Behold the brilliance of the Gospel (2 Corinthians 4:3-6)

February 19, 2012

Dear friends in Christ.

When I was in college, I became very familiar with Intestate 90, especially the stretch between La Cross, WI and Rochester, MN, which was both my favorite, and most frustrating part of the journey.  It was my favorite stretch of the trip when we were on our way back to school because it meant that we were done with the 55 MPH speed limit on Highways 14 and 52 and could start making some good time.  It was my favorite, because I knew that no matter how flat the land seemed, we were slowly traveling downhill as we made our way toward La Cross and the Mississippi River.  But it was the most frustrating part of the trip when we were traveling back to New Ulm, because in that stretch you are traveling almost due west, and no matter when we left Watertown, WI, we always seemed to be traveling due west on that stretch of road as the sun was setting!  Now, if you’ve ever driven into the setting sun, then you know just how bright that light can be! For as you drive, and the unblinking eye of the sun stares you in the face, it can be a struggle to keep your vehicle on the road. Though you put on your darkest sunglasses, pull down the visor, and sit in strange and uncomfortable positions just to block out that light and keep from rear ending the car in front of you, it seems that you can’t escape brilliance of the setting sun. Even though you do everything you can to block it out, it seems that the light evades your efforts and begins to fill the car itself until there is room for nothing else except that light.  In a way, that brilliance is a picture of the brilliance that is revealed to us in the pages of Scripture. For in the Scriptures we find the brilliant light of the Gospel revealed to us in Jesus Christ our Savior. In fact, as we study the lesson before us from 2 Corinthians 4:3-6, we will take time to simply stand and behold the brilliance of the Gospel.

Take a look with me at our lesson today and how the Apostle Paul describes the amazing brilliance of the Gospel.  “And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4 The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 5 For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. 6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ." (2 Corinthians 4:3–6, NIV84)

How interesting it is that as Paul describes the brilliance of the Gospel that has been revealed in our hearts, he begins by telling us how the brilliance of the gospel has been hidden, veiled if you will, among those who are perishing.  Yet, sadly, this is exactly what our enemy, the god of this age, who is also known as satan, has done.  Though the light of the gospel continues to shine forth with the brilliance of the sun, satan has caused the dark clouds of doubt and disbelief to form in the hearts of billions of people in our world today.  He has shrouded their vision with a veil!  He has blindfolded them and locked them away in the dark and gloomy dungeon of unbelief so that they cannot possibly see the light of the gospel and come to faith and be saved. 

In one way he has done this with the false religions that he is continually introducing into our world so that he might distract more and more people away from the light of the Gospel.  For example, long ago he introduced the teachings of Hinduism to the people of India.  Though it is very possible that one of the Apostles traveled to India and spread the Word of God there, as tradition suggests, the Hindu faith teaches people to work and to serve many different gods in the hopes that they might be one day delivered from this world to the state of eternal bliss.  Again, it was satan who made sure the teachings of Buddha spread so that now millions of people are looking for enlightenment which is designed to free them from a world of suffering.  It was satan who worked overtime to convince the Pharisees, teachers of the law, and many others in the Jewish community that Jesus really wasn’t the Christ.  Now, because of his efforts it is safe to say that the majority of the Israelites of our day and age do not know who Jesus is, or simply reject Jesus as the Messiah who came in fulfillment of the Old Testament Scriptures.  On top of that it is very likely that satan or one of his demons who appeared to Mohammed back in 633 BC, bringing the teachings of Islam to the Middle East.  But even closer to home, I wouldn’t be surprised if he was the one who appeared to Joseph Smith, encouraging him to continue in the teachings that have become Mormonism, a religious group that acts very Christian, and yet does not believe in Jesus as their Lord and Savior.  He is the one who undoubtedly sent some of his demons to appear to the Native Americans who sought to speak with the spirits of their ancestors.  He is the one who is constantly at work in every single Christian church, working subtly to water down the teachings of Law and Gospel, working to foster feelings of apathy toward God and his Word, and even working to convince life-long Christians that they know it all and really have no need to read and study God’s Word for themselves or even gather in worship on a regular basis.

