Sermon A: Transfiguration: 2 Cor 3:13

For the end of the Epiphany season, Transfiguration Sunday offers the following readings: 2 Kings 2:1-12 or Exodus 34:29-35; 2 Corinthians 3:12-4:6 and Mark 9:2-9. The sermon text is 2 Corinthians 3:13, "unlike Moses, who put a veil over his face so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the end of what was passing away."

When Moses came down from Mount Sinai after speaking with God, his face shone with the reflected glory of God. Exodus 34:33 reveals that after speaking with the people of Israel, Moses put a veil on his face. Why? The answer is not given so clearly as in the text for today from 2 Corinthians 3:13 so that the "children of Israel could not look steadily at the end of what was passing away."

In other words, while his face shone, Moses had great authority and power as the people saw that he was speaking for God. But when that glory began to fade, Moses was concerned that the people would not be as attentive to him. In contrast to that fading glory of reflection, the Mount of Transfiguration reveals a radiant glory on Jesus that resulted in his clothes being so exceedingly white that "no launderer on earth can whiten them."

The Law and Gospel theme is that our words are authoritative only when we repeat what God has said. Jesus' words are auathoritative because He is God! That is why the Father commands, "This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!" Only when the Christian repeats the words from the Word of God--both Jesus and the Bible--are such words to be taken in faith.

The Gospel includes the theme that apart from faith in Jesus Christ, the veil remains over the heart of unbelievers and only is taken away "when one turns to the Lord." For even the Pharisees' reading of the Bible resulted in being blind to the Gospel as they thanked God that their personal works made them better than others who were sinners!

Also for Christians, apart from a teacher of the Word who can use the original Hebrew and Greek, a portion of the Bible remains veiled. Examine most evangelical theologians today who even know the Hebrew and Greek and you will find the denial of infant baptism, talk of a rapture and the use of decision theology. It is clear how the veil remains over the hearts of even believers.

The sermon can then demonstrate how even for those in the pews worshipping the holy Trinity that the old Adam often interprets and applies the Bible in such a way that what we think, do and say appears to make a difference in whether we go to heaven or hell. That is not only a denial of salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ but also an addition to the work of the cross which in essence is a subtraction from the work of the cross.

We can thank the Lord that on the Day of Judgment, He will not decide whether we go to heaven or hell on the basis of our understanding with the head but rather on the basis of our perfect faith in the heart trusting the effective work of Jesus's death and resurrection. The task of the Christian in witnessing is to help the hearer think more like God by means of a correct understanding of the Word and a proper use of the holy sacraments.