Welcome Home: Into Christ’s glorious kingdom

Matthew 17:1-9 Six days later Jesus took with him Peter, James, and John the brother of James; and he led them up onto a high mountain by themselves. 2There he was transfigured in front of them. His face was shining like the sun. His clothing became as white as the light. 3Just then, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Jesus. 4Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you want, I will make three shelters here: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”

5While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them. Just then, a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him.”

6When the disciples heard this, they fell face down and were terrified. 7Jesus approached and as he touched them, he said, “Get up, and do not be afraid.”

8When they opened their eyes, they saw no one except Jesus alone.

9As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, “Do not tell anyone what you have seen until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”

You are no longer foreigners and strangers, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of God’s household. (Ephesians 2:19). Amen.

I have gone to see two different optometrists in the past few months. I wasn’t seeing so well, so I went to get my eyes checked. I wasn’t really concerned. I figured I just needed a new prescription. The first optometrist said my prescription hadn’t changed, but I might think about getting bifocals.

So I admitted to myself that I am getting older and got bifocals for myself. They helped a little, but my vision still seemed blurry. That made me nervous. So I went to the second optometrist.

The second optometrist also said that my prescription hadn’t changed. He ordered me these glasses, which are progressives. They work much better. But the real problem is that I’m starting to get cataracts in my eyes.

I was nervous that I might be losing my eyesight. The reason I was so nervous is because of my parents. When my dad was a teenager, he lost his eyesight in his right eye in an accident. My mom has horrible vision because of cataracts. I joke with them that they have one good eye between the two of them.

I’m glad that I have my vision back to almost normal. I can see again!

But as a pastor, there are some things I don’t want to see.

I don’t want to see the teenager who is making poor choices now that will have damaging and lasting effects for her future.

I don’t want to see the family that is being torn apart by internal strife.

I don’t want to see the strong Christian woman who tries so hard but is too weak to overcome her addictions.

I don’t want to see the member say to me that he has cancer … again.

Or see a good friend’s memories stripped from him by dementia.

Or witness the aged saint struggling to breath on his death bed.

I may not want to see those things, but then the Lord reminds me that as a pastor, I am called to see those things.

To see a young sheep who is running away from the safety of the flock and into danger because she is starving for attention.

To see the Holy Spirit as Counselor who can mend any hurts and repair any divisions within the family.

To see a Christian woman who is daily going into battle as her inborn sinful nature wages war against her baptized saint side.

To see the saints with cancer, dementia and old age who need the comfort that only Jesus their Savior can bring.

My vocation as pastor is also to open the eyes of those in my care to see what they need to see.

The young sheep needs to see her Good Shepherd who will never leave her nor forsake her. He has promised that nothing can snatch her out of his hands.

The hurting family needs to trust in the Lord and lean not on their own understanding.

The woman battling addictions needs to wake up in the morning, take a shower and then put on the full armor of God.

The cancer patient, the aged shut-in and the dying saint all need to see their Lord Jesus standing at the entrance of his glorious kingdom saying to them, “Welcome home.”

What did Jesus’ three disciples see that day on the Mount of Transfiguration? At first, they saw Jesus as they always saw him. Just a normal-looking guy. Sure, he was a great teacher and could do really cool miracles. But there was no beauty or majesty to attract anyone to him. Then, all of a sudden, they saw Jesus transfigured before them! His face was shining like the sun. His clothes were whiter than anyone could bleach them. Jesus was talking to Moses and Elijah about Jesus’ exodus – his journey to the cross and the grave. They saw the glory of the Lord envelope them in a cloud.

They saw wonders no one had ever seen.

Then they saw the ground! They saw the dirt as they fell on their faces and trembled in fear.

Then Jesus walked over to them, touched them and said, “Get up and don’t be afraid.”

They walked down the mountain remembering the glorious sights they had witnessed on the mountaintop. They saw sights they could never imagine seeing!

But sometimes all we can see is exactly what we don’t want to see.

The disciples came down the mountain and short time later, they were in Jerusalem for the Passover. There they saw sights they could never imagine seeing. Jesus betrayed, arrested, put on trial, beaten, whipped, mocked, crucified and buried in a tomb.

On the Mount of Transfiguration, they had seen Jesus in his great glory. On Mount Calvary, they had seen Jesus in his greatest humiliation. … But on Easter morning they would see Jesus in his greatest glory. He was alive! He was showing off the wounds in his hands, feet and side. They were marks that he had defeated sin, conquered death and crushed the devil.

