The Church of the Redeemer

August 6, 2006

Graeme Mills

 The Feast of the Transfiguration

Exodus 34:29-35
2 Peter 1:13-21
Luke 9:28-36
Psalm 99 or 99:5-9

Father, I pray that you will anoint me as your servant as I stand here before your people in your name.   Use me to speak with your authority and power given by the Holy Spirit.  Lord, I pray that you would tailor these words for each listener and that you open their hearts so that they may be transformed by the renewing of their minds.

And all of this I pray in the name of our savior, Jesus Christ.  Amen

 Transfigured; Transformed

Good morning everyone.  I am honored that on such a glorious day that you have chosen to spend this time listening to me. 

Across the world today Christians are celebrating the Feast of the Transfiguration.  This is one of the most remarkable events in the bible. Jesus took Peter, John and James with him up to a mountain to pray. And while Jesus is praying he is transfigured - the appearance of his face changed (his face shone like the sun) and his clothes became dazzling white.  Moses and Elijah turn up, God speaks to them all, and then Jesus tells them all to keep it a secret.

So what is going on here?  The transfiguration is God showing the three disciples that Jesus is his divine appointment and hence they are witnesses to God’s affirmation of everything Jesus had done and was about to do.

Why were Moses and Elijah there?  Moses represents the Old Testament law – the old covenant.  In Deuteronomy 18:15-19 Moses  predicted the coming of a great prophet and Moses’ presence with Jesus reflects both the fulfillment of that prophecy and that Jesus was part of God’s original plan.  Elijah represents the prophets who foretold the coming of the messiah (see Malachi 4:5-6) and again Jesus’ presence reflects the fulfillment of that prophecy.  So everything comes together with Jesus, further emphasized by God’s affirmation of his role and authority.  This is the second time that God has spoken in support of Jesus (the first being at Jesus’ baptism by John where God used almost exactly the same words – “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased”).

So why were Peter, John and James asked by Jesus not to tell anyone what they saw?  They simply weren’t ready to understand what this all meant and so couldn’t effectively explain it to anyone.  This is clear when Peter talks about building three houses.  He is missing the point because he couldn’t put the transfiguration in context.

Peter subsequently heard more teachings, saw more miracles, was there at Jesus’ arrest, experienced his own denial of Jesus, and through his witnessing of Jesus’ death and resurrection came to understand the apparent contradiction of Jesus’ suffering and glory.  Most importantly, following his own denials, he understood what Jesus’ grace really means.

After Peter does understand Jesus’ role and mission, the meaning of the transfiguration becomes clear to him.  In his second epistle Peter puts the transfiguration in context and describes how important it is that he and the other two disciples were first hand witnesses to this amazing event:

“We did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we had been eyewitnesses of his majesty.  For he received honor and glory from God the Father when that voice was conveyed to him by the Majestic Glory, saying, "This is my Son, my Beloved, with whom I am well pleased." We ourselves heard this voice come from heaven, while we were with him on the holy mountain.”

As first hand witnesses these real people (just like us), could affirm Jesus’ relationship with God, the authority that that represented, and they came to understand and proclaim that Jesus’ death and resurrection were God’s plan.

Certainly there is plenty to celebrate with the transfiguration but I wanted to compare it to a similar term – transformation. 

The dictionary definition of transfiguration is “A marked change in form or appearance “

The dictionary definition of transformation is “A marked change, in appearance or character, usually for the better.” 

Jesus’ transfiguration related to his physical appearance, while transformation relates to one’s character.  This is why Jesus was transfigured not transformed, it’s not like he needed any work on his character!

But there of plenty of people in the bible who were transformed –physically and/or spiritually.  Peter the fisherman who became a fisher of men.  Zacchaeus the tax collector who agreed to give half of his possessions to the poor.  The sinful woman who cleaned Jesus’ feet with her tears and hair.  Are just a few.

What was common to all these transformations was a connection established with Jesus and their faith. They were transformed through an encounter with Jesus and they became spiritually fulfilled – their character was definitely transformed for the better.  In fact the bible makes clear it is hard to be fulfilled without an encounter with Jesus. 

The good news is that Jesus wants to have such encounters.  Jesus is waiting to be found; he is not playing hide and seek.  Jesus wants us to see him and wants to be seen.  He is not hidden to anyone who is looking for him, but, paradoxically, he cannot be seen by anyone who isn’t. Just as God and Jesus wanted Peter, John and James to see the transfiguration, he wants us to see his glory.

Spiritual transformation is possible because the Holy Spirit that was released with Jesus’ resurrection provides the path to such encounters.  The transformation I am talking about cannot happen without the Holy Spirit, however each of us has a role to play since it is a matter of personal choice to look for him.  Each of us can be increasingly transformed by having a relationship with Jesus – talk to him, make him a part of our lives, pray, but most importantly look for him. 

Do we see adversity as reasons for withdrawal, anger, bitterness and frustration?  Or do we see opportunities in which Jesus is tugging on our heart strings.  Isn’t adversity an opportunity to turn to God for comfort, support and endurance, and to share in the grace and hope that God can provide in times of darkness.

Do we see the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina as a random act of nature?  Or do we choose to see instead the incredible outpouring of volunteerism for hurricane relief in Biloxi?  Are we bitter after being fired, rifted, downsized (or whatever other term they used) after all the effort and commitment we have put in over such a long time?  Or do we see Jesus providing the chance to do something new and different in our careers?  How do we react when our children don’t allow us to play the role we want to in their lives, after all the love we have showered on them?  Maybe Jesus is saying we need to change the way we are in order to better connect with the kids.

My best friend has a terminally ill daughter that I have seen degenerate before my eyes.  I could choose to focus on “why is this happening to them” and they don’t deserve it.  But I choose to rejoice in how the faith of her parents is being shared with many health providers, teachers, and fellow students, and even on TV!  God is using their daughter to having an incredibly transforming effect.

These are big things but we can see God in the little things as well.  I have a desk calendar with a different quote from the bible each day.  This serves two purposes – a daily inspiration and a great source of passwords for my office computer.  I have to change the password every so often and as you know there are only so many things you can come up with.  My current password is Romans122 (I’m only willing to tell you this since you still need to have a pass card to get into our offices!).  

Well Paul says in Romans 12:2 “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”  I love that term – be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  That is what I am talking about.

Is it just a coincidence that this passage happened to be on my calendar last month, that I chose that particular reference several weeks ago as my password, that subsequently Suzy asked me to preach, and that I am preaching on the transfiguration and transformation? 

Again there is a choice here – whether we choose to see God in everyday life.  When I see God in the little things it affirms his presence, brings me closer to him, helps me deal with the tougher issues, and continues the virtuous cycle of transformation.  I choose to believe that even the little things are not coincidences.

It is our choice what we see and how we react.  But by having a personal relationship with Jesus and being on the lookout for him, we will be filled with the Holy Spirit and we will be transformed.  I say this from personal experience – if he is willing to transform me then he is certainly willing to transform you.

For the first 40 years of my life I didn’t even know if God existed, but when I finally opened my eyes he was clearly there before me, waiting patiently as he does.  I prayed that he would reveal himself to me and he did.  As some of you know, his presence in my life has transformed me, having a huge impact in how I connect with others, use my financial resources, do my job, and choose to spend my time.

But the ultimate example of transformation was Paul’s experience on the road to Damascus. He went from being a persecutor of early Christians to being the one charged by God to spread the message of Jesus to the world. 

In 2 Corinthians 2:18 Paul says “And we, who…reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness…”  This is the transformation we are talking about.

On this side of heaven we may or may not be transfigured, but there is an absolute certainty that we will be transformed if we take up the offer that Jesus has made.  We can choose the way of transformation that will put a smile on our face and a bounce in our step.  Unlike the dictionary definition of transformation being a change usually for the better, we have an ironclad guarantee that this continuing transformation will be for the better. 

Lastly I just have to say that as I was putting the final touches on my sermon on Friday the verse of the day on my calendar was Luke 17:20-21: “The kingdom of God does not come visibly nor will people say, “here it is,” or “there it is”, because the kingdom of God is within you.”

Yes it is within us.  It starts with how we see the world.  It’s our choice.  The ball is in our court.