These are but a few of the ways that “The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” (2 Corinthians 4:4, NIV84)  These are but a few of the ways that our enemy, the devil, is working to blind even you and me to the brilliance of the gospel.  Even now, as you are looking directly into the brilliance of the gospel as it is being proclaimed to you, satan is working to place a veil over our eyes so that we will no longer see the glory of Jesus Christ as our Savior. He is the one who constantly sits on our shoulders in worship, whispering lies, doubts, and distractions into our ears.  He is the one who seeks to seed our hearts with the dark clouds of doubt and unbelief so that the brilliance of the gospel is slowly diminished and finally blotted out completely.  Though right here, right now, we are basking in the brilliant light of the Gospel shining forth in all its glory, he is trying to convince us that the brilliance of the gospel is just as annoying as the setting sun that I used to drive into on my way home from college.  He is trying to convince us that if we simply take the pair of sunglasses he is offering us and put them over our eyes, then, we will be able to look directly at the brilliance of the Gospel, and see it more clearly. He is trying to convince us that if we just pull down the visor and sit in an uncomfortable position, we will be better able to see the path before us.  But if we should willingly put on satan’s sunglasses, or pull down the visor, or sit in an uncomfortable position, before we know it we will have allowed him to completely block out the brilliance of the gospel in our lives.  Before we know it, we will be blindly following our enemy down the path that leads to his kingdom and the dark, gloomy, and fiery dungeons of eternal death and damnation.

Though it is satan, our enemy, who is continually seeking to blind us to the brilliance of the Gospel, as we have gathered here this morning, it is our Savior who is revealing the full measure of the Gospel’s brilliance to each of us who believes!  Just as Paul wrote in our lesson, “And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4 The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 5 For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. 6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.” (2 Corinthians 4:3–6, NIV84)

Though satan continually seeks to blind us, it was the Lord our God who made known the light of the knowledge of his glory in Jesus Christ our Savior.  It was Jesus Christ himself who came to us and gently replaced the visors and removed satan’s sunglasses so that we could once again see his light.  It was the Lord Jesus, our Savior who shined the brilliant light of his Gospel into our hearts and burned away the dark clouds of doubt and disbelief that satan seeded there.  It was our Savior who used his own blood to polish our stained and tarnished hearts so that they would once again be radiant reflectors of the brilliance of the gospel message of salvation.  It was Jesus Christ our Savior who enabled us to look into the brilliant light of his glory revealed to us in the gospel message of our salvation.  It was Christ our Savior who saw to it that the brilliance of the Gospel was revealed to us so that we might be his disciples. He saw to it that his Word was proclaimed to us so that we also might believe in Jesus Christ as our Savior from sin. For it is in that Word that we learn about our Savior, Jesus Christ. It is in that Word that we learn how Jesus came to earth as a little baby. It is in that word that we learn how Jesus in wisdom. It is in that word we learn how Jesus went through out all the towns of Israel proclaiming the message of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. It is in that word that we learn how Jesus revealed his glory in his miracles of healing the sick, raising the dead, and driving out demons. It is in that word we are assured that Jesus truly is the Son of God, our Savior.  But best of all, today we had the opportunity to see the full measure of that glory as Jesus was transfigured before Peter, James, and John on the top of that mountain.  As Jesus was transfigured before them we saw the brilliance of his glory and the glory of the Gospel that has been revealed to each and every one of us who believes.

For it is the brilliant light of the gospel that assures us that our sins have been forgiven.  It is that brilliant light of the gospel that assures us that Jesus’ life of perfectly following all of Gods commands and decrees has been applied to us.  It is the gospel that assure us that when Jesus went to the cross he went carrying the weight of each and every sin of each and every person on the face of the earth, even yours and mine!  It is through the message of the Gospel that we are assured that all our trespasses, transgressions, and iniquities have been completely blotted out.  Even the guilt of our sins has been removed.  Now, it is through that brilliant light of the Gospel, which has been clearly revealed to those who believe, that we are moved to take that message to the world.

Just as the Lord shone the light of the gospel into our hearts and created faith in Jesus Christ our Savior, it is the Lord who enables us to reflect the brilliance of the gospel in our lives.  It is the Lord Jesus who moves us to share the brilliant message of salvation in all that we say and do so that many more might be able to see the salvation that is theirs through faith in Jesus their Savior.  It is the Lord who calls us to shine the brilliance of the gospel into the darkness of our world because there are still millions who do not know that their sins have been forgiven. There are millions whom satan has blinded to the brilliant light of the gospel which the Lord has revealed to us, and now it is our turn to tell them. It is our turn to preach Jesus Christ as Lord and ourselves as his servants. Because if we don’t, those whom satan has blinded will suffer the punishment of eternal death and damnation in the fires of hell. This is why we need to continue to support the mission work of our synod. Even though we may be a smaller congregation in our synod, and even though we face budget concerns and shortfalls ourselves, as Christians, it is our responsibility to support mission work, so that we might send Pastors and Teachers into nations who do not know Jesus as their Savior.

Though there may be times when we are afraid to start talking about Jesus, it is our God who gives us the courage we need.  For the very light we now proclaim to the world is the light which the Lord himself has shinned into our hearts.  It is the light of the Gospel which is even more brilliant than the light of the setting sun that I continually drove into on my way home from college.  But even though it is that much more brilliant, it is also that much easier on the eyes.  It is in the gospel that we find our Savior Jesus Christ revealed to us!  Though this brilliance has been veiled to those who are perishing, it has been clearly revealed to you and me who believe.  Take that brilliance with you.  Reflect it in your words and actions, and shine even as you share it with the world.

Amen.

Pastor David M. Shilling

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church--Le Sueur, MN

See Jesus' Glory Revealed (Matthew 17:1-9)

Dear friends in Christ.

For many years Penn and Teller have been performing their magic act for audiences all over the country. They have performed on stage in all the major cities. They have been featured on news programs. They have even had their own performances broadcast on National TV. And yet some of their greatest TV ratings came when they hosted Magic’s Greatest Secrets Revealed, because on those specials they revealed some of the secrets audiences had longed to know for years and years. Well, in our text today, Jesus does something similar. It isn’t that he gets himself on national TV to reveal some of the best kept secrets of the Godhead. Rather, as he takes Peter, James and John with him up on the mountain side, he reveals his glory to them as he is transfigured before them on the holy mountain.

Now, when Jesus led his three disciples up to the top of that mountain, none of them had any idea what they were about to see. None of them could even have imagined that they would shortly see Jesus revealing his true glory to them as he was transfigured before them, but that was exactly what happened. For Matthew tells us, “After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light.” (Matthew 17:1-2)

Though neither Peter, James, nor John had any idea of what they were about to see, as Jesus stood before them, he suddenly began to change. His entire from began to change from that of his humble human nature to that of his true, divine, and glorious nature. As Jesus stood before them, his face began to shine with the brilliance of the sun, and his clothes became as white as light itself. In some ways, it was almost as if Jesus, according to his humble human nature, was nothing more than a dull ordinary light bulb. However, on this day, as Jesus stood on the mountain, God the Father slowly turned up the rheostat, revealing Jesus’ true glory and true purpose as the Son of God, just as we reveal the true glory and purpose of a light bulb each and every time we flip a switch to turn one on.

For on that mountain, as Jesus was transfigured before his disciples, his true glory was revealed for his disciples to see. His true glory was revealed to them so that they might be assured that he truly was the Messiah who had come into the world. And that is what Jesus is doing for you and me today! For as we have sat here this morning, we too have seen Jesus’ face and clothes become bright as the sun. We too have seen him shining with the brilliance of his divine glory. As we have seen Jesus transfigured before us on that holy mountain, we have seen his glory revealed to us, and we too have been assured that Jesus is the Messiah, the Savior who came into the world to free us from our sins. As we have seen Jesus glory revealed in his transfiguration, we have been assured that all authority in heaven and on earth truly does belong to him. As we have seen Jesus transfigured on that mountain today, we have seen his glory, and has his glory has been revealed to us, we have been given a glimpse into heaven.

What an amazing sight it must have been for Jesus’ disciples to see his glory revealed to them in this way. What an incredible sight it must have been for them to receive such an incredible glimpse of the glories of eternal life in heaven as Jesus revealed his glory to them! For Matthew tells us, “Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus. Peter said to Jesus, ‘Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.’ While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, ‘This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!’ When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified.” (Matthew 17:3-6)

As the disciples watched Jesus transforming before them, suddenly Moses and Elijah appeared before their very eyes. Two of Israel’s greatest prophets suddenly appeared, right there on that mountain, so that the disciples could see and hear them speaking with Jesus. In this way, the disciples received an unprecedented glimpse of eternal life. For there, on that mountain top, they saw Moses and Elijah sharing in the glory being revealed in Jesus. There, on that mountain top, they saw Moses and Elijah speaking face to face with the Lord. There, on that mountain top, they felt the presence of God the Father as he too suddenly manifested himself in the form of the brilliant cloud, giving his approval to his Son. Though this final act terrified the disciples beyond reason, as Jesus revealed his glory they received a brief glimpse into what it was like to live in heaven forever with the Lord.

