Grace Evangelical-Lutheran: 2. Peter 1,16-21. The Last Sunday after Epiphany (Transfiguration)

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The Word of the Lord Endures Forever

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2. Peter 1,16-19[20-21] 1214

Letzter Sonntag nach Epiphanias 019

Apollonia, well-known Virgin at Alexandria, Martyr 249

9. Februar 2014

1. O God, whose Blessed Son was manifested so that He might destroy the works of the devil, make us the sons of God and heirs of eternal life: Grant us, we beseech Thee, that, having this hope, we may purify ourselves, even as He is pure; so that, when He shall appear again with power and great glory, we may be made like unto Him in His eternal and glorious kingdom; where with Thee, O Father, and Thee, O Holy Ghost, He liveth and reigneth, ever O God, world without end. Amen. (The Book of Common Prayer 76).

2. In his 2. Epistle, the Apostle Peter recounts the events from today’s Gospel Lection: For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty. For when He received honor and glory from God the Father, and the Voice was borne to Him by the Majestic Glory: »This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,« we ourselves heard this very Voice borne from heaven, for we were with Him on the holy mountain. And we have something more sure, the prophetic word, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the Morning Star rises in your hearts, knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

3. St. Peter begins by reminding us that the apostolic gospel proclamation of Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection is not some »cleverly devised myth«. We need to pause and unpack that for a moment, because the way we understand myth is different from the way 1. century Greeks, Romans and Jews understood myth. Your average 21. century American hears the word „myth“ and understands it as an invented story or an imaginary person. Examples of such an understanding of myth are: the tooth fairy and the Easter Bunny. We know these creatures do not exist but their stories serve as important events in a our children’s lives. This is not how people in the 1. century understood a myth. For them, a myth was a traditional or legendary story, usually concerning an hero or event, with or without a determinable basis of fact or a natural explanation, especially one that was concerned with deities and explained some practice, rite or natural phenomenon. The Greeks and Romans had a well-devised mythology of gods and goddesses to explain creation and why things happened in the world. One such ancient myth is the Flood. Every culture, on every continent, has a Flood myth. The specific details differ from one culture to another, but at the core these Flood myths share four common details: 1. There was a universal destruction of the human race and all land creatures by water; 2. An ark or boat was provided as the means to escape the Flood’s destruction; 3. A family or small group of people was preserved from the global deluge and they perpetuated the human race; and 4. The wickedness of man is often given as the cause of the Flood (Rehwinkel 128). Another interesting connection to this myth is the Chinese word for „boat“ which is comprised of three characters: vessel, eight and people. Here we see how the ancient understanding of myth actually involves an historic event and attempts to explain that event for succeeding generations.

4. So when the Apostle Peter says: »We did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ« he is stating that the gospel of Christ is not some myth like Zeus or Poseidon who were created to explain the world, but the gospel of Christ is grounded in historical facts and events. The apostle then declares: »we were eyewitnesses of His majesty.« The event Peter is referring to specifically in this epistle is the transfiguration of Jesus. No one has seen Zeus ride the clouds and hurl thunderbolts during a storm. No one has seen Poseidon rise from the waves and direct a catastrophic flood. Peter, however, says he and his fellow apostles saw Jesus in His Divine Glory.

5. The two great prophets of the old testament descended at Jesus’ transfiguration to discuss with Jesus His impending death (Luke 9,31). Six days earlier Jesus had spoken to His disciples about this very topic. Matthew tells us: »From that time on, Jesus began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem and undergo great suffering at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, but on the third day be raised from the dead« (Matthew 16,21-22).

6. The disciples were uncomfortable with this talk of suffering and dying, for this did not fit their idea of who the Christ was supposed to be. Peter even tried to prevent Jesus from walking down this path of the Suffering Servant (Matthew 16,22), but Jesus’ transfiguration impressed upon Peter, James and John that the Law and the Prophets were all about Jesus and His death and resurrection. On Mt. Tabor these three disciples saw with their own eyes that Jesus is the very God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel. Jesus is the Son of God who appeared to Moses on Mt. Sinai (Exodus 24,9-18). Jesus is the Son of God who spoke to Elijah on Mt. Horeb (1. Kings 19). Jesus is the Son of God, incarnate in human flesh, who was born of the virgin Mary so He could suffer, be crucified and rise again. This Jesus, transfigured in His glory, is God in their midst who had arrived to save you, me and all mankind from our sinfulness.

