6TH SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY

Lord Jesus, eternal Son of God1. How highly our mortal human nature is honored and exalted in you! You descended from heaven and not, only made it your dwelling place, but you have also forever assumed it into your most holy, divine person, imparted to it your entire divine majesty and glory, and seated it upon your throne at the right hand of God. In you, with you, and through you our human nature is even worshiped in heaven and upon earth by angels, and men, in time and eternity. Oh, true man, full of divine glory, open our purblind eyes, so that we may perceive you in the glory of your humanity as well, worship you, love you above all things as the most lovely of all the children of men, serve you, and for your sake joyfully give up everything, wealth and honor, body and life; some day permit us to see you in the divine glory of your humanity with our eyes and be and remain forever and ever with you in perfect joy and blessedness. Amen.

The text. Matthew 17:1-9.

Dear friends in Christ Jesus!

This Gospel which is appointed for a Sunday which seldom comes in the church year, namely the 6th Sunday after Epiphany, I say, this Gospel belongs not only to the most beautiful but also to the richest texts appointed for the Sunday Gospels. May I mention only a few of the most important teachings which are revealed therein in the most beautiful way.

The first is the doctrine of the Holy Trinity; for the Gospel tells us first, how God the Father called from heaven, "This is my beloved Son," how secondly God the Son stood there with his human nature transfigured, and thirdly, how God the Holy Ghost overshadowed the witnesses with a bright cloud.

A second important teaching is the doctrine of the resurrection of the flesh and eternal life; for we are told that not only Elijah who ascended into heaven in. a fiery chariot, but that also Moses who had. been buried by God himself returned from the world of the blessed, appeared bodily, and talked with Christ. This was such a glorious prelude of the blessed resurrection and eternal life, that Peter, enchanted by it, immediately exclaimed, "Lord, it is good for us to be here; if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias." V. 4.

A third important doctrine clearly presented in this Gospel is the teaching of the nature of Christ's kingdom; that it is not a bodily, earthly, and temporal but a spiritual, heavenly, and eternal kingdom, a Church which has its members in the Old just as well as in the New Covenant, in heaven just as well as on earth; it is in part a suffering and militant Church on earth; and in part a Church already triumphant in heaven, and yet it is one; for we see Moses and Elijah as the representatives of the Old Testament and triumphant Church, and the three apostles, Peter, James, and John, as representatives of the New Testament and militant Church; all gather about Christ their heavenly head in blessed union.

A fourth important doctrine present in this Gospel is the teaching that according to the Father's unalterable counsel Christ is the only Teacher of all men and that, therefore, there is salvation in none other and no other name is given among men whereby they should be saved. For God the Father himself solemnly and majestically calls from the clouds upon Christ, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him!"

However, as clearly as these four important doctrines are presented in our Gospel, these are not the real purpose of this revelation; the real purpose is none other than the teaching that even Christ's human nature has divine glory, for in this wonderful story this teaching outshines the other teachings as the sun outshines the moon. Therefore, on the basis of our Gospel may I present to you:

THE GLORY OF CHRIST THE MAN REVEALED

We will consider:

I. The Miraculous Nature of This Glory, and

II. What This Revelation Invites us to do.

I.

My friends, there can be no doubt among Christians concerning the real meaning of the miraculous event related in our Gospel; Peter himself, who was one of the chosen eye and ear witnesses, tells us plainly. This is the way he writes of this incident, "We have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received from God the Father honor and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount." 2 Pet 1:16-18. Briefly, the real purpose of Christ's transfiguration even in the state of humiliation was simply to reveal that his sinless human nature possessed divine glory.

Let us then in the first place try to learn a little bit of the miraculous nature of this glory.

Our text begins with the words, "And after six days," namely, after Christ had predicted his suffering, "Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart, and was transfigured before them; and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light." Vv. 1,2.

What a miraculous event! Many have supposed something is related here which took place only in the spirit of the apostles but did not actually happen.

But the evangelist expressly says that Christ was transfigured "before them," that is, before the apostles. The transfiguration, therefore, was not something which happened in the imagination of the apostles but was something outside of them, something happening before their very eyes.

Others remember that Moses, who was only a prophet, experienced something similar on Mount Sinai; he also descended from the mountain with such a shining face that he had to wear a veil because the people could not bear the brightness of his face. But what the silhouette is in comparison with the real image, that is what Moses' radiance was in comparison with Christ's transfiguration.

Let us merely compare both events with one another. We read that at first Hoses did not even know that a blinding radiance emanated from him. On the other hand, that Christ knew in advance, we see from the fact that he had chosen the three apostles to witness it. Moreover, we are expressly told that "the skin of Moses' face shone while he talked with God." Ex 34:29. On the other hand, Christ transfigured himself even before God the father appeared to him in a voice out of the bright cloud. Whereas the radiance of Moses was only, as one might say, a reflection of God's radiance, Christ's brightness, on the other hand, was his own brightness. That is why we read that only Moses' face shone, but Christ's whole body was transfigured. Finally, we read that a veil immediately concealed his brightness from the eyes of the people; on the other hand, we hear that the rays of Christ's majesty shone through the very clothes he wore; while Christ's face "did shine as the sun," his clothes became "white as the light" by the heavenly rays of light streaming from his holy body, or, as Mark and Luke describe it, that they "became shining, exceeding white as snow, so as no fuller on earth can white them." Mk 9:3.

My friends, there you see that Christ's transfiguration upon that high mountain, perhaps Mt. Tabor, was a real one, as Peter testifies in his second Epistle; it was a revelation of the divine glory of his holy human nature. There that took place what John says of the eternal Word in the first chapter of his Gospel, "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us. (and we beheld his.glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father," full of grace and truth." Jn 1:14. In this transfiguration Christ even in the state of humiliation actually revealed to his three disciples what Paul testifies to in his Epistle to. the Colossians, "In Christ dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily," Col 2:9, that is: as man's soul lives in his body, so that both make one human being, so Christ's divine nature dwells in his human so that both make up one divine Being. Whilst in his state of humiliation Christ's divinity hid itself in his humanity like a sun veiled by clouds, in his transfiguration this sun shone irresistibly forth like flashes of lightning, breaking out suddenly like a smoldering fire.

By his transfiguration Christ also revealed: as the soul gives the body with which it is united its, spiritual properties, that is, the ability to see, to hear, to experience, to speak, and to move itself, so also Christ's divinity which is personally united with his humanity gives its divine properties, omnipotence, omnipresence, omniscience, in short, divine majesty. Christ's human nature was therefore united with his divine like the fire with glowing iron. For as the glowing iron bathed by the fire has likewise preserved the properties of fire and therefore shines and burns like fire, so upon Tabor Christ's human nature united with the divine and completely permeated by it likewise shone with divine brightness. Of course, God's attributes could and can never become the essential attributes of Christ's human nature; for Christ's human nature is neither mixed with nor changed into the divine; but as the moon shines in the reflected light of the sun, so Christ's human nature shone upon Mt. Tabor and will shine into all eternity in the brightness of the divine which is united with and given to it. This was and is the result of being anointed without.

measure of which David has spoken, when in Psalm 45 he says to the Messiah, "Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness; therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows." Ps 45:7.

My friends, though Christ's transfiguration clearly revealed the divine glory of his human nature, nevertheless that which directly followed his transfiguration first crowned this revelation. We are told in our text, that after Christ was transfigured not only Moses and Elijah appeared from the world of the blessed and, as Luke expressly related, appeared in heavenly glory, but we also read, "And, behold, a voice out of the cloud which said. This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him." V.5b. These are most amazing words; for here God the Father says of the man Jesus not only: In this man is or dwells my dear Son; but without any restriction: "This, this is my beloved Son." V.5b. So God the Father calls the man Jesus his very dear Son! Here we are upon the very peak of the revelation of the divine glory of Christ's human nature.

You see, after the Son of God became a man, God is not only a man, but a man is also God; for as in a man the soul has received the body into union with its personality, so, as we have said, God's Son received the human nature into his personality, and as in man the body gives itself peculiarly to the soul and the soul to the body, so in Christ the human nature gave itself peculiarly to the divine and the divine to the human nature.

Therefore whoever believes that God was in the man Jesus but not that the man Jesus really and truly also was God does not believe the great mystery of godliness, "God was manifest in the flesh," 1 Tim 3:16 and, "The Word was made flesh." Jn 1:14. For as Christ according to his divine nature was worthy of adoration from eternity, so after God's Son became a man we also read of this man, "And let all the angels of God worship him." Heb 1:6. As Christ according to his divine nature reigned from eternity upon the throne of God the Father,so God the Father, after God's Son became a man, said also to this man, "Sit thou at my right-hand,- until I make thine enemies thy footstool." Ps 110:1. As Christ according to his divine nature had the name which is above every name, the name of the Lord, Jehovah, God the Most High, from eternity, so also after God's Son became a man God, as Paul writes, "hath highly exalted" this man "and given him a name which is above every name; that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth,and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Phil 2:9-11.

II.

Well, my friends, now that we have cast a glance at the divine glory of Christ's human nature which was revealed upon the mount of transfiguration, let us in the second place ponder what this revelation demands of us.

Undoubtedly, the first thing which it invites us to do is that we recognize the inexpressibly great love of God to men. For bear in mind: God created men holy and righteous in his image for eternal life, assigned paradise to be his home, made him the Lord of the earth and all which is therein, provided him with everything which his heart could wish.

