KEEP THE CROSS IN PERSPECTIVE
We have been blessed. There is no argument about that. We have been showered with countless gifts by the Lord in every aspect of our lives. Whether it is a family that loves us, a stable country to live in, or a wonderful congregation that we can call home, the Lord has supplied us with thousands of blessings as long as we been on this earth. But not only has the Lord given us great things out of the blue because of his grace, he has also allowed us to buy things or work for things that make this life more enjoyable. If you wanted tea leaves straight from China, you could order them. If you wanted a traditional Russian nesting doll, you could have it sent right to your doorstep within the week. If you are cold in the winter, you can go to any one of a number of stores in town and get a new winter coat. If you want to travel to visit relatives across the country you have the option of hopping on a plane to get there or driving your own car or taking the train. If you want something as simple as a loaf of bread, you don’t have to gather the grain, grind it into flour, knead the dough, and bake it yourself; there are a dozen different kinds of bread for you sitting at the grocery store right now. There are very few things in this world that we do not have access to if we really want them. We have been blessed. The Lord has actually made life in this sinful world wonderful for us at times!
And there’s nothing wrong with that. Don’t feel guilty about what you have or what you are able to work for or what you have been given. The Lord wants you to enjoy the things he has blessed you with. He wants his children to take pleasure in his gifts. But may I offer a word of encouragement? No matter how many good things you have in this life, no matter how many blessings you are able to enjoy, keep the cross in perspective. Keep the cross in perspective because that is the only blessing that really matters.
And I say that because it seems that, at certain times, our lives almost revolve around the earthly gifts we have. We are always looking for the next thing we can buy or the next thing we can do or the next place we can go. And I do that too. Whether it’s the newest thing I can place in my home or the next major sporting event I can attend or the next vacation my family can take - the blessings of this life almost dictate what I do and how I do it. In fact, my day to day happiness is sometimes based on what I am able to obtain and how many blessings I am able to enjoy. I don’t always keep the cross in perspective. Like a camera that focuses on the closest thing to the lens while everything else behind it is a little bit blurred, I get all wrapped up in the passing blessings of this life that are right there in front of my face, entangled in their novelties and the momentary happiness they can supply. I don’t always remember that the greatest and most essential blessing has already been given to me and it will never be taken away. Even as a Christian, even as a pastor of a Christian congregation, my quest for more blessings and newer blessings and different blessings tends to obscure my view of the cross standing in the background - when the cross should have been in the foreground the entire time, completely in focus. The Lord certainly gives us every earthly blessing in this life, but he never wants these lesser blessings to steal attention away from the blessing of the cross.
During one of his ministry trips through the region of Galilee, Jesus gave a special blessing to a few of his disciples. “He took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray. As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning.” This is, of course, the transfiguration of Christ, the event where he displayed a little bit of his glory to these three special disciples. And what a blessing it was! What a gift! No one had even seen Jesus in this way before and no one would ever see Jesus in this way again until the glories of heaven. Peter, James, and John were actually given the unique privilege to be in the presence of their Lord as he peeled away a few layers of his humble appearance and allowed them to gaze upon a small reflection of his majesty. But not only did Jesus’ outward form change in a glorious way up on the mountain, and not only did God the Father speak to the disciples from heaven, but the renowned leader Moses and the storied prophet Elijah also appeared with him! And the disciples, by some miracle of God’s will, instantly knew who these men were and they must have been stunned! Moses had been dead for 1500 years and Elijah had been taken straight up into heaven by a whirlwind, never to be seen again, until now - nine centuries later.
I can’t even imagine what was going through the minds of these three disciples as they saw Jesus in that unexplainable splendor and these two ancient heroes of Scripture standing in front of them! What were Moses and Elijah going to say to them? What kind of advice would they be able to offer? What insights would they reveal about life in heaven? What encouragements would they give to strengthen Peter, James, and John and to motivate them for the rough road ahead? Ah, but that is the interesting thing about this story. The Bible doesn’t record a single word that was exchanged between these two Old Testament Christians and their three New Testament counterparts. Moses and Elijah didn’t speak to the disciples at all. Because they were not there to give them advice. They were not there to offer heavenly insights or to pat Peter, James, and John on the back with a few words of encouragement. Moses and Elijah were there to speak to Jesus. For the disciples benefit, of course, but to speak only to Jesus nonetheless. And do you remember what these two sainted men of God spoke to Jesus about? Their conversation was not about heaven or about the disciples standing right there or about spiritual things to deep for these three followers of Christ to understand; the conversation Moses and Elijah had with Jesus was about the cross. Luke writes that “They spoke about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem.” Moses, the former leader of God’s people who led them in the exodus from Egypt, and Elijah, the powerful prophet of God’s people whose exodus from this life will forever be remembered, were sent down from heaven to speak to Jesus about his exodus, his departure from this life. They came to talk with him about the cross. And they spoke so that the disciples could hear them and understand. They discussed Jesus’ plans for the end of his life in the full hearing of his disciples so that they would take these words to heart and keep the cross in perspective. But the disciples were unable to do so.
