Rev. Roland J. Wells, Jr. - Pastor

The Transfiguration - February 10, 2002

Lessons: Exodus 24:12-18; 2 Peter 1:16-21; Matthew 17:1-9

"Jesus Only"

Introduction:

Imagine the Super Bowl last week- fans, cheerleaders, press, teams, coaches, uniforms, pads, Gatorade coolers, musicians, fireworks, metal detectors, Goodyear Blimp, Paul McCartney, the funny commercials, and all the rest-

-but what if they forgot the football?

If you had everything else, but forgot the football, - no game.

One thing makes the football game happen- the football.

Our Bible story today is one of the strangest in the Gospels. Jesus goes up the hill with his disciples; without a word he is changed before their eyes, into a glimpse of his true heavenly glory. Then Moses and Elijah show up; then it's over and it's never explained. End of story.

The commentators wrestle with this, because the text never explains it. We're not told why; we're not told why Moses and Elijah show up; the commentaries are all over the board as to what is going on. We can guess that Jesus was being strengthened for the tasks ahead as he drew near to Jerusalem. We can also guess that this was important later on to the disciples as they were grasping after the Resurrection to understand who Jesus was and what it all meant. He is God; here they glimpsed a bit of that. We can imply these things, but the text doesn't say that.

At the end, they saw Jesus only.

I) Of the Trinity, We Know Jesus

Those words, 'Jesus Only' have special meaning to many you. About 85 years ago a Swedish church in St. Paul began a Bible school; and over here at St. Paul's, we began a mission school. In the 1920's they joined to form the Lutheran Bible Institute. LBI had a theme song, written by its President, based on this very text. It's title: "Jesus Only."

We know from the Apostles' Creed that God comes to us as three persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. These three persons make up the 'YAHWEH' of the Old Testament. YAHWEH is not the Father, YAHWEH is the Trinity.

The person of our Father God is always hidden; he creates beauty and order, but no matter how much beauty and order we can see in Creation, we can't tell if that Creator is for us. We see order, but not can't see love. Big fish eat lots of little fish; hot air causes tornados; science finds laws in creation; sunsets are beautiful, but impersonal; God the Father is hidden and unapproachable. We can't tell if that Creator is for us. He doesn't even call himself our Father; Jesus tells us he is our Father.

The Holy Spirit is also unknowable. Jesus tells us: (John 16:13-14) When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. 14 He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you.

The Holy Spirit does not speak on his own behalf. He does not call attention to himself, glorifying himself- his job is to glorify Jesus. The Spirit takes what Jesus has and gives it to us. But that's all we know of the Spirit. We don't even know his name. He is simply 'the Holy Spirit.' We learn to know his voice, and know his leading, but everything he says and does it to bring Jesus to us.

Jesus we know. Jesus has come to us. We are given his name to pray in. He is all of God we need to have; all that God wills for us to know of him. The Holy Spirit does that revealing, but he is the channel. He brings Jesus to us, into us. Then he steps aside. He never reveals himself. He just quietly works. He's there, to bring us Jesus Only.

II) Jesus Saves

Those are good words. Jesus Only. These words bring focus as to what we're about. Creation is fine, we can marvel in its beauty and in learning to avoid breaking its moral law we can grow in civil righteousness. But neither creation nor law will teach us the love of God. The law orders and kills.

The Spirit is the channel, the silent communicator who links us to the Triune God. But he brings us Jesus Only.

Christianity brings us Jesus. Only in Jesus do we meet this God face-to-face. Only in Jesus to we find a God who is for us. Only in Jesus do we receive the Gospel, the Good News which brings us faith. Jesus says, John 5:24 Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears my word and believes him who sent me, has eternal life; he does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.

His Word tells us: I John 5:11-12: ...God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 He who has the Son has life; he who has not the Son of God has not life. That's Jesus Only.

We don't need Moses, we don't need Elijah, nor John the Baptist, nor Mary and no one else will do. Jesus Only.

III) Jesus Only

We can know theology, and that's good.

We can know church history, and that's good.

And we can know psychology, and Bible Languages, and apologetics, and that's all good.

We can read stories of the great Christians,

We can read about revivals all around the world,

We can learn the law through Biblical principles,

We can learn about Spiritual Warfare, and witnessing techniques, and become cross-culturally fluent.

And all that is very good.

We can learn of Gifts of the Holy Spirit, we can even learn the content and application of the Bible itself.

We can get more degrees than a twenty dollar thermometer. And all that is good.

But none of this will save us. We don't have a relationship with the Living God through all this. No.

It's Jesus Only. .

All these things may make all kinds of sense, if they are built on Jesus-

There's no Super Bowl without the football. Life's nothing without Jesus.

But none of this makes any difference if it isn't based on the living person of Jesus Christ. Like the disciples saw there on the mountaintop- after all the glory went away, the voice quit thundering, the light went away.

It was Jesus Only.

And that's the center of Christianity. That's all that matters when everything else is stripped away. He's the only one we're given. Jesus Only. It's just one person. Jesus. That's all. Jesus.

He calls you to serve him; he calls you to love him; he calls you to surrender. Nothing else matters. Jesus Only. He's all you need. When you live, when you die. Jesus Only. Through him you know the Father. The Spirit simply brings you Jesus, right now and always. But you are called to know Jesus.

Invitation; Amen.

The Transfiguration of our Lord - February 10, 2002

Exodus 24:12-18

The LORD said to Moses, "Come up to me on the mountain and stay here, and I will give you the tablets of stone, with the law and commands I have written for their instruction."

[13] Then Moses set out with Joshua his aide, and Moses went up on the mountain of God. [14] He said to the elders, "Wait here for us until we come back to you. Aaron and Hur are with you, and anyone involved in a dispute can go to them."

[15] When Moses went up on the mountain, the cloud covered it, [16] and the glory of the LORD settled on Mount Sinai. For six days the cloud covered the mountain, and on the seventh day the LORD called to Moses from within the cloud. [17] To the Israelites the glory of the LORD looked like a consuming fire on top of the mountain. [18] Then Moses entered the cloud as he went on up the mountain. And he stayed on the mountain forty days and forty nights.

2 Peter 1:16-21

We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. [17] For he received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased." [18] We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain.

[19] And we have the word of the prophets made more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. [20] Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation. [21] For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

Matthew 17:1-9

After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. [2] There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. [3] Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.

[4] Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters--one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah."

[5] While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!"

[6] When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. [7] But Jesus came and touched them. "Get up," he said. "Don't be afraid." [8] When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus.

[9] As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus instructed them, "Don't tell anyone what you have seen, until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead."