The Transfiguration of our Lord

The Transfiguration of our Lord – February 9, 2025

Psalm 84; Exodus 24:29-35; 2 Peter 1:16-21

St. Matthew 17:1-9

In the Name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Christ our Lord asked His disciples, “Who do you say that I am?” Speaking on behalf of the group, St. Peter said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Then, after giving the keys to bind and loose the gates of heaven to the Church, Christ made His first prediction of His death and resurrection. St. Peter rebuked the Lord, saying, “Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!” In turn, Christ rebuked Peter with those terrible words, “Get behind Me, Satan!”[1]

Six days later, Christ took Peter, James, and John up a high mountain and was transfigured before them. The divinity of Christ shone through His humanity, giving Peter, James, and John a glimpse of His glory. At that time, Moses and Elijah appeared with Him and spoke to our Lord concerning His exodus from this world.[2] The topic of conversation was Christ’s suffering, death, and resurrection. It is called His “exodus” not just because it is His leaving the world (for a time), but in reference to the exodus of the Hebrews from Egypt. Through Moses, the Hebrews were delivered from bondage under Pharaoh and led toward the land of promise. Through Christ, His people are delivered from bondage under sin and led toward the Promised Land of eternal life with Christ.

St. Peter, still trying to sort out the events from six days prior, says, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, let us make here three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”[3] And while he was still speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed everyone on the mountain and the Father proclaimed from heaven, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!” Once again, St. Peter has received a rebuke. The disciples were greatly afraid at this voice and fell on their faces in an act of worship and repentance. Then Christ touched them and told them to rise, forgiving their sin. Coming down from the mountain, Christ admonished the disciples to tell no one what they had seen until after His resurrection.

Christ’s journey to the cross has now begun in earnest. His miracles have not ended, but they have slowed down. His focus is now on bearing the sins of the world to the cross. The revelation of Christ’s transfiguration is the beginning of preparing His disciples for His suffering and death.

Based on St. Peter’s great confession, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God,” Christ did not need to reveal His transfiguration to the disciples to prove His divinity. It is true that this text is an excellent proof of the same. It shows His two natures in one person. The human nature stands before the disciples and the divine nature shines through with the glory of the true, living God. However, that does not seem to be Christ’s primary purpose for revealing Himself in this way.

Rather, He is strengthening the disciples’ hearts and minds for what is to come. “Strike the Shepherd and the sheep will scatter.”[4] The frailty of the human soul cannot bear the death of God, let alone the frailty of the disciples to lose their beloved Teacher. This will also be followed by their own persecutions and deaths. Christ reveals His divinity to bolster their faith in Him and to reveal what awaits them in glory. As St. John says, “Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.”[5]

So too, if anyone desires to follow Christ, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Christ.[6] Bad things will happen to you in this life. People will be cruel. Your loved ones will get sick or hurt. You will struggle with finances. And unless Christ returns beforehand, you will die. This is the result of sin. And you, beloved of the Lord, will face this suffering in the knowledge that it isn’t according to God’s blessed creation of the world. In fact, you will face this suffering in the knowledge that it is your fault and the fault of your fellow man. You know that all suffering is the result of sin and sometimes, that knowledge makes the suffering worse.

St. Peter, though sometimes impulsive, was a good student of our Lord’s teachings. He understood the implications of what our Lord had told him regarding His suffering and death. Peter couldn’t bear the thought of his beloved Lord and Master suffering such an unjust death. He couldn’t bear the thought that the Man without sin would suffer the death of a disgusting criminal. He was dreadfully rebuked by Christ for rejecting the crucifixion. So then, on the Mount of Transfiguration, St. Peter tried a different tactic. “Why don’t we just stay here? Lord, I’ll build tents for You, Moses, and Elijah. James, John, and I can sleep on the ground. We can stay here on the mountain and enjoy your glory for all time. It is good for us all to be here, in Your presence, for all time.”

St. Peter is still trying to avoid the suffering of the cross. He is looking for an exit from the world like the one Elijah enjoyed. Elijah did not taste death. He was carried to heaven in his body on a flaming chariot.[7] He is still trying to spare Christ the shameful death of the cross while avoiding his own life of suffering and persecution in the world.

At the same time, don’t be too hard on St. Peter. The first words out of his mouth on the mountain are, “It is good Lord, for us to be here.” He is right. It is good to be in the presence of the glory of the Lord. It is good to be gathered with the saints, worshiping the Triune God. The Mount of Transfiguration is a foretaste of the eternal life that all Christians can expect at the completion of our journey on this side of glory. But before we can enjoy that reward, we have a journey to endure here. We have a life to live in this world, even if we are not of this world.[8]

Christ recognizes St. Peter’s struggle and it is precisely for this reason that He reveals His glory on the mountain. It is in recognition of your struggle against sin, your endurance of suffering in this world, that Christ caused His transfiguration to be written in the words of Holy Scripture. Bad things will happen to you in this life and some of it will be your fault. Some of it won’t. Some of it will be punishment for sin. Some of it will be by the hand of God, to prevent you from becoming too reliant on yourself.

The thundering voice of the Father causes the disciples to fall on their faces in repentance and reverence. They are humbled by the power and glory of the Almighty and reminded of their proper place. They are sinners who do not deserve the mercy of the Father nor the sacrifice that Christ will soon make. When the Father speaks, they do not presume to build tents but submit to whatever judgment His is about to pronounce. But what does the Father say? “This is my Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Listen to Him.” He tells the disciples to listen to the words of Christ, to obey the Son of God.

What does Christ say to them? He forgives their sins by telling them to arise and then leads them back down the mountain. He leads them back from the mountain of God’s glory and into the world. Having been strengthened with the vision of Christ’s glory, the disciples are to return down the mountain to endure Christ’s death and resurrection. They are also called to do more. They are called to live in this world. They are called to be husbands, fathers, brothers, Christians, pastors, and especially evangelists, that is, those who proclaim the death and resurrection of Christ to the world.

In many ways, the Mount of Transfiguration is the pattern of the weekly life of the Christian. The height of the mountain, seeing the glory of Christ, is the Holy Communion. While Peter, James, and John only saw the glory of Christ shine through His human nature, you behold Christ’s humanity and divinity in the host and chalice. You receive the whole Christ by eating and drinking, being united to Him in the most intimate of ways.

And then, your sins being forgiven, you must descend the mountain. You must return to the world, not bound by a word of silence but a word of proclamation. You are to depart the Holy Communion having been strengthened in body and soul unto life everlasting. You have seen and received the glory of Christ. You know how your story ends.[9] It ends on the eternal Mount Zion, with Christ and all the saints of heaven.[10]

This frees you to be the husband, father, brother, and Christian that God has called you to be. It frees you to endure the cruelty, decay, and sin of this world. It frees you because nothing can take you from the hand of the Father.[11] Christ is before you, behind you, beside you, and in you. Do not become so heavenly minded that you are of no earthly good, as St. Peter thought he might be. Rather, carry the light of the Transfigured Christ throughout all your days.[12]

In + Jesus’ name. Amen.

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[1] St. Matthew 16:13-23.

[2] St. Luke 9:31.

[3] St. Matthew 17:4.

[4] Zechariah 13:7.

[5] 1 John 3:2-3.

[6] St. Matthew 16:24.

[7] 2 Kings 2:11.

[8] St. John 8:23; cf. St. John 18:36.

[9] Psalm 25.

[10] Psalm 74:2; Psalm 48:11; Hebrews 12:22.

[11] St. John 10:29.

[12] St. John 8:12; St. Matthew 5:14.

Maundy Thursday

Maundy Thursday – March 28, 2024

Psalm 67; Exodus 24:3-11; 1 Corinthians 11:20-32

St. John 13:1-15, 34-35

In the Name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Our Lord, Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to His disciples and said, “Take, eat; This is My Body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.”

In the same way also, He took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them saying, “Drink of it, all of you; This Cup is the New Testament in My Blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”

With these sacred words, Jesus Christ instituted the Sacrament of the Altar. Everything we need to know about the Sacrament is found in these Words of our Lord, namely, what the Sacrament is, what its benefits are, and who is to receive it.

What is the Sacrament of the Altar? “It is the true body and blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, in and under the bread and wine, for us Christians to eat and to drink, instituted by Christ Himself.”[1]This simple answer is entirely derived from the Word of our Lord when He instituted the Supper. Plain, physical elements are combined with God’s Word and become a Sacrament, a gift of God to man. It is the Word of God which elevates these physical elements to become a Sacrament. Without the Word of God, they are nothing more than bread or wine that you might enjoy with a meal at home. With the Word of God, they become the true body and blood of Jesus Christ.

However, in this Sacramental Union, the physical elements of bread and wine are not lost. Christ joins His Holy Body and Precious Blood to the physical elements of bread and wine through His Word. The result is His Body in, with, and under the bread; His Blood in, with, and under the wine. In the Holy Supper, you therefore receive four things: Body, bread, Blood, and wine.

Since it is God’s Word which effects this Sacramental Union, you can be certain that what you receive at this altar is the Body and Blood of Jesus. His presence in the Sacrament does not depend upon your faith or the faith of the man administering the Sacrament. “The Word by which it was constituted a Sacrament is not rendered false because of an individual’s unworthiness or unbelief. Christ does not say, ‘If you believe or if you are worthy, you have my body and blood,’ but rather, ‘Take, eat and drink, this is my body and blood.’”[2]

Our Lord also commands that we “do this.” In the first place, He is referring to “take, eat and drink.” This is what we are to do with His Supper. The command to “do this” also refers to the administration of His Supper. We are to administer the Supper in the same way that Christ did. We are to take bread, give thanks for it, break it, and give it to His people to eat. We are to take wine in a cup, give thanks, and give it to His people to drink.

This is why pastors recite the Word of Institution, the Verba, at every celebration of the Lord’s Supper. It is not a magical formula that changes the substance of the bread and wine into Christ’s body and blood. If that were the case, then a single misspoken syllable would give reason for doubt. Rather, pastors recite the Verba according to Christ’s own words, “Do this in remembrance of Me.” Reciting the Verba is how the elements are blessed and it marks them as partaking of the very blessing Christ gave on the night when He was betrayed. It is as though I am saying, “These elements gathered here are what Jesus was referring to on the night when He was betrayed. Christ, who is not bound by time, has marked this very bread and this very cup to be His Body and Blood, as His own words and promises declare.”

What, then, is the benefit of the Lord’s Supper? “In the Sacrament forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation are given” to you.[3] We go to the Sacrament to receive the forgiveness of sins and where the forgiveness of sins is found, there also is life and salvation. The whole council of God, the entirety of the Scriptures could be used to point to this truth, that life is in the blood, that by the Wounds of Jesus’ own body you are set free, etc., but for this evening, you need only to trust in the Words of Jesus. He has said, “Take, eat and drink, for the forgiveness of sins.” That is enough to be confident of what benefit you receive in the Lord’s Supper.

Put in another light, if the Sacrament gives the forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation, then it is also the weapon against sin, death, and the devil. In the Large Catechism, Dr. Luther says it this way,

Therefore, it is appropriately called food of the soul, for it nourishes and strengthens the new creature. For in the first instance, we are born anew through baptism. However, our human flesh and blood, as I have said, have not lost their old skin. There are so many hindrances and attacks of the devil and the world that we often grow weary and faint and at times even stumble. Therefore the Lord’s Supper is give as a daily food and sustenance so that our faith may be refreshed and strengthened and that it may not succumb in the struggle but become stronger and stronger. For the new life should be one that continually develops and progresses. But it has to suffer a great deal of opposition. The devil is a furious enemy; when he sees that we resist him and attack the old creature, and when he cannot rout us by force, he sneaks and skulks about at every turn, trying all kinds of tricks, and does not stop until he has finally worn us out so that we either renounce our faith or lose heart and become indifferent or impatient. For times like these, when our heart feels too sorely pressed, this comfort of the Lord’s Supper is given to bring us new strength and refreshment.[4]

Knowing what the Sacrament is and when benefit it provides, we must necessarily ask, who is to receive it. “He is truly worthy and well prepared who has faith in these words, ‘Given and shed for you for the remission of sins.’”[5] The fundamental requirement for receiving the Sacrament, according to Jesus, is faith.

