Our Sermons

Bible Passage: Mark 9:2-9
Pastor: Pastor Horton
Sermon Date:  February 11, 2024

Before the game kicks off today, as you settle into your favorite recliner with a plate of food, you may hear the song: “America the Beautiful.”  With descriptive lyrics, one of the lines stirs up memories for me.  And that is “purple mountain majesty.”  Have you seen that with your own eyes?  Maybe you were road tripping in or around Yellowstone, or western Colorado, or along the Sierra Nevada ridgeline in California.  The sun is nearing the horizon, and a shadow extends over the rock face and all those happy little trees down below.  And you see it and say, “Oh wow, there it is!  There’s the purple mountain majesty!  How majestic!”

Today our focus is not on the mountain, but on the Majestic One upon the Mountain.  Today we see Jesus as our glorious God and can’t help but say, “Oh wow, there He is!”  We’ve been climbing, so to speak, to this high point in the Epiphany season.  Epiphany readings reveal Jesus alone as our needed Savior – and there have been some memorable moments with the visit of the Magi and Jesus’ baptism in the Jordan River.  Our Savior always performs his miracles with a purpose and for our benefit, and at this time and in this place, Peter, James, and John would need to see Jesus in majesty.

If you happen to have a Bible open, take a quick look at the verses leading up to this event.  The disciples were far from being “majestic” and far more “downtrodden.”  At the end of his public ministry, Jesus had just been walking his followers through what had to happen next.  We’re told that he was spelling out in plain words “that the Son of Man must suffer many things; be rejected…be killed; and after three days rise again.”  But you may remember what Peter did at that point.  Peter took him aside and told Jesus he was talking crazy talk.  At which point Jesus rebuked him saying, “Get behind me, Satan!”  He then warns them about giving up their love affair with life and bearing crosses instead for him.

It’s not what they wanted to hear.  Yet Jesus, even though he regularly does not get the honor he deserves, continues to give, and shows them what will follow the cross.  Our reading, “Jesus took Peter, James, and John with him and led them up a high mountain where they were alone by themselves.  There he was transfigured in front of them.  His clothes became radiant, dazzling white, whiter than anyone on earth could bleach them.  And Elijah appeared to them together with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus.” 

There was majesty in his appearance.  This was not some trick or a natural cause like the reflection of sunlight.  This was Jesus revealing his nature as true God.  And he dazzled!  I happened to buy an engagement ring this past September and I was surprised to find that when you opened the box a light would shine down upon it.  It was not exactly the largest rock known to man, but wow did that light make it dazzle and sparkle!  And yet that stunning diamond couldn’t possibly begin to compare to the majestic glory of Jesus dazzling, like lightning, his face putting the sun to shame.  How majestic of a moment!  What’s more, is that Jesus appeared to them in a way that you will get to see with your very own eyes one day in heaven.  You and those who die in the Lord.  Speaking of which…

Appearing with Jesus were Moses and Elijah, legendary prophets of the Old Testament.  The disciples were allowed to recognize them instantly.  Moses was the lawgiver and leader of God’s people.  And Elijah, whom we heard about in today’s lesson, he stood up to the many prophets of Baal, and help guide God’s flock back to his fold.  And yet both men in God’s service face adversity, second-guessed God’s direction, and wondered about their place in his plan.  And yet God helped them bear their crosses.  Just as he would help the disciples bear theirs.  Just as he will help you with yours.

There was majesty in his purpose.  Moses and Elijah were able to talk with Jesus about the completion of his saving work, something those men had looked forward to by faith.  As the heavenly Father’s cloud appeared and overshadowed them, one can’t help but think of all the references to our glorious Lord at work as he led the children of Israel with a pillar of cloud and fire, a cloud descending upon the tabernacle, and filling the temple at its dedication by Solomon.  We find this cloud and power and majesty at Sinai where the law and its perfect demands were given.  And now this cloud was present at Jesus’ transfiguration, surrounding the only one who was able to keep the law perfectly.  Only Jesus has walked the perfect path of redemptive obedience.

