Text:\u00a0 Luke 9: 28-36<\/p>\n
It’s that time of year again. The time when we begin a weekly journey together.\u00a0 This Wednesday, Ash Wednesday is the beginning of Lent.\u00a0 After that, we will gather each Wednesday evening here in Petaluma and Windsor.\u00a0 We’ll begin our yearly journey to a place that would seem so tragic to those that followed Jesus.\u00a0 And if we didn’t know any better we would think the same.\u00a0\u00a0 We would not have a cross in front of our church.\u00a0 We would not think of wearing one.\u00a0\u00a0 But we do and gladly so.<\/p>\n
You and I are about to make our way to a place where God brought two things together.\u00a0 The first is this.\u00a0 The awful, despicable guilt of this world and what that guilt deserves.\u00a0 But not just the guilt of the world out there.\u00a0 My guilt and yours and what our guilt deserves.\u00a0 God brought that together at the cross with something else.\u00a0 Something that makes no sense. Something we do not deserve.\u00a0 His love that wants none of us to die and go to real place called hell.\u00a0 God’s love that wants to forgive us, to reclaim us as his children. God’s love that wants us to live in his blessed presence.\u00a0\u00a0 Well there on a cross long ago, God brought those two things together. His love and our guilt.\u00a0 He brought them together in the One we follow this season of Lent as he makes his way to that cross.<\/p>\n
But before we step off and begin our journey, our Lord takes us on kind of a side trip.\u00a0\u00a0 And when we follow, when we take to heart what God has for us here, we realize how very wonderful His love is. We see a love which enables us to look up and over the troubles and hurts that come our way. We see that love in what he was willing to do for us.\u00a0 We see it in who God was willing to give to save us dying sinners from ourselves.\u00a0 This Word from Luke’s Gospel helps us to see how very amazing God’s love is.\u00a0 \u00a0For here think of:<\/p>\n
THE ONE WE FOLLOW TO HIS CROSS
\n<\/b>I.\u00a0 See his glory
\nII. Listen in on one special conversation
\nIII. Take God at his Word.<\/p>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 About eight days after Jesus said this<\/span>… Said what?\u00a0 He had told them plainly what would soon happen.\u00a0 He must suffer and be rejected by the religious leaders.\u00a0 Then he must be killed and after three days rise again. What a shock it must have been to hear Jesus speak this way about himself.\u00a0 How different from what they hoped for and expected.\u00a0 You can imagine how confused they were.<\/p>\n 28 <\/sup>About eight days after Jesus said this, he took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray<\/span>. The Holy Spirit does not tell us which mountain.\u00a0 Tradition tells us it was Mount Tabor not very far from Nazareth.\u00a0 I believe it was Mount Herman, a lot higher and a closer to where Jesus had just been.\u00a0 Yet knowing the place to put the historical marker is not near as important as what happened there.<\/p>\n Jesus went there to pray.\u00a0 He went off away from the crowds like he often did.\u00a0 But Jesus had more in mind for these men than just a prayer retreat.\u00a0 Think about it.\u00a0 They had spent a good portion of\u00a0 the day climbing that mountain.\u00a0 They were all tired and worn from the climb including Jesus.\u00a0 They arrived and Jesus took to prayer.\u00a0 How long?\u00a0 We do not know.\u00a0 But at some point, 29 <\/sup>As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed,\u00a0 <\/span>Matthew says it this way.<\/span>\u00a0 His face shone like the sun.<\/span> \u00a0and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning<\/span>.\u00a0 Just imagine how that looked especially if it happened in the night darkness.<\/p>\n What were they seeing?\u00a0 For a brief moment Jesus gave them to see his divine glory.\u00a0 He let down his human nature for them to see with their own eyes, that Jesus was so much more than a man.\u00a0 He let down his human nature so that one day they could look back to Jesus’ death and understand just who it was that God had given to die for them.<\/p>\n Do you understand?\u00a0 Listen to John who was there speak of him years later and this after James and the others were killed. He still is bold to say. We have seen his glory<\/span>.\u00a0 Listen to Peter speak of him also.\u00a0 We were eyewitnesses of his majesty<\/span>.\u00a0 Do you understand who it is we follow to His cross<\/b>?\u00a0 See his glory.<\/b>\u00a0 The glory of God the Son given for you.<\/p>\n Ever go someplace wanting and expecting to be alone.\u00a0 I remember climbing a mountain and hiking down to a lake on the other side.\u00a0 Ah this is a nice place.\u00a0 We’re out swimming in that lake, when suddenly we hear a car engine.\u00a0 Maybe we aren’t so alone.\u00a0 But that wasn’t the case here.\u00a0 There were no other climbers on that mountain. They were alone until.\u00a0 30 <\/sup>Two men, Moses and Elijah, <\/span>31 <\/sup>appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus<\/span>.\u00a0 Here think of the one we follow to his cross as we get to listen in.<\/b><\/p>\n But before we do, think of what the Lord shows us here.\u00a0 We all have lost loved ones to death.\u00a0 The last memories we sometimes have are that of a lifeless body.\u00a0 In Moses and Elijah God gives us a different sight to hold on to.\u00a0 Our mom or dad, our sister or brother our friend who died in Christ, now lives and lives in glory with God.