A MOUNTAINTOP EXPERIENCE

Sermon Summary, February 21, 2016

Rev. Garry McGlinchy

            Pastor Garry’s first sermon of his Lenten season series Journey to the Cross, leading up to Easter was titled “A Mountaintop Experience” and was based on Luke 9:28-36.  In order to get to the mountaintop, we have to climb the mountain.  We have to get away from the hustle and bustle and chaos of everyday life and focus on God.

            Jesus took Peter, James and John to the mountain in order to show them who He was—more than a prophet or teacher—the Son of God.  As Jesus prayed, the disciples saw the glory of God when they were joined by bright heavenly figures: Moses and Elijah.  Even their clothes were transformed—as bright as a flash of lightning.  Moses represented the Law, Elijah the prophets and the end times.  They had something in common: their departures from the earth were unusual.  Moses was buried by God. (Deut. 34:6) Elijah went to heaven in a whirlwind, (2 Kings 2: 11)

There is a lot of symbolism in this passage.  The word ‘exodo,”translated “departure” here, means “death” in 2 Peter 1:15.  It’s used in Exodus to show God’s redemptive power in bringing His people out of Egypt.  Moses and Elijah were talking with Jesus about the redemptive power of His imminent death on the cross.  The disciples didn’t understand that yet.  Peter wanted to build shelters there—he didn’t want this mountaintop experience to end.  But that isn’t what God wanted.  Three shelters would have suggested equality with Moses and Elijah, but Jesus was more than that; He was the Son of God!  In Isaiah 4:5 a cloud is used to represent the shekinah glory of God.  It was a cloud that led the Children of Israel during their exodus from Egypt, and a cloud is also associated with the future coming of the Son of Man. (Deut.7:13, and Mark 14:62)  God’s shekinah glory enveloped everyone on the mountaintop.  They heard the voice God, as they’d heard at Jesus’ baptism.  God reaffirmed the fact that Jesus in His Son.  

The focus is on Jesus, God’s Son, God’s obedient Son.  He has the divine power and authority to carry out His mission.  Jesus has God’s power and authority.  If we believe this then His words should be our final authority.  We should seek guidance and advice from the FINAL authority!  Listen to Him and do what He says.

Peter, James and John had an awesome mountaintop experience, and they didn’t want it to end.  We’re like that when we have a mountaintop experience—at camp, or a retreat or revival, for instance.  These are places we go expecting that we will have a divine experience, and we remember these times because of the journey that it took for us to get there.  And we’d like to stay there, away from the everyday chaos, hustle and bustle.  But if we stayed on the mountaintop, we would neglect the ministry that God calls us to in the valleys of everyday life.  Instead of becoming the spiritual giants the world needs, we would become spiritual dwarfs, of which there are already too many!  We need times of spiritual renewal so we can minister to those around us.  Our lives must make sense on the mountaintop and in the valley.  The only way this can happen is if we stay plugged into God through our daily reading of the scriptures, prayer, and through fellowship with other believers.