguration reflection
This coming Sunday is Transfiguration Sunday. On that day three of
Jesus’ disciples -Peter, James, and John – were privileged to go up on a
mountain. There Jesus was shown in all His glory. His appearance changed as Moses
and Elijah appear before them discussing Jesus’ trip to the cross.
For us - we see the glory of God in Jesus every time we hear His Word
and gather to worship and pray. May the peace of God be ours As the Savior
directs us.
LORD, Thank you for the truth of your Word. Help us to trust in that Word. And to keep our faith in you. Even when we can’t feel or see you. Thank you for taking care of us. Thank you for Jesus. In His name, Amen!
Hymn: Pg. #61 “My Hope is Built on Nothing less”
Confession/Absolution:
LORD - we pray to you also for the forgiveness of our sins. Have mercy upon us, most merciful Father.
In Your compassion forgive us our sins. Known and unknown. Things done. And left undone.
And so uphold us by Your Spirit. That we may live and serve you in newness of life. To the honor and glory of Your Name. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Almighty God have mercy on you. Forgive you all your sins. Through our Lord Jesus Christ. And may He strengthen you in all goodness. And by the power of the Holy Spirit keep you in eternal life. Amen.
Luke 9:28-36
28 Now about eight days after these sayings
he took with him Peter and John and James and went up on the mountain to pray. 29
And as he was praying, the appearance of his face was altered, and his clothing
became dazzling white. 30 And behold, two men were talking with him,
Moses and Elijah, 31 who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure, [a] which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.
32 Now Peter and those who were with him
were heavy with sleep, but when they became fully awake, they saw his glory and
the two men who stood with him. 33 And as the men were parting from him,
Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good that we are here. Let us make three
tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah”
—not knowing what he said. 34 As
he was saying these things, a cloud came and overshadowed them, and they were
afraid as they entered the cloud. 35 And a voice came out of the cloud,
saying, “This is my Son, my Chosen One;[b] listen to him!”
36 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.
Hymn: pg.62 “Now thank we all our God”
Wise King Solomon tells us that as we age
the first notable change, we can expect is our vision. After 40 reading glasses
become necessary. Nearly all of us at one time or another have had to have our
vision tested.
We need to wear eyeglasses to see things
how they really are – My eyes aren’t perfect. But these eyeglasses change the way I can see
things so I can know what is real.
In our Bible reading today we heard about
the Transfiguration of Jesus. “Transfiguration” is a big word that means “change.”
– Jesus changed the way the disciples could see him so they would know what was
real.
One time, Jesus went up a tall mountain
with some of his disciples to pray.
It was late at night. So everyone was
getting very sleepy. Peter, James and John went up to the high mountain with
Jesus to pray. But after a bit they became tired and began to sleep.
But then something happened that made
them wide awake. Something very surprising happened. They saw a change come
over Jesus. As his clothes became shiny white. It was different than anything
they had ever seen!
But then something else happened.
They saw two men from the Bible. Moses
& Elijah. Who had gone to heaven a very long time before. They showed up
and started talking to Jesus about what the special work Jesus was going to do
when he got to Jerusalem. There Jesus would suffer and die on a cross. And on
the third day rise again to give us forgiveness and life.
But why Moses? And why Elijah? These two were the great prophets of the Old
Testament. They both pointed the way to Jesus. They both predicted that at the
right time a Savior would come. And so it is. At the right time Jesus our
Savior came for us.
Why Moses? And Why Elijah? Both men lead
the nation of Israel… Moses lead the people our of Egypt, through the Red Sea,
through the desert, into the Promised Land.
Elijah led Israel – even though he felt all alone.
For us – the Lord continues to lead and
guide us. When the Lord’s guidance can be perfectly seen and especially when we
can’t. The Savior has promised us “I am with you always!” His direction is
constant. It wil not change. He is always there – for you!
Like reading glasses that give us 20/20
vision. The LORD continues to care for us in good times and in challenging
times. To bring us Home.
Just then a cloud came down and covered
everyone and the disciples became afraid.
They were terrified! That’s exactly how
the disciples felt. Something amazing was happening and they were very confused
until they heard a voice from the cloud say, “THIS IS MY SON, LISTEN TO HIM.”
And whose voice that was?
It was the voice of God, our Heavenly
Father. Making sure they understood that
Jesus was his son.
These three. Peter. James. and John. May
have been hoping for some proof to be sure they were following the right
person. Placing their trust in something
genuine.
On that mountain, though, the disciples
got some amazing proof. Right before their eyes.
Jesus changed. His clothes became super
white, and Elijah and Moses showed up.
As a cloud came over them, and a voice
announced: “This is my beloved Son; listen to him.” That had to be pretty clear
and obvious.
If Peter, James, and John didn’t know for
sure before, they certainly did then. They heard God announce that Jesus was
His son, and command that they listen to Him!
Then the cloud disappeared and only Jesus
was there. After that, they always looked at Jesus a little different because
they saw how things really were.
This story is like our eyeglasses. They
help me see what’s real. The Transfiguration of Jesus showed the disciples what
was real about Jesus. It shows us what is real about Jesus. [1]
Jesus is God’s one and only Son. He
looked like a normal person. But he was really someone very special.
The Lord wants us to listen very
carefully to all the words of Jesus in the Bible. And when we do. We follow Him
every day of our life until it is time to be welcomed into His glorious
presence in heaven.
Jesus is the true son of God. He lived
and died for us. Although we may not see Him with our eyes or hear His voice,
we can trust in the work that Christ did, and know that He is our savior and
redeemer. Believing in the Bible reminds us of His power and authenticity.
We give thanks for His life.
And we can ask God to help us continue in
our faith and understanding. Why don’t we do that now?
Prayer:
LORD, Thank you for the truth of your
Word. Help us to trust in that Word. And to keep our faith in you. Even when we
can’t feel or see you. Thank you for Your love and care. Give us the eyes of
faith to see you each day in our daily lives. Thank you for your guidance every
single day.
The Lord has given us one another and we
give thanks for God’s grace and mercy as we offer prayers on this day.
The Lord has given us the beauty of
worship and the gift of fellowship with one another. We thank you Lord for
gathering us on this day.
The Lord has given us neighbors, friends,
families, and coworkers to share the joys and burdens of this life. We thank
you Lord, for the privilege of loving others.
The Lord has given us a promise that
where He goes, He will prepare a place for us.
[1] Transfiguration of Jesus (Luke 9:28-36)
Children’s Sermon - Ministry To Children
Image of the Transfiguration copyright Ed Riojas, Higher Things
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