Grace and peace to you from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ.

I want to read for you again Luke's account of the transfiguration of Jesus.

At first read several questions come to mind. In Deuteronomy Moses was told he would never enter the Promised Land yet here he is standing next to Jesus in Palestine. For that matter how did Peter, James, and John know it was Moses and Elijah with Jesus? If the disciples were sleepy then fully awake could it be this occurred at night, especially since Peter asks about setting up shelters. What does it mean His face changed? Was that all they could see before the brilliance of His body became apparent?

All questions we may never know the answers too. However there are things that we can look at that give us a better understanding of the transfiguration.

You may have noticed toward the end of the reading a heavenly voice from the cloud saying this is my Son, whom I have chosen, very reminiscent of the voice at Jesus' baptism. This also echoes the prophecy of Isaiah, "Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight…" (Is 42:1).

What you may not have noticed is that everyone mentioned in the reading is chosen either by God or Jesus. The three disciples especially Peter, are mentioned in several accounts along with the account we read today. They are the first disciples, they are with Jesus when Jairus' daughter was healed, when Peter's mother-in-law was healed, and they were the three that were to watch that last night in Gethsemane. We know Moses was chosen for a special purpose and he is the representative of the Law. Elijah was chosen to challenge the evil king Ahab and he became the representative of the Prophets.

Some other interesting things to think about; Moses' successor was Joshua; Elijah's successor was Elisha which is a form of the name Joshua. And Jesus is Hebrew for Joshua. A Joshua was chosen to finish the works of Moses, Elijah and the fulfillment of God's plan for salvation.

As we look further we find that the discussion between Jesus, Moses, and Elijah is about Jesus' departure. Interestingly exodus is the Greek word for departure. Jesus does indeed lead an exodus from this sinful world to heaven a place of eternal bliss prepared for all believers. Jesus leads this exodus through His death and resurrection breaking the chains of eternal wrath. Jesus is following a path laid out by God He is chosen for this task. This is not a case of succumbing to fate, but a planned sacrifice to bring about a new creation.

To me it's clear that God had a plan and has a plan going forward. The parallel between the Old Testament account of the exodus and the New Testament account of Jesus' departure are too strong. Both were to bring a chosen people out of slavery. Moses was sent back to Egypt to bring the people to the Promised Land. Jesus was sent to bring the people from this world of sin to a promised land of eternal life.

I find it comforting to see that God had a plan from the beginning and on to the very end of the age. Sometimes I wonder why things take the course they do. Even when I try to affect the outcome the end result was really part of God's plan. Remember after God said Jesus is the chosen one He said listen to Him. If I try to do it my way it's just going to take longer and be a bit more painful to get to the end result. If I listen to Him it may not be a painless journey but I know Jesus is preparing the path for me.

When we do things our way aren't we just holding onto a method thought or idea we are comfortable with? About eight days before the transfiguration Jesus asks the disciples who He really is. Peter confesses that Jesus is the Christ. Jesus then tells the disciples He must suffer, die and be raised again on the third day. Peter was not listening because offering to build shelters implies he wanted to hold on to Jesus longer. Peter didn't want Jesus to leave them; in effect Peter wanted to do it his way.

In the world at large we see the same patterns over and over. Bad and evil things are happening because people and groups don't listen to or haven't heard what is good and righteous in God's eyes. They take matters into their own hands often perverting the truth. Or worse by declaring absolute truth doesn't exist that truth is only a relative notion. They have gone in a direction that differs from the prepared path of God.

The church is caught up in this battle as well. In churches and denominations where the truth has been perverted and trivialized schisms have occurred. It's no secret what is occurring in the mainstream denominations that have chosen that path.

Even in the churches that stay the course a problem exists just as destructive. That problem has been with the church from the beginning. We in the kingdom climb the mountain with Jesus each week we hear His message and then we return from the mountain to our lives outside the church. Rather than hang onto His every word and listen we go our own way. Our own way to often is rejoining this world rather than bringing the light from the mountain into the valley as we are expected to do.

If we are really listening wouldn't we share the light and hope with others? Wouldn't we resist the temptations with every ounce of our being? Wouldn't we do what we can to comfort others physically, emotionally, and most importantly spiritually? Of course we would. That's why we study His Word and collect food and clothing for the needy. We are preparing for and acting to comfort others.

If we are not acting to the benefit of the Kingdom then we are not listening to the Son who is chosen and has chosen us. We are expected to carry the light from the mountain top to the valley below.

As you wake each morning ask Jesus to help you carry the light so you can follow the path He has prepared for you. Carry that light as a beacon of hope for others.

In the name of our risen Lord and savior Jesus Christ, Amen.