His Epiphany Glory

Now Peter and those who were with him [Jesus] were heavy with sleep, but when they became fully awake they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. (Luke 9:32 ESV) The Glory of Epiphany shines brightly in the face of Jesus who is revealed as God’s Chosen Son! Today at International Lutheran Church we join Peter, John, and James on that holy mountain as our Lord is transfigured before them.

In the Transfiguration of Jesus on the mountain a new and different picture emerges. Jesus’ “change” in His physical appearance in the midst of His communion with the Father in prayer points to the change He has been called to affect. In addition to His lightening-like appearance, Jesus is accompanied by those two Old Testament figures of Moses and Elijah whose ministry was completed by another, namely Joshua and Elisha. Note the similarity of the names: Joshua means the LORD saves; Elisha means my God saves, and Jesus’ name means He saves. Even more revealing, Luke tells us the content of their conversation and consultation. They were speaking with Jesus of His departure, literally His exodus, to be accomplished in Jerusalem as He had mentioned to the disciples only eight days earlier.

Just as God used Moses to deliver the people of Israel out of slavery in Egypt and as God used Elijah to bring the people of God back to faith in Him, so God had elected His own Son to fulfill this work for all people through the cross and empty tomb. Of all the events in the life of the disciples, this watershed moment was critical for what later would be the core of their message to the ends of the earth. Jesus was delivered into the hands of sinful men that He would deliver all men from sin and death. Jesus was raised from death on the third day to bring us back to faith and life in our Heavenly Father. This is the glory that Peter, John, and James would reflect upon as they contemplated what His death and resurrection meant for us and all people.

Like Peter, we may often want to stay on the mountain and bask in the beatific vision. Yet Jesus’ return to the plain marks the reality in which we live, too. We are not yet there. This is no heavenly place. Satan’s tyranny of lies and reign of death still impacts us all. Jesus’ death and resurrection is the very change that changes and transfigures even how we face the changes of each day. The world can bombard us, but He has already won the victory! We have good news to share! We have people to pray with and for! We have work to do in telling all what we have seen and heard - God’s true yet hidden nature in all His Epiphany glory!

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This Wednesday, March 5, we begin the season of Lent. This day is known as Ash Wednesday. We mark this day with ashes as we remember that we are “dust, and that to dust we will return.” (Genesis 3:19) We will have a special Service of the Imposition of Ashes and Holy Communion at 7PM to begin our journey together.

Ash Wednesday, in particular, and Lent, in general, is a holy time for us to walk with Jesus from the glorious mountain of the Transfiguration to the enigmatic hill known as Golgotha. While this is a special penitential time of sorrow over our sin, as Christians we remember that it is also a time to make boldly clear the good news that our sin has been removed in Jesus.

As Luther notes in the Small Catechism, bodily preparations for celebrating the Lord’s Supper as well as the celebration of Easter are all well and good but he who hears and believes the word of God is truly prepared “Take and eat! This is my Body given for you!” (Matthew 26:26; Mark 14:22; Luke 22:19; 1Corinthians 11:24). You may choose to give up something during this season to remember how Jesus gave His life for you. Or perhaps you will use this as a special time of prayer and devotion as you remember Jesus’ devotion for you and all people. To this end, the special Lutheran Hour Ministries (LHM) Lenten devotions Servant of the Lord will be printed for your use. These can also be accessed both in audio form through the LHM app at www.lhm.org/lent. No matter how we mark this time, let us together make Jesus and His love for us and for all the focus of all our Lenten meditation.

Pastor Carl