Feb 15, 2026
Matthew 17:1-9
And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. 2 And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. 3 And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. 4 And Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.” 5 He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son,[a] with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” 6 When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were terrified. 7 But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Rise, and have no fear.” 8 And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.
9 And as they were coming down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, “Tell no one the vision, until the Son of Man is raised from the dead.”
Sermon
What do you cling to when you are worried?
Who do you turn to in troubling times?
Where do you collapse in fear?
The more I preach the Transfiguration, the more I am convinced the whole purpose of this story is to answer those questions.
Let’s start with context. Six days after… It’s like one of those television shows that starts by plunging you into abruptly into the middle or end of a story. When did that character get hurt? What disaster are they talking about? Then the screen fades black and “Six days earlier” appears in large letters. We’ve heard the opening clip: shiny Jesus talking with Moses and Elijah, Peter James and John awestruck. Peter blurts out something about tents, and then all 3 three fall to the ground as God speaks.
Six days after what? Listen to Jesus – what did he say?
Now the show starts. Jesus and company are outside of Caesarea Philippi when he asks, “who do people say I am.” They respond, “a prophet,” “Moses,” “Elijah,” “John the Baptist come back to life.” Then Jesus asks, “Who do you say that I am.” And true to form, Peter blurts out, “you are the Messiah the Son of God!” “Great job Peter. God told you that.” Then Jesus turns to the real business at hand – letting the disciples know what’s going to happen. He’s going to suffer, die and then on the third day rise again. (I’m convinced that in the way everything stops when you get shocking news, the disciples were so shocked they never heard the “rise again” part). Peter rebukes Jesus and Jesus rebukes Peter right back. Then Jesus basically says, “If you are going to follow me, and remember I’m going to the cross, then you’ll have a cross to bear too. But it’s going to be ok, God’s got you through it all.”
That’s some heavy stuff. And most definitely not what the disciples wanted to hear. The stuff Jesus teaches after the Transfiguration is pretty heavy too. Hard words to hear and often terrifying. And then there’s suffering in the garden, the arrest, trials and beatings, all leading to the cross.
Remember those questions I started with?
· What do you cling to when you are worried?
· Who do you turn to in troubling times?
· Where do you collapse in fear?
The Transfiguration answers those questions. Jesus knows exactly what’s coming up. Matthew doesn’t say what Moses and Elijah tell him, but Luke does: they talk about his “exodus.” Jesus is getting a pep talk, getting comfort, from two of the most important people in Jewish history.
When God speaks, Jesus hears those words spoken at the start of his ministry: This is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased.” Spoken at the beginning to affirm his ministry. Spoken now to affirm again and to give him strength.
Jesus clings to God through it all. He turns to Moses and Elijah and later to his disciples to walk with that path with him. He falls at the Father’s feet in the Garden of Gethsemane, begging the cup to be taken ways, but expressing complete and total trust in God’s will.
· What do you cling to when you are worried?
· Who do you turn to in troubling times?
· Where do you collapse in fear?
Peter, James, and John are pretty awed when Jesus shows God’s glory, when they see Moses and Elijah standing there. They know they are seeing Christ in his glory, even if they don’t understand what it means and what to do next. Hence Peter’s offer to build shelter. Are they going to be there a while? Shouldn’t they mark this place like Abraham, Jacob, Moses, Joshua, and others marked the places they encountered God?
Then God’s voice gives them the direction they need: Here’s what this means – Jesus is my son. Here’s what you do – listen to him. To what he has already said, and to all that he’s going to say. Listen. Remember. Act.
And then Jesus touches them. Touches them as he touched so many who needed healing. Touches them and heals their weary, terrified souls. Lifts them to their feet, so they can walk the path ahead.
The transfiguration is a touchstone for these three leaders of the disciples. It’s an extra measure of grace to shore them up for the days ahead. I imaging them sitting in the upper room between the cross and the empty tomb saying, “how can this be happening, we saw him in his glory,” “God said Jesus was his son, how could he have died” and then…
“What’s going to happen to us?”
“What do we do now?”
That experience on the mountain becomes the thing they cling to. They remember falling at God’s feet, and hearing God tell them to listen to Jesus.” They turn to Jesus’ words and remember Jesus’ touch. It doesn’t help them remember the “rise again” part, but it is enough to get them through those terrible three days.
What do you cling to when you are worried?
Who do you turn to in troubling times?
Where do you collapse in fear?
These are terrible days. These are days when we are huddled up, in fear and confusion. The news is heavy and we most definitely don’t want to hear it. The disciples aren’t the only ones who have lived in the terror between cross and resurrection. Throughout the centuries, people of faith have clung to their experience of God’s faithfulness, to their encounter with Jesus, to comfort them and give them the strength for the living of their days.
Today, Transfiguration answers our questions:
What do I cling to, who do I turn to? Where is a safe place to collapse in fear?
God says to us again, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Listen to him.
Listen. To. Him.
Turn to him.
Cling to him.
Fall at his feet.
Let him touch you and lift you up.
Listen to him.”