{"id":1650,"date":"2022-02-27T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-02-27T18:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/?p=1650"},"modified":"2022-02-27T18:46:54","modified_gmt":"2022-02-28T02:46:54","slug":"transfiguration-sunday-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/2022\/02\/27\/transfiguration-sunday-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Transfiguration Sunday"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-audio\"><audio controls src=\"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Transfiguration-Sunday-02-27-22.mp3\"><\/audio><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Exodus 34:29-35<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Behold the Radiance of God\u2019s Glory!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the Testimony in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the LORD.&nbsp; When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, his face was radiant, and they were afraid to come near him.&nbsp; But Moses called to them; so Aaron and all the leaders of the community came back to him, and he spoke to them.&nbsp; Afterward all the Israelites came near him, and he gave them all the commands the LORD had given him on Mount Sinai.&nbsp; When Moses finished speaking to them, he put a veil over his face.&nbsp; But whenever he entered the LORD\u2019s presence to speak with him, he removed the veil until he came out.&nbsp; And when he came out and told the Israelites what he had been commanded, they saw that his face was radiant.&nbsp; Then Moses would put the veil back over his face until he went in to speak with the LORD.&nbsp; (NIV1984)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Today is Transfiguration Sunday.&nbsp; While Transfiguration Sunday is not considered to be one of the high festivals in the church year\u2014 like Christmas and Easter and Pentecost\u2014 it is indeed an important festival.&nbsp; Transfiguration Sunday is the transition point from the Season of Epiphany to the Season of Lent.&nbsp; Transfiguration Sunday gives us the opportunity to stand alongside Peter, James and John and behold the radiance of God\u2019s glory as Jesus\u2019 face shines as bright as the sun and as Jesus\u2019 clothes become as bright as a flash of lightening.&nbsp; Transfiguration Sunday also give us an opportunity to behold the radiance of God\u2019s glory as Moses and Elijah appear before Jesus <em>\u201cin glorious splendor\u201d<\/em> and talk with Jesus about His suffering, death and resurrection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The appearance of Moses and Elijah <em>\u201cin glorious splendor\u201d<\/em> on the Mount of Transfiguration is the link that connects the Transfiguration of our Lord with our sermon text for today.&nbsp; With the glory of our Lord radiating forth from His human body and with the <em>\u201cglorious splendor\u201d<\/em> of Moses and Elijah serving as a backdrop, today let\u2019s study these words of Exodus 34 under the theme:<strong><em>&nbsp; Behold the Radiance of God\u2019s Glory!<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As always, the setting of this text is important for a proper understanding of what is recorded for us here.&nbsp; This was the second time that Moses came down from Mount Sinai with two tablets of stone engraved with the Law of God.&nbsp; Do you remember what happened the first time?&nbsp; The first time that Moses came down from the mountain with two tablets of stone engraved with the Law of God, he found the children of God dancing and reveling as they worshiped an idol\u2014 the Golden Calf.&nbsp; Moses was so angry with God\u2019s people that he threw the tablets of stone down on the ground, breaking them into pieces\u2014 symbolizing that God\u2019s people had broken the covenant that the Lord had established with them.&nbsp; The Lord God was so angry with His people that He was prepared to completely destroy them.&nbsp; Moses passionately interceded for God\u2019s people, begging God to forgive them.&nbsp; The Lord listened to Moses and instead of completely destroying His people God sent a plague to punish those who had sinned against Him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While worshiping the Golden Calf was an incredible sin, what was even more incredible was God\u2019s willingness to not only forgive His people but also re-establish His covenant with them.&nbsp; To emphasize both His forgiveness and His covenant, God summoned Moses to meet with Him once again on the top of Mount Sinai.&nbsp; It was there on the mountain that Moses was given the privilege of beholding the radiance of God\u2019s glory as the Lord, the great <em>\u201cI AM,\u201d<\/em> passed by Moses and <em>\u201cproclaimed His name.\u201d<\/em>&nbsp; It was there on the mountain that Moses was able to behold the radiance of God\u2019s glory as the Lord once again engraved on the two stone tablets <em>\u201cthe words of the covenant\u2014 the Ten Commandments\u201d<\/em> (Exodus 34:28).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That is the setting in which we need to understand our text for today.&nbsp; With that understanding in mind, look once again at the opening portion of our text.