Jesus the Christ
Commentary
Object:
Painted on the president's chair at the Constitutional Convention, assembled at the Pennsylvania State house in Philadelphia, was a brilliantly engraved sun. Though George Washington distinguished the seat by his presence, directing the representatives that would incorporate a new nation, one delegate's attention was often affixed not on the face of the presiding officer but on the painting adorning his throne. During dull moments of the legislative process he would debate if the sun was rising or setting, for the orange cast lent itself to either persuasion. The discussion on the disposition of the sun ceased on the day the document was signed, September 17, 1787, when Benjamin Franklin declared, "I have often and often in the course of the session, and the vicissitudes of my hope and fears as to its issue, looked at that sun behind the President without being able to tell whether it was rising or setting: But now at length I have the happiness to know that it is rising and not a setting sun." Franklin perceived it as a morning sun, for with Constitution in hand he was assured that the future of the nation and the ideals on which it predicated itself would come to fruition.
Converts who believe that Jesus is the Messiah dwell in the Messianic Age -- a time in which one will always live beneath the serenity of the morning sun, for despite the abrasions of daily existence the future can only be brighter.
This Sunday we celebrate on our liturgical calendar the Transfiguration of Our Lord. It is the Sunday in which we recognize and celebrate that the divinity of Jesus was revealed to Peter, James, and John. It is an event that parallels what occurred centuries earlier in the life of Moses atop Mount Sinai when he heard the voice of God. It was a voice so glorious that it appeared as a devouring fire. It is these two revelations that Peter proclaims to assure the Christian community of the coming glory of Jesus when his kingdom will be made perfect throughout creation.
The liturgical calendar was not arbitrarily designed; there is a purpose to its chronological order. Each season carries its own theological meaning. Each season transcends from that which was previous, only to enlighten us and prepare us for that which is to come.
This coming midday is Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent. Ash Wednesday is the day on which we embark on a forty-day journey of sacrifice as we spiritually walk and suffer with Jesus to the day of crucifixion, that is, Good Friday.
Traditionally we give up something important to us for Lent as a daily reminder of the sacrifice of our Lord. This sacrifice would be difficult, if not impossible, for us to keep if were not for the message of this Sunday, this day, when the glory of our Lord is revealed unto us. Realizing that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God as seen by Peter, James, and John, we have the courage and spiritual strength to make the hardened journey before us.
The word "messiah" comes from the Hebrew verb mashach, which means "to anoint"; therefore, "the Messiah" is "the Anointed One." An individual who obtained the office of priest, prophet, or king was considered to be an anointed one, for he held a special position of leadership in the community.
The first-century Christian writers translated the Hebrew word for Messiah into Greek as Christ, which similarly means "the Anointed One." Jesus was called with admiration and humility "Jesus the Christ." This was underscored by the fact that Jesus was confessed as holding all three offices of the Messiah: priest, prophet, and king. In an extremely short progression of time Christ became the proper name of Jesus, recorded as "Jesus Christ." The formal rendering of "Jesus the Christ" was ascribed to obscurity. It is on this Sunday, the day we recognize the transfiguration of our Lord, the day we recognize his deity, the day we recognize his conquering presence, the day we recognize his spiritual strength for the journey that lies before us that we affirm the true meaning of his presence among us and boldly say "Jesus the Christ."
Exodus 24:12-18
Moses was called forth by God to ascend to the summit of Mount Sinai. The very act of Moses beginning the journey was a sign of obedience. It is the same obedience that we will embark upon during Lent. Upon reaching the summit Moses was patient, waiting six days surrounded by a cloud, anxiously anticipating the voice of God. It is the same anxiousness that we all experience when God seems to be silent in our lives. Then on the seventh day Moses received the Ten Commandments, God's instruction book for righteous living. It came on the seventh day, a day symbolic of the last day of creation, and was an event that symbolizes a new creation coming from the law. Moses was on the mountain for forty days and nights, symbolic of forty years or one generation. A new generation, a new revitalization had come upon Israel. Moses on that mountaintop was alone in body but not in spirit, as a devouring fire assured him of the presence of the Lord. Moses was spiritually ready to embark upon the journey through the wilderness of despair, leading his people to the Promised Land. It is a journey that we all make every day of our lives.