Well, this is what the Lord is doing for you and me today. For, as we have seen Jesus’ glory revealed before us, we have been given the briefest, but most incredible glimpse into the halls of heaven. We have seen Moses and Elijah, and immediately known them as the disciples did, assuring us that we will immediately know each other when we enter eternal life. We have seen Moses and Elijah, one who died and whose body was buried by the Lord, the other who did not face death as he was transported directly to heaven in the fiery chariot. We have seen them and been assured that there truly is life after death because the Lord our God is the Lord of the living. We have seen Moses and Elijah, two monumental prophets form the Old Testament and we have been assured that the only way to eternal life is through faith in Jesus Christ our Savior. Though believers in the Old Testament were focused on the Savior who was to come, and we New Testament believers are focused on the Savior who has come, we know that he is one and the same Savior. He is Jesus Christ who stood glorified on that mountain, sharing his glory with Moses and Elijah as they spoke with him, assuring us that when we come into that heavenly kingdom, we too will shine with all the splendor of Jesus’ glory.

Though we would have been just as terrified as Peter, James, and John had we been there to witness the brilliant cloud of the Father’s glory descend on us as rapidly as ten feet of snow falls on the countryside in cartoons, we marvel at the glimpse of haven it provides. For in this brief second, though terrified according to our sinful nature, our new self would be ecstatic at the idea of living with the Lord forever! It is this brief glimpse of eternal life that we view as Jesus’ glory is revealed before us, that buoys us up through times of heartache and trouble. It is this brief glimpse of eternal life revealed in Jesus’ glory today that makes us long for the day when Jesus will call us home. Though that day might be farther off for some of us than it is for others, we are all looking forward to that place where there will be nothing needed to hide our Savior’s glory ever again. Though we must now leave that mountain where Jesus so freely revealed his glory as the Son of God, we still see Jesus’ glory, even as we travel down that mountain. For as we do, we see Jesus’ glory revealed as he now begins his journey toward Jerusalem.
Today, as we have been celebrating the Transfiguration of our Lord, we have seen Jesus glory revealed to us. We have been given some great assurances. But now, as the transfiguration comes to an end, and we see Jesus returned to his normal state, we are all the more encouraged and assured. Though Jesus has returned to his humble, human state, we can still see his glory being revealed as he begins his journey toward Jerusalem. This is what Matthew is speaking of as he concludes our text: “But Jesus came and touched them. ‘Get up,’ he said. ‘Don't be afraid.’ When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus. As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus instructed them, ‘Don't tell anyone what you have seen, until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.’” (Matthew 17:7-9)

Now that the transfiguration was over, the disciples were undoubtedly glad to see Jesus back in his normal state. Though it was good for them to be there to see Jesus’ glory, they still did not fully understand the ramifications of what they had seen, and that is why Jesus ordered them to keep silent. Rather than allowing them to spread wrong conclusions about what had happened, Jesus orders them to keep silent until after he has been raised from the dead. Though this was also something that they did not yet understand, as they looked back after the days of Pentecost, how they must have realized the glory that Jesus was emanating even then. Even though they didn’t realize it at the time, Jesus was revealing his glory all the more as he now began his journey toward Jerusalem. Though it would be another three to six months before Jesus would resolutely begin his journey there, simply coming down from that mountain of transfiguration marks Jesus willingness to give his life for the sins of the world.

Now, as we will shortly begin to journey with Jesus on his way to Jerusalem, to give his life for the sins of the world, we can still see his glory being revealed. Though it may not be nearly as bright or as amazing as it was on that mountain, he reveals it to us in his humble human nature. Though he once again looked no different than any other human being, his glory was revealed in his willingness to go to Jerusalem for us. Though in just a few short weeks we will see him bruised, beaten, bloody, and nearly broken, we see his glory revealed in the strength of his weakness. We see his glory revealed in his willing and determined sacrifice. We see his glory revealed in his death and resurrection through which he has completely freed us from all our sins.

What great glory our Savior has revealed to us today. Though he may not have revealed it to us through the use of a TV special, he has revealed it to us none the less. For today, as we have celebrated the transfiguration of our Lord, we have seen his glory revealed to us. We have seen it revealed as he was transfigured on the mountain. We saw it revealed as he gave us that beautiful glimpse of eternal life, and we saw it even as he began his journey to Jerusalem, traveling there to give his life and save us from our sins.

Amen.

Pastor David M. Shilling
Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church Le Sueur, MN