And what happened? Man fell from God, became the slave of sin, and in the place of the gracious Creator of the world made, visible, temporal things, himself, yes, the very devil his god, became God's enemy and thus unutterably wretched. How should, how could man be helped? God had pronounced temporal and eternal death upon sin; and what the righteous and true God had established and threatened, must happen even though the whole world would be destroyed. Thus man could not help himself nor could any other creature, for no one in heaven and

on earth could satisfy God's inviolable righteousness. Man stood helpless at the abyss of an eternal ruin, whilst he had made the great God his enemy and himself felt nothing but hatred in his heart against God.

And what did God do? Even before man had fallen, yes, from eternity God had decreed that when man would have become his enemy and thus inexpressibly wretched, to deliver him from this misery which he incurred, that is, he himself would satisfy his own righteousness in order in that way to be able to let his eternal love and mercy rule man.

And how did God carry out this decree? In order to be able to suffer and die for men, God himself became a man, assumed the form of sinful flesh, became a true child of fallen Adam, a member of the family of sinners and God's enemy, a fellow prisoner in prison with criminals who merited eternal death, a servant of all servants who finally, burdened with the guilt of the whole world, died as one accursed amid shame and torment amid the gleeful laughter of hell and the ridicule of the foul world.

There is more, my dear hearers. Whilst God descended into the depths of shame and pain through his incarnation, that act on the other hand exalted men, foes who hated him, into heaven, yes, seated man's nature up over all heavens upon the throne of majesty. For through the incarnation of God's Son all men became God's brethren and blood relatives, a human virgin the mother of God, yes, a man became an inseparable part of the second person, and thus was received into eternal communion and the counsels of the Holy Trinity itself, a co-regent of heaven and earth, and an object of divine honor and adoration by all creatures created for eternal life.

So, who can measure, express, or think out the length and breadth, the height and depth of God's love toward us men? No man, no angel, no archangel can grasp the greatness of this love; it can only be wondered at in deep humility and will some day be celebrated in song forever and ever by all the angels and elect amid the harmonies of all the heavenly harps.

There is one more thing which the revelation of the divine glory of Christ's human nature invites us to do; it is, that after God has so highly exalted and honored our human nature, we ourselves should honor it in the highest possible degree. Or should we not? Bear in mind: God has valued our human nature so highly that to the eternal amazement of heaven and earth he. did the miracle of love to redeem it; what do you do if you consider your soul of little account? God has purchased our soul not with gold and silver but with the immeasurable price of the death of his Son; what do you do who sell your soul for gold and silver, for this gleaming lump of earth? Must we not say to you what Peter said to Simon the sorcerer, "Thy money perish with thee"? Acts 8:20. Through his incarnation God has elevated our human nature to the rank of divine nobility; what:do you do. who live on as though you were an animal which satisfies its desires by gorging and boozing? or you who live on as though you were created only for this world, to while away the hours with playing and dancing, gathering treasures which rust and moth consume and which thieves dig after, to live lustily with the world, to seek the vapor of human adulation, arid then to go into oblivion? Even from eternity God has been intent upon the salvation of our souls, for their sakes decided upon an eternal. decree of unfathomable love and carried it out in a most wonderful way, and now pursues our soul everywhere working on it day and night; what do you do who., live on as though you had no immortal dearly bought soul, do not provide for it even in the short span of your life, let something be preached to you on Sunday but during the week make the taverns your church, play with sin for which, sake God sacrificed himself on the accursed tree, yes, by your sins willingly serve the devil from whose power God himself came from heaven to redeem you? Briefly: God has exalted our nature above all heavens; what do you do who turn it into

the meanest slave and squeeze it down into the dust and dirt of the world and sin?

Oh my friends, since we have today placed ourselves in spirit upon the Mount of Transfiguration and since in spirit we have seen our human nature glorified in Christ, let us also listen to the admonition of the apostle, "Ye are bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's." 1 Cor 6:20. Let us not forget for one moment of our lives that with our human soul we have a treasure which is infinitely more precious than the whole world and therefore carry our souls in our hands with fear and trembling. Let us bear in mind: Only God could deliver us from our sins by his incarnation; but if we despise even this deliverance, not even God himself can help ue; for it is only upon the man Jesus that God the Father had called from heaven, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." Hence, God's pleasure is only in the incarnate Son; outside of him is wrath and the curse eternal.

Oh, let us then pray with that pious poet:

Therefore thou alone, my Savior,

Shalt be All in all to me;

Search my heart and my behavior,

Root out all hypocrisy.

Restrain me from wandering on pathways unholy

And through all life's pilgrimage keep my heart lowly.

This one thing is needful, all others are vain;

I count all but loss that I Christ may obtain. Amen. (366, 7)