The Lutheran Hour
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"A Resurrection Glimpse to Empower Your Faith"
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Text: Mark 9:2-11
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Christ is risen, He is risen, indeed. Hallelujah and He is the Lord of life and death, the Lord of history, the Lord of your today, tomorrow, and forever. Amen!
In the chaos and confusion of the modern world, amidst all the advances of science and technology in the 21st century, people seem to be more clueless than ever about how to go about living their lives.
We need an answer to the deep, enduring issues of the day, but what happens when the answer is so overwhelming that we can’t bear it, so extensive that we can’t fathom it? As I read the paper today, Europe is still trying to come to grips with the bills that are coming due for its “welfare state.” Wars are continuing to break out all over the globe. The payment that is coming due for all these things seems beyond comprehension even when such bills might be possible to pay.
But, the Bible says there is an even greater problem, a greater issue; the guilt and judgment that comes to all of us because we are sinners, rebels against the One who created us.
Evil truly does exist in every human heart. And there is no easy fix, no religious or secular or scientific fix for this deadly virus.
As I’ve told you before, the great scientist, Albert Einstein said, “It is easier to de-nature plutonium than to de-nature the evil spirit of man.”
So, as we read the lesson for today, the issue of how Jesus would be the Savior surrounds the event. Peter had just proclaimed, “You are the Christ, the Son of God.” And Jesus says, “You’re right, and I must suffer and die to get the work done.” Paying that eternal price for sinful humanity’s salvation, that is the bill that was coming due for all, that’s the bill that’s coming due in the life of Jesus Christ in our text. It’s a bill that no person can pay for themselves. It’s a judgment from which no person can run.
On a mountain, where Jesus took His disciples to pray He was transfigured, metamorphisized, literally, it means that His appearance changed drastically, His “divinity” literally “peaked through.” But why? For what reason?
Well, these disciples, as well as every believer in Jesus since, they would need to know again and again who this Jesus is, who this suffering Messiah is. And they, like us, would be called to trust Him, to be strengthened by faith in Him for the events that were soon to follow.
After six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John with Him and led them upon on a high mountain ….. There He was transfigured before them….. And there appeared them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus…..Then a cloud appeared and enveloped them and a voice came from the cloud saying: “This is my Son, whom I love, listen to Him!”
It’s so hard for us sometimes to truly fathom the depth to which God must go to forgive our sin and literally reclaim us for eternal life.
Such was the challenge of a certain Professor of Religion named Dr. Christianson who taught at a small college in the Western United States. Christianson taught the required survey course in Christianity at this institution. Every student was required to take this course regardless of their major. Although Professor Christianson tried hard to communicate the uniqueness of the gospel in his class, he found that most of his students looked upon the course as nothing but required drudgery. They just didn’t get it.
This particular year though, Professor Christianson had a special student in class named Steve. Steve was only a freshman, but he was also the best student in the class, the only one with a perfect grade. And, he was popular, he was well liked, and an imposing physical specimen too. He was, even as a freshman, the starting center on the school football team.
So, this year, Christianson had an idea. This year, with this student, maybe he could get his class to think about what Christ really did for the world, and for them. So, he asked Steve one day after class, “How many pushups can you do?”
Steve said, “I do about 200 every night.”
“200? That’s pretty good, Steve,” Do you think you could do 300?”
Steve replied, “Well, I don’t know. I’ve never done 300 at a time.”
“You don’t have to do them all at once.” said Dr. Christianson.
“Can you do 300 in sets of 10 in class? Can you do it?”
Steve said, “Well… I… yeah, I can do it.”
Dr. Christianson said, “Good! I need you to do it this Friday. Let me explain what I have in mind.”Friday came and Steve got to class early and sat in the front of the room. When class started, the professor pulled out a big box of donuts. These weren’t the normal kind of donuts, they were the extra fancy big kind with cream centers and frosting swirls.
Everyone was pretty excited about it. It was Friday, the last class of the day, and they were going to get an early start on the weekend with a party in religion class.
Dr. Christianson went to the first girl in the first row and asked, “Cynthia, do you want to have one of these donuts?”
Cynthia said, “Yes.”
Dr. Christianson turned to Steve and asked, “Steve, would you do ten pushups so that Cynthia can have a donut?”
“Sure.” Steve jumped down from his desk to do a quick ten then he got right back in his seat. Dr. Christianson put a donut on Cynthia’s desk.
Then the professor went to Joe, the next person, and asked,
“Joe, do you want a donut?”Joe said, “Yes.”
Dr. Christianson said, “Steve, would you do ten pushups so Joe can have a donut?” Steve did ten, Joe got the donut. And so it went, down the first aisle and the next, Steve doing ten pushups for every person before they got their donut.
Then Dr. Christiansen came to Scott. Now, Scott was another athlete in the class. When Professor Christiansen asked if he wanted a donut, Scott replied, “Sure, but can I do my own pushups?”
Christianson said, “No, Steve has to do them.”
Then Scott said, “Well, then I don’t want one.”
Dr. Christianson shrugged and then turned to Steve and asked, “Steve, would you do ten pushups so Scott can have a donut he doesn’t want?” With perfect obedience Steve started to do ten pushups.
Scott protested, “Hey! I said I didn’t want one!”
The professor said, “Look, this is my classroom, my class, my desks, and these are my donuts. Just leave it on the desk if you don’t want it.” Steve did 10. The professor put a donut on Scott’s desk and moved on.
Now by this time, Steve had begun to slow down a little. He stayed on the floor between sets because he was exerting so much effort. You could start to see little beads of perspiration around his brow. Dr. Christianson started down the third row and now the students were beginning to get a little angry.
When Christianson asked Jenny if she wanted a donut, she sternly said, “No.”
Christianson turned to Steve, “Steve, would you do ten more pushups so Jenny can have a donut that she doesn’t want?” Steve did ten. Jenny got a donut.
By now, a growing sense of uneasiness filled the room. The students were beginning to say “No” and there were all these uneaten donuts on the desks. The pushups were getting harder and harder even for Steve. He began to really struggle, his arms and brow were red from the exertion, sweat was beginning to pour down his face. All so each student could receive the donut and be a part of the party. Dr. Christiansen went on, row by row, person by person. No one would be left out.
Just then, the bell rang. But it would bring no relief for Steve, as Dr. Christianson told all of the students to stay in their seats. Others were now gazing into the classroom, watching Steve do pushups and people get donuts. Some of them even tried to get in.
One of the students, Jason said, “Hey, can I come in and see what was going on?” And all the students yelled, “No! Don’t come in! Stay out!”
But Steve lifted his head off the floor and said, “No, let him come in.”
Professor Christianson said, “Now, you realize that if Jason comes in you will have to do ten pushups for him too?”
Steve said, “Yes, let him come in.” Steve did 10, Jason, a bit bewildered, got his doughnut.
This went on until every student and even the visitors received the “blessings of Steve’s labor.” Ten perfect pushups for each person, no excuses, no fudging, no best efforts. It was perfect. As the students watched, Steve did his best for them. His arms were shaking, his back swayed, his waist barely cleared the floor, but 10 perfect pushups were done for each. The room was silent; there wasn’t even a dry eye now to be found.
Finally, the professor came to the last student, Susan. “Susan, do you want a donut?”
Susan, with tears flowing down her face, began to cry. “Dr. Christianson, why can’t I help him?”
Christianson said, with tears of his own, “No, Steve has to do it alone. I have given him this task and he is in charge of seeing that everyone has an opportunity for a donut whether they want it or not.” Steve did 10, Susan got her doughnut.
As Steve very slowly finished his last pushup, having accomplished all that was required of him, having done 350 pushups so that each person might have the gift that Professor Christiansen wanted them to have, his arms buckled beneath him and he fell to the floor.
With that, Professor Christiansen spoke one last time. “When I decided to have a party this last day of class, I looked at my grade book. Steve, here is the only student with a perfect grade. Everyone else has failed a test, skipped a class, or offered me inferior work. Steve told me that in football practice, when a player messes up, he must do pushups. So, I told Steve that none of you could come to my party unless he paid the price by doing your pushups for you. He and I made a deal for your sakes. Steve would do 10 so you could be here.
And this is merely an inadequate example, a trivial example compared to Jesus’ perfect obedience and sacrifice for you on the cross. Having done everything that was required of Him for you, He yielded up His life.
Wow! You see, that day, in that class, that student paid the price so that everyone could have a donut, everyone could take part in the party. The students hadn’t earned it, only Steve had with his perfect scores. But, did you notice their reactions? They were sad, they were confused, they were overwhelmed, they were even angered.
Watching someone merely do 10 pushups for a doughnut, it got to the point where the students couldn’t bear it. Can you imagine what those disciples of Jesus, the ones in the text, what they would feel when they saw Him hanging on the cross for them?
How about you? Can you even fathom what it means that you needed the sacrifice of the Son of God Himself so that you might live? Can you fathom the payment on the cross that Jesus Himself paid so that your sins, your guilt, the hopelessness even of your best efforts could be transformed, transfigured into the merciful forgiveness, the eternal life and salvation, the enduring hope and peace of Christ? That’s the repentance of faith in Him.
Jesus’ glory peaks through to assure these disciples of who He is, so that when the weight of His suffering hits them, it won’t overwhelm them, it won’t crush them. So that even in the midst of such an incredible sacrifice, they might be assured that this is for them, that God really does love them, and that Christ’s life and salvation is theirs by His grace, His mercy alone.
He is the One who does all things well so that you and I might live life abundantly, now and forever.
Sometimes this is just too much to fathom. This is just too big to really get our arms, our minds around it. Jesus’ glory peaks through and God the Father’s voice assures those disciples as He assures us, “This is My Son, whom I love. Listen to Him!”
But, now you might be thinking, “But, Pastor Seltz, that must have been a monumental moment. The disciples saw Moses and Elijah, the very voices of God in the Old Testament. And then they saw Jesus, not just a man, but the God-Man, the One to whom even Moses and Elijah would fall down and worship. Wow, that’s quite a mountaintop experience. I can see how that would hold them in the days of struggle and suffering to follow. I can see that that would cause them to trust in Jesus, to put their faith in Him. Don’t we need a bit of that mountaintop experience today too?
Yes, absolutely yes! But God’s way here too, not yours. Not just a bit of glory, like those disciples had, but the fullness of it. Those disciples received quite a blessing that day, but they were still left confused. Jesus told them not to speak about this until after His resurrection, and they said, “Resurrection”, what’s that?
You see, this glimpse was for them, the fullness is for us!!
Every time you open the Word of God and read what He has done for you, that’s the mountaintop experience that those disciples would have yearned to know.
Peter, himself, later says, “We have the word of the prophets made more sure.” (2 Peter 2:19)
They needed to know who this Jesus was but when you read the scripture, His certain Word, you know exactly who He is.
Jesus was not merely just a Man; He was the Son of God! You can see it all unfold before you. From the very first promise in Genesis, to the life and death, and resurrection of the Promised One for you; He was in control even as He journeyed to the cross, suffering hell in your place. His ways, His words, His promises are true! They had a glimpse of the resurrection, you have the fullness of that work laid out for you in the Bible’s faith-empowering Word.
And this good news, this resurrection faith is the power to live your life boldly in Christ today. Those disciples needed assurance that this suffering Savior was indeed the Promised Messiah. They would be overwhelmed by such a reality before they would be overjoyed by it.
It is as if in the middle of the fog of their thinking, Christ’s divine nature shines through, peeks through, calling them, even in their partial understanding, to follow Him, to trust in Him!
Today, when Christians hear the Word of God and receive His gifts of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper, in the midst of the daily grind of this life, it is more than merely a glimpse of heaven, given in a moment of time. It is the completed work of Jesus Christ, Himself, being poured into our lives. It is literally God’s continued “hug of grace” empowering our walk with Jesus until He calls us home to be with Him forever.
In the fall of the year, Linda, a young woman, was traveling alone up the rutted and rugged highway in Canada from Alberta to the Yukon. Linda didn’t know that you don’t travel to Whitehorse alone in a rundown Honda Civic, so, off she went where only four-wheel drive vehicles normally venture to go. The first evening she found a room in the mountains near a summit and asked for a 5 a.m. wakeup call so she could get an early start. She couldn’t understand why the clerk looked surprised at that request, but as she awoke to early-morning fog shrouding the mountain tops, she understood.
But, she didn’t want to look foolish, so she got up and she went to breakfast sticking to her plan. Two truckers invited Linda to join them, and since the place was small, she felt obliged. They asked, “Where are you headed?”
“Whitehorse,” she said.
“In that little Civic? No way! This pass is dangerous in weather like this.”
“Well, I’m determined to try,” was Linda’s gutsy, if uninformed, response.
“Then I guess we’re just going to have to hug you,” said the trucker.
Linda drew back and said,. “There’s no way I’m going to let you touch me!”
“Not like that!” the truckers chuckled. “We’ll put one truck in front of you and one in the rear. In that way, we’ll get you through the mountains.”
All that foggy morning Linda followed the two red dots in front of her and had the reassurance of a big escort behind as they, each one, made their way safely through the mountains.This world is full of pits and valleys. There are rocky, rugged roads. There are plenty of times when we find ourselves caught in the fog or worse. We need to be “hugged” with an eternal hug, and enduring hug that will really heal, and forgive, and guide us. In the midst of the challenges of life, in its troubles and struggles, we know that the transfigured, even resurrected Lord Jesus has done all things well for us, for you. And when you have put your faith in Him, your faith is in the right place.
And when you read His Word, you have not only a glimpse, but the fullness of His grace delivered. Let His Spirit-filled Word hug and hold you in His grace. Let the gifts of His Word and sacraments, empower you by His Spirit to always remember that you can live your life boldly in Him, now and forever. Amen.
LUTHERAN HOUR MAILBOX (Questions & Answers) for February 19, 2012
Topic: The HHS Contraceptive MandateANNOUNCER -Today, instead of answering questions from listeners, we’re doing something different. We’d like to take this opportunity to consider an issue that’s been in the news regarding religious freedom in the United States. I’m Mark Eischer, here with Pastor Gregory Seltz.
SELTZ: Thanks, Mark. Recently, the U.S. department of Health and Human Services (HHS) made a decision to require nearly all private health plans, including those offered by religious employers, to cover contraceptives. You may have heard the United States Council of Catholic Bishops say this mandate required them as Catholics to violate their consciences.
ANNOUNCER: Now, the Administration recently announced a modified plan that made it seem as if these Catholic institutions may not have to directly pay for these contraceptive services. However this matter finally gets resolved, would you say this is primarily a Catholic Church issue, then?
SELTZ: Well, no, it’s more than that. This is a challenge that needs a response from all religious entities that hold life to be sacred. That’s because this “contraceptive initiative” mandate also includes drugs like “ELLA” which functions as a “morning-after pill,” which is another form of abortion. As such, it violates the fundamental biblical principle of the sanctity, the preciousness of all human life.
ANNOUNCER: But some would point out that contraception and even abortion are legal…
SELTZ: Well, it may be legal, but the fact is that over 54 million babies have been aborted since 1973-and these are persons, in God’s eyes, from the time of conception, as Scripture passages such as Psalm 139 make clear. So, it is morally distressing, even unconscionable, to stand by, much less support anything that would have the ultimate effect of making the practice of taking such innocent life easier, more common, and more convenient.
ANNOUNCER: So, it’s an ethics issue not just a policy issue.
SELTZ: Absolutely, and good ethics undergirds good policy. Now, while it may be true that having this contraceptive coverage doesn’t require people to use it, there are still moral ramifications to its “non-use.” If I provide resources and support for someone else’s actions, that can still make me morally culpable, too.
ANNOUNCER: But, doesn’t the federal government already do various things with our tax dollars that some find objectionable? Why push back here?
SELTZ: Well, let me say, this is a call to be good citizens exercising our citizenship in one’s obedience to God as Acts 5:29 says. And to do so honorably also, in a civil manner for the sake of our communities, as Romans 13 calls us to do. There are certain moral laws that make civil society in general, possible. “Thou shalt not murder” or “life is sacred,” are some of those laws. So, even if society creates ways where they deem the “taking of innocent life” to be palatable (whether it be abortion, euthanasia, partial-birth abortion, etc.), we, as Christians, should, for society’s sake, be as Salt and Light in the culture, like Matthew 5:13 says. And, we should, at the very least, strive to make sure that such practices aren’t easy but have some personal cost.
ANNOUNCER: The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution says, in part, Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” Would you say this is a First Amendment issue?
SELTZ: I think that’s true as well. Remember, the First Amendment was intended to limit the power of government and to “empower the individual,” as well as to “publically let the church be the church” for the sake of society. So, when government policy alone becomes the source of our country’s conscience, when utility defines public policy alone, and when the voice of the Church is basically silenced through legislation–this will have long-term, harmful effects for this country, no matter what your politics are.
ANNOUNCER: Alright. What can we, as citizens, do?
SELTZ: As always, write your senators and congressional representatives. Raise your concerns and, of course, vote your conscience. But, as always, pray. Pray for our leaders that they exercise moral leadership faithfully, in a God-pleasing manner and in accordance with His will.
ANNOUNCER: Thank you Pastor Seltz. This looks like a situation where we, as Christian citizens, need to make our voices heard. Listeners, you may obtain a transcript of this message at our website www.lutheranhour.org. Or you can call us at our toll-free number: 1-855-John3-16. As always, thanks for listening. This has been a presentation of Lutheran Hour Ministries.
Music Selections for this program:
“A Mighty Fortress” arranged by Chris Bergmann. Used by permission.
“Jesus on the Mountain Peak” by Brian Wren and Theodore A. Beck. Sung by the Kammerchor of Concordia University-Wisconsin. Text © 1977 Hope Publishing / Music © 1998 Theodore A. Beck
“How Good, Lord, to Be Here” arr. Henry Gerike. Used by permission.
“Prelude on Laud Anima” arr. David Cherwien. Concordia Publishing House
“O Wondrous Type! O Vision Fair” From The Concordia Organist (© 2009 Concordia Publishing House)