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When Things Changed
(Luke 9: 28-36, Transfiguration Sunday)
(A Sermon preached February 18, 2007, Transfiguration Sunday, at University United Methodist
Church, East Lansing MI by Kennetha Bigham-Tsai)
I was raised in the church, but there was a time in my life when Christianity
was nothing more to me than a nice concept that I had grown up with. It wasn’t
my religion—my faith. It was the religion and faith of my parents and of my
grandparents. It was not mine. But then things changed. And I remember the
moment—when the appearance of Jesus changed before my eyes and the glory and
presence of God was revealed in my life through a changed experience of the
Christ.
When did things change for you? When did religion stop being about a
set of ideas that you either consented to or disagreed with? When did it become
an experience of the glory of God? When did things change for you? When
did your faith stop being about the faith of other people? When did it become
your faith lived out in the reality of your life? When did things change for
you? When did the appearance of Jesus change before your eyes? When was the
glory and presence of God revealed in your life through a changed experience of
the Christ? When did things change for you?
Picture this story and these disciples, Peter, James, and John and James.
They are up on a mountain with Jesus who has gone there to pray. Things are
about to change for them. An event is about to take place that will change their
perception—their understanding of the identity of this man Jesus. Things are
about to change in their understanding of who he is.
The first change that these disciples witness is indeed a change in his
appearance—the appearance of Jesus’ face changes and his clothes become dazzling
white. Now this event would have seemed familiar to the disciples. Because, the
disciples would have remembered the story about Moses that we read earlier--that
story about Moses meeting with God on the side of Mt. Sinai, and then returning
to the people with his face shining so brilliantly that they could not stand to
look upon him, (Exo 34: 29-35). The disciples would have remembered that story
about how Moses’ face shining so brightly because he had been in the presence of
God’s glory.
This story in Luke tells us that the disciples have a similar experience with
Jesus. The appearance of his face changes perhaps in the same way that Moses’
appearance had changed. And in that change, it must have been evident to the
disciples that Jesus was somehow in touch with the glory of God in the same way
that Moses had been in touch with and in the presence God’s glory. The disciples
must have come to understand that Jesus was somehow connected with divine glory.
Jesus was somehow able to exhibit God’s glory to the world in the same way that
Moses had.
At that moment, when these three disciples experienced this change in Jesus’
appearance they experienced a change in perception. Jesus was no longer just
prophet, teacher, or healer--this Jesus with whom they have walked and talked
and eaten--this Jesus with whom they have traveled—had somehow become the
revelation of divine glory. Their perceptions of Jesus had changed.
When did things change for you? When did your perceptions of Jesus
change? When did Jesus become to you more than a prophet and a teacher, but the
revelation of divine glory? When did Jesus become for you the revelation of God?
When did things change for you?
Things changed for these disciples when they witnessed the changed appearance
of Jesus and then when they witnessed Moses and Elijah with Jesus. Now these two
are of particular importance and significance in Jewish religion. For the
appearance of Elijah, especially, would have heralded the coming of the Messiah,
their savior. And, Moses’ appearance would have suggested themes of salvation
and freedom from the story of the Exodus.
Indeed, Moses, the first prophet of Israel, was the one who led the people of
Israel out of slavery in Egypt. He was the prophet used by God to bring
salvation and freedom to God’s people. He also was a prophet who saw God—who
stood in the presence of God—and then who mediated God’s presence to the people.
And so Jesus, in being associated with Moses, also would become one who would
stand in the presence of God and mediate God’s presence to the people. He also,
would become, like Moses, the one who would bring them salvation and freedom and
hope.
So, when Moses and Elijah appeared with Jesus, the disciples’ perceptions had
to have changed. For they had to have seen more of the significance of who Jesus
was—they had to have seen more of his identity as the one who could stand in the
presence of God and mediate God’s presence to others. They had to have seen him
as Messiah—the one who would set his people free.
And indeed, doesn’t verse 30 allude to this changed perception. For it tell
us that Moses, Elijah and Jesus were discussing his departure with one
another. This word—translated as departure or exodus--is a euphemism for his
death. So here is Elijah, the one whose return would herald the coming Messiah.
And here is Moses, the one who had led the Israelites in their exodus from
Egypt—here are Moses and Elijah talking with Jesus about the departure
that he would accomplish in Jerusalem—his departure--his exodus—his
death—the culmination of his passion—that act of salvation that would set God’s
people free.
The disciple’s perception of Jesus’ identity—their understanding of who he
was must have changed with this event. They must have been able to see him
differently, if only for a moment. They must have been able to see him as
Messiah, as savior, and as the God’s glory and presence in the world. Things
must have changed for these disciples.
When did things change for you? When did you begin to see--in the
midst of the toughest places in your life—that God was with you and that Jesus
was holding your hand? When did you begin to perceive and understand that in the
midst of the toughest places in your life, Jesus was truly a loving savior there
to set you free from the bondage of your circumstance? When did things change
for you?
