Transfiguration of our Lord February 10, 2017
Transfiguration
Matthew 17:1-9
February 10, 2019
“We Have Something More Sure”
In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Near Death Experiences (NDEs) have been studied extensively in the last 40 years. This is when someone may be dying or their hearts stops or they’re in an accident of some kind and they have an out-of-body experience. There’s no consensus scientifically or psychologically about why NDEs happen. But there are many similarities between them. One of those similarities is the presence of a bright light. It’s not always there. But very often. I’m sure you’ve all heard of someone having a near death experience where they’ve seen a very bright light.
For Christians, this makes complete sense with Holy Scripture. God is light. In the beginning He lighted the whole world before He even created the sun. In Revelation we hear that we won’t need a sun because God Himself will be our light. When Moses comes down from the mountain in our Old Testament reading today from Exodus 34, his face is shining brightly because he’s been in God’s presence. Everyone is scared to go near him. Of course, in the Transfiguration today Jesus is shining brightly as the sun.
Another similarity with near death experiences is the after effects. A majority of people who have NDEs have a significant change in their outlook on life. For instance, they become more appreciative of all of life including beauty and everyday pleasures, they show more compassion and love for others, they often become more “spiritual”, and have a greater sense of purpose in life. What do we make of all this? It’s certainly not conclusive of anything, although it’s quite interesting.
Peter and John were two of the three disciples on the mountain with Jesus. On that mountain they had their own NDE. While they may not have been near death, they were terrified. Also, they heard God speaking to them. Also they saw an incredibly bright light. Also they saw two dead people—Moses and Elijah—who were now living and talking. All those are common characteristics of near death experiences.
But what about the after effects of their NDE? Peter was highly effected. He reports his experience in our Epistle today from 2 Peter 1 saying that he was an eyewitness of the majesty of Jesus Christ. He wasn’t telling some cleverly devised myth. He saw the sight and heard the voice. And John remarks in his first epistle that God is light and in Him there is no darkness at all. This, of course, he knew from first hand knowledge seeing the light of Jesus Christ on the mountain of transfiguration.
So the question goes to you and me. What if you were given a near death experience? What if you, like many others, would spend some time out of your body, seeing a great light, seeing others who have died? What if you had that feeling many have described of total acceptance and love? What if you, like others, had an NDE where you heard a voice from the heavens speaking to you? What, then, would be your after effects? Would it change you? Would it make you “more sure” of the truth of Jesus Christ?
If you think it would, which I assume we all do, then you should hear what Peter says about that. Immediately after describing his near death experience and how he was an eyewitness of the majesty of God, he then says this: “And we have something more sure…”. What?! Something more sure? What could be more sure than that? Than seeing with your own eyes and hearing with your own ears the glory and majesty of God? What could be more sure than that? He answers: “the prophetic word”. The Word of God! The Holy Scriptures are more sure than if you had your own personal NDE. Just like Peter did.
Imagine that. I watched a few videos this week of people describing their near death experience. Just for fun. And some of you, I know, have read books about others having an NDE. Imagine that these folks would get done telling their story of their experience, what happened when they died, and then what if they would say, “But you have something more sure than my experience…the Bible.” That’s what they should be saying. Because it’s true. We have something more sure than any NDE. Because, let’s face it, personal near death experiences just aren’t that sure. But we do have something sure. We have the Word of God.
Now here’s Peter’s word to you and me: “You will do well to pay attention to it,
[the Word of God, that is]
as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.” What image does He use to describe the Word of God? Light. A bright light. He compares it to the morning star. The sun! So here then is our own personal NDE, since we’re all near death in the big picture. Here’s our bright shining light giving us the sense of total acceptance and love. Here is our voice from heaven—the Word of God. And this sun is rising in your heart even right now in this very Divine Service.
I would say that a big difference between an NDE and the Word of God is the length of time. An NDE happens rather quickly. Within a length of only minutes. They have their near death experience and see the bright light—boom!—that’s it. But the Word of God very, very seldom works that way. The Word of God is more like the sunrise. It takes time. The sun doesn’t just all of a sudden jump into the sky and we go from darkness to light in a matter of seconds. Peter says the Word of God is the sun. It takes time to rise in your heart. That’s why you and I often don’t think it’s working. Don’t think it’s doing anything. Because we expect some transfiguration-like experience where we see a bright light and all of a sudden are changed.
There are times when God actually does work that way. Like when Saul was blinded on the road to Damascus by a bright light. Or when Moses saw the burning bush. And we still hear today once in a while testimonies from Christians where God stopped them in their tracks with His Word and it happened rapidly. But those are the exceptions. The rule is that the Word rises in hearts slowly and gradually. Like the sunrise. Like it’s doing in your heart right now. And for most of you, like it’s been doing all your life.
Yesterday morning I drove out to the east side of town to watch the sunrise. Just for this very purpose. I wanted to watch the sunrise thinking about Peter’s words about the Word of God rising in our hearts, the day dawning in us. So I parked there in the cemetery, right amidst the bodies of many of your loved ones, and I watched. I knew the sunrise was supposed to happen at 6:57am so I got out there at 6:30.
So any of you who have sat and waited for the sun know that it feels like nothing is happening. Of course, it actually is. But it doesn’t seem like it. The world around you is slowly and gradually becoming brighter and brighter but you don’t really notice it unless you think back to when it was dark. You can see trees now. And buildings. And now grass. Everything slowly and gradually becoming clearer. Until finally, at 6:57am, the sun shows it top over the horizon.
This is how St. Peter teaches the work of God’s Word. God’s Word starts to bring light into your heart. It starts to drive away the darkness little by little. You may not think it’s working. But it is. Helping you to see things clearer. Helping you to be less afraid and more joyful because of the light. Giving you grace to see others more clearly. The Word of God brings the light of Jesus Christ into your heart little by little by little. Until the day fully dawns in your heart as it has done in the hearts of so many Christians. Until Jesus Christ, the Morning Star, rises fully in your heart.
The fact is that each one of us also has our own personal near death experiences. Where God Himself comes to us and speaks to us and changes our hearts. In Holy Baptism, God forgave our sins in His Son Jesus Christ and gave us the Holy Spirit. He changed us. Made us His child. In the Lord’s Supper here, Jesus Christ Himself comes to us under this bread and wine to change our hearts. To forgive us and give us peace and faith. And we have the Word of God—that is always working day after day in our hearts to make the light of Christ shine brighter and brighter.
So truth is, we don’t need an NDE. We have something more sure. We have the Word of God in the Holy Scriptures. And even though it may seem to you at times that nothing is happening—when you’re here in Church or at home reading the Bible or in Bible Study—the sun is rising in your heart. The Word of God creates and strengthens faith. It’s the voice of God. May its brightness continue to rise in each of your hearts bringing you the full light of Jesus Christ.
In Jesus’ name. Amen.