2 Peter 1:16-21
Peter was an eyewitness to the transfiguration of our Lord. Peter was also knowledgeable of the Jewish scriptures. A concern of Peter's was the cleverly devised myths that infected the church. These were fables and false teachings about Jesus. If the church was to journey with the Lord, it had to journey following truth and not aberrations. Thus he cautioned his followers not to listen to false prophets, but only to the truth that had been sanctified by the church -- the truth that came from the prophets of Judaism, the law that was given to Moses upon Mount Sinai -- and to heed his personal witness of the transfiguration of the Jesus when God once again spoke the words that were heard at Jesus' baptism, "This is my Son, my Beloved, with whom I am well pleased." As we make that difficult walk through Lent to Good Friday, which is actually a walk we take each day twelve months of the year, our guidance and assurance comes from Peter who summons us to find truth in the scriptures and to place our faith in the eyewitness accounts of those who witness the life and teaching of Jesus.
Matthew 17:1-9
With the gospel story we actually read about the account of the transfiguration. It is an event that parallels the message and experience of Moses. It is an event that Peter witnessed and used to assure his fellow believers of the steadfast future of the church. When Jesus was transfigured, his face shone like the sun and his clothes became dazzling white, and Moses along with Elijah appeared alongside of him, and the baptismal voice of the God was heard anew. It was an unquestioning declaration that Jesus truly is the Son of God. And it was that knowledge that allowed Peter, James, and John to lead the church through its first century of existence. It is an eyewitness account that we see in our fellow believers each day.
Application
Lent is time of spiritual reflection and reawakening. Employ these three lectionary accounts to inform us on how we can mature spiritually. Moses taught us obedience, patience, and perseverance. Peter taught us the importance of understanding the scriptures and being dependent upon the faith of others to strengthen us. Jesus, in the purity and brilliance of his white robe, offered us the assurance that he shall return and rule over all of creation.
An Alternative Application
The forty days of Lent are a time of self-sacrifice as we contemplate the suffering of Jesus. It is a reminder of our duty and call as Christians not to be complacent but to be active and involved. We know the sufferings of the world and more certainly our own individual trials and tribulations. Lent is not a journey confined to February and March -- in June, August, and October as well we shall experience the same challenges, heartaches, and disappointments. We call upon the obedience of Moses, the witness of Peter, and the baptismal voice of God to sustain us not just for forty days, not just for forty years, but for an entire lifetime.
Converts who believe that Jesus is the Messiah dwell in the Messianic Age -- a time in which one will always live beneath the serenity of the morning sun, for despite the abrasions of daily existence the future can only be brighter.
This Sunday we celebrate on our liturgical calendar the Transfiguration of Our Lord. It is the Sunday in which we recognize and celebrate that the divinity of Jesus was revealed to Peter, James, and John. It is an event that parallels what occurred centuries earlier in the life of Moses atop Mount Sinai when he heard the voice of God. It was a voice so glorious that it appeared as a devouring fire. It is these two revelations that Peter proclaims to assure the Christian community of the coming glory of Jesus when his kingdom will be made perfect throughout creation.
The liturgical calendar was not arbitrarily designed; there is a purpose to its chronological order. Each season carries its own theological meaning. Each season transcends from that which was previous, only to enlighten us and prepare us for that which is to come.
This coming midday is Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent. Ash Wednesday is the day on which we embark on a forty-day journey of sacrifice as we spiritually walk and suffer with Jesus to the day of crucifixion, that is, Good Friday.
Traditionally we give up something important to us for Lent as a daily reminder of the sacrifice of our Lord. This sacrifice would be difficult, if not impossible, for us to keep if were not for the message of this Sunday, this day, when the glory of our Lord is revealed unto us. Realizing that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God as seen by Peter, James, and John, we have the courage and spiritual strength to make the hardened journey before us.
The word "messiah" comes from the Hebrew verb mashach, which means "to anoint"; therefore, "the Messiah" is "the Anointed One." An individual who obtained the office of priest, prophet, or king was considered to be an anointed one, for he held a special position of leadership in the community.
