May the words that I speak be both spoken and received in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
The theme for today is the transfiguration of our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they would be alone, away from the crowds of people.
If we pause and think about it, walking up to the summit of mountains can be exciting and exhilarating, as well as arduous and not really for the faint-hearted. Snowdon, the hightest mountain in Wales, can be comfortably ascended by train! Or if you prefer it, as I have, walk up.
From mountain summits the scenery can often be magnificent, with splendid panoramic views. Pendle Hill can be a good climb, though it does not qualify for mountain status, as it is not high enough. George Fox had a mystical vision on Pendle Hill, and then went on to found the Society of Friends, also known as the Quakers.
In wet weather, you can safely be accused of having your head in the clouds! I can remember on one occasion feeling as though I was being ‘pebble-dashed’ when walking on the summit of Bowfell, in the Lake District, when there was hailstone and a gale-force horizontal wind.
But let’s return to Jesus and the three disciples. We don’t know what Jesus said to Peter, James and John before they commenced the trek up to the mountain summit, but the three disciples were certainly in for a big surprise. Jesus was transfigured before their very eyes. His clothing shone with an intensity of whiteness which glowed and dazzled.
Then to add to this remarkable event, there appeared before the three disciples, Elijah and Moses, who both spoke to Jesus. A cloud came and covered them, and a voice spoke from the cloud saying: ‘This is my Son whom I love. Listen to him!’
This whole event for the disciples was not only startling and inspiring, but it may have confused them as well, for a while at least. All three disciples fell down on their faces at the sound of God’s voice. And at one point Peter suggested that three shelters should be built for Moses, Elijah and Jesus to stay in.
The three disciples did not really understand what was happening (who would!). The Transfiguration was a sign that Christ is the Son of God. And this was confirmed by God himself speaking from the cloud.
It does seem fair to say that Peter did not fully understand what was happening up on the Mount of the Transfiguration, but his spirit told him that things were all right. There are times in the lives of many people, when they too can feel close to God and occasionally be surprised by him.
On the Mount of Transfiguration, the disciples were given an experience of love and revelation, where God was being divinely gracious and enlightening. The transfiguration not only encouraged Peter, James and John, but it also gave them, and us, a glimpse of the life to come – eternal life with God.
It seems that we will keep our name and personalities, our looks will not be tarnished, but will take on a magnificent splendour and radiance.
If God had not intended us to think about, and to meditate on the glorious Transfiguration, to use it as encouragement for what we can do in the way of preparation here and now, we can be reasonably sure that he would not have shared the experience with us.
Jesus could quite easily have gone up to the summit of the mountain on his own, and his disciples, along with us, would not have known about the event.
Christ’s Transfiguration came at an important time in his life. In the early days of his ministry the crowds listened to him gladly and with apparent enthusiasm. But their ideas of the Messiah were often far from what Jesus did in his life whilst fulfilling God’s will.
When Moses and Elijah spoke to Jesus they spoke about the death which Jesus had to suffer. And Moses along with Elijah, were the two most venerated figures of the Old Testament, after Abraham. Moses was the giver of the Law, while Elijah was the head and leader of the Prophets. They had foretold the coming of Jesus, and they had preceded him. Now they appeared and bore witness to him.
The transfiguration not only gives us an insight into the appearance and nature of people in the life hereafter, but it reveals Christ, to a certain extent in his Glory.
The transfiguration of our Lord, has inspired many artists throughout the centuries. One of the most outstanding is the painting by Raphael, which is kept in the Vatican. This painting is the work of a man of intense faith, and depicts Christ as gloriously triumphant and inspired with divine power. Splendid though the painting is, it omits the suffering and crucifixion which is integral to the Glory of Christ.
Christ’s suffering and death for the salvation and redemption of humanity is not separate from his glory, but it a life-giving event which fulfils God’s will and brings Christ to triumph over death in Glory. The way to glory is always through suffering.
If we think about God speaking to his disciples, he instructs them to listen to Jesus. Beholding the glory of Christ, wonderful though that must be, it is not in itself sufficient for us and our spiritual growth.
Listening to the teachings of Christ and carrying them out in our lives, not only changes us in the way God wants us to live, but increases the Kingdom of God in this world. No words can express the diving glory that belongs to our Lord, Jesus Christ, but the three disciples were allowed to glimpse and to experience something of it, and what it means.
But the full vision awaits in heaven for all of the Lord’s people, when the time is right and when they are ready for it. After the Transfiguration, with its strange and wonderful message, Jesus and his disciples returned to the crowds of people; people seeking salvation and forgiveness for their sins; people hoping for healing and comfort. And also those who simply wished to follow this remarkable and charismatic person, Jesus, for who he was and what he stood for.
There are times in our lives when it is good for us to withdraw from the hustle and bustle of life and to spend time with God. To worship, pray, or simply to sit quietly in his presence. And the comfort and strength we all receive enables us to continue with our daily lives, with renewed energy.
Months after the Transfiguration, Jesus appeared to the disciples after his resurrection, confirming his own glorious and eternal life and the power of God over death. Jesus assures his disciples, and all his faithful people, of his continuous presence with them saying ‘Peace to you.’
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen
St Peter's Church 