A brief vision of life after death

Sermon for the Transfiguration of Our Lord

2 Peter 1:16-21  +  Matthew 17:1-9

If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works. Assuredly, I say to you, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.

Only six days had passed since Jesus had spoken those words to His disciples, and they were still ringing in His disciples’ ears as Peter, James, and John—some of those who were standing there when Jesus spoke those words—accompanied Jesus up onto the mountain of Transfiguration. And before Jesus spoke those words about the death—and the life!—that awaited His disciples, He had begun to tell them about the death, and the life, that awaited Him in the near future—death on a cross, followed by resurrection on the third day. They didn’t understand yet what Jesus meant about dying on a cross, or rising from the dead, and so the image of taking up their own crosses must have been especially confusing. Why did Jesus, the Christ, the Son of God, have to suffer and die? Why did they? And what is this about finding one’s life after losing one’s life for Jesus’ sake? All these questions were buzzing in the disciples’ heads, but rather than explaining everything in detail at this point, Jesus decided that what they needed to see—and what we would need to hear about—was a brief vision of life after death.

Only three of the twelve disciples were allowed to see it. That was enough. They didn’t all need to see Christ’s glory and the life that Moses and Elijah were now living. Peter, who would become a prominent leader in the Church; James, who would be the first apostle to be martyred; and John, who would be the last living apostle to oversee the founding of the Church. Jesus determined that it would be especially helpful for these three to witness the transfiguration, which Peter himself would later write about in his second Epistle, as you heard this morning.

What did they see? Jesus was transfigured before them: his face shone like the sun, and his clothing became white like the light. They saw the Son of Man “coming in His glory,” even though this visible glory wouldn’t last. It would soon be hidden from sight again until Jesus’ coming at the end of the age. But for a moment, they saw Him as He really is. They saw Him as we will see Him after this life, the glorious, almighty Son of God.

What else did they see? They saw Moses and Elijah talking with Him. Somehow (we don’t know how) they were enabled to recognize these two Old Testament prophets. A saint who had died, and a saint who had never died but had been transported to heaven alive. Key figures among the OT prophets. Why these two? Jesus could have appeared with Adam and Eve, or with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Instead He chose Moses and Elijah, both of whom bore the cross Jesus had told His disciples about six days earlier. Moses bore the cross, trudging through the desert for 40 years, putting up with the Israelites’ complaining the whole time. And then he died without being able to enter the Promised Land himself, a wholly sacrificial ministry. Elijah bore the cross, too, being hated and persecuted by most in Israel, including its wicked king and queen. He began to despair. He wanted to be done with it, done with the ministry, done with this earthly life. But God comforted him, sustained him, and finally took him into glory in a chariot of fire. Both Moses and Elijah bore the cross, served God faithfully, gave up their earthly life (that is, earthly comfort, personal gain, selfish pursuits), and now—now, look! They’re doing just fine! They’re here talking with Jesus in glory. They know Him already, because they’ve been with Him in glory since the moment they left this earth. They gave up their earthly life, and yet they’re still very much alive.

Peter, James, and John were stunned, afraid, confused. Peter offered to set up three tents, for Jesus, Moses, and Elijah. It was a foolish thought, but it shows how much they wanted this vision to last, how eager they were to remain up here on the mountain in that glorious state. But, no. Moses and Elijah had already stayed long enough here on earth. They have a far, far better place to live in now. They’re only here to talk with Jesus for a moment, because Jesus still has to finish the path they already finished. He has work to do at the bottom of the mountain, a cross to bear, a death to die. And so do Peter, James, and John. The glory comes after the cross, not before.

What did they see next? A bright cloud, the same kind of cloud the Israelites in the Old Testament saw on many occasions. They called it, “The glory of the Lord.” It’s how God communicated visibly that He was present in their midst. The Almighty Father of heaven and earth was there with them, with His Son, the ultimate, visible, stamp of approval on Jesus by the Father—a stamp of approval, not only on Jesus Himself but on everything Jesus had said, and would say.

The Father spoke from the cloud, This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased. Hear him! Listen to Him! That includes every word that comes out of His mouth. It includes the word calling sinners to repentance, and the word calling the penitent to come to Him for healing and forgiveness, and the word about His impending death, and the word about His resurrection, and the word about the necessity for those who would follow Jesus to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Him, the call to abandon our earthly life and the invitation to find our true life with God, and with Jesus, His beloved Son, with whom He is well pleased. Yes, you must lose your life in order to gain a far better life. You must let go of your earthly life in order to gain the heavenly one. That’s what Jesus says. So, Hear Him, Peter, James, and John! And know that there is life after death.

And then it was over. The cloud disappeared. Moses and Elijah disappeared. Jesus was back to looking like just a man again. And Jesus told these three disciples not to tell anyone about the vision until after He rose from the dead. This vision wasn’t meant for all the apostles, to get them through the coming months. It wasn’t even much of a help to these three, because they still didn’t understand that Jesus was literally going to suffer and die and rise again. But after the resurrection, when the Holy Spirit brought all these things to their minds, then this other-worldly experience on the mountain would come back to them, and it would all make sense. And it would constantly serve to remind them of what they had seen and heard. It would prepare them to follow Jesus to the cross, and to take up their own cross, because they had seen a glimpse of the life that awaits on the other side.

Jesus gave three disciples this vision. But God the Holy Spirit almost never does anything for our faith by things that we can see. He uses His Word to bolster our faith. He uses His Word to give us the strength to face the cross, to hold on very loosely to our earthly life so that we’re ready to let it go, if need be, in order to follow Jesus. So the Word of God that you’re hearing today is just as good as being there with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration, and even better, because the Word of God is even more dependable than your sight. As Peter wrote in today’s Epistle, Yes, we have the prophetic word as something entirely sure, and you do well to pay attention to it as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. You don’t need the light of Jesus’ glorious face right now. You need the light of His Word. And you have it! So, as Peter says, pay attention to it! You may not understand the road ahead of you any more than Peter, James, and John understood the road ahead of them. But you have been given this brief vision of life after death, the life that awaits all of you who remain faithful, who daily bear your cross as you trust in the One who bore His own cross in order to atone for your sins. By His cross, He has reconciled you with God. By His cross, He has shown you the way to glory, the way to eternal life with all the saints, the way to life after death. Hear Him! And follow Him! Amen.