&nbsp; We\u2019re told, <em>\u201cWhen Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the Testimony in His hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the L<\/em><em>ORD<\/em><em>.&nbsp; When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, his face was radiant, and they were afraid to come near him.&nbsp; But Moses called to them; so Aaron and all the leaders of the community came back to him, and he spoke to them.&nbsp; Afterward all the Israelites came near him, and he gave them all the commands the LORD<\/em><em> had given him on Mount Sinai.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Why was Moses\u2019 face <em>\u201cradiant\u201d<\/em>?&nbsp; We\u2019re told that it was because he had <em>\u201cspoken with the L<\/em><em>ORD<\/em><em>\u201d<\/em>!&nbsp; Moses had been given the privilege of beholding the radiance of God\u2019s glory as the Lord <em>\u201cpassed in front of Moses\u201d <\/em>and proclaimed His Name!&nbsp; Moses had been given the privilege of beholding the radiance of God\u2019s glory as he spent forty days in the presence of the living<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>God!&nbsp; Beholding the radiance of God\u2019s glory and being in the presence of the Lord was so powerful that it had a visual physical effect on Moses\u2014 his face was now <em>\u201cradiant.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Why were Aaron, the leaders of the community and all the Israelites afraid of Moses?&nbsp; Because the radiance of Moses\u2019 face along with the two tablets containing God\u2019s holy Law revealed the seriousness of the incredible sin that had committed by worshiping the Golden Calf.&nbsp; A similar thing happens right down to this very day, doesn\u2019t it.&nbsp; When we sinners are confronted with the power of God\u2019s holy Law, when we are brought to the realization that we have committed incredible sins against the God whose glory is more radiant than the sun, we too are filled with fear!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At the same time, my friends, we need to recognize that the radiance of Moses\u2019 face was also a testimony to God\u2019s grace.&nbsp; There was nothing special about Moses, nothing that made him different from the rest of the Israelites.&nbsp; Moses was a sinner\u2014 just like them, just like us.&nbsp; It was purely God\u2019s grace that allowed Moses to be in the very presence of the living God.&nbsp; It was purely by God\u2019s grace that Moses was given the <em>\u201ctwo tablets of the Testimony,\u201d<\/em> the tablets which revealed to God\u2019s people that the Lord had re-established His covenant with them.&nbsp; And it was purely by God\u2019s grace that Moses was able to share with God\u2019s people, <em>\u201call the commands the L<\/em><em>ORD<\/em><em> had given him on Mount Sinai.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As we turn to the second portion of our text we are given even more insight into what it means to behold the radiance of God\u2019s glory.&nbsp; We\u2019re told, <em>\u201cWhen Moses finished speaking to them, he put a veil over his face.&nbsp; But whenever he entered the L<\/em><em>ORD<\/em><em>\u2019s presence to speak with him, he removed the veil until he came out.&nbsp; And when he came out and told the I<\/em><em>sraelites what he had been commanded, they saw that his face was radiant.&nbsp; Then Moses would put the veil back over his face until he went in to speak to the LORD<\/em><em>.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The key addition to this portion of our text is\u2014 the veil.&nbsp; It\u2019s not hard for us to understand why Moses <em>\u201cremoved the veil\u201d<\/em> whenever he was in the presence of the Lord.&nbsp; The veil would have not only hindered Moses\u2019 ability to behold the radiance of God\u2019s glory, but it would have also been disrespectful to the God who graciously allowed Moses to come into His presence.&nbsp; It\u2019s also not difficult for us to understand why Moses did not have the veil covering his face while he proclaimed to God\u2019s people what God had revealed to him.&nbsp; The radiance of Moses\u2019 face not only served as reminder to God\u2019s people that the words Moses was sharing with them came directly from the Lord Himself, but it also granted to the people an opportunity to behold the radiance of God\u2019s glory with their own eyes.&nbsp; But why did Moses put the veil back over his face after he was done talking with the people?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The apostle Paul gives us the answer to that question.&nbsp; In 2 Corinthians 3:7 Paul reveals to us that Moses put the veil back over his face because the glory that radiated from Moses\u2019 face <em>\u201cwas fading.