“As the men were leaving Jesus, Peter said to him, ‘Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters - one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.’ (But he did not know what he was saying),” Scripture says. Peter and his companions were so distracted by the extra blessings they were experiencing at the moment that they lost sight of the cross. They wanted Moses and Elijah to stay! They probably wanted to ask them some questions! They at least wanted to be in the presence of these famous forefathers and their supernatural teacher for a little while longer before returning to real life down at the foot of the mountain! But these three disciples missed the point. They didn’t pay attention to the subject of the conversation. They didn’t realize that Moses and Elijah couldn’t stay, and neither could Jesus. He had a departure to catch. He had an appointment with a cross outside of the walls of Jerusalem and he couldn’t miss it. He had to go down from the mountain. He had to continue on. He had to head for his death. Because although the disciples weren’t keeping the cross in perspective, Jesus certainly did.
There was never a moment in Jesus’ life when he didn’t keep the cross in perspective. It was always at the forefront of his mind. In every sermon he preached, in every miracle he performed, in every prayer he prayed, in every late night he spent with his disciples, and in every question he answered for the people, he always kept the cross in perspective. Even here. Even here up on the mountain with his three chosen disciples and two of his faithful believers from the past. Even here when his enemies and persecutors were far below and nowhere in sight. Even here where he was able to let loose some of his godly grandeur for a moment and there was no pain and no testing and no hate anywhere around. Even here on the Mount of Transfiguration Jesus kept the cross in perspective. Because he knew there was more pain and testing and hate to come. And he was willing to endure it. He wanted to carry out his departure that would soon be fulfilled in Jerusalem because the three disciples that were in front of him that day needed it. And the millions of Christians who would read these words in the centuries to follow this event would need it. And those of us who are listening to these words still today need it. We need the cross! We needed Jesus to follow through on his departure from this life or we would never be able to arrive in the life to come. The cross was the entire reason Jesus was here in the first place! He didn’t come to this earth to be praised for his miracles or to be honored for his wisdom or to be glorified up on that mountain. He came to die on a hill. He came to suffer. He came to bleed. He didn’t come to enjoy life on this earth. He came so that the people of this earth would take his life from him. And so the cross was always the only thing on Jesus’ mind.
The story of the transfiguration is always the Sunday before Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the season of lent. And it’s fitting that this Sunday is placed where it is in the Christian church year because soon after Jesus came down from the mountain he went up on the hill of his crucifixion. Scripture says later in this same chapter of Luke that “As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem” (Luke 9:51). Soon Jesus would face betrayal and arrest and condemnation by the court of his own countrymen. Soon he would be beaten by Roman soldiers and sentenced to death by the ruling governor. Soon Jesus would make that hard march out to a place called Golgotha. Soon he would be tortured to death. Soon he would depart. And instead of his face shining like the sun as it was on the mountain, his face would be beaten and bruised and haggard. Instead of his clothes flashing like lightning, his clothing would be ripped off and divided among the soldiers. Instead of Moses and Elijah standing by his side, two criminals would be dying on both sides of him. Instead of his disciples bowing down in his presence, the Jewish leaders would be insulting him in mockery. Instead of his Father speaking from the heavens about how much he loved his Son, his Father would turn his back on his Son and leave Jesus alone in the dark prison cells of hell. The cross hurt! And it hurt not just because of the nails and the thorns, but because that is where Christ suffered the punishment of every sin for every person all at once. The cross wasn’t just the place of Jesus’ death; it was the place of his damnation. And because it is the place where Jesus was damned, it is also the place where we were saved.
Nothing compares with the cross. No blessing in this life, no good thing, no enjoyment, no happiness, no amount of gratification can come close to the blessing of the cross. Nowhere else did someone love you so much that he died in your place. Nowhere else are your sins completely forgiven. Nowhere else is your eternity secured. The cross is the greatest blessing you have ever been given and it is the only one that will last.
Keep this cross in perspective. Don’t let it just slowly fade into the background amidst the many blessings of this life. Don’t let it be overshadowed by what you can get your hands on and enjoy. Every other blessing in this life would be worthless and meaningless without it. What would the point of good things in this life be if you were just going to end up in hell anyway? And on the other hand, what would a lack of blessings in this life matter if you’re going to end up in heaven with your Savior? The cross clears out all of the distractions. The cross cleans our vision so that we can see clearly again. The cross clarifies. Because when we have it in the forefront of our minds, everything else falls into place; everything else makes sense. Keep this cross in perspective.
Amen.
“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!” - Revelation 5:12
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