Have you ever had a mountain top experience? You know, one of those experiences that when it was all over you wished it was still happening. One of those experiences that you wished would never end. One of those experiences that when it was over you began to feel so low, because you were so high. Well, you are not alone. Today we celebrate one of the greatest mountain top experience ever experienced by human beings. Today we celebrate the transfiguration of our Lord. Peter, James, and John had an all time high up on the mountain with Jesus, in the presence of Moses and Elijah. Our Old Testament text for today might be considered a precursor to Jesus transfiguration and the disciples mountain top experience. For, you see, our Old Testament lesson is the ascension of Elijah in whirlwind and the beginning of Elisha’s term as prophet in Israel. And for Elisha, his mountain top experience of seeing Elijah ascend into heaven was not exactly what he wanted, but in the process it did assure him that he did receive his request of a double measure of Elijah’s spirit.
In our Epistle lesson for this morning we are reminded of Moses who was a great leader in Israel. Paul helps us understand why, even today, many of his own people are condemned, because they refuse to believe in Jesus as the Messiah, the one promised back in the Garden of Eden, the one promised to save the world and they will remain condemned as long as they refuse to believe, that is because they fail to understand the promises of the Old Testament.
In our Gospel reading for this morning we have the account of the Transfiguration of our Lord. We might understand this transfiguration as Jesus conferring with Moses, the giver of the Law and Elijah the great prophet as a confirming that Jesus has done what He came to do, fulfill all the Law and the Prophecies perfectly, for us, in our place. Having accomplished this, He is ready to take the sins of all people, including our sins, and to face the cross for all people, including us.
Our text is one that comes at the end of Elijah’s term as the prophet in Israel and the beginning of Elisha’s term. Elijah had completed the work that God had given him to do. Throughout His life He listened to the Lord and did what the Lord told him to do. Now it was time for the Lord to bring him home, to heaven.
As we remember the life of Elijah we remember that he did not have an easy task of being the Lord’s prophet. Yet, he followed the Lord, even through the rough times. The Lord had Elijah continually proclaim His Word of Law to the children of Israel. Elijah was always on the run from Queen Jezebel and the prophets of Baal. Elijah had done and seen a lot in his lifetime. He knew the harshness of God’s justice and Law, but he also knew the sweetness of His Gospel.
Elijah had served his time and he was to be given his final reward. Before being taken to heaven he went on his farewell tour to visit the schools of the prophets. He went to say his good-bye’s. Every step of the way Elisha followed. Every step of the way the prophets knew what was about to happen. Every step of the way Elisha did not want to discuss the matter. We begin at verse one,“1Now when the Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven by a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal. 2And Elijah said to Elisha, ‘Please stay here, for the Lord has sent me as far as Bethel.’ But Elisha said, ‘As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.’ So they went down to Bethel. 3And the sons of the prophets who were in Bethel came out to Elisha and said to him, ‘Do you know that today the Lord will take away your master from over you?’ And he said, ‘Yes, I know it; keep quiet.’” (v.1-3). After all was accomplished the Lord sent a whirlwind to bring Elijah to his home in heaven.
With Elijah’s being taken to heaven, Elisha was given Elijah’s mantel. About this mantel or cloak our text says, “8Then Elijah took his cloak and rolled it up and struck the water, and the water was parted to the one side and to the other, till the two of them could go over on dry ground” (v.8). The mantel of Elijah was very much like the rod of Moses in the wilderness. The mantel was the emblem of the prophet. As the story goes, Elisha followed Elijah all over as he was making his rounds and saying his good-byes. Before being taken into heaven Elijah asked Elisha what he would like before he was taken. Elisha asks for a double portion of Elijah’s spirit. We read in our text at verse nine, “9When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, ‘Ask what I shall do for you, before I am taken from you.’ And Elisha said, ‘Please let there be a double portion of your spirit on me.’ 10And he said, “You have asked a hard thing; yet, if you see me as I am being taken from you, it shall be so for you, but if you do not see me, it shall not be so’” (v.9-10).
What Elisha was praying for was help. The double portion of Elijah’s spirit was the inheritance of the first born. The first born received a double portion of the inheritance. Elisha knew the job that lay before him. He knew what Elijah had endured and he knew that the only way that he would be able to endure would be to have a double measure of Elijah’s spirit. Elijah told Elisha that this was not for him to grant. He could not give a double measure of his spirit, only God could do that. And if God would do that, then to confirm the giving of the double portion of his spirit, God would give Elisha the sign that is, he would receive this double portion if he saw Elijah as he ascended.
