Rev Helen preached this sermon on Sunday 6 August 2023. Here it is for you again.
We have just heard the story of the transfiguration of Christ, one of those significant bible stories marking an important point of Jesus life on earth. What is the point of the Transfiguration and most important, what does it tell us about Jesus?
To think about that we have to go back to the Old Testament reading from Daniel which we’ve already heard I am quite pleased about as if I had to pick my favourite book in the bible, I’m sure you’ve all though about it! For me the book of Daniel would be a very close second place, it’s a great book to engage with. It is very much a book of two parts, 12 chapters, the first 6 chapters are the court tales from the exile in Babylon with some classic biblical stories: Daniels three friend Shadrack, Meshach and Abednego refusing to bow to the statue of King Nebuchadnezzar and being thrown into a furnace and a fourth figure ‘with the appearance of a god’ protects them, King Belshazzar and the writing on the wall and Daniel being thrown in the Lion’s Den and protected by God.
Then the final six chapters are different, they are a series of Daniels Visions and we heard the first of these as our Old Testament reading today. Daniel has a vision and he sees some extraordinary things, just before todays reading he sees some creatures. Just imagine this…a lion with the wings of the eagle or a leopard with four wings and four heads, it’s amazing what you see the imagery. In today’s passage a vision of a throne room, you have someone described as the ancient one on the throne with flames around the throne with servants attending to them. Then someone else comes onto the scene, someone describes as ‘like a human being’, which is an interesting description but what was this human being given, everlasting kingship and glory, dominion over all the world and can never be destroyed, priestly king. What’s interesting about this is this person who appears is described as like a human being where in other translations they are described as ‘like a Son of Man’, it’s interesting isn’t it, who else do we know who is called or refers to themselves as ‘The Son of Man’. Who is this person Daniel see’s in his vision. Later in the chapter Daniel speaks to someone about what his vision might mean, the interpretation speaks of one who sits in judgement over kingdoms and dominions forever, he shall judge and all shall serve and obey this one like a human being.
The Book of Daniel dates from around 600 – 300 BCE (before common era) so a long time before Jesus was born but there are questions to be asked about this vision and if the person Daniel sees is Jesus. What’s happening in this vision? Is there a link between Jesus and the human being/Son of Man seen by Daniel? This priestly king or symbol of the royal priesthood, the one who would give up life to regain life. God is going to send someone to redeem humanity? How do we know it is Jesus being spoken of? It’s a possibly, we’ll never known for certain so let’s look for the connections between this figure and Jesus so we have the balance of probability on our side.
One thing I think brings Jesus into this is those genealogies at the beginning of Matthew’s gospel and Luke’s gospel chapter 3, the descendants of Abraham are listed down to Jesus himself, highlighting key figures like King David. Showing Jesus’ descendance from this line of Abraham (well Luke’s goes past Abraham through Adam and to God). The problem with this there are a lot of descendants of Abraham around then and even more today three Abrahamic faiths who claim to come through this dependency, Christianity, Judaism and Islam. So what makes Jesus so special, just one of these many descendants of Abraham and what make us think that he is the figure from Daniels vision, the royal priest who had been promised to redeem, have dominion over and save humanity.
That’s where todays reading the transfiguration comes in, I believe this marks Jesus out as something different, someone special who has come to fulfil this promise to redeem humanity in God’s eyes. Jesus is alone with only a few of his disciples. Jesus physical appearance changes in this, he becomes dazzling white, two of the prophets appear with Jesus and speak to him, it’s like Moses priestly vision and Moses is seen to be there. It’s all linked together to give this authority that Jesus is different, even from the other prophets who have come before. Can you imagine being Peter, John and James and you were seeing this, no wonder they kept this a secret until after Jesus had gone. Then the clouds descend and the voice of God is heard not only affirming Jesus but instructing humanity.
So let’s go back to the question from the start. What is the point of the Transfiguration and what does it tell us about Jesus? Jesus, who has been there for a long time, Jesus the person commissioned by the ancient one to come to humanity and this is the closest to that we see to Daniel’s vision coming to fruition. How do we, as humanity, access that and allow Jesus be our royal priest and let us into his Kingdom? The voice of God comes and gives that answer. This is my Son, my chosen, listen to him. Listen to him and follow him as they did then and we still do now! Amen
If you would like to find out more:
The Royal Priesthood
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tw-bBfBDpE0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBr-blQxIm4
Daniel
St Margaret's Church Prestwich 