Jonah Albrecht

Transfiguration Sunday

Feb 9th, 2025

Matthew 17:1-12

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit, you may abound in hope, Amen.

In the Name of Jesus who set aside His glory so that you may be glorified in eternity, Dear Fellow Redeemed:

The tv show Undercover Boss had its beginnings in 2009-2010 and it had great success. In this show, a CEO, or high up corporate manager would go undercover as a new recruit in his or her company. They would do so in order to get an idea of how the troops on the ground operated and what improvements could be made. At the end of the show, the boss gathers all the employees he worked with to a central location where it would be revealed that the person they had come to know was not a new recruit. The boss returned to his former glory, if you will, and went back to living their lives as CEO or manager, or whatever.

After the show, you don’t really hear much whether they continued to implement the changes they noticed during their time undercover, or whether it was just for tv ratings. Things just went back to as they were without a camera on them. But what if, that CEO, after revealing who he really was, decided to continue on as a new recruit? What if he gave up his position as CEO with all its benefits, salary, and influence, and returned to be a common worker? That would be something to behold and I’m sure it would make headlines around the U.S.

That is pretty close to what happens in our text this morning with Jesus, albeit on a much greater scale. Jesus allows His divine glory to shine in its full splendor. But it was only for a moment. As quickly as it happened, it was gone. Not because it faded away, but because Jesus chose not to hang on to that glory, rather choosing the path of humiliation and cross. Our theme for this morning is From Glory to the Cross – God’s Love in Action.

And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light.

The Greek word that we translate as transfigured is μετεμορφώθη. It is where we get the word metamorphosis, like what happens when a caterpillar turns into a butterfly. This word is important because it means this wasn’t some fever dream the Peter James and John had. It wasn’t the sun reflecting off Jesus’ face or anything like that. This truly happened. Jesus’ form changed. From the humble Jesus to the fullness of the Godhead that dwelt within Him.

But that wasn’t all. It was one glorious event piled on top of another. The next thing the disciples knew, they saw Moses and Elijah speaking with Jesus. Luke tells us in his Gospel this about Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.

Here were two of the greatest Old Testament prophets, who had put their hope, faith, and trust in the coming Messiah, now speaking to Jesus about what He was going to accomplish. Not just His death, but also His triumphant resurrection. They knew what lay ahead of Jesus. The suffering and abuse He would endure. They encouraged and strengthened Him to leave that mountain and go to Jerusalem and show the world that He is God not of the dead, but of the living. That all who have faith in Him will live forevermore.

Imagine the fear that must have been in the hearts of the disciples seeing all of this unfold. Not only being shook by the glorious transfiguration of Jesus, but also seeing two of the greatest figures of the Old Testament and recognizing them! Then Peter, in that fear, speaks to Jesus, “Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.”

We know Peter to often speak before he thinks about what it is he says. This is another such case. Here, he begins well. It is good that they were there and were able to witness something truly spectacular. Yet, his request to build three tents is misguided. He wants to spend more time in this moment, he doesn’t want it to go away. And while each of us could understand why, what would it mean if Jesus listened? If Jesus were to remain on that mountain in His glory, He would be abandoning His mission to be the Savior of the world. He would choose glory over His humiliation and cease to be the substitute for sinners. While it was a good sentiment, Peter’s focus was on the wrong thing. And God the Father was about to fix that.

He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” 6 When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were terrified.

This is the second time we hear the Father insert His confirmation of His Son. The first was at His baptism, marking Him as the Lamb of God that comes to take away the sin of the world. Here, it is the same purpose. God reminds Peter, James, and John that Jesus truly is the Son of God and that He alone has the word of eternal life. He is the one they need to follow and listen to and obey. This also serves as a stamp of approval for Jesus, to give Him the courage to go forward to Jerusalem.

It is the voice of the Father that absolutely shatters the disciples. They cower in fear the same way the children of Israel did at Mount Sinai when they told Moses, “You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, lest we die.” The disciples dared not even lift up their eyes lest they be destroyed by the glory of God. But what happens next is what is truly amazing.