Now, we need to expand our understanding a little, also according to the Words of Jesus. This faith must be in Jesus and in what He has given and shed for you, that is, this faith must be in the death and resurrection of Jesus for the forgiveness of your sins. That also means that you must believe that you are a sinner. Believing you are a sinner means that you believe there is nothing you can do to save yourself. You are a sinner who is in need of a Savior. Who is that Savior? Jesus Christ. What did He do for you? He died for your sins. Where do you receive that forgiveness? In His Word and Sacraments, which are His Word combined with physical elements—water, bread, and wine. This is what it is to have faith in these words, ‘Given and shed for you, for the remission of sins.’

This ought to be enough for our entire understanding of the Sacrament of the Altar—what it is, what benefits it gives, and who should receive it—but the Old Adam clinging to our flesh is an expert at deceiving us. He and his father the devil, would either have us fling the Sacrament to all open mouths, knowing them all to be sinners, or restrict the Sacrament according to manmade laws, ceremonies, or customs, until no one receives it. For this reason, we will need to turn to another passage of Scripture.

St. Paul writes to the Corinthians, “Therefore, whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. For this reason, many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep. For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world.”[6]

 One must examine himself in order to receive Holy Communion. Since ancient times, this examination has involved knowing the fundamental texts of the Christian faith as a way of expressing the faith within. These fundamental texts are the 10 Commandments, the Apostles’ Creed, and the Lord’s Prayer. They summarize the content of Holy Scripture while fulfilling the words, “Given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins.

In the shorter preface to his Large Catechism, Martin Luther says, “For the common people we are satisfied if they know the three ‘parts’…These are the most necessary parts of Christian teaching that one should first learn to repeat word for word…Now, when these three parts are understood, a person must also know what to say about our Sacraments, which Christ Himself instituted: Baptism and the holy body and blood of Christ.”^[7]

All Christians, no matter how long since you first received the Sacrament of the Altar or if you have yet to receive it for the first time, must examine himself before communing. The standard of knowing the primary texts of the catechism and being able to define the Sacraments and what you receive applies to all Christians.

Unfortunately, somewhere in history, admission to the Lord’s Supper became tied exclusively to the rite of confirmation, a rite that has no basis in the Scriptures and is itself strictly a man-made ceremony. The rite of confirmation then became associated with “graduating” from something. It was a sign you had accomplished learning a certain amount of information and then, sadly for many, you no longer needed to study God’s Word, the Catechism, or even attend the Divine Service.

One reason for this is that the examination which typically follows catechetical instruction has sometimes been understood as a one-time event. If someone can pass this test, then they are prepared to receive the Sacrament on a continual basis. Another reason is that the rite of confirmation became associated with a particular age, a transition into High School; almost a rite of passage into adulthood.

Scripture knows of no such singular examination, just as it knows nothing of confirmation. Every Christian is to examine himself each time he desires to receive the Sacrament. Again, Luther says, “It is the duty of every father of a family to question and examine his children and servants at least once a week and see what they know or are learning from the catechism.”^[8] Luther’s “Christian Questions and Their Answers,” found at the back of the small catechism, are a guide for all Christians to use in preparation to receive the Sacrament.

To this end, we ought to evaluate what it means to examine oneself before receiving Holy Communion. Should the youth be held to a higher standard than the rest of the congregation? That is, should a baptized child who can recite the basic texts, express a basic understanding of the Sacraments, and has been examined accordingly, be prevented from receiving the Sacrament of the Altar based on age? Or, should all members of the congregation be required to recite the entire catechism from memory, or at least undergo the thorough examination found at the end of most catechetical instruction each time they desire to commune?