\u201d<\/em>&nbsp; Commentators attribute this to the fact that the <em>\u201cglory\u201d<\/em> of the Old Covenant, the Covenant that God revealed to Moses on Mount Sinai would also <em>\u201cfade away\u201d<\/em> when God revealed His New Covenant with His people\u2014 the covenant that Jesus established with us when He gave us the Sacrament of Holy Communion, the covenant that is based on the complete forgiveness of sins that the Son of God secured <strong>for <\/strong>us on the cross of Calvary\u2019s hill. &nbsp;(Pointing to the cross)&nbsp; Through the New Covenant that the Lord Jesus has established with us, we are now able to behold the radiance of God\u2019s glory every time we approach His altar to receive His Supper and every time we lift up&nbsp; our eyes to His cross and behold what our Savior has done <strong>for <\/strong>us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, my friends, what can we take home with us from this text?&nbsp; We can take home with us the commitment to follow the example that Moses gives to us today.&nbsp; The only reason Moses was able to radiate God\u2019s glory is because he stood in God\u2019s presence on a regular basis.&nbsp; You have the opportunity to stand in God\u2019s presence and behold the radiance of His glory every time you gather together in His Name, every time you receive His holy Supper, every time you sit down to read and study His holy inspired Word.&nbsp; If you are having difficulty beholding the radiance of God\u2019s glory, perhaps you need to examine how often you are standing in His presence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Moses also made sure that after he had been in God\u2019s presence he shared with other people what he had learned from the Lord.&nbsp; You can follow Moses\u2019 example by flavoring your conversations with what you have learned from God\u2019s Word.&nbsp; No, this doesn\u2019t mean that you start quoting Scripture whenever you are talking with other people.&nbsp; What it does mean is that in your conversations with others you openly support whatever agrees with Scripture and you humbly point out whatever contradicts what God has revealed in His Word.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In a similar vein, you can follow Moses\u2019 example and let the people around you behold the radiance of God\u2019s glory.&nbsp; How can you do this?&nbsp; You can let the people around you behold the radiance of God\u2019s glory by consciously striving to radiate God\u2019s glory in your life.&nbsp; What does this mean?&nbsp; Radiating God\u2019s glory in your life means that when someone sins against you, you fully and freely forgive them\u2014 just as your God fully and freely forgives you.&nbsp; (Pointing to the cross)&nbsp; Radiating God\u2019s glory in your life means actively listening to someone when they ask for your help and then doing everything you can to help them.&nbsp; Radiating God\u2019s glory in your life means striving to have a reputation for putting other people first and not just looking out for yourself.&nbsp; Radiating God\u2019s glory in your life means being willing to sacrifice your own wants in order to help supply someone else\u2019s needs.&nbsp; Radiating God\u2019s glory in your life means treating other people as precious souls\u2014 souls whom Jesus loves so very much that He was willing to suffer and die for them.&nbsp; (Pointing to the cross)&nbsp; Radiating God\u2019s glory in your life means consciously living your life in such a way that when other people are quietly observing you they can see your faith, they can see that your hopes, your goals, your priorities are not centered in this life, but in the life that your dear Lord and Savior has waiting for you on the other side of the grave.&nbsp; As we are striving by God\u2019 grace and with God\u2019s help to radiate His glory in our life then we will have the confidence of knowing that one day we will receive and enjoy the <em>\u201cglorious splendor\u201d<\/em> that the Lord God granted to Moses and Elijah.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Transfiguration Sunday may not be one of the high festivals in the church year, but it is indeed a very important festival.&nbsp; Transfiguration Sunday enables us to enter into the season of Lent intent on beholding the radiance of God\u2019s glory all the way to the cross on Calvary\u2019s hill and the empty grave in the garden.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To God be the glory!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Amen<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Exodus 34:29-35 Behold the Radiance of God\u2019s Glory! When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the Testimony in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the LORD.&nbsp; When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, his face was radiant, and they were afraid to come near [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[24],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1650","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-worship-service-podcast"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1650","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1650"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1650\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1652,"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1650\/revisions\/1652"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1650"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1650"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1650"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}