Sermon Title
Scripture References
Deuteronomy 34:1-12
The Death of Moses
1 Then Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, which is opposite Jericho. And the Lord showed him all the land, Gilead as far as Dan, 2 all Naphtali, the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, all the land of Judah as far as the western sea, 3 the Negeb, and the Plain, that is, the Valley of Jericho the city of palm trees, as far as Zoar. 4 And the Lord said to him, “This is the land of which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, ‘I will give it to your offspring.’ I have let you see it with your eyes, but you shall not go over there.” 5 So Moses the servant of the Lord died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the Lord, 6 and he buried him in the valley in the land of Moab opposite Beth-peor; but no one knows the place of his burial to this day. 7 Moses was 120 years old when he died. His eye was undimmed, and his vigor unabated. 8 And the people of Israel wept for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days. Then the days of weeping and mourning for Moses were ended. 9 And Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands on him. So the people of Israel obeyed him and did as the Lord had commanded Moses. 10 And there has not arisen a prophet since in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face, 11 none like him for all the signs and the wonders that the Lord sent him to do in the land of Egypt, to Pharaoh and to all his servants and to all his land, 12 and for all the mighty power and all the great deeds of terror that Moses did in the sight of all Israel.
Hebrews 3:1-6
Jesus Greater Than Moses
1 Therefore, holy brothers, you who share in a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession, 2 who was faithful to him who appointed him, just as Moses also was faithful in all God’s house. 3 For Jesus has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses—as much more glory as the builder of a house has more honor than the house itself. 4 (For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.) 5 Now Moses was faithful in all God’s house as a servant, to testify to the things that were to be spoken later, 6 but Christ is faithful over God’s house as a son. And we are his house, if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope
Luke 9:28-36
The Transfiguration
28 Now about eight days after these sayings he took with him Peter and John and James and went up on the mountain to pray. 29 And as he was praying, the appearance of his face was altered, and his clothing became dazzling white. 30 And behold, two men were talking with him, Moses and Elijah, 31 who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. 32 Now Peter and those who were with him were heavy with sleep, but when they became fully awake they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. 33 And as the men were parting from him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah”—not knowing what he said. 34 As he was saying these things, a cloud came and overshadowed them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. 35 And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him!” 36 And when the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and told no one in those days anything of what they had seen.
Sermon Script
Are We There Yet?
Are we there yet? If you are a parent, you might be quite familiar with this question. In fact, it could very well be that this question has been asked by a young impatient traveler since the beginning of time. Even though the answer is found in the question… asking “are we there yet” defines the perspective of a child. Not only are they wishing away the hours of a road trip… but also wishing away the days of school before summer break… and then wishing away the years until they can get a driver’s license.
But the more I think about it, I don’t believe we ever outgrow that question… Do we? The question “are we there yet” crosses our mind as we go through collage, while taking steps in a career, or trying to pay off a mortgage. Truth to be told, this question has been surfacing as I travel the road towards retirement. The answer… you might have guessed, is found in the asking.
Epiphany Journey
I thought of this question-answer relationship as nearly all the church year in 2025 thus far has been our trek through Epiphany. Upon reflection, we have taken a different look each week at the many signs and wonders performed by Jesus that has revealed His divine nature.
By design, this has given us an inspiring opportunity to also experience the footsteps the Disciples took and reflect how that will apply to our lives in this world today.
During those three years or so of Jesus’ ministry, do you suppose, as the disciples traveled with Him, if they ever asked, “are we there yet”? It could have been on their mind as it possibly is yours as we transition out of Epiphany into the season of Lent.
With that being said, we are not there quite yet as we look at what Luke records in the Gospel lesson, verse 32, “Now Peter and those who were with him were heavy in sleep, but when they become fully awake, they saw his glory…” So, keep awake as today we will review Christs glory in Epiphany fashion as we transition from His incarnation… to His resurrection. Joining Peter and those who were with him as they were wondering… “are we there yet”?