Things changed for these disciples in the event of Jesus’ transfiguration.
Their perceptions of Jesus changed and they began to understand him as savior—as
Messiah. Indeed, Peter’s offer to build three dwellings indicates that he was
getting at the change in perception that this story suggests. For the building
of these dwellings or booths is part of the traditional celebration of the
Jewish Festival of Sukkoth (Festival of Booths). This festival commemorates the
wanderings of the Israelites in the desert after their exodus from Egypt.
As part of this festival the people built booths or dwellings in accordance
with the religious law in Leviticus, “You shall live in booths seven days in
order that future generations may know that I made the Israelite people live in
booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt.” (Leviticus 23:42-43).
This festival was a commemoration of
their wanderings—of their time in the desert. But it was also a commemoration of
the act of God’s salvation on their behalf. So Peter’s offer to build three
dwellings suggests again a change in their perception of Jesus--for it again
connects him with a time in Israel’s history when God had set them free.
Indeed, this whole story in Luke is
about revelation and changed perception. For the disciples’
perceptions changed with the changed appearance of Jesus’ face. Things changed
for the disciples as they witnessed Moses and Elijah appearing in glory and
talking with Jesus about his exodus. Things changed for the disciples as they
imagined building booths and celebrating the Festival of Booths on the side of
that mountain. And things changed yet again for the disciples when a cloud
descended around them and a voice came from the cloud declaring, “This is my
son, my chosen; Listen to him!” (Lk 9: 34-35).
Now you have to know that in the Bible, clouds are often symbols of God’s
presence. This was the case in the stories that relate how the Israelites
escaped slavery in Egypt. God went with them in a fire by night and a cloud by
day, (Exo 13:21). The cloud was a symbol of God’s presence. When Moses would
meet with God in the tent of testimony or on the side of Mt. Sinai, he would be
enveloped in a cloud. There again, the cloud was a symbol of God’s presence. And
when Solomon dedicated his temple as the dwelling place of God a cloud descended
on the temple, (1Kg 8: 10-11). The cloud was again a symbol of God’s presence.
And so here is Jesus with the disciples, and all are enveloped in a cloud.
And, out of the cloud comes a voice declaring Jesus the chosen son of God. When
the disciples experienced this voice coming from the cloud—things must have
changed for them. Their perceptions of Jesus must have changed, for there could
now be no doubt that Jesus was someone who was in an exceptional relationship
with God. Jesus was God’s son. Jesus was one with God.
Things had indeed changed. The disciples’ perceptions had surely changed.
Jesus was no longer just a mediator of God’s presence and glory, but the very
presence and glory of God. Jesus was no longer just a great prophet and healer,
but the very manifestation of divine power and love. The disciples’ perceptions
of Jesus had changed.
When did things change for you? When did your understandings about
Jesus change? When did you begin to see Jesus differently? When did you go from
a place of no faith to a place of faith? When did you go from a place of feeling
unloved—to a place of feeling loved by a gracious God revealed in Jesus Christ?
When did things change for you?
When did Jesus become for you savior? When did Jesus become for you Messiah?
When did you begin to realize that through your faith in this Messiah, God was
indeed present with you in every situation in your life? When did you come to
understand that through your faith in this savior, you could be present with
others as they go through the tough places life? When did things change for
you?
Perhaps you grew up with an understanding of Jesus as savior, helper and
friend from your early childhood. But I know that even those with the strongest
of faiths experience changing perceptions of Jesus. I know that the revelation
of God in and through Christ is never complete. I know that as we come to faith
and then grow in faith our experiences of God in Christ grow and change as well.
Things are always changing for us. Our perceptions of who God is in our lives
are always changing.
And you can anticipate more change. Perhaps during some difficult time in
your life, things will change for you again because you will gain a deeper
understanding of God’s mercy and grace revealed in Christ. Perhaps in some
mountaintop moment of your life—in some deep experience of prayer or
worship--things will change for you again because you will gain a deeper
communion with God in Christ.
I know that things will continue to change for you and for all of us. Our
perceptions of Jesus will continue to change as we all grow in faith. Jesus’
appearance will continue to change as we continue to have new experiences of
God’s glory and presence.
Things will continue to change for us as we experience more of life as a walk
with a loving savior. Things will continue to change for us as we challenge
ourselves to ever deeper discipleship. Things will continue to change for all of
us. Our perceptions of Jesus will change. We will change. And such changed
people--such changed disciples--ever deepening in faith and commitment to Christ
will change the world.
When did things change for you? When you saw Christ as the
manifestation of the glory of God--when you saw Christ as the presence and love
of God—and then when you saw Christ as the one who could set you free.
When did things change for you? When you saw Christ as the one who has
called you to set others free—when you saw Christ as the one who would change
you so that you could change the world. That is when things changed friends. And
that is how things will continue to change. And that is the change that we so
desperately need. Amen.
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