We love lights. The glow of lights often points us to where the people are, where the conversations are flowing, and where merriment is to be had. And so by association, many of us like the glow of lights and the feelings they stir within us. Just think of people’s attraction for Las Vegas–it’s not just the gambling. Think of Broadway. Think of Paris, which is even called the city of lights. Those places attract millions of visitors who hope they can enjoy the bright and exciting lights.
But such a love for lights also extends into the spiritual realm. When people hear the story of Jesus’ transfiguration, the thought of a glowing and shining Jesus fills them with wonder. I’ve even heard some folks say, “If only I could see Jesus that way! If I saw Jesus in His glory, then I’d also have an unshakable faith. Then all my doubts would be gone.”
But where does the Father of Jesus direct our attention? Where does St. Peter tell us to look? The answer is not to Jesus in His bright and shining glory. Instead, they direct us to the Jesus made known to us in His Word.
When the cloud of glory was still covering the mountain, God the Father declared: “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!” And Peter–an eyewitness of Jesus’ transfiguration–writes that we have “the word of the prophets confirmed beyond doubt.” What does that mean?
It means that Jesus has fulfilled and confirmed what the Old Testament Law and Prophets foretold. On the mountain, Moses is with Jesus. He’s the one to whom God gave His Law, the Ten Commandments. Elijah was also there, the greatest prophet in the Old Testament. On the mountain, both the Law and the Prophets are pointing to Jesus. And from what Jesus said and did for our salvation, the Apostles and evangelists wrote what we needed to know under Holy-Spirit inspiration.
But it’s no surprise to us that many find the Word of Christ–as the Apostles had preached and the Holy Scriptures record–to be of little use. The unadorned Word of God is not exciting; even people in the Church often find it to be boring. It’s not flashy and glittery. It doesn’t grab our flesh like the flash and dazzle of the world. We often prefer what’s exciting, what we think is “relevant” and “interesting.”
But how does God the Father deal with our wants? He tells us to listen to Jesus, His Son. And St. Peter tells us to listen to his words, for they are true, not cleverly devised stories. So don’t seek Jesus in something that excites your senses. Instead of chasing a flashy and exciting Jesus, heed the Father’s word. Hear Jesus as He comes to you in the preached Word and the Holy Scriptures.
So what then are the words of Jesus that you should hear? Our Gospel reading tells us that after Jesus was no longer shining like the sun, Jesus came to Peter, James, and John and said, “Don’t be afraid!” Then, as they were leaving the mountain, Jesus told them, “The Son of Man is going to suffer.” Jesus was going to die and rise. Those are the words to which you should listen.
Jesus’ words, which St. Peter says are sure and certain, are the words that tell us what will happen to the Lord of Glory. He will go to Jerusalem and take the place of us sinners on the cross. That’s no myth as Peter reminds us. And so those are the words our ears should delight in hearing.
Peter saw the Lord’s glory on the mountain. St. John saw Jesus crucified. All the Apostles saw a risen Jesus, no longer in the tomb. Five hundred others saw Him alive before He ascended to heaven. The testimony of the Apostles and the words of Jesus all point to our suffering Savior, our crucified Jesus, our Lord who has conquered sin and death by His death for sinners.
That’s the saving message of the prophetic Word made sure. Christ has answered for your sins by His life, death, and resurrection. The Holy Scriptures record what the Apostles preached, so we, living long after the Apostles, could have confidence in the truth of Jesus and what He did, and does, to save us.
When St. Peter tells us to pay attention to the Word, when God the Father tells us to “hear” His Son, they direct us away from the flashy, dazzling Jesus that tantalizes our emotions. Instead, God directs us to a Jesus who gave His life into death on the cross, who then delivers that salvation to us through His Word.
God’s Word tells His Church to baptize (Matthew 28:19-20). God’s Word tells His Church to be a place that breathes and speaks Christ’s forgiveness (John 20:23). God Word tells His Church to eat and drink in Jesus, in His holy Supper. And so Baptism, Absolution, and the Lord’s Supper are not make-believe fairy tales; they are the prophetic Word made sure. They are Christ’s own words attached to what He has chosen to use, which deliver to us what they say. And they are certain because they turn us away from ourselves to Jesus Christ, the Source of our salvation.
So God’s Word rescues us from the flashy Jesuses that attract and allure us. Being faithful to God’s Word, don’t run after a Jesus you want to find in some dramatic event of your life. You won’t find Jesus there! Instead, receive Jesus where He has promised to be: His Word.
For Jesus is in the Word, the Word spoken, that is preached, which the Father tells us to hear. He’s in the words and promises of Jesus given through the Apostles’ preaching and written down for us in Holy Scripture. He’s is the faithful preaching of the Word, which brings us the Word Himself, Jesus Christ.
What did Peter say about the confirmed, prophetic Word? He wrote, “You will do well to pay attention to it as you would to a lamp that is shining in a murky place.” So, take up the Word of God as the bright light that overthrows the dismal darkness of your sin. God’s Word shines against the terrors of your life, the troubles of your conscience, your fleshly wants and wishes, and the temptations of the devil. Receive the Lord’s Word as a light that drives away sin and darkness by giving you the forgiveness of sins.
With so much ignorance and even our own idols darkening our world, God calls us to receive the shining light of Christ’s Word in our lives. But how do we do this? How does God’s Word shine for you? Well, consider the many Bible studies that we have here at Shepherd of the Hills. Come to one or more of these for reading and hearing God’s Word.
When we are studying the Holy Scriptures, we hear Jesus. And the Gospel of His Word comforts us, for it delivers the true Jesus who has answered for our sins. The light of God’s promises shines on us overpowering sin’s darkness and death.
When we learn and grow in God’s Word, the Holy Spirit delivers Jesus to us. God comes to us and teaches us, protects us in His grace, and gives us wisdom for loving God and serving our neighbor. The Word of Christ shines brightly, just as Jesus shone brightly on the mountain.
But Jesus didn’t show the light of His glory just because He could do that. No, He did so to teach us that, for us, His glory is in His Word, wherever and whenever it is preached and delivered according to the truths of Scripture. The entire Mount-of-Transfiguration experience confirms that truth.
Remember that God told us to listen to Jesus, even as Jesus was ablaze in His glory. God directs us away from the dazzling Jesus to the Word of Jesus.
Oh, we love the lights and glitter. But we don’t find our hope and comfort in the flashing Jesus who stands atop the hill. No, our hope is in His Word. That’s where He comes and delivers His salvation. That’s where we know the true power of our crucified, risen, ascended, and glorified Lord.
If we were to see Jesus in His full glory on this side of heaven, it would be a dazzling vision, indeed! But right now, we receive Jesus in a more humble way. Jesus does this because His raw glory would fry us to a cinder. So He hides Himself within His Word, giving us hope and comfort as He gives us His forgiveness, life, and salvation.
So then, find comfort in the prophetic Word, which the Lord’s faithful men wrote down as the Holy Spirit had moved them. Come and join in the study of God’s Word, so you too may be strengthened against your sins and the devil’s tricks. Come and see through your ears the Father’s Son in whom He delights! Hear Him! He’s in the Word of God.
By that Word, Jesus comes to us and delivers His salvation. It’s as sure as Jesus standing on the mountain and as sure as the Word He speaks at the font, pulpit, and altar. Christ’s Word is His saving light to cast away your darkness. Amen.