7. The apostle also testifies that he heard the very Voice of God the Father who said: »This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.« The apostle proclaims that this Divine Voice is the very prophetic word that God has spoken to His people since the creation of the world. This word, recorded by the Prophets in the old testament, is the sure and certain word of God. This prophetic word is grounded in human history that is witnessed by people. Jesus was born, and angels, shepherds and magi bore witness of His birth. Jesus was crucified, and Roman legal records, John and the women testify to that grim event. Jesus rose from His tomb, and Mary Magdalene, the apostles and even 500 disciples stood among this risen Jesus. This historical connection is what separates the gospel from myth. The gospel is a legendary story of a Divine Hero that is attested to by witnesses, history and documentation. People saw Jesus. They were healed by Him. He made a real difference in their lives. These events were passed on to others via oral traditions and written accounts.

8. There are always people who challenge the historicity of the Gospels. They might argue that the Evangelists embellished the words and deeds of Jesus in their Gospels. They might claim that there is no evidence of Jesus and His life. In the end, the inerrancy and inspiration of the Holy Scriptures are called into question, so that at the end of the debate they argue that the Bible is nothing more than a Christian myth on par with the Greco-Roman myths from the 1. century. All this deconstruction of the Bible occurs to cast doubt upon Jesus and His ministry.

9. Peter challenged these creative theories two thousand years before they became foundational planks in many liberal theologians’ worldview. Peter says the Holy Scriptures are sure and certain, for they are not the creative interpretation of men but they are the very words of God who inspired the prophets, evangelists and apostles to speak and record them. Thus God connects His word with His actions in history. People might deny that the Flood occurred, but every culture has a Flood story that agrees on several key points. The Flood did occur, and it so impacted the sons of Noah that they passed on the story to their descendants who after Babel continued to tell the story in their own languages. Jesus was crucified, and Pilate and Roman historians attest to that event. Jesus rose from the grave, and over 500 witnesses claim to have seen and touched Him. These historical connections lend evidence to the veracity of God’s Word. Thus the Apostle Paul tells Timothy: »All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction and for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete and equipped for every good work« (2. Timothy 3,16-17). The Apostle Peter writes: »No prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.« Both apostles are speaking about the inspiration and inerrancy of the Holy Scriptures.

10. The Apostle Peter says He saw Jesus transfigured on the mountain. He saw Moses and Elijah converse with Him. He realized this was another epiphany of Jesus’ Divinity. Jesus is greater than Moses, Elijah and all the old testament. Jesus is God in the flesh, and this Son of God died and rose again in order to redeem every man, woman and child from sin, death and Hades. The apostles proclaimed this gospel, people believed, churches were established and the gospel continued to be proclaimed. It is our responsibility and duty as Christians who are gathered in this local church to ensure that the gospel continues to be preached in purity. We live in a world darkened by sin, corrupted by vices and enamored with reason. The gospel of Christ Jesus is a light that shines in these dark places and liberates those bound to their sins. Jesus’ transfiguration gives us a glimpse of His Divine Glory, and each week His Scriptures are read and preached for the edification of our faith in Him so that we can go out and be lights to our neighbors in their darkest hour of need. Amen.

11. Let us pray. O Christ Jesus, the Brilliance of the Eternal Light and a Stainless Mirror of that Divine power and an Icon of goodness, pour upon us the Holy Spirit so that as we are returned to everyday life after experiencing the Glory of Jesus in the Word and Sacraments, we take with us the shining light of Christ and His mercy so as to endure the world and the suffering that attends it in our lives (ELKB).

To God alone be the Glory

Soli Deo Gloria

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All Scriptural quotations are translations done by The Rev. Peter A. Bauernfeind using the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia, 4. Edition © 1990 by the Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart, and the Novum Testamentum Graece, Nestle-Aland 27. Edition © 1993 by Deutsch Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart.

Löhe, Wilhelm. Seed-Grains of Prayer: A Manual for Evangelical Christians. Wartburg Publishing House, Chicago circa 1912. Concordia Publishing House; Concordia on Demand.

Grace Evangelical-Lutheran

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church

Saturday, February 15, 2014

2. Peter 1,16-21. The Last Sunday after Epiphany (Transfiguration)

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