The witness of Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions answer both questions negatively. St. Paul admonishes us to examine ourselves before receiving the Lord’s Supper. To examine oneself is to know the primary texts of the faith, to know what the Sacraments are, and to know what you receive in the Sacraments. Then, to him who is given much, much is expected.[9] That is, an adult ought to be able to show a more thorough understanding than a youth. “For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.”[10]

Should a Christian find himself believing false doctrine or living in manifest sin, when he examines himself, he will find himself unworthy to receive the Sacrament. This Christian should repent and seek the counsel of his Pastor, who can help guide him back into the way of truth. Then, when such a one has a right understanding of the faith and can examine himself according to these texts of Scripture, he is truly worthy and prepared to receive the Body and Blood of Christ.

Is faith an expression of academic knowledge? Is faith a physical ability, perhaps to speak something word-for-word? Neither, since the former excludes children, and the latter excludes the mentally and physically infirm. Faith is trust in Christ, trust in things unseen. The reason to require catechumens to recite memory work is that the servants of Christ and stewards of God’s mysteries—that is to say, pastors—cannot peer into their hearts. It is necessary that catechumens of any age make a confession of their faith such that the pastor can, according to his office, admit them to the Supper without danger to their bodies and souls. This admission is according to faith in these words, “Given and shed for you, for the forgiveness of sins.”

In + Jesus’ name. Amen.

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[1] Small Catechism VI 1; Large Catechism V 8.

[2] LC V 17-18.

[3] SC VI 2.

[4] LC V 23-27.

[5] SC VI 4.

[6] 1 Corinthians 11:27-32.

[7] “Short Preface of Dr. Martin Luther,” Large Catechism, 6, 15, 20.

[8] “Short Preface,” 4.

[9] St. Luke 12:48.

[10] Hebrews 5:13-14.

Maundy Thursday

Maundy Thursday – April 6, 2023

Psalm 67; Exodus 24:3-11; 1 Corinthians 11:20-32

St. John 13:1-15, 34-35

In the Name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

The high priest Aaron had at least four sons whose names are recorded. The first two, presumably the oldest, are Nadab and Abihu. In the Old Testament reading for tonight, we heard how Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and seventy elders of Israel went with Moses up the Mountain of the Lord. This happens just after Moses had received the Ten Commandments and the other judgments of the Lord.

Remember, at the time that Moses ascended the mountain, God had strictly forbidden anyone but Moses from even touching the mountain, lest he should die. All of Israel needed to be cleansed and purified for three days and even then, only Moses ascended the mountain of the Lord.

It seems that at some point, Moses came back down the mountain with a command to bring Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and the seventy elders part-way up the mountain to worship the Lord. At this time, all of Israel swore to uphold whatever laws God commanded. Sacrifices were made and as Moses sprinkled the blood of the sacrifices on the people, he proclaimed, “This is the blood of the covenant which the Lord has made with you according to all these words.”[1]

Then Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and the seventy elders went up the mountain and shared a meal with the Lord. God did not lay a hand on these children of Israel but dined with them. They saw God.[2]

After Moses returns to the top of the mountain; after the people cry out for Aaron to make them a god to worship; after Moses destroys the golden calf and makes the people drink it; after the Lord gives the Law to Moses a second time; the tabernacle is built and the priests are consecrated. Aaron and his sons are consecrated priests to serve in the House of the Lord.

For two of Aaron’s sons, Nadab and Abihu, this does not go well. Shortly after beginning their duties, Nadab and Abihu are said to each “take his censer and put fire in it, put incense on it, and offered profane fire before the Lord, which He had not commanded them. So fire went out from the Lord and devoured them, and they died before the Lord.”[3]

Nadab and Abihu were supposed to make the incense offering. They were supposed to use the special incense, prepared by Moses according to the direction of God, and put it on fire taken from the altar of the tabernacle, whose fire is never to go out. Now, they either used incense not created according to the will of God or they placed the incense of God on coals of a fire not taken from the Lord’s altar. Either way, they offered to God a sacrifice He had not commanded. They offered to God something unworthy of Him. They offered to God the filth of this world.