The first-century Christian writers translated the Hebrew word for Messiah into Greek as Christ, which similarly means "the Anointed One." Jesus was called with admiration and humility "Jesus the Christ." This was underscored by the fact that Jesus was confessed as holding all three offices of the Messiah: priest, prophet, and king. In an extremely short progression of time Christ became the proper name of Jesus, recorded as "Jesus Christ." The formal rendering of "Jesus the Christ" was ascribed to obscurity. It is on this Sunday, the day we recognize the transfiguration of our Lord, the day we recognize his deity, the day we recognize his conquering presence, the day we recognize his spiritual strength for the journey that lies before us that we affirm the true meaning of his presence among us and boldly say "Jesus the Christ."
Exodus 24:12-18
Moses was called forth by God to ascend to the summit of Mount Sinai. The very act of Moses beginning the journey was a sign of obedience. It is the same obedience that we will embark upon during Lent. Upon reaching the summit Moses was patient, waiting six days surrounded by a cloud, anxiously anticipating the voice of God. It is the same anxiousness that we all experience when God seems to be silent in our lives. Then on the seventh day Moses received the Ten Commandments, God's instruction book for righteous living. It came on the seventh day, a day symbolic of the last day of creation, and was an event that symbolizes a new creation coming from the law. Moses was on the mountain for forty days and nights, symbolic of forty years or one generation. A new generation, a new revitalization had come upon Israel. Moses on that mountaintop was alone in body but not in spirit, as a devouring fire assured him of the presence of the Lord. Moses was spiritually ready to embark upon the journey through the wilderness of despair, leading his people to the Promised Land. It is a journey that we all make every day of our lives.
2 Peter 1:16-21
Peter was an eyewitness to the transfiguration of our Lord. Peter was also knowledgeable of the Jewish scriptures. A concern of Peter's was the cleverly devised myths that infected the church. These were fables and false teachings about Jesus. If the church was to journey with the Lord, it had to journey following truth and not aberrations. Thus he cautioned his followers not to listen to false prophets, but only to the truth that had been sanctified by the church -- the truth that came from the prophets of Judaism, the law that was given to Moses upon Mount Sinai -- and to heed his personal witness of the transfiguration of the Jesus when God once again spoke the words that were heard at Jesus' baptism, "This is my Son, my Beloved, with whom I am well pleased." As we make that difficult walk through Lent to Good Friday, which is actually a walk we take each day twelve months of the year, our guidance and assurance comes from Peter who summons us to find truth in the scriptures and to place our faith in the eyewitness accounts of those who witness the life and teaching of Jesus.
Matthew 17:1-9
With the gospel story we actually read about the account of the transfiguration. It is an event that parallels the message and experience of Moses. It is an event that Peter witnessed and used to assure his fellow believers of the steadfast future of the church. When Jesus was transfigured, his face shone like the sun and his clothes became dazzling white, and Moses along with Elijah appeared alongside of him, and the baptismal voice of the God was heard anew. It was an unquestioning declaration that Jesus truly is the Son of God. And it was that knowledge that allowed Peter, James, and John to lead the church through its first century of existence. It is an eyewitness account that we see in our fellow believers each day.
Application
Lent is time of spiritual reflection and reawakening. Employ these three lectionary accounts to inform us on how we can mature spiritually. Moses taught us obedience, patience, and perseverance. Peter taught us the importance of understanding the scriptures and being dependent upon the faith of others to strengthen us. Jesus, in the purity and brilliance of his white robe, offered us the assurance that he shall return and rule over all of creation.
An Alternative Application
The forty days of Lent are a time of self-sacrifice as we contemplate the suffering of Jesus. It is a reminder of our duty and call as Christians not to be complacent but to be active and involved. We know the sufferings of the world and more certainly our own individual trials and tribulations. Lent is not a journey confined to February and March -- in June, August, and October as well we shall experience the same challenges, heartaches, and disappointments. We call upon the obedience of Moses, the witness of Peter, and the baptismal voice of God to sustain us not just for forty days, not just for forty years, but for an entire lifetime.