Transfiguration
This is the very reason we must remain buckled up as our focus today is on the Transfiguration of our Lord. A lesson where we get a second message from heaven that Jesus is the Son of God. This Epiphany bookend parallels with the first Sunday of Epiphany earlier this year where we celebrated Jesus’ Baptism. If you can recall, above the Jordan river the heavens opened and God told Jesus in Luke chapter 3, “You are My beloved Son; with You I am well pleased.” Today, the final Sunday of Epiphany, that message is repeated as Christ being revealed to the world in Luke 9, verse 35, “and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to Him.””
With that being said… the purpose of following these footsteps of Jesus divinity throughout the Epiphany season, was to provide an answer to other questions those first Christians might have been trying to answer… Who is that babe in swaddling clothes? Who is this carpenter’s son that speaks, and demons flee? Who is this Son of Man who can calm storms, heal the sick and downtrodden? Does it leave you wondering… with all that Jesus accomplished to reveal His true nature as the Son of God… who would still dare to ask this question… “Who is Jesus?”
Who Am I?
A few verses before our Gospel lesson today in Luke chapter 9, Jesus turned to His disciples and asked this very thing. He inquired, “Who do you say that I am?” Peter answered, “The Christ of God.” Jesus then goes on to explain to them what this means to be the Christ… He says, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.” Then Jesus goes on to explain what His disciples must do, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”
It is no wonder they might be pondering “Are we there yet”. Jesus foretelling His fate and expectations is a lot to absorb and would understandably take some time to process. Maybe that is why the disciples had eight days after these sayings before Jesus took Peter, James, and John to the heights of the mountain mentioned in today’s Gospel to witness His transfiguration.
This is where they saw Jesus’ face and clothing shine like the sun. It is also on this mountain where Moses and Elijah come to see Jesus and are having a conversation with Him.
What can we make of this Transfiguration given to us in the Gospels? In this setting we have humanities finest in the Law through Moses and the great Prophet Elijah talking with Jesus about His departure… His exodus… Here we have the Holy Trinity revealed with God’s only Son in His transfigured form, the Father in a voice, and the Holy Spirit in a bright cloud… Here we have three apostles, who were chosen to be eyewitnesses to tell all mankind, not only about this event, but about the coming offense of Christ’s crucifixion and the redemption in His resurrection… And here we have a foretaste of the feast to come with our own future glory promised to us when we leave this place.
Mountain Top
You must admit, there is a lot going on during this venture up that mountain.
As I thought of what was taking place on top of this mountain, I was drawn to look at God’s other mountain imageries in the salvation story. In the Old Testament Abraham was going to sacrifice Isaac on Mt. Moriah, but God substituted a lamb instead. Moses was up on Mt. Sini in a cloud like in our text today, receiving the Ten Commandments. When he came down his face glowed with God’s glory. On Mt Carmel, Elijah defeated and slaughtered the false prophets of Baal. Here the prophet proved to the people of Israel that the Lord was the true God.
Even today in the Old Testament lesson of Deuteronomy 34, we learned that at the end of Moses life he went up to Mt. Nebo where the Lord showed him the promised land and said… “This is the land I give your ancestors… I have let you see it with your own eyes, but you will not go over there.” Moses’ sin kept him out of the promised land.
Then, as we look ahead, Jesus was ultimately put to death on the cross on Mt. Calvary. It was the glow of splendor on this transfiguration that made His death on Calvary mountain significant. After His resurrection, on a mountain in Galilee Jesus give the disciples the great commission. A mountain we are asked to climb as well. And ultimately, Jesus’ ascension into heaven took place on the Mt. of Olives. He thus sits at the right hand of God.
Are We There Yet?
Of all these journeys that take place upon a mountainside… it makes me wonder if anyone askes even today if there is anything left to hear, or to see… or even dare to say… are we there yet?
