February 3, 2008

Why was Jesus Transfigured?

Matthew 17:1-9

Opening Words: On the liturgical calendar this is Transfiguration Sunday. It is the Sunday before Ash Wednesday or the last Sunday of Epiphany. On this Sunday we are to remember of Jesus took Peter, James and John to the mountaintop. It is time to remember that Jesus was the greatest life that ever lived. The scripture lesson for today records that memorable day. Let us hear these words from the seventeenth chapter of Matthew.

Matthew 17:1-9 1After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. 2There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. 3Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.

4Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters-one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah."

5While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!"

6When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. 7But Jesus came and touched them. "Get up," he said. "Don't be afraid." 8When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus.

9As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus instructed them, "Don't tell anyone what you have seen, until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead."

I heard a story recently about a terrible fire in a chemical plant. Several area fire departments responded to the blaze, and quite a crowd from the entire area gathered at a distance to watch. The media was there in helicopters and satellite remote trucks. The president of the company was among the crowd, and he was frantic. He gathered together the chiefs of all the fire departments and explained to them that in the midst of the inferno was a safe that contained all the company’s super-sensitive documents including the top-secret formulas for all their best-selling products. He pledged to give a $500,000 donation to the fire department that brought the blaze under control and saved all the super-sensitive documents in the safe.

The chiefs rallied their firemen and women, pulled out all the stops attempting to bring the blaze under control, but it wasn’t happening. The fire continued to rage. After quite some time the crowd heard another siren in the distance that kept growing louder. Before long this old beat up, dilapidated 1930’s style fire engine filled with a bunch of men in their 70’s and 80’s came roaring through the crowd, right past all the other fire departments. The truck didn’t even slow down as it burst through the front door of the plant and right into the middle of the blazing inferno. Everyone, firefighters, media members and the crowd just gasped. However, before long the fire was under control and this group of aged firefighters stumbled out the front of the plant coughing. Everyone cheered their heroic effort. They saved the safe and the super-secret formula. A few hours later in front of the gutted plant the president of the company handed the 82 year old chief a check for half a million dollars. In the press conference that followed, one reporter asked the chief what they planned to do with that incredible reward. He didn’t even hesitate. "These guys already told me they want to buy a new fire engine that has some brakes!"

I tell you that story for a couple of reasons. First of all, I thought it was funny. This is the second reason. It teaches us every story has two levels. The first level is what happened, the facts of what occurred. The first level revolves around the questions of who, what, when, where and how. These questions give you the facts. Though sometimes the bare facts are interesting, they are one dimensional. What adds spice and interest to the facts of any situation is the second level. The second level revolves the question of why. Why did certain things play out in a certain way? I love the question why! It seems to me that why something happens is usually more interesting than what happened, even if what happened is a phenomenal event.

The why question brings the Bible to life! Events and situations that could seem like dusty old ancient history come alive when you ask the question why! Take this morning’s scripture lesson for example. Why would Jesus take Peter, James and John to the mountaintop? Why would Jesus permit them see Moses and Elijah? Why would God want this story in the Bible? Let us just be honest. The story of the transfiguration is odd. It is easier for me to understand why it happened then the details of what happened.

This morning I want to give you three reasons why this wonderful story is printed in the pages of your Bibles. You can consider these divine lessons. These are things that God wanted to teach us. As a disciple of Jesus Christ you should value each teaching. They should not be ignored or minimized. They are important to your spiritual development. May God gives you ears to hear. So if you are ready to journey to the mountaintop with Jesus say, “Amen!”

The importance of theology.

The first divine lesson that God wants you to learn is theology is important. Theology is not something reserved to college professors with bald heads and narrow lives. Theology is for everyone. I have never met a person who has never thought about God. I have never met a person who was not interested in God. God is one of the great preoccupations of our lives.

As a disciple of Jesus Christ, your goal is simple. You are striving to become more like Jesus everyday. It is our way of thanking God for saving our sin sick souls. The truth is the best way to learn about Jesus is simply reading the Bible. The problem is most people don’t read the Bible. Their theology is based on their personal experiences, opinions and desires. While your experiences, opinions and desires are important they don’t teach you anything about Jesus! That is why being part of the spiritual life of the church and reading the Bible are so important. They are in place to expand your theological understanding, to expand your perspective of the world. As a disciple of Jesus Christ you need to be cultivating an eternal perspective, where your experiences, opinions and desires become secondary to God’s will. Developing a mature theology is important! If you don’t believe me, then look at the scripture lesson for this morning.