\u00a0 No more sadness or pain.<\/p>\n But the Lord had these men appear for a reason.\u00a0 Moses and Elijah represent the Old Testament.\u00a0 The Law and the prophets.\u00a0 God brought them from heaven to show these men Jesus is the One this book pointed to.\u00a0 Jesus is the One God promised.\u00a0 These are the Scriptures that testify of me… <\/span><\/p>\n Now listen in on one special conversation<\/b>:\u00a0 They spoke about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem<\/span>.\u00a0 When Jesus had spoken about that with his disciples they pushed back against Jesus’ words.\u00a0 But Moses and Elijah knew different.\u00a0 This was God’s saving will.\u00a0 This was God’s plan.\u00a0 And Jesus was about to go to Jerusalem to fulfill God’s plan.<\/p>\n They spoke about his departure<\/span>, Jesus’ death.\u00a0 Literally the Greek word is exodus<\/i>. Long before God used Moses to give his people an exodus from their harsh slavery in Egypt.\u00a0\u00a0 Jesus’ death would mean an exodus for us.\u00a0 An exodus from the slavery of our guilt and death.\u00a0 An exodus where Jesus leads us to a far better promised land.\u00a0 For what can we sing?\u00a0 I’m but a stranger here, Heaven is my home<\/i>. And why?\u00a0 The One we follow to his cross.<\/b> \u00a0Moses and Elijah show us the way.<\/p>\n Have you ever had this kind of experience. Something so good, so happy, you don’t want it to end.\u00a0 You get to be with someone you love after a long time away.\u00a0 As a kid, it was that raspberry tart my mom brought home from the bakery.\u00a0 I savored every bite.\u00a0 Whatever it is, we want it to go on and on.<\/p>\n Think of Peter, James and John basking in Jesus’ glory with Moses and Elijah there.\u00a0\u00a0 But now, the conversation is over.\u00a0 Moses and Elijah seem to be leaving. Well you know Peter.\u00a0 The first one out of the box as always.\u00a0 This is good.\u00a0 This is great.\u00a0 \u201cMaster, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters\u2014one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah<\/span>.\u201d\u00a0 But what does Luke add.\u00a0 (He did not know what he was saying.)\u00a0 <\/span>For Jesus could not stay there.\u00a0 Not if our sins were to be paid for.\u00a0 Not if we would ever be able to say to God in heaven. Lord,\u00a0 It is good for us to be here.<\/i><\/p>\n So we follow Jesus to his cross.\u00a0 But it’s so important we know who we follow.\u00a0 The cult member who comes to your door will describe him with words that sound kind of right.\u00a0 But they mean something else.\u00a0 To them Jesus is someone more than us\u00a0 but less that God.\u00a0 It’s important we understand who it is we follow to the cross. \u00a0<\/b>Here I can make no better suggestion \u00a0Take God at his Word.<\/b> \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 34 <\/sup>While he was speaking, a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. <\/span>35 <\/sup>A voice came from the cloud, saying, \u201cThis is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0 That cloud makes me think of that pillar of cloud above the Tabernacle in the desert.\u00a0 The glory of the Lord that told\u00a0 his people,\u00a0 I am with you<\/i>. I am with you in that tabernacle.<\/p>\n Here and now another cloud appeared.\u00a0 And from that cloud came a voice, the voice of God the Father who said.\u00a0 This is my Son<\/span>.\u00a0 And there what can we know.\u00a0 God is with us.\u00a0 Not in a tent in the desert, but in Jesus, his Son, our Lord.\u00a0 He is the one we follow to the cross.\u00a0 The one he has chosen to pay the price for each of us. \u00a0He is the one we follow to the cross.\u00a0 Take God at his Word.<\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/b>I love how this ends. \u00a0I still remember our synod president coming to dedicate a church in New Mexico and preaching a whole sermon on these last few words.\u00a0 Think about it.\u00a0 One moment, the cloud, the voice of God the Father.\u00a0 The next moment, only Jesus.\u00a0 Only Jesus.\u00a0 It’s like God framed up the picture for these men.\u00a0 He’s farmed it up for you and me.\u00a0 Look.\u00a0 Here is the One you need.\u00a0 Here is the One to follow.\u00a0 How God must love us!\u00a0 For where do we now follow him this season of Lent.\u00a0 To a cross for us all.\u00a0 Amen.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Text:\u00a0 Luke 9: 28-36 It’s that time of year again. The time when we begin a weekly journey together.\u00a0 This Wednesday, Ash Wednesday is the beginning of Lent.\u00a0 After that, we will gather each Wednesday evening here in Petaluma and Windsor.\u00a0 We’ll begin our yearly journey to a place that would seem so tragic to those that followed Jesus.\u00a0 And […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-416","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sermon"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/416","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\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=416"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/416\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":418,"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/416\/revisions\/418"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=416"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=416"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=416"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}