To our ears, the penalty seems far greater than the transgression. They screwed up the offering and God kills them for it. He burns them alive. But if we take a step back, suddenly God’s actions make, at least a little, more sense. The second half of the Book of Exodus, the Books of Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy mostly contain the Law of Moses. God gave this Law to Moses to answer a particularly difficult question: How does a sinful people come to dwell with a holy God? Or in the reverse: How does a Holy God dwell among a sinful people?

The Law of Moses is terribly specific. Some is for the governing of Israel but most of it is to answer this question. God had given to the people of Israel the means for Him to dwell with them. He revealed the entirety of His Law so that God and man could dwell together. What’s more, a careful reading of the Law will bring about the same conclusion we find in the Psalter by David’s hand,

For You, [O Lord,] do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it;

You do not delight in burnt offering.

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,

A broken and contrite heart—

These, O God, You will not despise.

Do good in Your good pleasure to Zion;

Build the walls of Jerusalem.

Then You shall be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness,

With burnt offering and whole burnt offering;

Then they shall offer bulls on Your altar.[4]

The blood of bulls and goats does not appease the wrath of God against man. Only the activity of God, doing good in His good pleasure among His people can soften the heart of man, turning it toward Himself. And then, only a broken and contrite heart is an appropriate sacrifice to God; a heart which knows its sin and grieves over the pain such sin causes the Lord. Such a sinner cries out to God for forgiveness and will not be put to shame.

Only then will God be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, with burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings. It is not as though the sacrifices of bulls and goats, of incense and grain, are indifferent to God. He has commanded them to Moses and the children of Israel. But the blood of a bull sacrificed with the black heart content to live in sin is not acceptable to the Lord. It is not a sacrifice of righteousness.

Taking the whole witness of Scripture, we see that Nadab and Abihu got exactly what they deserved. Not only did they offer a sacrifice not commanded by God but they offered it in their sin. They offered it according to either their sloth, their idolatry, their greed, or their pride. Whatever their motivation, it was not to the glory of God. If their offering to the Lord was not to His glory, then it is sin and sin is destroyed in the presence of a holy God.

Which brings us to the Lord’s Supper. Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and the seventy elders went part way up the mountain to dine with the Lord. They saw God and shared a meal with Him. Yet the majority of this company would soon worship a golden calf and then at least two would commit such grievous sin that God saw fit to destroy them with fire.

The Lord chose to eat a meal with sinners. He called them up the mountain to dine with Him, knowing they are sinners. So too, our Lord Jesus Christ, called His apostles to a meal, His last meal, knowing they are sinners. One would betray Him. One would deny Him. Three would sleep when He commands them to watch. All would scatter.

In the upper room, just as the upper reaches of Sinai, God dined with His people, Himself being the way for sinful man to dwell with a Holy God. Just as Moses sprinkled the people with the blood of the sacrifice and said, “This is the blood of the covenant,” Jesus raised a cup and said, “This cup is the new covenant in My Blood.”[5] The blood of the bull pointed forward to the Blood of the eternal sacrifice of the Son of God. Just as the Lord told Israel, “This shall be an everlasting covenant for you and for your children,” so Jesus has said, “Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.”[6]

This glorious meal of the Body and Blood of Jesus is given to you for the forgiveness of your sins. It is given to you so that you would be made one with God and that God might dwell with you. It is the most precious substance on earth, more precious than gold or silver, than technology or politics. It is the Holy Body and Precious Blood of God that you might dwell with Him forever.

If it is so precious, why then would we ever deny it to someone? Why keep it from young children or from those who are not members of our congregation or church body? St. Paul says, “For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. Whoever, therefore, eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord.”[7] If the Lord showed Himself to take the offering of incense in the tabernacle seriously enough to slay Nadab and Abihu, what might He do to those receiving the Body and Blood of Christ in an unworthy manner? What does it mean to receive it in an unworthy manner?

