The Lord’s Glory Shines in His Gospel!

Last Sunday after the Epiphany, The Transfiguration of Our Lord, 2/11/18
2 Corinthians 3:12-4:2


The Lord’s Glory Shines in His Gospel!
I. It removes the veil of unbelief.
II. It transforms us into his likeness.


Have you ever had a mountaintop experience? By that I mean, have you ever climbed to the top of a mountain? Depending on what you consider a mountain to be, I imagine quite a few of you have. Many of us have driven or even hiked through the Smoky Mountains or even the Rocky Mountains and have experienced breathtaking views of the landscape below us. We’re amazed at the beauty of nature and the distances we can see from that vantage point. We wonder what the view would be like from one of the peaks on the horizon. And suddenly there’s the urgency for us to climb another mountain, well, simply because it’s there.

This Sunday our Lord draws our attention to mountaintop experiences, particularly, the one that he experienced with his disciples on the Mount of Transfiguration. The exact location of this mountain remains a mystery. Even more mysterious is what occurred there. Jesus appeared with Moses and Elijah in all his divine glory. It was so other-worldly that Peter wanted the experience to continue indefinitely. He quickly realized that this glorious event was vastly removed from the day-to-day struggles that Jesus and his disciples had been enduring. He would have been content simply remain there with Jesus.

And we can’t blame him. Too much of our lives is spent in the valleys and even the dumps of life. And when we’re able to climb or crawl our way out of one of life’s dreary holes, it seems another one awaits us all too soon. We know how Peter felt. We wish we could have experienced the glory that he did.

But don’t think your God has forgotten you. Don’t think there’s nothing positive left for you. In fact, the Lord has given us a source of glory that will never fade away. It’s his gospel—the good news of our salvation through faith in Jesus. We have his gospel, and in that gospel the glory of the Lord shines forth.

That’s God’s Transfiguration Sunday truth for us to hang our hats on this morning. The Lord’s glory shines in his gospel. Let’s take a look at it as Paul presents that truth to us this morning.

Part I.

Face coverings. What’s your reaction to them? For most of us, it’s not positive. To be honest, we’re a little suspicious. Even in cold weather such as we’re experiencing right now in this part of our country, having your face completely covered is viewed with at least a little suspicion by others. And with good reason. This last week the local news featured more than one crime being committed by men with their faces covered. We walk past the Muslim woman in the local Kroger and the only thing visible is her eyes through a slit in her niqab. We recall the martyrdom of Christians in North Africa a couple years ago by Muslim extremists whose identity was completely hidden by head coverings. These experiences with face coverings in our world leave us a little uneasy with them.

So, what was your reaction to Paul’s description of Moses veiling his face? Maybe it was neither positive nor negative, you simply were wondering what this was all about. If so, let me explain.

Moses had spent 40 days and nights on Mt. Sinai in the presence of God receiving God’s law from him, which included the 10 Commandments. In a way we won’t understand until we’re in heaven, he was in the presence of the glory of the Lord. When Moses came down that mountain, his face continued to reflect the glory of the Lord. Imagine that! His face was shining.

So Moses used a veil to cover it. Why? Let’s listen again to what Paul tells us, “Moses…would put a veil over his face to keep the Israelites from gazing at it while the radiance was fading away.” If your face was shining with the glory of the Lord, would you hide it? I suppose all of us would have our reasons for doing so or not doing so. But the question is, “why did Moses veil that glory?” Elsewhere the Bible makes it clear that he did it because he didn’t want the Israelites to think that the law of God, which he had just received from the Lord, was the most important message or the final message they needed to hear from the Lord and remember.

You see, the Israelites had a propensity for regarding God’s laws for them too highly. Sure God wanted them to keep his laws—eating kosher, observing Passover and circumcision and the complicated system of sacrifices, but the Jews tended to overemphasize them. Recall how far too many Jews figured God was certainly pleased with them because they were such observant Jews. The Pharisees of Jesus’ days on earth were the most notorious example. They prided themselves on keeping the law of God. They were certain of heaven because of their strict adherence to it.

