presented February 14, 2021 at Bethany Presbyterian Church on Transfiguration Sunday
SERMON
Bethany Presbyterian Church – 2021-2-14
To give context to our New Testament reading in Mark 9, I want to share an abridged version of the Old Testament’s 2 King 2.
“The prophet and miracle worker Elijah was walking with Elisha, his disciple and most devoted assistant. The Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven and three times – at three different cities – Elijah told Elisha to “Stay here.” But Elisha said “As surely as the LORD lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” Finally, after crossing the Jordan River together, a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind.”
Elijah is a Jewish synonym for Messiah. Whereas Elijah is not the Messiah for which the Jews are looking, his return to earth will be the harbinger of the Messiah and the promised times.
As Christians, we believe differently – that our Messiah has already come, in the personage of Jesus Christ. In fact, the word “Christ” comes from the Greek word “Christos” meaning Messiah. Now, how many of you thought that was just his last name?
With that in mind, let me read from Mark 9:2-9.
After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them.
His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus.
Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” (He did not know what to say, they were so frightened.)
Then a cloud appeared and covered them, and a voice came from the cloud: “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!”
Suddenly, when they looked around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus.
As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus gave them orders not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead.
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If you want to hear how that turned out, be sure to join us for our Easter service.
But for now, let’s examine today’s text. We read that Jesus’ “clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them.”
Great theological minds have examined this Bible passage, which can also be found in Matthew, Luke, and 2 Peter, and while they may have found interpretations, the first response has validity. And the first response is, “Man, that’s weird!” And you can study the Bible backwards and forwards and find no explanation for this phenomenon. Fortunately, for you, I’m here. And I’ll tell you – “Man, that’s weird! Why the ‘whiter than white’ that puts us in mind of Clorox bleach commercials?” It’s an odd sentence and I don’t want it to detract from the rest of our reading.
On the mountain with Jesus was Moses, of whom I believe all of you are familiar and Elijah, whose significance I mentioned before.
This event occurred after Jesus had fed the 5000, healed a blind man at Bethsaida, and Peter had declared Jesus of Nazareth to be the Messiah. So clearly, his disciples knew they were on to something special. But this triumvirate of religious leaders had to be the ultimate experience until the resurrection.
It’s Babe Ruth, Willie Mays, and Derek Jeter. It’s Billie Holliday, Ella Fitzgerald, and Dolly Parton. You know what I mean. Naturally, you want to build a shrine to the place all three of them performed.
But if that wasn’t enough, the Big Guy chimes in. There is no question who is speaking and of whom he is speaking. “This is my Son, the Beloved; Listen to him!”
And then let’s continue with Matthew’s version – “When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. But Jesus came and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don’t be afraid.” Isn’t that a wonderful phrase? We hear it so often in the Bible stories. “Don’t be afraid.” When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus.
That’s wild, man!
And as they descended, Jesus instructs his disciples to “tell no one about what they had seen, until after the Son of Man had risen from the dead.” Which he has. And which they did. Which allows us to gather as a church family 2000 years later.
But if we just had Jesus and his friends hanging out with some heavy hitters from the past, we would have no reason to celebrate the Son of God as the Prince of Peace. Because although Jesus is inextricably tied to what we call the Old Testament, it is his message to Love One Another that keeps him alive in our hearts.
One lesson to take from the Scripture is that no matter how exhilarating an experience may be, eventually we have to return to reality – to “descend from the mountain” – and live a life made better but what has transpired.
We live in the Central Valley of California – the Sacramento Valley, to be specific. And if you descend from one mountain, eventually you will have to climb another hill. With your permission, this old, White Man will read part of a poem with that title, written by a young, Black woman – a poem that sounds more like a sermon to me. On January 20, Amanda Gorman shared.
“And so we lift our gazes not to what stands between us
but what stands before us
We close the divide because we know, (in order) to put our future first, we must first put our differences aside
We lay down our arms
so we can reach out our arms to one another
We seek harm to none and harmony for all
Let the globe, if nothing else, say this is true:
That even as we grieved, we grew
That even as we hurt, we hoped
That even as we tired, we tried
Scripture tells us to envision that everyone shall sit under their own vine and fig tree – And no one shall make them afraid
If we’re to live up to our own time
Then victory won’t lie in the blade
But in all the bridges we’ve made
That is the promise to glade
The hill we climb
If only we dare
But one thing is certain:
If we merge mercy with might, and might with right,
then love becomes our legacy
and change our children’s birthright
So let us leave behind a country
better than the one we were left with
When day comes we step out of the shade,
aflame and unafraid
The new dawn blooms as we free it
For there is always light,
if only we’re brave enough to see it
If only we’re brave enough to be it.”
Matthew 5 tells us let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
For there is always light,
if only we’re brave enough to see it
If only we’re brave enough to be it.
Grow your faith in the light of Jesus’ love.
Because that – is the word of God.
(End of Sermon)
Benediction
From 2 Corinthians:
The confusion of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.
May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all, today and throughout the week.
Postlude