The simple answer is faith. To be worthy to receive the Eucharist is to have faith in these words, “given and shed for you, for the forgiveness of sins.” But even an ape could be taught to recite these words. Faith is the certainty of something you cannot see.[8] Faith knows this is more than bread and wine, but it is the very Body and Blood of Christ, who died on the cross to satisfy the wrath of God. Faith knows this is not a symbol, nor strictly a matter of personal confession. St. Paul says, “As often as you eat this bread and drink the cup,” you make a public proclamation that you believe the same Jesus who died on the cross of Calvary is giving you His Body and Blood for the forgiveness of your sins.

Such a public proclamation can never be made in isolation. It is never just a statement of what you as an individual believes. Being a public proclamation, it is a statement of what the whole Christian Church believes. Sadly, there are divisions within God’s church. There are some who hold to unbiblical doctrines about the Lord’s Supper, about His death, about His nature. If you are communing at this altar, you are making a public proclamation that what is taught from this pulpit, what is confessed in this congregation, is the truth of Scripture.

And if you believe what is taught from this pulpit and confessed in this congregation but call yourself a member of the Methodist church, or a Baptist church, then your public confession is confused. You are saying one thing and believing something different. Scripture calls this hypocrisy. In this case, come speak to me and we can work toward bringing you into our congregation.

The same goes the other way. If you are a member of this congregation, believe what is preached from this pulpit and confess what we as a congregation believe, then you cannot commune at the Methodist, Baptist, Pentecostal, or Presbyterian church. To do so would be to commit hypocrisy in the other direction. You would be publicly saying you believe and confess what we believe and confess, but sharing in the table fellowship of those who believe differently.

What then of children? When St. Paul says, “Let a person examine himself,” what does he mean?[9] Does he mean every child must pass a written exam? Does he mean once you’ve graduated from confirmation class, your examination is complete? By no means! He means, let every man, woman, and child examine his conscience every time he desired to partake of the Lord’s Supper. Every time you desire to come into the presence of the Holy Body and Precious Blood of Jesus, you are to examine your conscience and find out if you are clinging to the profane fires of your sins rather than seeking the forgiveness of the filthy sins which cling to your flesh.

And so, if a child of seven knows the Ten Commandments, the Creed, and the Lord’s Prayer, knows what Baptism and the Lord’s Supper are, can confess she is a sinner who needs forgiveness, and that Jesus is the only source of that forgiveness, who is to say that she cannot commune? If all of that is true, St. Paul says she can commune.

Who makes the judgment based on her confession, if the child in question can accurately examine herself? “Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.”[10] In other words, consider your pastor as the servant of Christ and the steward of the Holy Sacraments. It is the solemn duty of the Office of the Holy Ministry to administer the Sacraments of God rightly. If they are mishandled; used wantonly; used for the glory of man; then the man in that office has a far worse fate than that of Nadab and Abihu to look forward to. If, however, he treats the mysteries of God as the Holy Things they are, then by his hand is distributed the forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation.

So then, as we enter into these most holy three days, let us do so with broken and contrite hearts. Let us enter into the Triduum examining our consciences, to see if we are clinging to our sin or if sin is clinging to us. Then, having faith that the Blood of Jesus was shed to fulfill all righteousness and has been given to you for the forgiveness of sins, let us come together as one in the Body of Christ and dine together on this mountain with our God.

In + Jesus’ name. Amen.

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[1] Exodus 24:8.

[2] Exodus 24:11.

[3] Leviticus 10:1-2.

[4] Psalm 51:16-19.

[5] 1 Corinthians 11:25.

[6] 1 Corinthians 11:25.

[7] 1 Corinthians 11:26-27.

[8] Hebrews 11:1.

[9] 1 Corinthians 11:28.

[10] 1 Corinthians 4:1.

The Transfiguration of our Lord

The Transfiguration of our Lord – January 29, 2023

Psalm 84; Exodus 24:29-35; 2 Peter 1:16-21

St. Matthew 17:1-9

I apologize for the poor formatting of the following. This is the outline from which I preached on the occasion of the Transfiguration. The outline itself is based on a sermon for the same occasion written by Joseph August Seiss. The full citation is found in the first footnote.

