Sermon for Sunday 19th February 2023, Sunday before Lent by Revd Graham Phillips

2 Peter 1.16-21

Matthew 17.1-9

“He received honour and glory from God the Father when that voice was conveyed to him by the Majestic Glory, saying, ‘This is my Son, my Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.’ We ourselves heard this voice come from heaven, while we were with him on the holy mountain.” 2 Peter 1.17

Post Communion prayer starts with: “Holy God, we see your glory in the face of Jesus Christ.”

The second letter of Peter is generally recognised as being written by the Apostle Peter in the late 60s AD, and as the verses immediately prior to the ones we heard today state, he was expecting death to come soon - something that the Lord had revealed to him. The letter is written to a church containing Christians from both a Jewish background and a Gentile, non-Jewish background and is written to encourage them to remain faithful and to grow in holiness. Every attempt to delude them with false doctrine is to be resisted and refuted, and this may have been particularly against the Gnostic* heresy which was beginning to spread. The letter also speaks of the second coming of Jesus and that we are to live our lives in the light of this fact.

I would like us to imagine Peter while writing these letters also recalling his memories of Jesus. So sit back and imagine him telling you of his memories.

Jesus was a rum person. Right from my first meeting with him, he intrigued me, fascinated me, yet also scared me. He was so self assured, so confident, and yet full of joy and love. I have never known a man to laugh so much - it seemed to well up inside him, as if it was always wanting to burst out. It was absolutely delightful. And contagious! Yet there was something about him that pulled you in. He looked at you in a way that said, “I know you, know everything about you and I love every part of you. Every wrinkle in your soul, even the imperfections, I love them for they are a part of you.” It was so disarming to be vulnerable, so open to him - you could not hide anything.

I remember when he healed my mother - almost casually turned her from death’s door to sparkling, energetic life again. My mother just accepted it, almost as it she had expected it. She saw something in him that it took me ages to discern. She had immediate faith, whereas mine took a denial and reconstruction and an infilling of the Holy Spirit before I really understood, before I really trusted.

But I am rambling on. Let me tell you the story of the transfiguration, for it is a wonderful story and maybe will help you in your faith journey. We had been busy as usual healing and driving out demons and were pretty shattered, and had fallen asleep in a disciple’s house, when in the early hours, Jesus woke me, John and James and shushing us to be quiet, he led us out of the house to the edge of the village and we started to climb the mountain.

There was a good moon and dawn was not far off so we had enough light to pick our way along a defined path. Jesus seemed to know where we were going, as always, At first we did not say very much, but after a couple of hours of climbing, with the sun now above the horizon we stopped for some bread and cheese and water, which Jesus had brought with him. John tried to ask him where we were going and all Jesus said was to meet someone. He said this with a smile and a twinkle in his eyes and we had all learnt to trust and obey. I tried to push him for more details, but he just said, “Trust me”. So we dutifully followed, wondering who we would meet up this mountain. I must admit I just concentrated on walking - I have always been a bit overweight and any climbing leaves me out of breath.

So I was grateful when we eventually reached what seemed to be the top. James and I collapsed, while John and Jesus enjoyed the view, then Jesus turned towards a particular spot and became very still and quiet. I was aware something was about to happen but I had no idea what. There was an expectancy, a hush as if the whole of creation was still and waiting - you could almost feel it.

Then John let out a cry, and pointed at Jesus. His clothes were becoming brilliantly white, with a bright light shining out of them as if the fabric was alive, all lit up. It was beautiful. And then his face began to glisten and shine, as if every pore of his skin was alive. The light glimmered as if each cell was dancing. It was incredible and I thought of Moses and his time with God on the mountain - this must have been what it was like. I just stared and stared and all the time, Jesus just stood there glowing like a lantern and perfectly at peace with this, as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

Suddenly two other people appeared - I have no idea where from. They had not walked up with us, they had not been there before, but now they were. And they began to talk with Jesus - they obviously knew him well. It was as if we were not present, their conversation was with Jesus, and they were affirming him and saying how well he was doing, and that all of heaven was urging him on, encouraging him to stay true.

They spoke of past events and how they fitted into the Father’s plans and it dawned on me who they were - Moses and Elijah. It was extraordinary- these two key members of the Jewish faith standing here with us, talking with Jesus. I did not want to lose the moment and well, I said something pretty stupid really, I blurted out that I could make a dwelling for each of them, on the top of this mountain. Thinking back it was a daft thing to say, but I was caught up in the impossibility of what was happening and did not want it to go. These two amazing prophets talking with Jesus. It was not till later that I realised that Jesus was more important than them. That took me a while to really understand. Yes I know I had declared that he was the Messiah, but the significance of this took time to take hold.

Well this whole scene would have been wonderful in itself, but it took on a different dimension, a greater depth, for suddenly out of nowhere this thick yet bright cloud enveloped all of us - the cloud seemed to be living, as if you could touch it and embrace it, it was not wet, it was not cold, but it was certainly different, and to be honest I was scared. There was something awesome about it. Something other worldly, a power and strength, yet also a peace and stability, a certainty about it. Somehow it gave off a feeling that this was something you could not argue with for it knew all the answers, it knew everything about you, every wrinkle, every hair on your head, every thought, every hope, every sadness and disappointment. This cloud knew it all.

From the cloud came a voice, resonant and ringing with different harmonies as if the whole of creation was singing and it said: “This is my Son, the beloved; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him.”

I was terrified. This was God the almighty speaking, and I am a mere mortal, a sinful mortal at that and I was in the presence of Yahweh. “Help me God,” I cried. Afterwards I realised the silliness of what I had said.

James and John told me later that they too had been terrified. Maybe all sinful men have fear in the presence of Yahweh. Now, years on, I know that Jesus has forgiven me and that I can call Yahweh “Father” and speak to him with the same familiarity that Jesus spoke to him. That is what he wants for all of us, to know Father as Father and the Lord’s Prayer is the starting point for that.

Maybe Jesus took me up that mountain so that I would be open to that relationship. He knew I needed something tangible to hold on to when I speak with Father, and that cloud was very tangible.

Did it change me? That encounter with Yahweh? That meeting with Moses and Elijah? Yes. It affirmed the promise of Jesus that there is life behind this life. And it gave me an insight into what I think Jesus will look like when he returns to earth - bright clothes and a face all bursting forth with light, and of course it gave me a glimpse of Father, how glorious He is.

So yes, I tell others that Jesus will return some day and meanwhile we must seek the glory and honour of God for he wants us all to experience that, to be transformed by that. God’s glory in us. Awesome man! So I exhort you, keep striving for it. And meanwhile my brothers and sisters in Christ, I shall pray for you, pray that you will know the presence of God on you, that the Holy Spirit is in you, pray that you will remain faithful and true to God right up the the time that Jesus returns again, pray that you will know God’s glory. Alleluia and amen! Well I must finish now, I have another letter to write. Blessings on you.

* Gnostic Heresy - A heresy which believed that physical was evil and spirituality was the goal of humankind, with an emphasis on enlightenment.