Peter has just identified Jesus as the long awaited Messiah. He says the words but he doesn’t really understand what he said. His theology is immature. His theology is based on his personal experiences, opinions and desires. When he says Jesus is the Messiah he is hoping Jesus would be a military Messiah, the kind of Messiah that would expel the Romans and end foreign oppression. His theology is immature poor. So Jesus takes Peter, James and John to the mountaintop to expand their theological understanding. It is while they are on the mountaintop that they experience the Moses and Elijah. Moses was the great law giver. Elijah was considered to be the greatest of the prophets. These two great personalities from Hebrew history are endorsing Jesus’ ministry. It is at that moment Peter begins to understand the real meaning of the word Messiah. Jesus wasn’t going to expel the Romans. In the big picture that really didn’t matter! Jesus has come to establish the Kingdom of God, a kingdom that would never end. It was on the mountaintop that Peter stopped looking at the world from his perspective. He was looking at the world from God’s perspective. Don’t tell me theology isn’t important.

It is my opinion that is one of the reasons so many churches are struggling today. They have an immature theology. Their have no eternal perspective. It is not that they don’t think or talk about God. The problem is their understanding of God is not based on Bible. It is based on personal experiences, opinions and desires. Why would God send people to church who are theologically immature or inaccurate? Without Bible they begin to live for ourselves and no real ministry is taking place. The key word in those congregations is survival. My prayer for you today is to mature theologically, develop an eternal perspective. Growing church need a mature theology because they know there is more to the world then us! And all of God’s people said, “Amen!” Lesson number one says theology is important.

Jesus’ incredible majesty

The second divine point that God wants you to learn today is about Jesus. There are six billion people in the world today. Does anyone have a guess on how many people have lived and died sense the beginning of time? The exact number doesn’t matter. The only thing that does matter is that you understand that Jesus was the greatest life that ever lived! That is a big piece of your mature theology.

If you go back to the mountaintop you find Peter, James and John. They represent the church. There is Moses, the great law giver. There is Elijah, the greatest of the prophets. They are endorsing Jesus as superior to them. In other words, they are saying their impact on this world was second to Jesus. You are not going to save yourself by keeping the law. You are not going to save yourself by following a dynamic personality. The only way to be saved is by accepting Jesus as your Lord and Savior. We are saved by grace and by grace alone! In this story God wants us to learn about the incredible majesty of Jesus!

Years ago the great evangelist D.M. Stearns was preaching in Philadelphia. At the close of the service a stranger came up to him and said, "I don't like the way you spoke about the cross. I think that instead of emphasizing the death of Christ, it would be far better to preach Jesus as our teacher and example." Stearns replied, "If I presented Christ in that way, would you be willing to follow Him?" "I certainly would," said the stranger without hesitation. "All right then," said the preacher, "let's take the first step. He did no sin. Can you claim that for yourself?" The man looked confused and somewhat surprised. "Why, no," he said. "I acknowledge that I do sin." Stearns replied, "Then your greatest need is to have a Savior, not an example!" The greatest need that you have and I have is for a Savior. If you will admit Jesus is your only way to heaven is Jesus say, “Amen!” The first lesson God wants us to learn is theology is important. The second lesson God wants us to learn is the incredible of Jesus.

The privilege of intimacy

The third divine point that God wants you learn today is He wants an intimate relationship with you. Look at the text. Peter, James and John were included in that wonderful scene. Jesus didn’t exclude them. He included them and he includes us. When you stop and think about that fact it is humbling. The God who created all this out of nothing, the God who has been directing history from the very beginning of time wants a relationship with you! He doesn’t want a relationship with you because he wants something from you. You have nothing to offer. He wants a relationship with you because He loves and cares for you!

In April 2001, in the midst of the Israeli/Arab conflict, a motorcade carrying the Security Service Chief of Gaza came under intense bullet fire from Israeli troops. The frightened security officer called Yasir Arafat from his car for help. Arafat, in turn called the U.S. Ambassador, who then called the U.S. Secretary of State, Colin Powell. Colin Powell then phoned the Israeli prime minister, Ariel Sharon, who ordered the shooting to stop immediately. It did. It was a good thing the Security Chief had connections. They literally saved his life.

I love the story of the minister who was transferred to a new church. When he arrived for his first Sunday he noticed a large floral arrangement from his previous congregation. The flowers were beautiful but the sash confused him. It read: REST IN PEACE! The minister called the florist and questioned the clerk. The clerk admitted a mistake had been made. His flowers were sent to a local funeral home and he accidentally received their flowers. The minister laughed but the family of the deceased didn’t think it was so funny. Their sash read: GOOD LUCK IN YOUR NEW LOCATION! We don’t need like. We have connections. We have Jesus! And all of God’s people said, “Amen!”

Why was Jesus transfigured? I will give you three reasons. First, God wanted to teach us that theology is important. Second, God wanted to teach us about Jesus’ incredible majesty. Third, God wanted to teach us that He wants an intimate relationship with you! And all of God’s people said, “Amen!”