In the Name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Concerning the Transfiguration of our Lord, we will consider:

1.        The Location;
2.         The Witnesses;
3.         The Transformation of Christ;
4.        The Time when it Occurred;
5.        The Company of the Transfigured Christ; and finally
6.        The Meaning of All This.

 I.        The Location [1]

a.       Mountains are particularly suited for the sacred and the Divine.

i.        The Law was given on Sinai.

ii.      The first great sermon of Christ is given on a mountain (the Sermon on the Mount).

iii.    The conflict between Elijah and the Prophets of Baal was on Mount Carmel.

iv.     Isaac was prepared as sacrifice on the same Mountain where Christ would soon be the final sacrifice.

v.       Christ often retired to mountains to pray.

vi.     The vision of the New Jerusalem was given to both Ezekiel and St. John from a “very high mountain.”

vii.   Jesus is transfigured, betrayed, crucified, ascends, and will appear again upon a mountain.

II.      The Witnesses

a.       The life in Christian grace, in fact the law of all creation, is that of mutual dependence and mutual service; according to which it is necessary that some should have gifts and functions not given to others, and that the gifts of each should supplement the particular graces of all the rest.

i.        As Luther once wrote, “A Christian is a perfectly free lord of all, subject to none. A Christian is a perfectly dutiful servant of all, subject to all.”[2]

III.   The Transformation

a.      Whereas the face of Moses shone with the light of God and was hidden by a veil, and the face of Stephen only appeared as the face of an angel, the emanation of light as our Lord is transfigured extends to His whole form; and his earthly clothing, rather than concealing it, became a participant in His light.

IV.   The Time

a.       The sixth day after a prediction concerning Christ’s death.

i.        The sixth day of creation is when man was created.

ii.      The sixth day is when Christ will be crucified.

iii.    Six is also a number of near completeness—the number of earthly things rather than 7, the number of divinity.

V.     The Company of the Transfigured Christ

a.       However alone we may seem to be in our devotions, we are never alone.

b.       The appearance of Moses and Elijah demonstrates the existence of another state of being for the saints and that it is one of glory far superior to anything enjoyed by them in this world.

c.       The greatest significance of the company of Christ is the topic of conversation—the death that Christ was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.

VI.   The Meaning of All This

a.       The least meaning is that the faith of the disciples needed to be strengthened before the death of Jesus.

i.        They needed assurance of His Divine glory or else their faith would utterly fail them when His Passion should occur.

b.       The most sacred and solemn conversation and consolation offered by Moses and Elijah also served for the strengthening of Christ as He was about to endure His Passion.

i.        Just as He will pray in the Garden of Gethsemane and be ministered to by the Holy Angels, here He receives the ministrations of brothers in the faith.

c.       That Christ shone with a light all His own signifies that He is True God incarnate in the true flesh of man.

i.        That this light was not concealed by His clothing but made the earthly fabric a participant in His light, signifies that we, who are like His earthly garments, have been made participants of His divinity.

ii.      How? By being made heirs of the Father, receiving the washing of regeneration in Holy Baptism, and by being united to the very Body of Christ in the Eucharist.

d.       We are also given the Transfiguration as a picture and solemn foretaste of the future coming of Christ and His eternal kingdom.

i.        Six days before the Transfiguration, Jesus told His disciples, “Truly, truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.”[3]

ii.      The Transfiguration is a fulfillment of this prophecy according to St. Peter, “For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitness of His majesty…when we were with Him on the holy mountain.”[4]

In + Jesus’ name. Amen.

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[1] The following outline is based on Joseph August Seiss, “Sixth Sunday after Epiphany,” Lectures on the Gospels for the Sundays and Chief Festivals of the Church Year, Vol. 1, 6^th edition (Philadelphia, PA: General Council Publication House, 1915), 280-301.

[2] Martin Luther, “The Freedom of a Christian (1520),” AE31:333-377 (Philadelphia, PA: Muhlenberg Press, 1957), 344.

[3] St. Matthew 16:28.

[4] 2 Peter 1:16, 18.