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Transfiguration 2025
Immanuel Lutheran Church, Hamilton, Ohio
Pastor Kevin Jud
March 2, 2025
Deuteronomy 34:1-12, Hebrews 3:1-6, Luke 9:28-36
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All four of my kids have worked at the same pizza place over the years with Caleb starting right after his 16th birthday in 2006 and Rebecca continuing to this day with just a brief pause during Covid. When each of them started working I gave them the same advice. “Show up on time, and do what they tell you to do.” Simple enough. Do what the boss tells you to do.
That is good advice for children with their parents. Kids, just listen to your parents and do what they tell you to do. Easy? Right? Why are you looking at each other like that? Listen and do. It shouldn’t be hard to just do what they say, the first time, without a fuss…and yet it is.
Jesus is having this same issue with his disciples and the crowds in the Gospel of Luke. At the end of the Sermon on the Plain Jesus asks, Luke 6:46 (ESV) 46 “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?”
This is a good question that we can each ask ourselves on behalf of Jesus as we prepare to enter the season of Lent. “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?”
Jesus continues, Luke 6:47–49 (ESV) 47 Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: 48 he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. 49 But the one who hears and does not do them is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the stream broke against it, immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great.” If you hear Jesus’ words and do them…on Christ the solid rock you stand.
The first Sunday after Epiphany we remembered the Baptism of Our Lord. Jesus goes to John the Baptist down at the Jordan River. And it is an epic beginning to answering the questions, “Who is Jesus? And, “What has He come to do?” Luke 3:21–22 (ESV) 21 Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heavens were opened, 22 and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”
Who is Jesus of Nazareth? He is the Son of God. Jesus shows this throughout His ministry. He goes to Nazareth and announces at the synagogue that He is fulfilling Isaiah’s prophecy. He heals the sick and drives out demons. He gives the disciples He is calling a miraculous catch of fish. He cleanses lepers and heals people who are paralyzed. He heals a Roman centurion’s servant without even seeing him. He raises a young man from the dead in Nain. He heals great crowds of people. He feeds 5,000 plus with five loaves and two fish. He is doing things that only God could do. Jesus is God in flesh.
He teaches the people the parable of the sower and the seeds. Luke 8:14–15 (ESV) 14 And as for what fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature. 15 As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience.
Jesus continues, Luke 8:18 (ESV) 18 Take care then how you hear, for to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he thinks that he has will be taken away.”
Take care how you hear. What incredible advice from Jesus given during a time which was utterly quiet compared to now. There were no radios, no podcasts, no recorded music, no giant billboards, no television, no smart phones, no internet and still Jesus warns, “Take care how you hear.” Today there are so many voices vying for your attention and your time. It takes great intention to turn off all of the voices in order to listen to Jesus. Take care how you hear.
What would it be like to be in Jesus’ family? But who does Jesus say is His family? Luke 8:19–21 (ESV) 19 Then his mother and his brothers came to him, but they could not reach him because of the crowd. 20 And he was told, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, desiring to see you.” 21 But he answered them, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it.” You who hear the word of God and do it are Jesus’ family.
Hear the word of God and do it. But just what does Jesus say? Jesus has some difficult sayings as we heard last week, Luke 6:27–28 (ESV) 27 “But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.”
After feeding the 5,000 Jesus has some heavy back and forth with the disciples. Peter declares that Jesus is the Christ of God and then Jesus tells the disciples, Luke 9:22 (ESV) 22 … “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.”
And then…Luke 9:23–25 (ESV) 23 …[Jesus] said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. 25 For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?” These are difficult teachings. These are teachings that the disciples have trouble hearing. They are still worried about which of them is the greatest.
And then eight days later, Jesus takes Peter, James and John up on a high mountain and Jesus is transfigured before them becoming dazzling white, and Elijah and Moses appear with Jesus. A cloud overshadows them… Luke 9:35 (ESV) 35 And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him!”
Who is Jesus? And what did He come to do? Jesus is the Son of God. He is God in flesh. He is the fulfillment of prophecy. He is the perfect, final offering for the sin of the world. He will be sacrificed on the cross and rise again from the dead to conquer death. He is the Lord. He is King of everything. The Kingdom of heaven is near because Jesus is King.
Is Jesus God? Yes. Does He have authority? Yes. Should you listen to Him? Yes.
Listen to Jesus and do what He says to do. It is so simple and straightforward and yet so difficult.
It is certainly tempting to not listen to Jesus. It is tempting to reject Jesus’ lordship and be your own boss, and do things your way. It is so easy to be acting with God like a little child rebelling against his parents in a futile attempt to take control. Parents are not going to give up control, and yet children will throw temper tantrums trying to get their way. God is not going to give up being God because humans get grumpy. As the Lord teaches in Psalm 46:10 (ESV) 10 “Be still, and know that I am God. …”
Be still. Take time each day to unplug from the noise of the world and be in God’s Word and hear Jesus. Retreat from the cacophony of voices surrounding you, turn off the noise, and set apart some time to listen to Jesus. This is difficult. I know this is hard for me. It is hard for me to take quiet time alone to read and meditate upon God’s Word. There is a constant nagging to get finished and move on to the next thing. A constant temptation to check my phone, think about something else. There is always something else to do. I find myself being a Martha, running around doing things, instead of Mary sitting at Jesus’ feet and listening to Him.
Carefully listening to Jesus really needs to be planned and deliberate. Take care how you hear. Set aside quiet time each day to pray and read and listen to God’s word. Learn again that Jesus has paid the price for your sin. Gather together here each week to listen to the Word of God read and preached and sung. Come to a Bible study to dig more deeply into scripture. Listen to Jesus.
Listen to Jesus. And if Jesus says something that you disagree with…know that Jesus is right. This is humbling and liberating. To know that God’s Word trumps your own ideas frees you from trying to mold and shape God to fit your ever-changing thoughts and ideas. It keeps you from being… James 1:6 (ESV) 6 …like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.” As a baptized follower of Jesus who struggles with sin and temptation, listen to Jesus because He has the words of eternal life.
To listen to Jesus and do what He says gives you freedom within the limits of God’s law. To live in the Kingdom of God under the reign of the Lord Jesus gives you blessed assurance that you belong to Jesus and you are God’s treasured possession. He has set you apart for eternal life with Him. Listening to Jesus and doing what He says is an act of worship acknowledging that Jesus is Lord and Savior.
To show up on time and do what they tell you to do is good advice for work. To hear Jesus’ words and do them is God’s command for His followers. As we come to the end of the Epiphany season we have answered the questions, “Who is Jesus?” He is the Son of God, Immanuel, God with us. “What did He come to do?” Jesus comes to be the perfect final sacrifice for your sin. Jesus is your Lord. Jesus is your Savior. He has forgiven you all your sins. Listen to Jesus. Amen.