Preparing for Worship - February 19, 2023

This is the last Sunday of the Epiphany season, and the glory of God and of His Son, Jesus Christ, is seen in four “mountain” settings. The Old Testament lesson is from Exodus 24:8-18. God’s covenant with His people is sealed by the blood of sacrificed animals. Then Moses and Aaron and elders of Israel were allowed to go up Mt. Sinai and get at least a glimpse of God and eat and drink before the Lord, and they did not die. Then Moses himself went further up the mountain to receive the tablets of stone, with the law and commandment from God. He was there 40 days and 40 nights, covered by a cloud, with the Lord’s glory looking like a devouring fire. (We eat and drink, too, in the presence of the Lord, in Holy Communion. We do not die, but are forgiven and are counted acceptable to God through Jesus and His blood shed for us and  His robe of righteousness He gives to us in our baptism and the gift of faith in His Word.)

The Psalm is Psalm 2:6-12. God set David as King on Zion, His holy hill in Jerusalem, to lead His people. One greater than David, then spoke in prophecy from heaven above. God the Father identified Him as His begotten Son (from all eternity in the mystery of the Triune God) and promised Him the Kingship of all nations and the ends of the earth. He would come and bless all those who took refuge in Him (as Savior), but would bring a rod of iron and judgment to all those who resisted and rejected Him. He calls all leaders to be wise and serve the Lord with fear and trembling, with rejoicing, and to ”Kiss the Son,” giving the Son of God proper homage and respect. (See the Bible study on Psalm 2, also on the podcast site this week, for many more details.)

The Gospel lesson is from Matthew 17:1-9. Jesus took Peter, James. and John on a high mountain and was transfigured  before them, where they too received a glimpse of His true glory as the Son of God. Moses and Elijah also appeared with Him and talked with Him. A cloud overshadowed them all, and God the Father identified Jesus as His beloved Son (as Psalm 2 predicted). Everyone was to listen to Him. The disciples were terrified by all this, and then they could only see Jesus again and were taken down from the mountain.

The disciples were not to tell anyone what they had seen on the mountain until Jesus had risen from the dead. We know from the Lenten season, starting on Wednesday, that they did not really understand about His death or resurrection, until it had all happened. The death and resurrection of Jesus changed everything. Peter now was eager to tell everyone, as he does in the Epistle lesson, 2 Peter 1:16-21, what he had seen as an eyewitness of Christ and His transfiguration and His glory and saving work as the Son of God. Peter did this and spoke from God Himself, by the power of the Holy Spirit. These were not his own ideas and interpretation but were produced by the will of God, as were all other Scriptures. The words of Scripture are like a lamp shining in a dark place to bring Christ, the Morning Star into the hearts of people, that they may be saved by faith in Him.