We are going to talk about shiny faces. I’m not referring to your face – as if I’m getting some sort of glare from the congregation up to the pulpit. I hope my face is not too shiny and will in turn distract you from the message. And that is exactly the reason why Moses kept that veil on his face while talking with the Israelites. We will address that more a little later. On this “Transfiguration Day” these shiny faces – both Moses and Jesus – help to remind us of the presence and power of God. These shiny faces show us how our Lord’s glory is with His children and that He has not forgotten His people.

The Old Testament text for today says, “When Moses came down from Mt. Sinai with the two tablets of the Testimony in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the Lord… When Moses finished speaking to them, he put a veil over his face. But whenever he entered the Lord’s presence to speak with him, he removed the veil until he came out. And when he came out and told the Israelites what he had been commanded, they saw that his face was radiant (shiny). Then Moses would put the veil back over his face until he went in to speak with the Lord.”

His face was so shiny that he had to cover it up. The people were afraid. But that’s not the only reason he covered up his face. The purpose of the veil on Moses’ face was not just to “hide” the Lord’s glory so that the people would not be afraid. The fact of the matter is that Israel did see the Lord’s glory reflected on Moses’ face. Moses put the veil on his face not only because the people were afraid but, as Paul writes in 2 Corinthians3:13 “to keep the Israelites from gazing at it while the radiance was fading away.”

Moses’ face reflected the glory of the law that came down from Mt. Sinai. This was an important event. Moses had the blessed opportunity to talk to God face to face. The result was a shiny face. God’s glory was so great that it actually affected the face of Moses and made him look different – radiant. But the glory would fade. The glory on Moses’ face would fade away because the glory of the covenant law would fade away.

What does it mean that the “covenant law” glory will fade away? Well, in 2 Corinthians 3:14 Paul tells us. The glory of the “New Testament” ministry is greater than that of Moses. The New Testament ministry, centered in Christ, who fulfilled the law, is a ministry of the Spirit that will never fade away. It is a ministry that reflects the glory of the Gospel, which has no conditions or limitations and which endures forever. In our New Testament ministry, we, as Christians, should convey above all the unending joy that our message brings to lost sinners. What an opportunity we have. What a message that has been given to us to share. What a complete promise our Lord has given to us in the Gospel (portions of this paragraph taken from the People’s Bible Commentary on Exodus, p. 227, Ernst H. Wendland, CPH, 1992).

Moses had a shiny face because he was in the presence of the Lord while receiving the covenant law. Jesus, too, had a shiny face. “His face shone like the sun…,” the Gospel text for today says. Jesus, Peter, James and John were on that Mount of Transfiguration. Moses and Elijah show up. So does the Father in the voice of ultimate authority. While on that mount the face of Jesus shined brightly – not unlike the face of Moses. The glory – that would be the glory of Jesus – is shown to Peter, James and John for a brief moment before it is made known to us. This glory of Jesus is now ours. Our lives shine brightly with the Gospel on our lips and the forgiveness of Jesus on our hearts through His most precious death.

We know what the face of Moses looked like from the description given to us in the Scriptures. We even know what the face of Jesus looked like as well. “His face shone like the sun…” But what about our faces? Do our faces shine like that of Moses and Jesus? You know, we are called to be “little Christs.” For that reason we are called Christians – little representations of who Jesus is and what Jesus has given. Does our face shine with the same radiance as Jesus? In other words, do our lives pour forth an example that flatters our Lord and is worthy to be called a “Christian” example?

The answer: Sometimes yes and sometimes no. An interesting sidelight to these verses in the text for today lies in a famous statue crafted by Michelangelo. It’s a statue of Moses and it resides in the city of Genoa, Italy. In verse 29 we read that the face of Moses “was radiant because he had spoken with the Lord.” The Hebrew word for “radiant” is derived from the same word in Hebrew which means “horn.” When the church father Jerome translated the Bible into the Latin language, he conveyed the idea that as Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of stone; his head appeared as though horns were projecting from it. Michelangelo’s statue of Moses, therefore, portrays Moses’ head with horns instead of rays of light (Wendland – pg. 227 & 228).

When we take upon ourselves the example of Christ for others, we shine like Jesus. When we decide on a different example, horns instead of rays of light protrude. The image in our mind is almost “cartoon-ish.” The person that is evil is always the one who has horns coming forth from their head. And though this doesn’t actually happen – we do act devilish from time to time. In our sinfulness we often times act like the devil rather than Jesus. We have to be careful and ask ourselves if what we are doing is for God’s goodness or for our personal gain. Sometimes there seems to be a fine line that separates the two. We think we are doing God a favor when in all actually we are doing ourselves a favor. Or, we might not be sure if it’s “God pleasing” or not but we will give ourselves the benefit of the doubt and talk ourselves into believing its okay. This is how the devil can work so well. He blurs the line between shining brightly as Christians and being people who have horns coming out of their head. Be careful and be on guard. The devil likes to make you think you are doing something good or “okay” with the Lord when you are actually hurting yourself and those around you. Be careful and be on guard.

One of the ways we can be on guard is to keep our eyes on the light of Christ which is the glory revealed to us. If it doesn’t “shine,” stay away. If it doesn’t reflect the goodness of Christ and His precious gifts, move away from it and toward the wonder and work of Jesus. Focus on the shiny face, for it reflects the life that has been lived for us. The “shiny face” of Jesus didn’t look too shiny I’m sure when it stood before Pilate or was in the hands of the Roman Soldiers. I’m sure when that face was soaked with blood because there was a crown of thorns on our Savior’s head, it wasn’t too shiny. I’m sure His face wasn’t too radiant as it continued to pour blood down His body while nailed to the tree.

We are at a crossroads in the Church Year. Today our Savior Jesus has a “shiny face.” But now, as we approach Lent, He will be exchanging it for a “blood soaked” face. The blood of Jesus will pour out from His face so that you can have the “shiny face” all the time. He was willing to take death upon Himself so that our lives can reflect what will happen on Good Friday and Easter. He took our sins upon Himself. His blood was riddled with our own sin as it streamed down His face.

This celebration of Transfiguration of our Lord takes us from the top of a mountain, to the lowest valley of pain and shame for our Lord, and then back up a hill where Jesus would be crucified. And by this, our Savior has transformed, that is transfigured, our lives to be Christians who embody all that Christ has accomplished for us. We are redeemed and called God’s precious children who inherit the kingdom of heaven. That is a far better promise than what Moses brought down from Sinai. The reason: this covenant promise completely saves us. Amen

The peace of God which passes all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.