Traralgon, Glengarry 3rd Feb ‘08

Ex 24:12-18 ; Matt 17:1-9 ; 2 Pet 1:16-21

Intro to Exodus Reading:

In our OT reading today we hear how Moses went up the mountain to meet God, but it has a more general application as a story of how God appears to us. One commentator writes:

The image of God descending to the top of Mt Sinai is really a description of how God breaks into our world through worship… It’s a story of how God appears to us.

The NT reading has many parallels – and again God is encountered up the mountain.

Before the Epistle:

We rarely have three readings in a row (because I think you won’t listen!) but today we ‘have to’. The Epistle comes from 2 Peter and as you hear it consider how it fits with what you’ve already heard.

The Transfiguration

Some of you may be familiar with the daily devotions The Upper Room. In one edition the writer told of a time when he took a 5 yr old girl, Maria, to the ballet to see her mother dance for the first time. She had watched her mother practicing at home, she had been to a rehearsal or two, but she was not prepared for opening night. Sitting in box seats in a great hall, the lights dimmed and her mother came on stage, with the spotlight following her, to dance the leading role in Swan Lake. Little Maria gasped with shock, stood up, and said almost in terror, “Will she still be my mother?”

Her mother had transformed into the angel in white, dancing on stage.

Maybe that is what it was like for Peter and his 2 mates up that mountain that day. Jesus gone up the mountain to pray (of course) with three friends (of course) and there He is “transfigured” - transformed. Garments shone, voice from God, etc. Manifestation of divine glory. “This is my dear Son, listen to him!”

I want to make just a few quick points about this story:

1. It comes immediately after Jesus has told the disciples he is going to Jerusalem to be killed. You’ll recall Peter telling him, No! But here, at this critical time, God gives this great affirmation of Jesus – who he is and the path he’s taking!

2. Notice it happens up a mountain. Anything important always happens up a mountain.

3. Voice – much the same words as at Jesus baptism, but this time Matthew adds, “Listen to him!”

4. the disciples fall prostrate – the only appropriate response to an encounter with God.

5. The appearance of Moses & Elijah – Moses received the Law, Elijah a great prophet – together they embody ‘the Law and the Prophets’. Symbolism here is of Jesus fulfilling all the law and the prophets!!

That’s what the gospel is all about – Jesus is the culmination, the climax, of the Biblical story.

In his letter Peter says, “This is real!” It’s not some clever story that’s been made up, we saw it! We’re eye witnesses. We heard that voice, “This is my Son, my Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.”

This confirms the message of the prophets, he says. Then v.19:

“You will do well to pay attention to it, as to a lamp shining in a dark place.”

The voice says, “This is my Son, listen to him”

And Peter writes, “You will do well to be attentive to this as to a lamp shining in the dark.”

And so we read the Scriptures Sunday by Sunday, hopefully day by day at home, to learn more of this story – to pay attention to it.

Actually, it’s well worth contemplating what that means, “Pay attention to it.”

Maybe you can answer that – what does it mean to pay attention to the prophetic message (confirmed by the coming of Christ) Take answers!

May use - Minister: ‘O Lord, through the spoken word and written word may we behold the Living Word, Jesus Christ our Lord.’

May use – You may have noticed the newspaper that was brought in with the Bible. Well known advice for the preacher is to have the Bible in one hand and newspaper in the other.

May talk about putting it into practice!

In ‘paying attention to it’ one of the most difficult challenges we have is interpretation. How do we interpret Scripture (the prophetic message) for today while still giving it the authority it deserves?

Bumper sticker – ‘The Bible says it, I believe it, that’s the end of it!’

Complete nonsense!! We all interpret, regardless of how literal we are.

E.g. Purity laws in Leviticus – we wear clothes with two fabrics, grow fields with 2 crops, we cut our beards, we don’t even worship on the Sabbath; and of course we do wear jewelry, we do allow women to speak in church, and they cut their hair, etc.

So we do reinterpret Scripture for today, and rightly so. But the danger is we’ll use the values of modern society to interpret Scripture, instead of the other way around. E.g. Janine at Bible study – “OK that’s what Scripture says, but what do we say?”

This is a difficulty our church has always faced, but particularly these last 10 or 15 years over issues of sexuality.

It’s a challenge we going to continue to deal with. And so I finish with the last 2 verses of 2 Peter 1 (Read)

We must prayerfully ask the Holy Spirit to guide us as we interpret Scripture, and we must seek the wisdom of others and not rely on our own interpretation.

And above all, I think, Scripture needs to be interpreted through the lens of Jesus Christ. When we read something we ask, does this fit with the God revealed by Jesus?

“O Lord, through the spoken word and the written word may we behold the living Word, Jesus Christ”

We sing Hymn 158 How sweet the name of Jesus sounds to a believers ear,

It soothes their sorrows, heals their wounds, and drives away all fear.