He’s Transfigured, We’re Transformed

Text: Luke 9:28-36

Let us pray. May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable and pleasing in Your sight oh Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer. Amen.

          I had the opportunity to see the Lutheran High presentation of Newsies last weekend. They did an amazing job with the music, the lighting and sets, and the acting. One of the lines in the show that caught my attention was the main character saying to another character who was giving him some advice, “If I wanted to hear a sermon, I would have gone to church.” So, when I was up there for chapel this week, I took the opportunity to play off of that just a little bit and remind the students there why we do need to be in church. And why we need to hear sermons. We need to hear the sermon because what’s actually happening is that the Law is being spoken. I heard a couple people last week after the exhortation to “love your enemy” who thought that was pointed directly at them. Well, it was. Not that I knew who needed to hear that message. But God did.

But it’s not just the Law that’s being spoken. The Gospel is being proclaimed. And the Gospel takes us from this place we’re at, one of sin and shame, and brings us to a place of restoration. It reminds us of who we are in God’s eyes. Beloved children. I pray that no one ever leaves here feeling like they’ve been dragged down by the Law without also hearing the clear message that because of the Gospel, which is the Good News of Jesus Christ and what He’s done for us, we are forgiven for every single fault and failing that we have. This is the transformation that we have because of the Gospel. From sinner to saint. Forgiven and renewed. And while today we celebrate the Transfiguration of Our Lord, we remember that while

HE’S TRANFIGURED, WE’RE TRANSFORMED.

          That play last weekend got me thinking about this idea of transformation. Perhaps that’s why people like acting so much. I’m not much of an actor, but I have done a little acting. A couple Christmas plays in high school with my youth group. And then one Neil Simon play in college when a desperate director roped me in because they didn’t have enough people to make up the cast. I would have rather been playing soccer or tennis, or probably a whole list of other things, but it wasn’t the worst thing I’ve ever done. What I did really like about it though is that it gave me the opportunity to be someone else for just a little while. To take on a role that wasn’t me, and pretend I was someone else. It was nice for a while, but I was definitely happy to get back to who I actually am when the play was over.

I think there are times when we’d all like to pretend to be someone else. And that’s ok. But while we’re doing that we also have to remember who God made us to be. He created you exactly as He wanted you to be. Male or female. Short or tall. Athletic or musical. Good with your hands, or with your mind. Sometimes you might want to be something other than what you were created to be, but God made you just as He wanted you to be. With the gifts and talents He wanted you to have. Part of living the Christian life is figuring out what those are and how God wants you to use them to His glory. And sometimes acting a different part helps us to figure out who we’re not, so we can more clearly see who we are.

In our Gospel reading for today, people might say that Jesus is acting a part. That He’s showing the disciples something different than who He really is. After all, they’ve never seen Him with “His face altered” or with “clothing [that] became dazzling white.” It’s such a different Jesus than they’ve known that Peter, James, and John are completely shocked. So shocked that after the fact they don’t even tell anyone about it. And during the encounter on that Mount of Transfiguration, they’re so confused that they want to build tents so that Jesus and Moses and Elijah can camp out for a while. But in this moment, Jesus isn’t acting a part. He’s showing the disciples the fullness of who He truly is. They’ve seen Him perform miracles. They’ve watched Him heal the sick and cure the lame. But this is something different. This is a matching of the human and the divine. It’s a full revelation of the two natures that Jesus possesses. Yes, He is fully human, but He’s also much more than that. He is truly God.

This is His transfiguration. Which is a word that’s almost exclusively reserved for Jesus at this one particular point in history. If you look up the word in the dictionary one of the definitions is “The sudden emanation of radiance from the person of Jesus that occurred on a mountain.” Also listed as definitions are “A marked change in form or appearance” and “A change that glorifies or exalts.” But just because Charlie is bald today (due to an unfortunate encounter with the hair clippers) we’re not going to say that he’s experienced a transfiguration. The word is too strong. We reserve this word, and this reality, for the One who is showing these disciples who He is. All of who He is.

Jesus isn’t playing games. He’s not acting. He’s showing the disciples who He truly is. And we can see it too. We need to see it. Because when God reveals to us who He really is, we get to see and know His true identity. And because we know His true identity, we can also embrace our own. The Bible says, over and over, that our identity is in Christ. Paul tells the Corinthians, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” When you were baptized, you went into those waters as a poor sinful being and emerged as a new creation in Christ. And from that point your identity is inseparably connected to Christ.

Paul also says to the Romans, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” So, while Jesus is transfigured, we are transformed. And the only way we can truly be transformed is by knowing and following Jesus, who has shown us who He truly is. His glory was manifested there on the Mount of Transfiguration, but didn’t get left there on the mountain. And in fact, the glory shown there was only a glimpse of the full glory Jesus showed the world when He hung upon the cross. Jesus’ full and true glory was on display at Calvary.

As we enter into this season of Lent, where you focus your eyes, your minds, and your hearts on the work of Christ for our salvation, let the realization of His glory be what transforms you into exactly who He wants you to be. And embrace who God has created you to be. The scholar. The athlete. The musician. The tradesman. The grandmother or grandfather. The actor. But most of all, embrace that identity you have in Christ. As a deeply loved, fully forgiven, eternally saved child of the Most High. One who can see the full and true identity of Jesus, who was transfigured on that mountain for us to see His glory, and who was crucified on that hill for us to know His love. Amen.

The peace of God which surpasses all understanding guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.