Forty days later they would see Jesus ascend from the mountaintop to go to his glorious kingdom. There we will see him with our own eyes. He will be there to welcome us home into his glorious kingdom.

Sometimes all we can see is what we don’t want to see. Before our eyes is a collage of sadness. We see a past riddled with stupid, unfixable mistakes. We see a present full of people we have let down. We see a future bankrupt of hope. We see a million sights, and none of them are pleasing to the eye.

Sometimes we see too much. When our lives are going well, we see so many good things that we become blind to the Giver of those good things. When our lives are falling apart, we see so many bad things that we are blind to the Sustainer of all things. Whether we are overcome by happiness on the mountaintop or overwhelmed by sorrow in the valley, our vision can be our greatest handicap.

We need to learn to see Jesus alone. To see him in his deep humiliation in the cross and in the grave. To see him in his divine glory on the mountain and out of the grave. To see Jesus alone is not to be blind to everything else, but to see everything in him and through him.

We see that Jesus is the forgiver of our past. He not only erases our long list of sins but writes in their place his lifetime of good deeds. His love transfigures our past by making our past his own.

Jesus is the companion of our present. He wakes us every morning with the words, “Good morning, Saint. I will be with you all day, for I am with you to the end of the age. You are my baptized child. The devil can’t touch you today!”

Jesus is the hope of our tomorrow. The oncoming thunderstorm of teenage angst or family issues or overwhelming addictions or debilitating diseases will be quieted with Christ’s grace. Whatever will happen cannot change what has happened. Whatever will happen to you in life cannot change what Christ allowed to happen to him on the cross.

To see no one, except Jesus alone, is not to see too much, but to see everything aright.

God has blessed our Welcome Home series these past few weeks. For those who see Jesus regularly, I pray that you have gotten a new perspective of your humbly glorious Savior. For those whose vision of Jesus has been clouded by busyness or absence, I pray that you have seen your Savior anew.

What happens to people when they see Jesus? Those who first saw him were never the same.

Thomas cried, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28)

Mary exclaimed, “I have seen the Lord”! (John 20:18)

John declared, “We have seen his glory.” (John 1:14)

The two Emmaus-bound disciples rejoiced, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked?” (Luke 24:32)

This morning we heard Peter report what he saw on the mountaintop, “We were eyewitnesses of his majesty” (2 Peter 1:16)

The Creator of the universe wrapped in strips of cloth.

The One who walked on water forced to walk under the burden of a cross.

The Good Shepherd who laid down his life for his wayward sheep.

The Beautiful Savior who was despised and rejected by men.

The King of Creation robed in flowers of blooming spring who was robed in purple and mocked as the king of the Jews.

The Feast of the Transfiguration is a wonderful festival of the church year where we look back to see Jesus revealing his glory in his words and miracles during the Epiphany season. We also look forward to the Lenten season that begins Wednesday evening as we see Jesus revealing his abject humility in his suffering, crucifixion and death.

Gloriously humble. Divinely disgraced. Majesty clothed with flesh. Heaven touching the earth so that earth can know heaven. This is what we see when we open our eyes to look at Jesus.

Has it been a while since you’ve seen him? Have other things taken precedence of you visiting Jesus in his home? Have you forgotten what it’s like to hear his voice in the Bible and speak to him in your prayers?

If your prayers seem stale, it probably has been a while. If your faith seems to be trembling, perhaps your vision of him has blurred. If you can’t find power to face your problems, perhaps it is time to face him.

I’m cautioning you. Something happens to a person who has witnessed Christ’s majesty. You are never the same once you have entered Jesus’ kingdom. You are never alone once you’ve been invited in God’s home. You are a child of God. You are surrounded by your Christian brothers and sisters. There is an outpouring of love, a ready supply of hugs and a wealth of prayers. You are heirs of Christ’s kingdom. Whatever you are experiencing now will pass. Something greater has been won for you. Something greater is waiting for you when this life is over.

Your eyes have been opened. You see the real Jesus. What does that mean for you?

It means this. Pew-warming is no longer an option. Sitting on the sidelines is no longer an alternative. Get up. Get involved in Christ’s ministries. See others who are hurting. Reach out to those who are lost. Welcome home those who have been away.

What do you see when you see only Jesus? The darkness disperses. The blurriness is focused. Your sight is restored. Open your eyes so that you can see and say with Peter, “We were eyewitnesses of his majesty.

Open your eyes to see that you are always welcome in Jesus’ home. This home in this church that is the doorway to Christ’s glorious home in his heavenly kingdom. Amen.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with all the saints. (Revelation 22:21). Amen.