When Peter, James, and John were up on the mountain, what did they see? They saw that Jesus’ face shone like the sun. They saw that His clothes became white as light. They saw the glory of God. They also saw Moses and Elijah. Peter, James, and John were eyewitnesses of the Transfiguration of our Lord. Peter later wrote about it in his second Epistle: “We were eyewitnesses of His majesty.” And the Apostle John also wrote in his Gospel, “We have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
When Peter, James, and John were up on the mountain, what did they hear? They heard Moses and Elijah conversing with Jesus. The Gospel of Luke tells us that they were speaking with Him about His “exodus,” that is, His death, resurrection, and ascension as foretold in the Old Testament. Peter, James, and John also heard the voice of God the Father from the cloud. He said, “This [namely Jesus] is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to Him.” To whom are they to listen? They are to listen to Jesus. Again, Peter writes in his second Epistle, “We ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with Him on the holy mountain.”
Jesus eventually came down from the Mount of Transfiguration and headed toward another mountain—Mount Calvary. There He died on the cross as an atoning sacrifice for the sin of the whole world, and on the third day He rose from the dead.
On the day of the resurrection, Jesus appeared to His disciples behind closed doors. What did they see? They saw His pierced hands and His side. They saw the risen Christ. What did they hear? They heard words of peace and forgiveness. Jesus said, “Peace be with you. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven.”
The disciples—and many others—were eyewitnesses of Jesus’ resurrection. They wrote about His death and resurrection in the four Gospels, and the Apostle Paul also wrote about it in his Epistles.
What do we hear today? We hear the words of both the Old and New Testaments. We hear God’s Word taught and preached.
What is the Bible? Critics claim that the Bible is a collection of myths and fables. But nothing could be farther from the truth. The eyewitnesses of Jesus recorded what they saw and heard. The four Gospels record what Jesus said and did. They speak of His death and resurrection. The Bible contains real historical events that took place at specific times and in real locations.
What is the Bible? Critics also claim that the Bible contains errors. But nothing is farther from the truth. Nowhere does Scripture contradict itself. God’s Word is true. God does not lie. His Word is truth.
What is the Bible? Others claim that the Bible is merely a collection of oral traditions passed down over generations, or that it is simply man’s thoughts about God. But again, nothing is farther from the truth. The Apostle Peter writes, “Knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:20–21). In other words, God is the Author behind the human authors. What God spoke, the writers wrote. Therefore, Scripture is the very Word of God, not merely the words of men.
What is the Bible’s message? The Bible is about Jesus, the Son of God. As John writes, “These things are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name” (John 20:31).
The Old Testament reveals the promise of a coming Savior. Both Moses and Elijah spoke of the Savior who was to come. The New Testament proclaims the Savior who has come. Jesus fulfilled all the Old Testament prophecies. Everything in Scripture—from Genesis to Revelation—points to Jesus as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Jesus is the heart and center of Scripture. He is the key to its true meaning. Jesus Himself said, “The Scriptures bear witness about Me” (John 5:39). Take Jesus out of the Bible, and you have nothing.
There is a span of approximately 1,500 years between Moses writing Genesis and John writing Revelation. During this time, God chose over forty people to record His Word in a collection of sixty-six books. And every one of these books presents Jesus as the heart and center of Scripture. All the Old Testament prophecies were fulfilled by Jesus and recorded in the New Testament. Jesus is the red thread that runs through all of Scripture. No mere human could put something like this together. Scripture is God’s Word.
Therefore, the Bible is our only reliable source of truth. The Old Testament reveals God as our Creator. It tells us of Adam and Eve’s fall into sin, explaining why we have a sinful nature. It proclaims the promise of a Savior. Jesus fulfilled that promise. He is true God and true Man. He fulfilled the Law in our place, died on the cross in our place and for our salvation, and on the third day rose from the dead.
On Mount Sinai, the Law was given through Moses; On Mount Calvary, grace and truth came through Jesus. Moses delivered Israel from slavery in Egypt; Jesus delivers you from slavery to sin and death. Elijah defeated the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel; Jesus defeated Satan on Mount Calvary.
When Peter, James, and John heard the Father’s voice from the cloud, they fell on their faces and were terrified. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Rise, and have no fear.” And when they lifted up their eyes, whom did they see? They saw only Jesus.
Only Jesus is the Father’s beloved Son. Only Jesus bore our sins in His body on the tree. Only Jesus rose bodily from the grave, never to die again. Only Jesus sits at the right hand of the Father. Salvation is found in Him alone. Jesus is the only way to the Father and the only way to eternal life. As St. Peter declares, “There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). May we fix our eyes on Jesus alone as our Savior.
St. Paul writes in 2 Timothy 3:15–16 that the Holy Scriptures “make us wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus,” and that “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.” In other words, the Bible teaches us what is true and false; what is right and wrong; what is healthy and safe. It reveals God’s will for marriage, family, church, government, and society. Through the Holy Spirit, God’s Word works repentance and faith in our hearts. It rebukes us when we have done wrong; corrects us when we have sinned. It teaches us about Christ’s righteousness, and it equips us to love one another.
Therefore, the Bible is the only reliable and trustworthy source of truth. Truth is not determined by our subjective feelings or by culture. Truth is not found in the Koran or the Book of Mormon. You can trust the Bible as your only source of truth. You can trust in God’s promise that He loves you and that will always be with you. You can trust that God has given you a purpose for living.
In our Epistle reading, St. Peter calls God’s Word “a light that shines in a dark place.” The world is dark and hostile to what is good, but God’s Word breaks through the darkness and points you to Jesus. As the psalmist writes, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105). God’s Word leads you to Christ, who is your light and salvation.
God the Father said, “Listen to Him.” What are we to do? We are to hear the words of Jesus. Jesus said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” He also said, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me, and I give them eternal life.” Peter once confessed that Jesus has “the words of eternal life.”
Does God speak today? Yes. He speaks through His written Word. He speaks as you read your Bible and as you hear it faithfully taught and preached. He speaks His Word in Baptism. He speaks forgiveness in Absolution. He speaks His Word over bread and wine.
Therefore, read your Bible. Attend Bible study. Listen to God’s Word preached. If you want your faith in Jesus to be strengthened, if you want God’s light to shine upon you, if you want confidence in the forgiveness of sins, if you want to know the truth in matters of life and death, then listen to it being preached. It provides you with comfort and peace.
We are here this morning. What do we see? In Baptism, we see water applied, but we hear Jesus’ Word: “I baptize you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” You were baptized into Christ’s death and resurrection. You are clothed with His righteousness.
We are here this morning. What do we see? We see a man standing in the pulpit. What do we hear? We hear words of sin and of God’s grace in Christ Jesus. We also hear words of law which convicts us of sin, and we hear words of Gospel and the forgiveness of sins. We also hear how we are to live our lives with love and mercy toward others.
You were spiritually blind, but now you see Christ with the eyes of faith. You were spiritually deaf, but now you hear God’s Word with faith in Christ. You are a poor miserable sinner, but now the Gospel is preached to you giving you life and salvation.
We are here this morning. What do we see? We see bread and wine. What do we hear? We hear Jesus’ words: “This is My body. This is My blood.”
On the last day—the resurrection of the body—what will we see? We will see Jesus sitting on His throne. We will see our bodies transformed, immortal and incorruptible. As Scripture says, He “will transform our lowly body to be like His glorious body” (Philippians 3:21).
What will we hear? We will hear Jesus say, “Come, you blessed of My Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” Then, we will be with Jesus forever in the new heaven and the new earth.
Until that day, may we hold God’s Word sacred and may we gladly hear and learn it. Amen.
