3.29.2026 The Transfiguration

Friends, in our sin, we should be dead. In Peter, James, and John's sin, in that moment, do you realize the gospel is there? Even in that glimpse, they should have died. Every other point in history, if you look at when God's glory peaks through, people die. Why didn't they die? Because Jesus is giving them a glimpse of his forgiveness to come. And he says, rise up. Friends, maybe that's what you need to hear today. Get up. I love you. Press on. You're not done. Even though you've sinned. Even though you rebelled. [00:30:45] (46 seconds)  #RiseUpForgiven

Actually, everything he says to us and commands us in his scriptures is actually a display of what life is really like, where abundance is really found, where everything that we're longing for in this world can truly be found. Listen to him. Maybe the words you need to listen to today are the words of Jesus, as we'll remember in the Good Friday service this coming week. Maybe the words you need to hear this next week, as you listen to him, is forgiven. Jesus says to you, forgive them. They don't know what they're doing. He doesn't just say that to those who are hearing it on the cross in that moment in history. Those words ring forth throughout all of time to everyone who turns to Jesus in faith, forgiven, because he hangs on a cross for you. [00:29:34] (54 seconds)  #ForgivenByTheCross

No, actually, suffering and rejection is a part of God's plan, and in that suffering and in the rejection, you will see God's glory. Jesus will not be recognized, just like the forerunner was not recognized. But glory doesn't just come from victory. Jesus consistently connects those two things together. Suffering and sacrifice is highlighted as a point of his glory on the cross, because looks can be deceiving. That's why Paul regularly talks about how God can take the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and he can make strong those who are weak, because God can take the weakest things in the world and use them redemptively to save. That's the tension of the gospel, the tension of glory and suffering held together. [00:26:19] (50 seconds)  #GloryThroughSuffering

He wants to build three tents. I think Peter's building project is being rejected and the replacement of that is listen. And I think this is a very important corrective for me as a pastor or pastors and elders, for us as Christians. I think the goal of the Christian life fundamentally is not about being religiously busy. That's the human tendency. Thinking we can do things, thinking we can contribute things, thinking that we should stay busy. But notice as he wants to build three buildings, he tells him, all you need to do is listen. [00:23:00] (44 seconds)  #ListenNotBusy

When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were terrified. But Jesus came and touched them saying, rise and have no fear. And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only. They were terrified because they know how wrong they got it. Peter understood as he was interrupted by the God of all creation, he should stop talking. They were face to face with the glory of God. And they know from the Old Testament, you come close to the glory of God, you could die. [00:17:01] (31 seconds)  #FearNotRise

Peter wants to stop with the glory of God, with the transfiguration at the expense of the cross. And Jesus continues to remind them, no, my glory includes the cross. Here's another problem. Why three tents? Is he implying that Jesus is at the same level as Moses and Elijah? Didn't he just say that Jesus is the Messiah, the son of the living God, but here he can't tell the difference. He's almost guilty of syncretism as if somehow Jesus is just equal to Moses and Elijah, not the one that they were pointing to. [00:18:28] (33 seconds)  #GloryIncludesTheCross

Now, what's wrong with Peter's response though? I think it has some lessons for us too. At least two problems. Peter misunderstands this vision. He wants to build tents there because he wants to stay there. Maybe he's perhaps thinking in his mind, you know, all that cross talk, all that suffering talk, all that death talk. I mean, that's not necessary anymore because we're in the glory of God. He wants to just stay there. He doesn't understand the temporary nature of this. [00:17:56] (32 seconds)  #DontStayOnTheMountain

English words don't really quite capture it. That's why there's all these allusions to the Old Testament here. It's calling us to use our imagination and begin to see something infinite in the glory of Jesus. When Moses came off Mount Sinai, his face reflected the glory like the moon reflects the sun's light. But here, Jesus is not reflecting any kind of glory. He is the source of glory. He is like the sun. If you stare at the sun long enough, you can blind yourself. [00:06:25] (34 seconds)  #JesusIsTheSun

The curtain here in this moment to the three are shown just a glimpse of Jesus as the light of the world. That he was the one from creation, the one who was hovering over the waters, the one who can speak and causes light into darkness. He's the one, just like Moses was up on a mountain, and God's glory appeared to the Israelites in the form of a glory cloud. And if you peeked into it, you would die. This is the glory of Jesus. [00:05:54] (30 seconds)  #JesusLightOfTheWorld

Listen to him. Maybe all the grief, maybe all the difficulty, maybe all the challenges and suffering in your life. It may be because you're trying to follow Jesus, but maybe it's because we've stopped listening. And like Peter, we want to insist that we know the way. I mean, I notice how in my life, whenever there's some challenge, difficulty, suffering in my life, how easy it is for me to listen to other sources. And that's not that they're completely unhelpful. I look to books, podcasts, friends, experts. [00:21:33] (35 seconds)  #ListenOverNoise

God can use means like all of those, but how much am I willing just to take this literal word, breathe from God and just listen, not insist on my way, not try to argue, just listen. Maybe that's the one thing you need to walk away with today is to hear this simple three words. Listen to him. Where in your life do you need to listen and not speak? I think this idea of listening is also very important because it's in contrast to Peter's initial reaction. He sees the glory of God and what does he want to do? He wants to do a building project. You notice that? [00:22:07] (52 seconds)  #JustListenToHim

almost his complexion, you could say, changes. He lights up. He lights up as bright as the stars in our solar system. His clothes shine bright. His face and clothes shine as the sun and is so bright that he can blind. This is the glory of Jesus breaking through the curtain. Nowhere else in Jesus' earthly ministry does he show any glimpse of his glory. Actually, even in the resurrection appearances don't show the shining brightness of his glory. [00:05:16] (38 seconds)  #BlindingGlory

Even as much energy, time, and how much our money we put into training her, lots and lots of money, right? You can feel the gap because when someone is more significant, you feel how different you are in an infinitely more significant way. When you stand before the glory of Jesus, you will sense how far you are. And yet at the same time, it's the thing you were made for that you can't turn away from because it is that great. All the smaller glories in our life point to this greater glory that we were made for. [00:09:52] (36 seconds)  #NothingBeatsHisGlory