We heard this question repetitively from the back seat of the car when we took a vacation to Colorado when our youngest daughter was preschool age. The only thing I can remember about this trip was her young adventurous ambition to climb a mountain. I didn’t think that would be a very hard mission to accomplish. So, when we could say “yes we are there now”, we stopped along a trail and proceeded to hike long enough in my mind to fulfill her desire. The only problem I soon learned, was that she wanted to go to the very top.
Being that would another 10,000-foot climb or so, I tried to reason with a four-year-old about perceptions and realities. But to no avail. In her mind we were “not there yet.”
Tough Hill To Climb
Have you ever tried to climb a mountain in your journey of life, only to realize that it is a lot bigger than you thought? High expectations that result in less than desired results? How about your spiritual life? We all want those amazing high elevation experiences when we can get close to God and can hear Him speak. But often we look up that hill and loose the desire to keep climbing. We find ourselves asking the question of the day that wishes away effort or wishes away the desire to pursue true knowledge and wisdom. Sure, the scenery is fabulous, but our vision is blurred because of self-serving agendas, despair, or lost hope.
We have all had them. Yes, there will be those times when we will lose the desire to even climb at all. But why wouldn’t we? The footing is treacherous, the air is thin, and there are not any quick shops along the way… Even though we might be in good enough shape to climb spiritually… we are still not immune to battling with those perceptions and realities that challenge our faith. The evil one is telling us in one ear not to climb anymore or go that extra mile, yet at the same time, in the other ear we are told of the glory that can be experienced such as the one told of Peter, James, and John. Who will we listen too? It is no wonder we ask from the back seat if we are there yet… knowing full well the answer lies in the question… Is it yes or is it no? Who will we seek for direction?
Listen To Him
Now if I can turn your focus back to the Gospel lesson in Luke… God declares Jesus to be His beloved Son with whom He is well pleased. But it is important to note that He also adds “listen to Him.” Is that the answer that has been hidden in today’s question all along?
Wouldn’t you agree, that would be a great answer in all our journeys…? We would do well to listen to Jesus each day. Listening to Him in our Bible study, prayer, and song. We can hear Jesus in our worship. We can hear Him through the sacraments. We can listen to Jesus whenever He tells us to love our enemy and pray for those who hurt us. My friends, we can hear Him loud and clear, wherever we may be, through His promise… that we belong to Him… and that our sins are forgiven.
If we listen to Jesus, we will hear the ultimate purpose of why He came down from that mountain with Peter, James, and John… to finish the race before Him.
All the prophets before Him come down from the mountain they climbed as well. They all come back down to face the chaotic world full of sin and temptations. But what we can learn from this is that when we listen to Jesus, His voice is just as clear from the heights of the mountains as it is to the depths of the valleys. Like an old song goes… “The God on the mountain, is still God in the valley, the God of the day, is still God of the night.” When we listen to Jesus, our insecurities, our struggles, our fears, will be comforted knowing He is there. All because, we know who that baby in a manger grew up to be, we know about all His divine miracles, and we know what He will do for each of us through His eternal promise.
The Truth In Our Journey
In His humanity, Jesus comes off the mountain of Transfiguration glowing with heavenly glory. A message to the world that Jesus is indeed God’s Son in the Trinity as we begin the Lenten season this very week. So, as we travel, whether it is over the mountain or through the plains, we must tune in and listen to His voice as it truly is… our Redeemer and King.
Now as we transition from this mountain of Transfiguration splendor to Mt Calvary… we will hear Jesus once again in His final words… “it is finished” … those words, now that we know the truth in His journey on earth, will mean so much more.
So, are we there yet? As we follow Christ on our eternal journey, He is there with us on roads where we were lost, but now are found. We were blind but now can see. We were a slave to sin, but now are set free. We were condemned sinners, but now are redeemed. With Jesus’ shining glory, He is lighting up the highway to heaven for each of us.
With Jesus as our traveling companion, we too are shining with His glory. What an Epiphany journey we have with Jesus, our precious Lord and Savior… Listen to Him… and what you will hear is the answer… of eternal life with Him.
Amen