Luke 9:28–36 (ESV) 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.
Luke 5:15-16 (NIV)15 Yet the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. 16 But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.
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.
· Departure = “exodus” = a very weighty word, involving His passion, cross, death, resurrection, and ascension.
Hebrews 11:22 (ESV) 22 By faith Joseph, at the end of his life, made mention of the exodus of the Israelites and gave directions concerning his bones.
2 Peter 1:13-15 (NIV) 13 I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the tent of this body, 14 because I know that I will soon put it aside, as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. 15 And I will make every effort to see that after my departure you will always be able to remember these things.
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.
From this time the Cross was aways forefront on Jesus’s mind.
Collect for Transfiguration Sunday:
O God, who before the passion of your only-begotten Son revealed his glory upon the holy mountain: Grant that we, beholding by faith the light of his countenance, may be strengthened to bear our cross, and be changed into his likeness from glory to glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
The purpose of Lent – that we would be strengthened and changed.
Compare our preparation for 40 days of Lent with the preparation Jesus had before his 40 days in the wilderness.
Know 2 things:
1 – You are beloved and didn’t earn it.
2 – We need to be transformed by the Spirit to energize us for Lent
Matthew 3:17 (NIV) And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”
The observance of a holy Lent: by self-examination and repentance; by prayer, fasting, and alms-giving; and by reading and meditating on God’s holy Word. (BCP2019)
John 3:16 (NIV) 16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
As Michael Card says in Chorus of Faith:
He loves us with passion, without regret
He cannot love more and will not love less
We do not fast to EARN his love, we fast BECAUSE we are loved.
The Gospel is NOT “Do better.”
Colossians 1:10 (NIV) 10 And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,
Galatians 2:20 (NLT2) 20 [Your] old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer [you] who live, but Christ lives in [you]. So [you] live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved [you] and gave himself for [you].
As you prepare to enter Lent on Ash Wednesday, know:
1. You are loved.
2. You have been made new by the Holy Spirit, who is turning your old, broken self into the Christ-like daughter/son of God he’s created you to be in Christ.