Transfiguration

10-2-2013

Pastor Lester Priebbenow

Only Jesus

Luke 9:28-36 (esp. v. 36)

28After eight days Jesus took Peter, John and James with him and went up a hill to pray. 29While he was praying, his face changed its appearance, and his clothes became dazzling white. 30Suddenly two men were there talking with him. They were Moses and Elijah, 31who appeared in heavenly glory and talked with Jesus about the way in which he would soon fulfil God's purpose by dying in Jerusalem. 32Peter and his companions were sound asleep, but they woke up and saw Jesus' glory and the two men who were standing with him. 33As the men were leaving Jesus, Peter said to him, 'Master, how good it is that we are here! We will make three tents, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah'. (He did not really know what he was saying.)
34While he was still speaking, a cloud appeared and covered them with its shadow; and the disciples were afraid as the cloud came over them. 35A voice said from the cloud, 'This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him!' 36When the voice stopped, there was Jesus all alone. The disciples kept quiet about all this and told no one at that time anything they had seen.

What a seemingly undramatic end to a very dramatic event! "When the voice stopped, there was Jesus all alone." Other Gospel writers tell us that the disciples saw "only Jesus". We can look at these words from a number of different angles.

We could, as many people do, put a question mark after them as if to ask, "Only Jesus?"

"What could this man who is supposed to have lived 2000 years ago have to offer our world – and our lives – today? Why should I bother with the Christian faith when it's 'only Jesus'; a nice story about a good man and his teachings? Why do I need the church when I can live a pretty good life myself?" It's "only Jesus"!

Sometimes our questions have a little more anger behind them, "What good is Jesus when our world is full of suffering? Where is this 'good man' when peoples' lives and livelihoods are devastated by acts of violence, bloodshed, hatred, disasters, accidents, drugs, debilitations and diseases? What good is "Only Jesus" when life gets tough?

Sometimes people question the relevance of the church, when they perceive that 'only Jesus' is all we have to offer? What relevance can the Word of Jesus, written thousands of years ago have in this age of instant messaging? What authority does the word of Jesus have over against the differing opinions of the majority? How can a living relationship with a man we can't see compete with the way we connect with real people on today's social media? How can Christian Worship that has "only Jesus" as its focus compete and compare with the "feel good" culture that thrills and entertains us; one that is hyped-up, high-tech and hi-fi? How can our work for Jesus really be more important than all the other jobs that are calling out for their attention? Is the post-transfiguration "only Jesus" enough for our Christian faith to survive all that the devil, the world and our sinful human nature will throw at it?

That was a question that people had to grapple with even when Jesus walked this earth. Last week we heard how the worshippers in Jesus' home-town synagogue questioned his authority to teach and perform miracles, claiming, "He's 'only Jesus,' Joseph and Mary's son."

Soon, in the Lenten and Easter gospels, we will hear how Jesus' own people rejected his claims to be God's Son, the Messiah, and the King of the Jews. We will hear them say, "It's 'only Jesus' of Nazareth," and then try him for blasphemy and sentence him to death. We will hear about the crowds who gathered around his cross and saw "only Jesus" – the very human Jesus torn and tormented by sorrow and suffering.
After his victorious resurrection and visible presence for 40 days, a cloud like the one on the mountain of transfiguration would again hide his physical body from sight and they would be left with "only the Jesus" of their memories and experiences to present to the world as its Saviour. How would they cope during the difficult times ahead?

That is exactly the point of the transfiguration. The disciples, who had witnessed these events and now saw "only Jesus", could never doubt again who he really was. They would always see him in the context of these events on the mountain. For them, "only Jesus" was not a negative thing but a positive thing. There is – and can be – nobody else who can do and achieve the things Jesus did. They would learn that the words "only Jesus" don't need a question mark; they need an exclamation mark! – a mark of truth and confidence.

On that mountain, the disciples learned:
• "Only Jesus" – the one who led them 'up a hill to pray' – could lead them into communion with God the Father through prayer.
• "Only Jesus" – God's only begotten Son, the chosen one – could shine from within with the glory of God from heaven. Not even Moses who reflected God's glory on Mt. Sinai could do that.
• "Only Jesus" could fulfil the living law of God, given through Moses – represented by the living Moses there on the mountain that day.
• "Only Jesus" could fulfil the promises of God spoken by the prophets, represented there on the mountain by Elijah himself.
• "Only Jesus" could join these two men 'in heavenly glory' and speak 'about the way in which he would soon fulfil God's purpose by dying in Jerusalem.'
• "Only Jesus" could rouse the disciples from their 'sleep' and help confirm who he really was – God's beloved, glorious Son.
• "Only Jesus" could be presented to the world in the living Word of Moses, the prophets and the apostles as the Son of God and Saviour of the world.
• "Only Jesus" could cover his disciples with the cloud of God's presence – as it had filled the tabernacle in Old Testament times.
• "Only Jesus" could have his identity confirmed by God's own voice as "My Son, whom I have chosen."
• "Only Jesus" could speak and act with such authority that God himself must say, "Listen to him!"

In view of this revelation of his glory, when the disciples saw "only Jesus" they knew he was all they would ever need. This supreme revelation of Jesus' glory would stand them in good stead for the troubled days ahead.
Though they were obedient to Jesus and initially told no one at that time anything they had seen, thankfully the Holy Spirit later caused the apostles to write it down, for our benefit. The Scriptures teach us that we also need to see "only Jesus" as our help and hope in life. They teach us that the way to an eternal relationship with God is through "Jesus alone" – nothing and nobody else – exclamation mark!

• "Only Jesus" can bring us bring us access to the throne of God the Father in prayer – no one else.
• "Only Jesus" can wake us to our need for a Saviour, speaking by the Holy Spirit through the law of God.
• "Only Jesus" can fulfil the demands or the holy law, given through Moses, and offer his perfect life as ours and his sacrificial death in payment for our sins.
• "Only Jesus" can fulfil the promises of a Saviour, given by Moses and the Prophets in his Holy Word.
• "Only Jesus" can bring eternal life to all who, like Moses, die trusting in him. Trying to live a good life won't do!
• "Only Jesus" can fulfil God's promise to those who are alive and 'in Christ' when he returns; that they too, like Elijah, will be 'caught up to meet the Lord in the air' (1 Thess. 4:17).
• "Only Jesus" can fulfil the Word of the apostles who were with him on the mountain that day, 'there is no other name under heaven, given to men by whom we must be saved' (Acts 4:12); words that proclaim Salvation through Christ alone.
• "Only Jesus" can surround us with the cloud of God's loving presence to calm our fears when things get tough.
• "Only Jesus" can speak with the kind of authority, even today, that causes God to say, 'Listen to him'.

The devil, the voices in the world around us and our own human nature will all call us to question whether 'only Jesus,' is worth the time, effort and trust that the Christian faith involves. When they do, let us go back to that mountain with the disciples and recall the things he teaches us there.

Let's not 'keep quiet about this' as the disciples first did. Rather, let's heed God's command on the mountain that day and let's "listen to him!" Amen.