See Jesus Only
Rev. Richard A. Bolland

Matthew 17:1-9
(February 6, 2005 Sermon Transcript)

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        Grace mercy and peace from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

        The text comes from our Gospel lesson we heard just a few moments ago. Reading especially these verses. 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!"

        In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

        At first Peter, James and John wanted to stay on that mountain. And then, they were afraid. Then, they saw no one but Jesus only, and they followed Him wherever He went. But, the trouble wasn’t over. It was still to come. Their journey was not yet finished. And what’s more, they were, well, shall we say, as are we all, experiencing the weakness of the flesh.

        They were focused, but their flesh was still weak. They followed Him to the garden of Gethsemane, it they could not stay awake. When they saw that fateful kiss delivered, they ran from Him, abandoned. But before that, Peter reacted in violence and anger, slicing off the High Priest’s ear, Malchus. John, following at a distance, took advantage of some of his personal connections, I suppose. But was too afraid to speak. And James, well, he simply ran away.

        These three apostles would have liked to have stayed with Moses, and Elijah, and Jesus on the mount of transfiguration. No question about it! Wouldn’t you? I certainly would have. It would have been a magnificent experience beyond all human expression, to see in some small way the very glory of God being portrayed, a mere shadow of the glory we shall see on the day when He returns.

        And yet, it was utterly astounding. It was good and pleasant on that mountain. And leaving, after all, meant suffering. And no one wanted to depart to another mountain, a mountain called Golgotha. Golgotha, even though it was the new and greater sign, where God’s blood would flow for the sins of the people. It was a place where the divine scapegoat would bear the sins of us all. It was a place where God would be revealed and seen, but not in His glory. But rather, we would see Him humble and bloody and dying, for the sake of mercy for you and me.

        Moses and Elijah came to the mount of transfiguration in the only way that men can come to such a place. And that is by means of death. To be sure, Moses and Elijah have no other means of access. Now, I know what you’re thinking. "Preacher, you have it right with Moses, but you don’t have it right with Elijah!" But I would suggest to you that either you die to this life through baptism and ascend, or you die an eternal death, and you descend. And so the only way we come into the presence of God, one way or the other, is through death.

        Indeed, I guess we could say that we share a fellowship marked by death because of sin. Even those living at the time of Christ’s return are not exempt from death. Although they are in a certain way, they are not in another. Although they will not face the death in the grave, they too, if they are in Christ, will have died to sin, and been buried with Christ in Holy Baptism, and then will ascend to eternal life.

        However, others will die without God’s grace, and will know the eternal torments of hell. Either way, all of mankind is a fellowship of death because of sin. After desiring to stay, the apostles decided that they were afraid. Actually, they didn’t really decide it, they just were! We find that they fell on their faces, terrified, not merely frightened. Terrified! And with good reason.

        Consider Peter for a moment, if you will. The muscles built on the Sea of Galilee, the brawn, the street-smarts, the plans, the schemes and the ways of men all fell away to nothing when he faced the reality of God’s glory! All his bravado completely crumbled, as would our own. His courage left him. His courage left him in the face of God’s faithfulness and loyalty even to those who betrayed Him and mocked Him, and who rebelled against Him. Even toward those who nailed Him to the cross.

        It was all too much for Peter. Too much, too great, too incomprehensible, too wonderful, and thus did Peter weep. For in the face of that great love and loyalty, Peter knew just how far he had sunk. How awful were the things he had done, how disgusting were the things he had said, and thought, which even prompted the harshest of words. "Get thee behind me, Satan", the Lord said to this man, whom now we revere as an apostle of God.

        How terrible were the lies he had told. How false and shameful his bravado. How foolish his pretended piety.

        The eyes of the Lord fell on him later, and the cock crowed, and Peter wept.

        Now let us consider ourselves. Our we so confident in our own sin? Do we think we can fool God, as we fool men? Do we really believe that what is hidden from us is hidden also from God? Then I would suggest that we are utter fools! For we are fools who would challenge God and risk His eternal wrath! We are fools who dare to flaunt the holy law and will of God! It is not enough to weary men, will we be so arrogant as to weary God Himself? With our pretending, and with our foolish self-righteousness.

