"Transfiguration Teaches Us

How To Survive God's Judgment"

Weekend of February 22, 1998

Sermon on Romans 3:19-24

Saint Mark's, Watertown

Pastor Karl Walther

At the Transfiguration, God the Father said about Jesus: This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him! So, let's listen to him today! Amen.

The Word of the Lord for our celebration of Transfiguration is Romans chapter three, verses nineteen through twenty-four. There the Apostle Paul writes:

Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin.

But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

This is God's Spirit-inspired Word of Jesus Christ.

Introduction: Modern Court Cases Remind Us We Will Face Judgment

Dear fellow Christians-- who will face God's judgment, along with everyone else:

Some of the most widely reported news these days -- and some of the most fascinating news these days -- has to do with court cases. Isn't that true?

There was the trial of the Menendez brothers. There was the trial of O.J. Simpson. There were the trials in the Oklahoma City bombing. There was the court case of the Unabomber. And of course, there are all the legal troubles facing the President.

Myself-- I think it's the work of the defense attorneys in those trials that's the most fascinating. Pretty consistently, they're able to get their clients out of the toughest punishments. Sometimes they even manage an innocent verdict when you can be pretty sure that their clients are as guilty as sin.

Theme: Transfiguration Teaches Us How To Survive God's Judgment

Surprisingly, it's not all that different for you and for me. You see, the fact is that our sinful lives are piling up for us a considerable criminal record. There will come a day -- the Final Day -- in which you and I will face judgment in God's courtroom. And in today's festival: TRANSFIGURATION TEACHES US HOW TO SURVIVE GOD'S JUDGMENT. Transfiguration Teaches Us How To Survive God's Judgment, if you will allow me to put it this way: WITHOUT MOSES AND ELIJAH AS OUR DEFENSE ATTORNEYS, but rather: WITH JESUS AS OUR DEFENSE ATTORNEY.

Part One: Transfiguration Teaches Us

Moses And Elijah Are Poor Defense Attorneys

What does today's festival, the Transfiguration of our Lord-- what does this have to do with our final judgment in God's courtroom?

Well, think about it.... On Transfiguration: Peter, James, and John faced God the Father. Remember: it was his voice that boomed down from heaven, announcing: This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!

Now, how was it that Peter, James, and John were inclined to prepare for that encounter? Well, remember: Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters-- one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah." It was as if Peter were picking his defense team in preparation for his encounter with God, the Judge. And he was willing to put Moses and Elijah on an equal footing with Jesus in defending him.

Of course, Peter's strategy didn't work so well.... We read that when he faced God the Father, when the disciples heard the words from the voice from the cloud, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. So much for Moses and Elijah defending them against the judgment of God!

And it's no different for us, is it? Consider the first words of God's Word to us today: Now we know that whatever the law says -- whatever God demands, as Moses and Elijah and the others expressed it so well -- Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law -- to us! -- so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God.

And God's Word to us today draws the conclusion: Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight -- no one will find his necessary conformity to God's commands -- by observing the law -- by appealing to Moses or to Elijah -- rather, through the law we become conscious of sin.

Application One:

We Are Guilty As Sin In God's Courtroom

In others words, it's the way I said it before. Our sinful lives are piling up for us a considerable criminal record in God's court of law.

When we fail truly to love one another, truly to care about each others' pains and hurts, it's a crime that God our Judge duly notes on our criminal record. When we fail truly to rejoice, greatly to be thankful for all the really good things God has given us, it's a crime that God our Judge duly notes on our criminal record. When we fail truly to practice peace: peace of mind with faith in God, peace with others in love toward them, peace with God through obedience to his commands-- when we fail truly to practice peace, it's a crime that God our Judge duly notes on our criminal record.

And how many of those crimes have we committed? Millions?! And I haven't yet mentioned any of the really "big" crimes: the lies, the thefts, the adulteries, the murders, the rebellion, the idolatry.

Nor can we appeal to Moses to defend us of our crimes, can we? He'd scoff and say: "My law accuses you-- and I'm afraid I'm guilty myself!" Nor can we appeal to Elijah to defend us. He'd scoff and say: "My history illustrates the way God hates your sins-- and I'm afraid I'm also guilty!"

It makes you and me just as guilty before God as either the Unabomber or the Oklahoma City bombers. And we don't have any plea bargain that can deliver us from the death penalty either....

Part Two: Transfiguration Teaches Us

Jesus Is A Great Defense Attorney

There is, however, hope for us-- hope that the Transfiguration illustrates. And that's, of course, because there was a third man (also God) present in glory at the Transfiguration. He was our Savior Jesus Christ.

At the Transfiguration: Peter, James, and John faced God the Father. Although they were inclined to take Moses and Elijah as their co-counsels along with Christ, that strategy failed. God the Father's presence terrified them.

Nevertheless, the disciples survived. And how was it that they got away without dying? Well, we read that: Jesus came and touched them. "Get up," he said. "Don't be afraid." And: When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus.

It's no different for us, is it? Consider the final words of God's Word to us today: But now a righteousness from God -- a conformity to his commands -- Now a righteousness from God apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets -- to which Moses and Elijah -- testify.

And what about this righteousness? Well: This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. Christ is the source of conformity to God's commands.

And to underline that point, we read: There is no difference -- among all people, Jews or Gentiles. For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God-- putting them under the condemnation of God, the Judge. And the same all are justified-- declared to be in conformity with God's demands.

How did this justification happen? The Lord answers three ways.... All people are justified freely-- literally, as an unearned gift. All people are justified by God's grace-- because God loved them, and not because they loved God. And all people are justified through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

As to that term redemption.... Just the way God released the Israelites from their sins because of the priests' sacrifices, so God released us from our sins because of Christ's sacrifice; that's redemption. Or: just the way God released a family line like Ruth's from extinction by way of an alternate marriage, so God released us from death by marrying Christ to us; that's redemption. Or: just the way God released the Israelites from their enemies in Egypt at the time of the Passover, so God released us from our enemy Satan through our Passover Lamb Jesus Christ. That's redemption.

Application Two:

Jesus Declared Us "Not Guilty" In God's Courtroom

In other words, it's the way I said it before. Our sinful lives are piling up for us a considerable criminal record. For this criminal record, we will be conducted into God's court of law on the final great Day of Judgment.

God our Judge will know our sins. He has seen and remembered even those sins we've never noticed, acknowledged, or remembered-- every lack of love, every lack of joy, every lack of peace, every lie, every theft, every adultery, every murder, every rebellion, every idolatry.

And were God to forget these, across God's courtroom stands our prosecuting attorney: who won't forget either, because he's the source of our sins. The devil (his name means "slanderer" or "prosecuting attorney")-- the devil will be sure to bring to God's attention all our evil deeds, all the awful words that preceded them, and all the demonic desires that drove them.

But into that courtroom scene will stride -- thank God! -- our defense attorney Jesus Christ.

And his strategy in our court case won't take the form of so many unscrupulous attorneys these days. Jesus will not deny our crimes. Jesus will not simply vilify our very villainous prosecuting attorney. Nor will he try to persuade the Judge to toss some unearned mercy our way.

No. Jesus will say: "Your Honor, my Father, the defendants are really guilty as charged. And they have deserved your punishment. But remember: their every punishment has been paid.

"I myself agonized in Gethsemane on their behalf. I myself accepted the sins of Jews upon my soul in the trials before the Jews. I myself accepted the sins of Gentiles upon my soul in the trials before the Gentiles.

"A thorny crown was crunched upon my head for them. I was stricken for them. I was whipped for them. I was beat up for them. I suffered pain for them. I suffered scorn for them. I suffered hell for them. I died for them.

...And in this world's greatest transaction, the Lord will look you in the eye, and the Lord will look me in the eye. And he'll say: "Not guilty! Come join me: my son, my daughter!"

Conclusion: We Want To Refer Others To Our Defense Attorney Jesus

What a tremendous relief! And what happiness is now ours as we speak of our Savior!

You see, in modern day court cases, defendants don't have that joy. If they are guilty and they come off as innocent, they'd better keep their mouths shut-- rather than praising their attorney to loudly.

Even at the Transfiguration: Peter, James, and John didn't have the joy of speaking up. Because of persecution and the possibility of misunderstanding: Jesus instructed them, "Don't tell anyone what you have seen, until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead."

But you and I don't have those limitations. We are free to tell others that Jesus has declared us "not guilty". We are free to tell others that this applies to them, as well. We are free -- and blessed by him -- to pay for and pray for the spread of this: the only news that really matters eternally.

So friend, won't you join me in making your very life an advertisement for your everlasting defense attorney: Jesus Christ? Amen.

After the Transfiguration, the disciples looked up and: They saw no one except Jesus. Let's us focus upon him in the same way every day! Amen.