Elisha did see Elijah ascend, we read at verse eleven, “11And as they still went on and talked, behold, chariots of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them. And Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. 12And Elisha saw it and he cried, ‘My father, my father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!’ And he saw him no more. Then he took hold of his own clothes and tore them in two pieces” (v.11-12). Elisha did receive the double portion of Elijah’s spirit. And Elisha was ready to serve the Lord. Elisha returned to his community to carry out the work the Lord had for him to do. Notice, Elijah was not taken into heaven by the chariot of fire and horses as some would tell you. The text tells us that Elijah and Elisha were separated by the chariots of fire and horses, and that Elijah went up by a whirlwind. Just a reminder to us all that it may be best if at times we go back and see what the text really says.
Elijah, Elisha, all the prophets through time were merely forerunners of the great prophet, Jesus Himself. Jesus was the great prophet who came to complete God’s Work. Jesus came to complete the job He was given to do. He humbled Himself. He left all the glory that was His in heaven. As God in heaven He had all glory, and yet, He left that glory, giving it up in order to be born as a human being, as one of us. He humbled Himself so that He did not always or fully use His divine, His God powers while here on this earth.
God’s plan was to send a Savior. His plan was first laid out to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, immediately following their fall into sin. His plan was reiterated to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as He told them that He would give them the promised land, that He would make them into a great nation, and that through them, all nations would be blessed, in other words, that through their offspring would come the Savior of the world. Jesus is the fulfillment of that promise. Jesus came and obeyed God the Father’s plan perfectly.
Jesus came and gave Himself for us. He came born, humbly in a manger. He grew up and lived a perfect life. He lived perfectly according to all the Law, obeying all God’s Laws perfectly and He lived perfectly according to all God’s promises, completely and perfectly fulfilling all God’s prophecies concerning the coming Messiah. He took all our sins and all the sins of all people of all places of all times upon Himself. He allowed Himself to be crucified on the cross for our sins. He shed His blood for us. He gave His life for ours. He died so that we might be given forgiveness of sins, life and salvation.
God gives us jobs to do. Certainly He does not call us all to be prophets, nor does He call any of us to die on a cross. But He does call us to faith in Jesus. He calls us to have our faith strengthened through His Word. He calls us to bear witness of Him through our lives, the way we act, what we think, say and do.
God calls us to faith. He does this through the means of grace, through His Word and Sacraments. He gives us His Word, not to put on our coffee table, not to have a place to press flowers, not a place just to record our family tree. He gives us His Word as a means through which He gives us all His gifts and blessings. He gives us His Word to read, mark, learn and literally, to inwardly digest.
God gives His Word, but He also gives us the ability to do His Word. God does not just say, “do my word.” Rather, He works in us so that we are able to “do His Word.” God understands that in and of ourselves we are unable to do His word. That is why as He gives us His Word He also gives us the Holy Spirit who works through that very same word to work in us the good works that He would have us to do.
God calls us to faith. God gives us His Word. God gives us His Holy Spirit to help us accomplish His Word and God gives us our reward. Our reward is heaven, the greatest mountain top experience. The only mountain top experience from which we will not have to come down. A mountain top experience that will last forever.
Today we celebrate Transfiguration Sunday. Transfiguration Sunday marks the end of the Epiphany season and on Wednesday, which is Ash Wednesday we have the beginning of Lent. Jesus’ transfiguration marked His setting His face toward Jerusalem and His crucifixion. How fitting that Moses and Elijah were with Jesus on the mountain. Moses was the law giver who carried the staff and lead the children of Israel out of Egypt. Elijah was the prophet who was bodily assumed into heaven. Both of these men had experienced the struggles of being God’s prophet during tough times. As Jesus meets with them on the mountain, certainly He is comforted by these two men, He is confirmed in His resolve to go to the cross, and He is assured that this is the Lord’s will and that His work would result in the salvation of the world. Jesus’ mountain top experience was followed by His valley experience of suffering and dying on the cross. But His valley experience was followed by His forever mountain top experience of His resurrection, His ascension and His being in heaven where He is watching over us, ruling over us, and interceding for us. And He sends His Holy Spirit to work through His Word and Sacraments to give us forgiveness of sins, to strengthen us in our faith, to comfort us in our lives, and so that we too will share in His glory in heaven. And to that we say, to God be the glory, for Jesus’ sake. Amen.
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