So Moses covered his face to hide the glory. He wanted to draw their attention away from it.

But his efforts were only partially successful. Paul wrote, “Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.” What’s he talking about? Paul was a prime example. Before his dramatic conversion, he was firmly convinced that the last thing he needed was a Savior from sin named Jesus. As an unbeliever, he was certain that the law of God was God’s final word to him. Keep his laws and you can be certain of eternal life.

And it’s still that way with billions of people today. Just be a good person and you’ll go to heaven. Just try to be the best you can be and God will be happy with you. Sound familiar?

Sadly it does…even about ourselves. Our natural, sinful opinion about ourselves is that we’re good enough for God. We’re better than others. Look what we do for God and others. Surely that’s worth something. And when that’s our spiritual situation, the veil remains.

And only the gospel removes it. When God’s law does what God designed it to do—convince us how sinful and deserving of hell we are—then God’s gospel can do its work. It announces to us a Savior from sin. It assures us that our sins have been forgiven in Christ. It guarantees us life in heaven because of the death and resurrection of Jesus.

That’s the glory of our Savior Jesus Christ! That glory shines in the gospel—a gospel that removes the veil of unbelief.

Part II.

Have you ever dreamed of being someone else? I’m sure we all have. Perhaps it was someone who lives in luxury. Perhaps it was some internationally known star who enjoys a crazy amount of popularity. As you watch the Olympics the next few days, perhaps you’ll wish you could do what those athletes can do.

But have you ever wanted to be God? Ever wanted to be just like God? That might seem rather far-fetched, but recall that it was Satan’s first temptation. “Eat the forbidden fruit and you’ll be like God.” It was a bald-faced lie.

And yet Paul states that something similar happens to us through the gospel. Listen to what he wrote once again, “And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord.” Notice that Paul does not say that you become the Lord. He says you become like the Lord. What does he mean? He means that through the gospel of the Lord we become Christ-like. Now there’s a term we likely recognize. Jesus tells us in his word that he wants others to see him through us. In other words, what we say and do are the things that Jesus would say and do. How well does that describe your typical day? A lot? Somewhat? Just a little? Maybe a better way of asking that is this: “Do others see Jesus when they look at you and hear you?”

That’s a lofty concept! For sinners such as we are, it might seem impossible. But not through Christ. Paul stated elsewhere, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me” (Gal. 2:20). You talk about a transformation! You’ve been transformed into something incredible. By faith in Jesus your sinful nature has been crucified. At your baptism it was drowned. And now Christ lives in you and empowers you to live in a Christ-like way. Yes, others do see Jesus through you! Think about that—Jesus uses you and me to bring others to him.

And it’s all due to the power of the gospel. The Lord’s glory shines in the gospel—a gospel that transforms us into his likeness.

Do you wish that unbelievable transformation in you were a little more visible to others? Do you wish that, when your spouse looked at you, he or she would see Jesus clearly? Could you use a little help beating down the negativity that shackles your life—a negativity that others see and hear? Do you wish that your child would go to sleep at night thinking that today Mommy (or Daddy) loved me just like Jesus does? Do you wish that you could leave work tomorrow with your co-workers stunned by the love, honesty, patience and hard work you displayed to them that day?

Then I have just the thing for you. Actually, Jesus does. It’s called Lent and it starts this Wednesday. Join your Christian sisters and brothers in confessing your failed efforts to be Christ-like. Hear your Savior’s assurance of forgiveness. Receive his very body and blood for that forgiveness and to become more Christ-like. Keep doing that same thing the entire season of Lent as we focus on our Savior’s love for us—a love that drove him to Calvary’s cross to transform us forever. That’s our Lord’s gospel. See it shining so brightly! Amen.