        How many times, if you own a dog, will you permit that dog to soil your carpet, or destroy your shoes, or your furniture, or bite your children, before you get rid of it? Or even have it put down? In the same way, why should God put up with us? For I assure you, we are far worse, far more disobedient, far more self-willed, far more unpredictable than any dog that ever breathed, or misbehaved.

        I would suggest that with Peter, on this day of transfiguration, we should fall face-down, terrified before the holiness of the glory of God. And we should repent. We should weep bitter tears, if you will, and turn from ourselves and looking at our sins, and see there only Jesus. And God will come to us, as He came to them. And He touches us, as He touched them. And He says some of the sweetest words in all of Holy Writ. Do not be afraid. Arise.

        Why should God put up with us? Because He is good, and His mercy endures forever. Because He promised to be our God, and to love us unconditionally through His son. Why should God put up with us? Because the only thing that we can possibly see that will tell us why we love us is to look at His son. To see the cross on which He dies, and to know that our own transfiguration is coming!

        We are now encrusted and embroiled and inescapably connected to this sinful human flesh. But we have been delivered from it. Therefore do not focus on yourselves, for the more you look at yourselves and how you are doing, in comparison with the holiness of God, there we will only find fear and doubt and uncertainty. But, if we see Jesus only, we will only, therefore, see life and salvation and grace and forgiveness.

        Yes, our own transfiguration has, in one sense already taken place. And yet, there is more yet to come. Let us not focus on ourselves any longer, but rather, only on Him and His unfailing love, and His unfailing promises.

        Let us look and see what He has done. Let us observe, especially now as we approach this season of Lent, the horrendous death that our Lord endured on our behalf, like a lamb led to the slaughter. The love of God compels Him to act on our behalf.

        He is led there without complaint, and there is the cross.

        I would suggest to you that, as we, especially throughout this season of Lent, which comes to us this Wednesday, as we view Golgotha, as we see our Lord there nailed for us on a cross, there dying for our sins, there making full and complete rendering of absolute payment, without question, acceptable to the Father, for our sins, that we will never, under any circumstances, see the love of God more clearly and accurately portrayed. This is love. That God would send His only son to suffer, to die, and to rise again, for sinners like you, and like me.

        He went, knowing precisely what was ahead of Him. He went precisely understanding what He would have to endure, even though the prospect of it must have been horrendous. He went, in consummate obedience, He went in perfect love. And He went there precisely to do nothing more than to make you and me His forever.

        He didn’t flinch. He didn’t hesitate. He endured all of hell’s fury to wipe away the tears of Peter, and our own tears, so that we might know that it was completely worth it to Him. He has no regrets whatsoever.

        This is love that is pure. This is pure that is undefiled. This is love that hell cannot stop, that death cannot stop. And neither will death stop us! For the one who has conquered death has given us His victory.

        He desires, rather, that your joy be of Him, and filled with Him. That your peace will be not partial, but complete and everlasting in Him. That your future is certain and assured in Him, through His suffering, death, and resurrection.

        He desires with all His heart, and with every action He took, to be restored to communion with us. And as we gather at the altar here in a few short moments, we shall receive the very body and blood that suffered and died on Calvary’s cross within our mouths! And we’ll know without any shadow of a doubt that in, with, and under this bread and wine is the very purchase price that our Lord rendered for our forgiveness. He is in us, and we are in Him. And we are one.

        Dear friends in Christ, He has brought the body born of Mary to its exaltation through the grave. In all of this, He has made you His, without any doubt, and without uncertainty. His ascension from this earth was His exodus from this world, but it is also our exodus! For we too are not bound to this earth, but shall transcend it and shall be changed.

        He is the cloud and the light that leads us out of death’s shadow and into heaven itself.

        So, arise, dear friends in Christ. Do not be afraid though our sins be grave and great! Remember the frailty of Peter and remember what God has done with him. Remember that following the mount of transfiguration, despite all the sinful things that happened to our disciples and our apostles, that they were servants of God, empowered by Him, moved by Him, enabled by Him, to do His will. And that those twelve men literally turned the world on its ear that they might know Christ and Him crucified and risen!

        And then consider what God may do with you.

        For we are God’s handiwork. And though we are sinful and broken, God has healed us, and makes us the instruments of His light, and the conduits of His gospel. He has placed His name upon us, the name of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, at your baptism. He is well-pleased with us, just as He is well-pleased with His son. For we are in His son.

        He is loving us, and He won’t stop! In Jesus’ name, Amen.