The sermon was preached at St. Mary the Virgin, Little Burstead on 15 February 2026 at 10:30.
Abstract: This sermon was made from a copilot re-write of https://3cephas-notes.blogspot.com/2023/02/mountain-top-experiences.html, which I asked it to make more 'punchy'. The result, after some further edits is below.
 |
| Mount Hermon |
Prayer
Lord God, meet us on the mountain of Your presence. Open our eyes to Your glory, steady our hearts with Your love, and prepare us to follow you in the journey ahead. Amen.
Introduction
As we approach Lent, we’re thinking about mountain‑top experiences—those moments when God breaks through with clarity, power, or love. The phrase is usually a metaphor, but in both our readings today, it’s also literal. God meets His people on mountains, and what happens there changes everything.
What a Mountain‑Top Experience Gives You
When we speak of a mountain‑top experience, we mean a moment of revelation—something that opens our eyes, strengthens our faith, or redirects our life. It might have been joyful, terrifying, or overwhelming, but it was unforgettable. For some, it was the moment of conversion. For others, it’s the memory that still carries them through dark valleys.
A Scary Mountain: Abraham and Isaac
Before we look at Peter, James, and John, remember that fear on the mountain is nothing new. In Genesis 22, Abraham faces the most disturbing command imaginable:
“Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love… and sacrifice him.”
Isaac was the child of promise—the one through whom God said He would build a nation. So what is God doing? He is revealing something Abraham needs to know: Does Abraham now trust God’s love more than his own plans? Because Abraham has tried to implement God’s prophecy in his own way. He had a son – Ishmael, by Sarah, the servant girl.
And at the last moment, on the mountain, God provides a ram. Isaac lives. God keeps His promise. Abraham learns that God’s love is not fragile, not fickle, not dependent on human understanding or effort. That mountain-top experience marked him forever.
Have You Had One?
If you’ve had a mountain‑top moment, revisit it. Let it speak again. Ask what God taught you then—and whether you’re still living from that truth now.
What You Need for a Mountain‑Top Moment
These moments often come when distractions fall away. Mountains—literal or metaphorical—strip life back to God and you. No noise. No crowds. Just space to listen. That’s why people still climb hills, walk in woods, or sit by the sea. We long for the clarity that comes when everything else is quiet.
Moses on the Mountain (Exodus 24)
Moses and Joshua climb Sinai to receive the commandments. They wait six days before God calls Moses higher, then he remains there for forty days.
Forty
Forty is the number of testing in the Bible. Jesus’ forty days in the wilderness tested and prepared Him. Moses’ forty days tested Israel. Could they remain faithful while their leader was gone? The answer, as chapter 32 shows, is that they spectacularly failed. Before Moses returns, they are worshipping a golden calf.
Mysterious God
God appears mysterious, distant, even frightening. Only Moses may approach. The cloud of fire rests on the mountain—the same presence that guided them, fed them, protected them. Mount Sinai is not a volcano, this isn’t the story of superstitious people worshipping what they don’t understand. God is forming a people, teaching them how to live, and giving laws remarkable for their justice, compassion and concern for the poor and the foreigner . This is love in a form we often forget: love that shapes, disciplines, and teaches.
The Transfiguration
Now we turn to another mountain. The location isn’t the point—Tabor, suggested by Origen and the closest, or possibly Hermon. Or Sinai, as some try to make it. What matters is not which one, but what happened there.
Six days after Jesus began speaking openly about His death and resurrection, He takes Peter, James, and John up a high mountain. Perhaps they needed a different perspective. Perhaps they needed to see more than they could understand.
Glory Revealed
On Sinai, God’s glory was a consuming fire. Moses didn’t see it directly; the people did. But on this mountain, the glory shines from Jesus Himself:
“His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as light.”
This is not a separate pillar of fire. This is God’s glory dwelling in a person—someone they have walked with, eaten with, laughed with. Moses and Elijah appear, representing the Law and the Prophets. Everything God has done is converging here.
Peter’s Fear
Peter blurts out a plan to build shelters—tabernacles—perhaps trying to freeze the moment, perhaps simply terrified. Mark tells us he didn’t know what to say. Before he can finish, a bright cloud envelops them, and the voice speaks:
“This is my Son, whom I love; with him, I am well pleased. Listen to him!”
They heard those words at Jesus’ baptism, but this time the command is added: Listen to Him.
And this time, they fall on their faces in fear. They are closer to God than they have ever been.
Jesus Supersedes Moses
Then Jesus touches them. “Get up,” He says. “Don’t be afraid.”
The cloud lifts. Moses and Elijah are gone. Only Jesus remains.
We cannot stay on the mountain. The point is not the experience itself but what it prepares us for. As they descend, Jesus tells them to keep silent until after His resurrection. The moment was for them—to strengthen them when everything later seemed lost.
They would remember the glory when they saw the cross. They would remember the voice when they heard the crowds. They would remember the mountain when they walked through the valley.
And they would know:
Jesus is the fulfilment of the Law and the Prophets.
Jesus is the beloved Son.
Jesus is the one who reveals God’s love most clearly—on the mountain and on the cross.
The Challenge for Us
Mountain‑top moments are gifts, but they are not the goal. The goal is what happens after:
- Will we listen to Him?
- Will we trust His love when the cloud lifts?
- Will we follow Him into Lent—not chasing spiritual highs, but letting God test, shape, and strengthen us?
God’s love revealed on the mountain, is proved in the valley. Lent invites us to walk with Jesus there.
Amen.
References
No comments:
Post a Comment