Sermon - 2015-02-15

On our journey of life and faith, we often attempt to seek where God is at work in our life.  We want to understand what God is doing for us, and what we are being called to do for God.  Today, is Transfiguration Sunday.  Transfiguration is a big word that we never use except within the church, for it speaks of the time and moment in which Jesus was changed from an earthly physical appearance to being in heavenly presence.  To bear witness to such an event truly brings up so many questions.  Yet truly to bear witness to this means that we are able to know that not only does Jesus walk this earth like we humans do.  Jesus is fully human but also Jesus comes from and holds heavenly power, so Jesus is fully God as well.  Yes once again, we are reminded that the church does not do math like we learn in school, that Jesus is 100% human and 100% God.  

Here in this moment, we bear witness to God being in our life and truly doing work for us.  As the disciples traveled with Jesus and were taken to this mountaintop, they were amazed at what they saw.  Jesus standing with two figures, Moses and Elijah.  However, I often wonder, how did the disciples know that it was Moses and Elijah?  Why not Abraham, King David, or one of the other prophets that spoke God’s Word as an instrument in this world?  These two figures of Moses and Elijah stand out above the rest for one important reason.  It was their work that truly brought people together as God’s Chosen People in the world. Moses spoke with God in a burning bush where God called Moses to lead God’s People out of Egypt. He led them from the chains of slavery and into the Promised Land that God had promised their ancestor Abraham.  Moses goes on to lead the people and deliver to them the Ten Commandments.  These commandments bind the people together giving them good relationships and a way of living that truly lifts up the whole community, and not just one person to rule over all of them.  Moses was the one who delivered the people, setting them free to be in relationship with God once again.

Elijah is not held in as high regard but did amazing work through God’s calling.  Elijah was a prophet who was called to restore the relationship between the People and God.  Elijah brought hard times through a drought that was commanded by God so the people could be reminded of all that God gives to them.  However, in the midst of all of the things God commanded Elijah to do, the people of Israel still turned to false gods.  One in particular was called Baal.  So Elijah, the prophet of the Lord God, faced off against four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal.  In order to prove who was God, a fire would be lit to offer sacrifice, but the prophets could only pray to have the fires lit.  The 450 prophets of Baal prayed for hours and nothing happened.  When it was Elijah’s turn, the wood had water poured over it so that the wood was soaked.  Still God lit the fire and the people of Israel knew who their God was.  

Today, as we hear of Jesus standing among these two great figures, Moses and Elijah, we are reminded of how Jesus is restoring the people to relationship with God, not for a while but for all eternity.  After meeting with them, Jesus returns to his disciples and they want to build a dwelling place for each of them, Moses, Elijah and Jesus.  However, Jesus stops him and says to not say anything until after he has been raised from the dead.  Jesus knows that in a few weeks, there will be a symbol, a marker, a new testament that will be hope and declare the work that Jesus is doing within the world.  In a few weeks, Jesus will face the religious and political leaders and be placed upon a cross to suffer and die.  It will be this cross, that stands for all to see, to bear witness to the work that Jesus Christ is doing for each and every one of us.  

Each Sunday as we gather, we are reminded of the cross and how it is still a part of our life.  How God is at work in our life, and we are called to be in relationship with God.  Through the Confession and Forgiveness, we hear of how we need God because of what we have said or done.  What we have not said or not done.  Our relationship becomes restored as God forgives us, and we are bound together in the love that God has for us.  This Wednesday, we gather together to be marked with the sign of the cross that was given to us at our Baptism.  That we may know God’s love and it may be a part of our lives always.  And thanks be to God that it is indeed.  Amen.