This majestic scene with fellow believers is like a little preview of heaven.  And like heaven, the focal point of our salvation will ever only be Jesus our Savior!  Imagine if this happened elsewhere in our world!  In election years (such as this one) you may often find numerous debates with stages full of candidates.  No matter your politics, it can be a little overwhelming with the different choices of platforms, policies, and personalities.  Wouldn’t it be nice if one candidate was singled out with a supernatural American flag surrounding them, and George Washington and Abraham Lincoln suddenly appearing by the candidate to discuss the nation’s work?  And God says, “listen to this individual!”  That would make voting our conscience a lot easier!  And that is essentially what happened for us with Jesus, God’s chosen Messiah, who is our access to God the Father in heaven and our Majesty on the Mountain.

This was all a bit too majestic for the disciples.  “Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here.  Let us make three tents: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”  He did not know what to say because they were terrified.”  When in doubt, Peter will usually spit something out.  Only this was not well thought out.  A well-intended suggestion interrupted and missed the point of this majestic moment.  Remember he had been wrestling with the thought of the cross when his mind was on glory instead.  “Let’s set up shelters,” he is reasoning, “and keep God’s glory confined here.  Moses and Elijah don’t have to return to heaven (as if they wanted to stay on sin-filled earth).  Jesus, you don’t have to leave and go to the cross – why don’t you stay here just with us permanently!”

But before we get too critical of Peter, we have also raised our hand and interrupted Jesus’ majesty with our own personal suggestions concerning God’s plans.  Not only have we grimaced at the idea of cross-bearing, we want to have a say in his kingdom.  I’ve got plenty of suggestions for God that don’t involve crosses.  How about you?  The Christian church’s history is littered with humans giving advice to God.  We often suggest cross alternatives.  Think for a moment about required fasting and pilgrimages, cutting oneself off from the world in monastic life, crusades, and the many more human actions which God did not ask or tell us to do.

Even our own hearts ultimately question the need for the cross.  We don’t really want the difficulty that comes with one.  We want to suggest and define what any cross may look like.  We just want mountaintop moments at best, and an easier solution at worse.  With your salvation completely won by Jesus, what more could we do?  It’s handled.  It’s finished.  And yet we get to thinking, “you know, I’ll take it upon myself to do that good deed on my terms and build this extra dwelling place to prove (to myself) how devoted and divine I am.  Who knows maybe if I do these extra things and construct my own cross, then God will be more lenient and maybe even let my favorite sins slide?”  And suddenly, we’re replacing the cross for self-serving glory.

But what does God ask of us in this reading?  Simply, “Listen to Jesus!”  Be grounded in Jesus’ words.  That is what matters most because through Jesus’ words we see our sins clearly and find the necessity of Christ’s cross.  There our condemnable sins of thinking we can chime in on or add to God’s saving work are done away with by Jesus.  Through Jesus’ words we see God establishing and supporting and advancing his kingdom through the gospel.  Through Jesus’ words we find the Father’s (agape) love he has for Jesus, and that same love extended to us through Jesus.  Through Jesus’ words we find help when bearing difficult crosses as we follow him.  Through Jesus’ words we find a dazzling proclamation of God’s love for you.

Through Jesus’ words we have God’s majesty in our lives.

When the cloud cleared, the disciples found our Lord there by himself.  Elsewhere we hear that he reached out and comforted them.  His work was not done.  He would go down the mountain and down his steps of humiliation – even becoming obedient to a death on a cross.  But he would also go through his steps of exaltation: rising, ascending, and graciously reigning over all things.  We follow him, down into the messiness of life to serve him and hold up his saving name before a watching world.  We rejoice in his guidance given through his words.  And hold him close by faith when those difficult crosses appear.  For our Jesus will bring us through the hills and valleys of life – even the valley of the shadow of death – and bring us to the permanent majesty of heaven one day.

The disciples didn’t understand all this at first.  They had wanted glory before the cross.  At times we still do as well.  But with God’s help one day they would better understand.  2 Peter 1:12-16, “we were not following cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the powerful appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.”  John 1:14, “We have seen his glory, the glory he has as the only-begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.”  This mountaintop held true beauty because here is Jesus on his way to die and rise for us.  He encourages his disciples through the ages when it comes to cross bearing.  And today God gives us a glimpse of heavenly glory, revealing Jesus to be our Savior and the Majesty on the Mountain.  Amen.