“What About Our Transfiguration?”
Text: 2 Corinthians 3:12--4:6
2-11-2024
In the name of Him who transfigures you and me, dear brothers and sisters in Christ. As you can see from your bulletin cover this is Transfiguration Sunday. It’s the day that we remember how Christ’s earthly body was brilliantly transformed right before the disciples’ eyes. However, what really happened on that mountain top was a revelation for the benefit of the disciples. You see, Jesus didn’t actually “change.” He was the same person before, during, and after this amazing transfiguration. He was 100% God and 100% man all throughout His life here on earth, including the transfiguration. The only thing that changed was the way the disciples saw Him. As they looked at their friend and Rabbi, God allowed the veil of Jesus’ human flesh to be pulled back so they could see a glimpse of the divine glory He possessed. They got to see Jesus for who He really was.
Verse 2 of the Gospel lesson says that the Disciples saw Jesus “transfigured.” The Greek word that St. Mark uses to describe this change is where we get our English word metamorphosis. It means to “change in form” or to “change the appearance of your form.” If you shift your attention to the Epistle lesson, in verse 18 St. Paul says, “And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image…” Do you see the word “transformed” there? Well guess what word that is in the Greek? Yep! The same one that Mark used to describe the transfiguration of Jesus. I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with the translators using the word “transformed” rather than “transfigured” in the Epistle, but I point this out so you can see the beautiful connection between what Mark and Paul are saying. As we celebrate the Transfiguration of Jesus Christ, we can also celebrate our own transfiguration by the working of the Holy Spirit within us.
Nearly all of you have heard The Battle Hymn of the Republic. Most people know the opening verse, but are you familiar with verse 3? It goes: “In the beauty of the lilies Christ was born across the sea, With a glory in His bosom that transfigures you and me. As He died to make men holy, let us live to make men free, While God is marching on.” That verse does a wonderful job of bringing out the lesson we’re talking about here. The glory of Jesus that was revealed on the Mount of Transfiguration is what now “transfigures you and me.” That was the whole mission of Jesus. To bring God’s glorious presence to this earth so that He could transfigure us sinful humans into a new and holy form. As the song says, Christ sacrificed His own life so that we could receive this divine transfiguration of our souls.
The Bible tells us very clearly why our transfiguration needs to take place. When Adam and Eve were created, they were formed in the image of God. They were holy and sinless, just like their Maker. But then they gave in to temptation and a “transfiguration” took place. It was a bad transfiguration. We could more appropriately call it a “dis-figuration.” In that sinful act of rebellion, mankind was transformed into something unholy and detestable to God. But thankfully, He refused to leave us in this pitiful condition. Right away, God set into motion a plan to transfigure His beloved children back into the holy form that He had originally intended. And that plan involved sending His only Son into our world to bring God’s holiness back to us. Through faith in Jesus Christ and His atoning death, we now can receive that saving transfiguration. But St. Paul says there’s problem. The sinful, unbelieving mind has a veil over it, preventing us from experiencing the transforming glory of God. In the Old Testament when Moses stood in God’s holy presence, his face literally reflected God’s glory. God had given to Moses His holy covenant for His people. It was God’s promise of how He would save them and transfigure them. That covenant also contained God’s Law. The Law was meant to show people their sinfulness and to show them their need for a Savior. Sadly, many people in Israel only saw the Law of God and not the grace He was offering them. The Law made them feel God’s judgment against their sin. But they didn’t turn to Him for relief from that judgment. And so, the glory of God reflected on the face of Moses scared them and had to be veiled from their eyes.
That is still a true picture of the sinful, unbelieving mind today. People look at God’s Word and reject it because all they see is judgment. They view the Ten Commandments as a condemning list of do’s and don’ts. All they see is God’s Law and not His Grace through Jesus Christ. And it scares them… as it should. No one on the face of this earth can keep God’s Law perfectly. Because of that, we deserve to be punished eternally in hell. But that’s why Jesus came. In Matthew 5:17 Christ says, "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” Jesus kept God’s Law perfectly for us because we couldn’t. God’s Law is still there to show us our sinfulness and our need for a Savior. But sadly, like the Israelites, people want to veil their eyes from this truth.
There is good news though. St. Paul tells us in Verse 16, “But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed.” When Paul says “turns to the Lord” he’s talking about the conversion of their soul. Obviously, this isn’t something that we can do of own free will. I mean, how can a person with a blinding veil over their eyes know which way to turn? It’s like being blindfolded and then spun around to play pin the tail on the donkey. Even when you’re pointed in the right direction, you haven’t got a clue which way you’re going or if it’s right. Notice, the veil which prevents a person from seeing and believing in Jesus isn’t removed until they “turn” to the Lord. And it’s the Holy Spirit who does that. He stops our senseless spinning around, turns us to the Lord, and takes off the spiritual blindfold. That’s when the transfiguration of a person’s soul takes place. And Paul identifies the Holy Spirit as the One who does this in Verse 17.
So when did that transfiguration begin for you? For many of us it happened when we were just little babies. When we were Baptized, the Holy Spirit worked in our hearts to remove the veil of our spiritual blindness. We were transformed into a totally new being. That was our first visit to the “Mount of Transfiguration.” But hopefully that wasn’t our last because as long as we live in this sinful world, we need this ongoing transformation to take place. In verse 18, Paul says “And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.” In other words, that transformation is an ongoing process. And it takes place through God’s Word and Sacraments. As you read God’s Word, the Bible, He’s transforming you into His likeness. As you worship Him and listen to His Word, He’s transforming you into His likeness. As you receive Christ’s body and blood in Holy Communion, He’s transforming you into His likeness and filling you with His glory. In all these ways, God restores the holy image that was lost back in the Garden of Eden.
But I want you to see one more thing here in the text. Paul says that we now “beholding” the Lord’s glory. The actual word in the Greek conveys the idea of a mirror reflecting someone’s image. So, like Moses, we have been brought into the holy presence of God Almighty. And like Moses, the glory of God is now supposed to be reflected from us. In our words and in our actions, the glory of God’s presence in our lives is meant to shine out to the world. The problem is that we sometimes veil that glory of God which we ought to be reflecting. Sometimes out of fear of rejection, Christians veil that inner reflection of God from the world around us. Sometimes, by our own willful sinfulness, we veil the glory of God in our lives. It’s like having mud and road grime caked over your headlights. You might turn them on, but no light is going to be shining through. That’s where the ongoing process of being transformed comes in. As we confess those sins to God, He wipes away the filthiness of our sin. It’s like a veil being removed so that He can fill us once again with His glory. That way we can radiate His glory clearly to the world around us.
So you see, through God’s Word and Sacraments we’re revisiting the Mount of Transfiguration again where we God now transfigures us into the image of His Son, our Savior. May He continue to fill us with a radiant faith and transform us so that we may boldly reflect His glory. Amen.
Soli Deo Gloria!