Luke 9:28-36
Come with Us to the Plain!
What is heaven? What do you imagine it looks like? Is it up in the clouds or do you envision something more earthly? And if it is up in the clouds, then what do we mean when we say “heaven on earth”? As a Christian, it’s no secret that much of our hope hinges on heaven. We look forward to being in that place. It’s the place we long for and yearn for with all our heart. But what is it? This is where we must put out of our mind any mental images we get from pop culture. They don’t do the best job at teaching us what heaven truly is. Rather, they often obscure and confuse us when we talk about the real heaven. For heaven isn’t some paradise in the clouds. It’s not necessarily a city either. Heaven doesn’t even have to be a specific place. Especially when it comes to a biblical understanding of heaven, we have to stop automatically assuming that heaven is “up there” or anywhere. Because heaven is first and foremost a reality. It’s a condition of being that can be anywhere. What I mean by this is... when we “go to heaven”, it’s not that we’re going to any specific location. Rather, heaven is quite simply being in the presence of God, in his full glory and majesty. So, wherever God appears, wherever God is present, fully unveiled... that is heaven. For some have surmised that heaven is truly right before us, all around us even, yet hidden from us because of our sin-stained eyes. Yet, someday, God will pull back the veil and reveal it to us in all its glory and majesty.
Today, as we journey with Jesus to the top of the mountain, we join with his inner circle in being able to pierce the veil, to see a glimpse of Jesus in his heavenly glory. Such a spectacular sight leaves us in awe and wonder at what we may finally behold. For so with Peter, we’re apt to say:
IT IS GOOD, LORD, TO BE HERE!
I.
This was one of the times where we see Jesus’ inner circle get special treatment. Jesus seeks to go up on the mountain to pray, to rest, and he only takes with him three out of the twelve. Peter, James, and John are allowed to join Jesus and the rest are left at the foot of the mountain. These disciples left behind don’t have it easy, but that is a sermon for another week. Jesus journeys with his inner circle to the top of the mountain, where we read, “And as he was praying, the appearance of his face was altered, and his clothing became dazzling white. And behold, two men were talking with him, Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem,” Luke 9:29-31. Jesus looked different. He wasn’t the same Jesus they were used to seeing. No, Jesus was physically different, not because he was a different person, but because for the first time these three disciples got to see Jesus manifested with his heavenly glory! Here on top of the mountain, Jesus allows these disciples to see the veil pulled back ever so slightly. They get a taste of what true heaven is like, the radiance, the glory, the majesty! And who wouldn’t be excited about that?!
But there’s something else that’s going on at the same time the disciples are watching all this unfold. We’re told Moses and Elijah appear, considered the two greatest saints from the Old Testament. They have a conversation with Jesus about his departure. It’s at this moment that Peter can’t help himself but jump into the conversation. “Master, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah,” Luke 9:33. It’s good that we’re here. It seems like such an innocent statement but one that drastically misunderstands the circumstances. I think we get it too. It’s hard not to be star struck when faced with important people. But it’s clear that Peter has one thought on his mind. “I don’t want to leave.” For Peter, overwhelmed by the glory before him, quickly thinks about what awaits him back down in the valley. And it’s no comparison. Up here, up on the mountain is a slice of heaven. Down there is sin, pain, suffering. It’s responsibilities and work. It’s fights with friends and family. It’s everything we want to avoid. Yes, it’s the same for us. We’ll always chose the glory over the suffering.
II.
If there’s something that remains true about all these mountaintop experiences, it’s that they simply don’t last. The glory we seek is fleeting. When we seek after glory, we drastically misunderstand our circumstances too. For consider the last verse of our sermon hymn, ‘Tis good, Lord, to be here! Yet we may not remain; But since Thou bidst us leave the mount, Come with us to the plain. Glory in the midst of sin isn’t true glory. For the more we try to avoid our problems, the more problems we often end up having. And Jesus knew this too. No matter how wonderful, how majestic and holy this event was, Jesus knew he couldn’t stay because we couldn’t stay. Sin had to be dealt with if we were ever going to enjoy the full glory of heaven. For so, Jesus shows us again the glory and majesty he sets aside for our sake. He choses not the path of glory, but rather the path of suffering. Jesus shows us that true glory can only come through suffering.
In our church year, we follow Jesus on his path from mountain to valley as we move into Lent. Yes, we need to go back into the valley to mourn over our sins. We need to set aside any glory we seek and choose the lowly road. We must suffer rightly for our sins… But all the while, we’ll come to see, Jesus stands right there next to us. “And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, ‘This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him!’ And when the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone,” Luke 9:35-36. When all was said and done, Jesus was still there. Jesus didn’t run away from his suffering. Jesus doesn’t seek to skirt around it. No, Jesus stands beside us so that he may lead us through… through sin, and through death! For go back to the conversation that Jesus has with Moses and Elijah. They spoke of his “departure” to be accomplished in Jerusalem. This is his “exodus”. Jesus will lead his people out of slavery to sin, through the waters of baptism, through the temptations of the wilderness, and at the end of it all, to the foot of his cross. Jesus leads us to the place where heaven has truly come to earth. The glory of heaven is manifested nowhere else than in the death of Jesus. For here, God reveals his glory by granting you forgiveness of your sins, redemption from death, and salvation in the promised paradise eternal!
Today, we sing praise to God, saying alleluia to Jesus whose glory radiates among us from his cross. Yet, as we enter Lent, we must put away our praise, our alleluias because we must follow Jesus through sin and death that we may sing our praises anew in the radiance of Christ’s resurrection. In Jesus’ name! Amen!