7 But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Rise, and have no fear.” 8 And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.

When Jesus came and touched Peter, James, and John, there was no more bright shining light or glorious voice from heaven, there was just Jesus. The one they had come to know as their Friend, Teacher, and Savior. The one who knew the fear that had consumed their hearts and knew exactly how to calm it. The simple words, “Rise, and have no fear” not only calmed them in that moment, but it also served as a reminder of the peace that Jesus gives them. They too would need encouragement for what they were about to witness.

Some of Jesus’ disciples first followed John the Baptist, whom Jesus identifies in verse 12 as the Elijah who was promised to come in Malachi 4. John was beheaded for preaching the truth of God’s Word. Jesus too would suffer at the hands of His enemies, but in a much worse way. He would be convicted as an innocent man and put to death by crucifixion; a death that was reserved for the worst criminals. Then He would suffer a pain that was only seen as complete darkness – hell and the absence of any love from God. In other words, the disciples were about to be faced with a much greater fear to struggle with.

These words then, not uttered by the Son of God in full glory, but the humble servant – Jesus of Nazareth reminded Peter, James, and John that Jesus willingly went to His death. He was not a victim, but rather a conquering hero for people like you and me, people who had no other hope of salvation. Though He would die at the hands of His enemies, all the disciples could rise and have no fear because even death cannot contain the holy Son of God. For their Friend, Teacher, and Savior would rise again in a glory even more precious than what was revealed on the mount. At the right time, they would see the full picture. How Jesus’ love for them chose Calvary over Glory.

There is a lesson for us to learn from Jesus’ transfiguration. And you have the advantage of know exactly how the story ends. You know what happens the last few weeks of Jesus’ life, the suffering He endures, and the pain He took upon Himself. You also know that He rose again from the dead so that you who believe in Him will be transformed into the same glory He is in now.

But sometimes we go through periods of fear, don’t we? We are no different than the three disciples – sinful people who dare to come into the presence of the Holy God. And why should God accept us? What have we done except to break His commandments time and time again?

Or maybe your fear is in what is coming next. Fear over your work or marriage security, or the future of your kids; fear over the security of finances, or your faith life. This fear can be paralyzing and controlling. It takes your life captive and removes any certainty or confidence to live. Is that how God wants us to live as Christians? Is fear leading you to try and hold on too tightly to your life right now that you have failed to trust in the One who brings every blessing into your life? He who can use even the worst of moments and turn it into years of blessing? That is why we turn to Jesus.

Jesus’ transfiguration reminds us that we enter into God’s presence on His merits, not our own. You do not have to fear the Father because Jesus has removed any shred of sin or guilt within you. It reminds us that though we often fail to keep God’s commandments, He is faithful to forgive us when we do.

It is in Jesus’ words Rise, and have no fear that you find an answer to what is coming next. Jesus comes to you as your Friend and Savior to offer you the pages of Holy Scripture. Pages that have been soaked in the blood of Jesus. In those sacred pages, you have laid out God’s love in action. From the beginning of creation and making you in His own image, to sending His Son to die on the cross for your sins, to the promise of eternal glory. The Bible shows that there is nothing the world can do to stop God from blessing you and taking care of you. It is not some magic wand that you wave and every desire you have will come true. Rather, it is peace when there is no other peace to be found. It is hope when all other hope has failed. It is love when you feel unloved.

As volatile, unpredictable and fearful as this world can be, it can never overpower your Savior’s love and commitment to you. Remember who your Savior is. Jesus is the one who humbled Himself, not revealing His love through the eternal glory of His Godhead, but revealing His love through the glory that comes to you from His beaten body and His head adorned with a crown of thorns. He reveals His love through the glory that you receive by His suffering in hell and giving up His life in payment for your sin. Jesus is the one who conquered death so that death is nothing more than a passage into eternal glory.

Through the Words in Scripture, the waters of Baptism, and the communion in His body and blood, Jesus your Savior touches you and says, “Rise and do not fear, all your fears I have taken away, your life remains in My loving hands.” Amen.