After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.
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."
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!"
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."
When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus.
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."

What does transfiguration mean for you?

We can relate to Christmas, Easter, Good Friday, even Lent, Advent, and Reformation. But Transfiguration, what's that? Every year I tend to ask myself how I can make this strange festival relevant. In an age where we flick a switch or two and play cricket at night, I guess it's hard to impress people with a shining body. But with three Gospel writers and the second letter of Peter all speaking about this event, it's pretty clear it was pretty important for early Christians.

It seems it was important because it answered important questions of their age. The main one they struggled with was "Exactly who is this Jesus". This story helped because in it they could see the light of God shining from the face of Jesus.

For many years the early church really struggled to accept Jesus as God. They had no trouble accepting him as an important human prophet of God, an amazing teacher,... but God? How could that be? From my talking to Christians, it seems that today our problem is more likely to be connected to accepting Christ's humanity. Every movie that comes out portraying Jesus as man is condemned while the ones where he strolls around in a startlingly white robe magically healing people and generally looking close to divine are accepted without question.

And maybe here's another problem for us in seeing the relevance of the transfiguration story. Perhaps we sort of imagine him strolling around with a glowing face, or at least the look of a supreme God, most of the time. The evidence of the Bible itself, however, shows strongly that most people simply missed seeing who Jesus was. They not only missed him but dismissed him as just another human crank.

Perhaps also where the celebration has been fitted into the church year also teaches us a little more about their thinking. Epiphany begins with Jesus' baptism. Here Jesus identifies with his people. John baptises him just like everyone else who longed for God's new kingdom to arrive on this earth. And at this moment of his identification, God declares, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." Epiphany ends with Transfiguration Sunday. Here also God identifies with his son. This time it's when Jesus whole body shines with God's glory, as he identifies with the divine. And God repeats, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." Epiphany also points us to the wise men who follow the light to find the light of the world in a manger. Now on a mountain the three disciples become wise as they glimpse God's glory in the transfiguration.

No wonder Peter wants this moment of enlightenment to last. I'm sure things were clear up on the mountain. Mind boggling as it was, they could see who this Jesus really was. But each writer emphasises that this moment is to be the exception in Jesus ministry. At the conclusion of God's words of identification with his Son, it's all over. And the descent to the real world and the journey to the cross that awaits him in Jerusalem, begins immediately.

I've heard some suggest that the disciples needed this highlight so that they could cope with the death and the seeming defeat of their cause that lay ahead. Maybe there's some truth in that! I know in my ministry I need uplifting times, mountain top experiences, now and then. The mountain top experience of going to Germany last year and seeing God at work in the world, was pretty important to me. But such an interpretation spoils my favourite part of this story. What are the disciples doing and how are they feeling at the climax of this event? They cope with the transfigured Jesus, face shining like the sun. Clothes as white as light, they love it! They're impressed when he chats to the two most important and long dead, OT prophets. But when the voice of God announces his support for his son, we see them utterly terrified, trembling and flat on the ground. This is not the way Jesus can minister to human beings. Thank God it doesn't last long. This way does not bring comfort and peace. What does?

Jesus came and touched them. "Get up," he said. "Don't be afraid." When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus."

"They saw no one except Jesus". There it is! That's where the transfiguration event ends. There is the real climax to the story. It's not the startling light, it's not being able to chat to important dead people, it's definitely not even hearing voices from heaven. It's being touched and comforted by and seeing Jesus. That's it.

Let me close with a story I don't like. Well, I like the story, it's the application of the story teller at the end that suppose to link it to Transfiguration Sunday I don't like.

A little boy who was blind was taken to, a famous specialist who said that an operation might give him sight. After the delicate operation was over, the little fellow opened his eyes and looked at his mother. He'd only known the sound of her voice and the touch of her hand. When the mother spoke his name, his little arms went around her neck and he said, "Mother, is this heaven?" It was at least a foretaste of heaven. We have heard God's voice in his Word and felt the loving touch of his guiding hand. But when we see him face to face, it will truly be heaven.

I believe the transfiguration story points to the glory of our God and his heaven that awaits, but it's main message is about also seeing God's glory, in the touch of Jesus as it comes to us through the hands of our parents and loved ones, through the ordinary elements of bread, wine and water. This story points us to the wonderfully comforting words of our God, not booming from heaven, but as they quietly reach us through the words of a very ordinary book. Don't waste time longing for the future, don't wish for the unhumanly spectacular to happen here and now. Live as the loved people of God you are, and as you live look around with your eyes of faith and like that little boy you may indeed experience heaven right here and right now.

But at the same time don't forget the challenge we have to bring a glimpse of heaven to those around us. We are called to show God's love in our words, our attitude and our actions. Amazingly our God does not choose the direct approach from heaven. He trusted his Son to show his love, but most startling of all he trusts us with Christ's touch and words. You can touch people's lives with the shining light of God.

© Copyright Rev. K.W. Stiller.