Transfiguration

15 February 2015 – Sunday next before Lent at Soulbury

Reading 2 Kings 2

Elijah taken up to heaven
2 When the Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal. ² Elijah said to Elisha, ‘Stay here; the Lord has sent me to Bethel.’

But Elisha said, ‘As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.’ So they went down to Bethel.

³ The company of the prophets at Bethel came out to Elisha and asked, ‘Do you know that the Lord is going to take your master from you today?’

‘Yes, I know,’ Elisha replied, ‘so be quiet.’

⁴ Then Elijah said to him, ‘Stay here, Elisha; the Lord has sent me to Jericho.’

And he replied, ‘As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.’ So they went to Jericho.

⁵ The company of the prophets at Jericho went up to Elisha and asked him, ‘Do you know that the Lord is going to take your master from you today?’

‘Yes, I know,’ he replied, ‘so be quiet.’

⁶ Then Elijah said to him, ‘Stay here; the Lord has sent me to the Jordan.’

And he replied, ‘As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.’ So the two of them walked on.

⁷ Fifty men from the company of the prophets went and stood at a distance, facing the place where Elijah and Elisha had stopped at the Jordan. ⁸ Elijah took his cloak, rolled it up and struck the water with it. The water divided to the right and to the left, and the two of them crossed over on dry ground.

⁹ When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, ‘Tell me, what can I do for you before I am taken from you?’

‘Let me inherit a double portion of your spirit,’ Elisha replied.

¹⁰ ‘You have asked a difficult thing,’ Elijah said, ‘yet if you see me when I am taken from you, it will be yours – otherwise, it will not.’

¹¹ As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind. ¹² Elisha saw this and cried out, ‘My father! My father! The chariots and horsemen of Israel!’ And Elisha saw him no more. Then he took hold of his garment and tore it in two.

Reading 2 Corinthians 4

Present weakness and resurrection life
4 Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart. ² Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God. ³ And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. ⁴ The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. ⁵ For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. ⁶ For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.

Gospel Mark 9

The transfiguration
² After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them. ³ His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. ⁴ And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus.

⁵ Peter said to Jesus, ‘Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters – one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.’ ⁶ (He did not know what to say, they were so frightened.)

⁷ Then a cloud appeared and covered them, and a voice came from the cloud: ‘This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!’

⁸ Suddenly, when they looked around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus.

⁹ As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus gave them orders not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead.

Sermon

Transfiguration Sunday

Sermons on what it means:

Gospel Transfiguration — Jesus clothes dazzling white — appears with Elijah and Moses. 2 Corinthians: ⁶ For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.
2 Kings: Elijah’s ascension in whirlwind.

Desire of gospel writers to present Jesus in light of OT. Jesus asks disciples “Who do people say I am?”—answer John Baptizer; Elijah; Jeremiah; one of prophets.

Prophets
Understandable—prophets reveal God to people—John and Jesus do the same—likened to prophets.
Enoch “walked with God”—pub quiz question “Who in Bible did not die?”

Gen 5 ²⁴ Enoch walked faithfully with God; then he was no more, because God took him away. Like Elijah, did not die—went to be with God. Moses died—he and Elijah in gospels represent Law and Prophets but he died before seeing Promised Land. This explains why in Jesus’ time return of Elijah is expected.

Theophany
θεοφάνεια theophaneia—appearance of god—examples:
Burning bush; pillar of cloud and fire; thunder and lightning on Mt Sinai; appearances to prophets; baptism of Jesus; transfiguration.

Elaborate—Elijah chariots of fire, horses of fire, whirlwind—God sends heavenly host to pick up his servant. Swing low, sweet chariot—plea in spiritual for God to relieve suffering and oppression, end life and deliver into comfort of afterlife. A band of angels coming after me, coming for to carry me home.

Transfiguration
Elijah departed in presence of disciples—Jesus seen in glory in presence of disciples—does not depart but stays to complete ministry and mission. Jesus dies—clear from burial—empty tomb leads on to Ascension.

Today we try to make sense of all this. What is: symbolic value—meaning—reason for inclusion in gospels—what it communicates about Jesus—what Peter’s comments are all about?

Holy event—cannot be figured out—mystery. Must be appreciated, not interpreted. Need to understand in light of OT, but not taken apart.

There are many manifestations of Jesus’ divinity in scripture. Words and actions, epiphany, temptation, sacrifice. Maybe Transfiguration is different. Language of holiness, shining, light, heavenly appearance, endorsement—not private like baptism. Celebratory. Not subtle. God taking delight in beloved Son.

What we learn
Elijah heard sound of sheer silence; Moses chatted with God but only saw his back; Israelites could not tolerate his holiness, but stayed well clear of Sinai.

In Jesus, all changes. We can approach Godhead in confidence through beloved Son. Adopted children inheriting through grace. We see the light —recurrent image of Jesus coming into the world. Looking ahead—light of paschal candle at Easter—dispelling darkness of guilt and sin.

This light shines ahead through Lent. Darkness of Holy Week gives way to revelation of hope and confidence at Easter. Light speaks a promise that God is with us—Emmanuel. Not known through fear and trembling—interpretation of mysteries and miraculous appearances—but now knowable.

God is Light and in Him is no darkness at all. So as we approach Ash Wednesday and the period of Lent, let us use the experience of our own Theophany to approach the Light—Emmanuel, God with us in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen