The Transfiguration of Jesus

Sermon for the Transfiguration of Our Lord

Matthew 17:1-9

January 25th, 2026

“He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, ‘This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.’”

The Transfiguration of Jesus took place during the third and final year of His earthly ministry. Right after the Transfiguration Jesus begins His final trip to Jerusalem. Holy Week and the Cross is only a few weeks away for Jesus. Suffering and death is heavy on His mind.

Only a few days before the Transfiguration there are three things that Jesus tells the disciples that are important to consider before getting to the Transfiguration. First and most important is Peter’s confession of Jesus as the Christ.

Peter’s confession begins with Jesus asking the disciples a question: “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” The disciples answered: “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” Jesus said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus tells Peter, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” Peter’s confession is what the Church is built on, “Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

Peter doesn’t understand what his confession actually means. He has no idea that the work Jesus must accomplish as the Son of God is all about suffering and dying. Peter is still an infant in his understanding of Jesus and His work to save us.

After Peter’s good confession Jesus explains to the disciples that the reason He must go to Jerusalem is to suffer many things, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. Peter will have none of it. Peter takes Jesus aside and begins to rebuke Him saying: “Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.” Peter only has thoughts of earthly glory, might, and power in mind for Jesus. Not suffering and the Cross.

Jesus in turn rebukes Peter calling him satan. “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.” Peter was greatly mistaken about who Jesus is as the Christ, the Son of the living God.

In only wanting glory for Jesus Peter is rejecting the suffering and the Cross needed to reconcile and save the world. Peter’s mind is on things of the flesh and not on things of the Spirit.

After Jesus rebukes Peter He tells the disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” Not only must Jesus suffer and die, but anyone who desires to follow Jesus will also suffer and bear a cross of affliction. That’s you and me. There is no other path. It is the order of salvation. First suffering and then glory.

You and I are together with Peter on this one, we don’t want the suffering and the dying. We just want the experience of glory today. No suffering. No affliction. No Cross. But there is no other way. Jesus said, “For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.”

But thanks be to God we don’t find our own way or pave our own path. Jesus leads the way and Jesus has paved the path for us with His own blood shed on the Cross. He has taken our suffering and our death into Himself that we might persevere and endure along the way that is hard.

Only after Jesus teaches the necessity of suffering and dying do we get to the Transfiguration - the glory.

In the Transfiguration Jesus doesn’t become someone or something new or different, but Jesus reveals Himself as He really is, both fully God and fully man. And Moses and Elijah are there with Jesus as the Law and the Prophets. They are God’s Word that pointed forward to Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the living God. In the Luke account of the Transfiguration we hear that Moses and Elijah were talking with Jesus about His departure, His exodus which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. They were talking about His death on the Cross.

Jesus glory on the mountain was only manifest for a moment. Peter wanted it to last longer. And can we blame him? Peter would understand one day. There is suffering before glory. The Transfiguration was only a brief glimpse of the hidden glory in Jesus. It was also a look at the glory to come for us at the resurrection on the Final Day.

This glory, this perfection they witnessed is the glory and perfection of God in Christ that is hidden behind all the mysteries of God that are delivered to us in His Word to save us. Glory that cannot be seen with eyes of flesh. Glory only seen and believed with eyes of faith.

Jesus revealed His glory to Peter, James, and John so they could later bear witness to what they saw and heard for us. Jesus is God in the flesh. His glory is hidden on this side of heaven.

We are traveling to the promised land and it’s not an easy journey. We have to trust that despite what we see around us, Jesus is with us in His full power and glory even though we can’t see it. With ears of faith we hear the Words of Jesus and believe.

Jesus taught the disciples about the necessity of suffering and the Cross. There is an order to salvation. Suffering before glory. The disciples must see and embrace this truth or the eternal glory and power to come will elude them. They must listen and believe and accept the suffering and the Cross both for Jesus and for themselves.

Suffering is but for a moment, but the glory to come is eternal.

What is true for the disciples is true for us. We must listen to Jesus. We can’t trust our experiences or thoughts. We can’t trust our feelings or ideas about the things of Jesus apart from God’s Word. We like the disciples need to refocus our attention on the thing that matters above all things, that is the Words of Jesus. Listen to Jesus.

When Peter is still talking and the cloud overshadows them, God the Father speaks and says, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” Terrified at the voice of God they fall on their faces. But Jesus says, “Rise and have no fear.” And they rise and see only Jesus. Listen to Jesus. See only Jesus.

About 30 or 40 years after the Transfiguration Peter wrote his epistle that we heard today. During those 30 or 40 years Peter has experienced much suffering and affliction. He’s also grown tremendously in wisdom, knowledge, and understanding of Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the living God and the work He did and is still doing to save us. Peter is proof that there is growth and maturity in the faith if we listen to Jesus.

Peter had one of the most amazing spiritual experiences anyone has ever had on this earth. The Son of God was glorified right before his eyes. He saw Moses and Elijah. He heard the voice of God in the cloud. Peter is now able to put it all in perspective in light of what he saw and heard.

Peter knows what matters most in this life of suffering and affliction. He knows it’s not what we experience. It’s not found in our hopes and desires of glory in the present moment. Peter doesn’t tell us to seek our own mountain top experience. He doesn’t tell us to look inward for assurance. He doesn’t direct our eyes to the world or the things around us. He doesn’t tell us to trust our hearts, our emotions or feelings to lead us when doubts and fear arise. Peter directs us to the prophetic Word of God.

All those years after the Transfiguration Peter wrote: “We have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.”

Jesus is the Word of God that shines in the darkness of our sin, suffering, and affliction. There is no other way God wants to deal with us in the life then through His Word. His Word is Jesus. Listen to Jesus.

How often do we seek Jesus in places and things He has not promised to be found. God wants us to find Jesus, but only where He’s promised to be given for us. The glory that Jesus manifest on that mountain top still comes to us today. We don’t see it with eyes of flesh, but it’s here. It’s hidden behind the simple and ordinary things of God. The preaching and teaching. Baptism. The Absolution. The Lord’s Supper. These things are the Means of Grace. These things are Jesus. They are the mysteries of God hidden behind the simple and ordinary things. The glory on that mountain revealed in Jesus at the Transfiguration is here with us today.

How often do we tire of the simple and ordinary things of God in the Divine Service. If only we could see the glory hidden behind the simple and ordinary things of God.

All the mysteries of God are revealed in Jesus and delivered to us in God’s Word and His Sacraments. These are the simple and ordinary things that deliver the fullness of Jesus and the work He accomplished on the Cross to save us. There is nothing more glorious on this earth.

We can’t see the glory that Peter, James, and John saw on that mountain. That glory was revealed to them that we might find encouragement and hope in what God speaks and delivers to us today in Jesus. Hidden glory that saves because it is Jesus and He is God. He died that we might live because He lives.

One day the glory revealed on that mountain in Jesus will be seen in its fullness. The glory that is hidden behind the Word and the water and the bread and the wine will be revealed to us in Paradise. It is Jesus. Words cannot express and thoughts cannot imagine what things await for us on that day. We will suffer for a time on this journey. But Jesus travels with us. Until that most glorious Final Day, listen to Jesus. See only Jesus. In Jesus name. Amen.