Transfiguration Sunday, February 10, 2019, W.H.

II Corinthians 4:3-6

In the Name of the One by whom we see God,

Dear Fellow-Redeemed:

       “Follow the drinken gourd” is a spiritual memorializing the travails of slaves escaping slavery, north to freedom.  They endur-ed danger, trials, and death.  They followed the big dipper north to freedom or death.  Follow the drinken gourd.

Today, we climb the Mount of Transfiguration with Jesus.  Three disciples follow Him.  Jesus conferred with His Father, with Moses and Elijah.  He set His eyes toward His mission of danger, trial and death.  He turned His face to Jerusalem. 

As for the disciples, when the transfiguration was over…

THEY SAW ONLY JESUS!

           Most of us have lived most our lives.  We have suffered danger, trials and temptations.  We will yet face death.  God teaches us also to keep our eyes on Jesus.  We see where He went and for whom and we will get to our goal.

           Jesus climbed the mountain to get a better view of His goal.  God, in the Old Testament, told Him what He would do as messiah.  God told Him He would suffer, die and rise.  On the Mountain, His Counselors confirmed His mission.  And He looked to Jerusalem, to a trial and torture, to death impaled on a cross.  He looked beyond, the third day, the resurrection, life ruling the

entire creation with those He redeemed.  We read:

He took Peter, John and James and went up on the mountain to pray.  Then behold, two men talked with Him, who were Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of His DECEASE, which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.

Death is defeat.  Decease is the end.  That is what they talked about.  Moses and Elijah conferred about Good Friday.  Three men would die.  Jesus would be the most prominent between two crim-inals.  His death would not be His end.  They spoke of His destiny.

On the mountain the Father also gave Jesus a taste of what

was beyond the execution, beyond the grave.  We read:

As He prayed, the appearance of His face was altered, and His robe became white and glistening...Then a voice came out of the cloud, saying, 'This is My beloved Son.  Hear Him!'

You are the redeemed, the ones for whom He died and rose.  You are those He called to faith.  You look to Jesus.  You see your future.  With eyes on Him, you do not stray.  And God does something else.  With your eyes on Jesus, He gives you a glimpse of your beyond, of your glory of your eternal destination. 

Do you suppose Jesus was thrilled to walk that path as He looked down the mountain?  In the Garden He would pray in such

earnest that He seemed to sweat Blood.  He told His disciples.

My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here and watch with Me.  Matt. 26:38.  They slept.  He prayed:

My Father, If it be possible, let this cup pass from me;  nevertheless, not as I will but as you will.

He kept His eyes on His path.  He went where we should go.  Bet-ween two thieves He died for you as if you had died for you sin.

There He was for every single one of us.  He endured our end.

       Paul warn about those who do not keep their eyes on Jesus:

But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them. 

       This is threshold of Lent.  It is a most exciting time to worship Jesus.  Soon we walk with Him with special mid-week services.  We walk down the valley, to the cross and the empty tomb.

    Because of all Jesus did, God assures us that He forgives us.  God assures us that Jesus died the death we earned.  God declar-es us innocent.  We are holy, worthy of heaven.  We are His.

       On the Mount Jesus saw the cross and beyond.  He saw His resurrection and glory.  He was filled with joy seeing His people begin to believe, His believers living for that joy.  He saw His children overcome death because of His death.  He saw it all.

           Today, we are on the mountain with Jesus.  With the three we

hear the Father’s words of praise and His command.  He said:

This is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.  Listen to Him.  We also read:

For it is God who commanded light to shine out of darkness who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.  II Cor. 4:6

       A week ago, I woke as usual about 4:00 a.m.  I couldn’t get back to sleep.  The previous evening we had watched a favorite television program.  The hero of the drama, a favorite, took up a cause with noble and self-righteous fury.  He would rescue a troubled teen.  Her Christian parents were the culprits.  They were doing what they could to help her deal with her sin.  And my hero went after them with noble indignation.  He didn’t like what those loving parents were doing.

       It happens again and again.  T.V. programs promote hatred toward those who follow God’s word.  Politicians are eager to distance themselves from those of us who confess faith in Jesus and God’s will.  The world continues to war against us.  The war

began in the Garden of Eden.  It will end only at Jesus’ return.

The world is already a dangerous place for Christians.  Governments persecute believers.  Unbelievers try to force Christians to do that which goes against Christian consciences.  Bakers have been sued. 

Around the world, Churches burn.  Believers are lined up to be jailed or murdered.  During my lifetime, I have never been afraid to be a Christian.  And yet in neighboring Canada laws have been passed making certain preaching of God’s law hate speech. 

The media stirs the emotions of those who don’t see Jesus.  With self-righteous indignation against things God says in the Bible, the fight the battle.  In a previous parish, I saw that hatred in the eyes of a political partisan.  He didn’t like the Biblical teaching on a certain topic.  He ranted and cursed.  Our walk with Jesus to heaven may be fraught with hate.

God tells us to look to Jesus.  When we face battles, look to Jesus.  See where He went for you.  Take up your cross and follow Him through suffering to glory. Keep your eyes on the goal.  He

will see you through.

As the world grows more and more hateful toward God’s people, our own flesh tugs at us.  We take our eyes off Jesus and look toward ourselves.  Guilt swells.  Doubts creep in.  We wonder if God’s is right.  We wonder if we are right with God. 

And God says, “Don’t look to yourself.  Look to Jesus and everything He did for you.  Give your doubts to Him.  See Him.  Hear Him.  Follow Him to glory”.  He will lead you to heaven.  He is your worthiness.  He is your peace.

God invites us to the mountain with Him every time we wor-ship Him.  We hear Jesus every time our pastor absolves our sins.  We see Jesus in His house in the Lord's Supper.  We see Jesus at home over our daily Bible reading, our devotion, and prayer.

       For Jesus' sake, we will live forever.  God’s Spirit shows us Jesus.  He keeps us with Jesus.  He guides around despair and through depression.  He protects from temptations of every kind.  He leads us through danger, through the enemy.  By means of God's Word and Sacraments, God’s Spirit gives us spiritual sight.  Glory with God in heaven is our destination.  We will be with Jesus.

       The light of the glory of God is seen in the glory of Christ.  He is the image of God.  He shines on us so that we see.  We see the meaning of life.  We see God’s will.  And the best is yet to come.  We will climb Mt. Zion and be with Him forever.

    Until then, with our eyes on Jesus, we serve the Lord.  And we

have the honor and glory of serving Him.  St. Paul said it well,

For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves yours servants for Jesus' sake.

Paul had a glorious goal, to be your servant.  He would be your slave.  By serving you, he served the almighty Lord of creation. 

With our eyes on Jesus, we serve each other and our God.

AMEN.  SOLI DEO GLORIA