Winning

 Winning

Luke 9:28-36[1]

Nobody comes to church to hear about how hard it is to follow Jesus. We have all kinds of reasons for being here, but that’s probably not on the list. We come for an emotional and spiritual “boost” to help us make it through the coming week. We come looking for assurance in a world that seems to be spinning out of control. We come to find encouragement to lighten the burdens we carry. We come to hear some good news, to hold onto the hope that we can feel at least a little bit of joy to brighten our day. We want to know that somehow, someway, God is working in our lives to help us win the struggles we face.

Luke’s Gospel gives us the good news, but as we’ve already seen, it’s a version of the good news with an “edge” to it. Jesus’ message is one of turning the tables, of the first being last and the last first. And Luke’s Gospel doesn’t pull any punches when it comes to making plain the demand that the good news makes of us. Jesus set the example as to what seeking first God’s intentions for this world demands of us. He did that by obeying God to the point of giving up his life. And Jesus didn’t hesitate to say that if we want to follow him in seeking first God’s kingdom, we’ll have to give up our lives as well.

That may seem like a strange way to introduce our Gospel lesson for today. After all, we’re talking about the “transfiguration.” It was a “high point” for the disciples. It was a “mountaintop experience,” and Peter made it clear that he wanted to stay there. Like the other Gospels, Luke tells us Peter didn’t know what he was saying (Lk 9:33). I’m not sure I would have done any better. But the voice of God that came from the cloud broke the spell of Peter’s euphoria. It may not be obvious at first glance, but I think God was telling him and the others to go back down the mountain and get back to work among the people who needed their help!

But we’re getting a bit ahead of ourselves. The story behind all of this is about the amazing transformation of Jesus’ appearance that Peter, James, and John witnessed. What’s more, they not only saw Moses and Elijah with Jesus, but they also got to “overhear” their conversation. And the “voice from the cloud” came to confirm for them Jesus’ identity as it had been revealed to him at his baptism (Lk 3:22): “This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!” (Lk 9:35). I can only imagine what it was like for them to wonder what all that meant as they followed Jesus down the mountain!

I think it might help to take a closer look at what the voice said. It began with “this is my son.” Many have assumed this is an affirmation that Jesus was the divine Son of God. But the title “Son of God” in the Bible refers to someone God has chosen to fulfill God’s work. That’s what the voice announced: Jesus is the one who will carry out the work of God’s kingdom. “My chosen one” refers to the “Servant of the Lord” in Isaiah. We’ve already seen that Jesus announced he had come to carry out that role: to “bring good news to the poor,” to “proclaim release to the captives,” and “to let the oppressed go free” (Lk 4:18). And the last part, “listen to him,” recalls a promise Moses made to the people: that God would raise up a prophet like himself who would make God’s purpose clear to them.

All of this refers to Jesus’ identity in terms of the mission he would fulfill. We should take note that Moses and Elijah were said to be discussing with Jesus “his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem” (Lk 9:31). The idea here is that the transfiguration pointed forward to the way Jesus would effect the “release” that God intended to bring into this world. He would do it by going to Jerusalem, where he would face hostile opposition and ultimately sacrifice his life. That’s how he would win the “victory of God,” as some have called it, by giving up his life for others.[2] But as we know, Jesus’ death was not the last word. The “glory” that Luke says the disciples saw on the mountain also points forward: not only to Jesus’ resurrection, but also to his ascension to reign at the right hand of God, and his final coming with power in the end.

I think it’s important for us to understand that all of this is the full story of how Jesus would accomplish God’s purpose in this world. He would bring release to all who suffer by sacrificing his life. But that wasn’t the end of the story; his death would lead through resurrection to new life and the promise of God’s final victory in the end.[2] Even though the voice from the cloud instructed the disciples to “listen” to Jesus, I don’t think they could really hear that the way the Jesus would win “release” for the whole world was by giving up his life. And they certainly couldn’t hear Jesus saying they could only follow him if they were willing to give up their lives for the sake of others.

It all seems backwards: we “win” by “losing”! We experience the “release” of God’s kingdom by giving up our lives for others. We gain the hope and joy and new life that we seek by getting involved in the struggles people face. As Peter, James, and John were sent back down the mountain, so Jesus calls us to follow him to a world full of hurting people. I don’t think any of us will ever do that perfectly. I believe Jesus accepts us where we are as we strive to live up to this high calling. And he promised to be with us to enable us to give up our lives for others, which will take the best we have to offer.

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[1] © 2022 Alan Brehm. A sermon delivered by Rev. Alan Brehm Ph. D. on 2/27/2022 for Hickman Presbyterian Church, Hickman, NE.

[2] Cf. N. T. Wright, Jesus and the Victory of God.

[3] Cf. F. Bovon, Luke 1: A Commentary on the Gospel of Luke 1:1-9:50, 376: “Luke knows that [death] is not God’s last word. Jesus’ journey leads from Good Friday to Easter, and finally to the ascension.” I would add the return of Christ as well.