The Transfiguration of Jesus is a bit like those movie previews they play before the featured attraction, the ones narrated by the guy with the big voice. They reveal just enough of the movie to make you want to see it, without giving away too much of the plot. Coming soon to a theater near you. A sneak preview of coming attractions. And that’s what the Transfiguration is. A sneak peak, a glimpse of Jesus’ glory as the Son of God and the coming attraction of the kingdom He brings with His dying and rising.

“Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.” - Luke 5:10

Again Jesus is preaching the Word. It’s been a running theme over the last several Sundays. He preaches in Nazareth; He preaches in Capernaum. Today He preaches at the shore of the Sea of Galilee, here called the Lake of Gennesaret. Same body of water. Here the synagogue is an informal gathering, a crowd that has formed and is pressing in on Jesus, eager to hear the Word. His pulpit is Simon’s fishing boat which Jesus presses into service. The fishermen were mending their nets after a fruitless night of work, and the boat would provide a little distance between Jesus and crowd so everyone could hear.

"What is this word? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out!" (Luke 4:36)

“Don’t preach to me,” the teenage daughter says to her mother. “Pardon me for preaching,” we say when we’ve gotten on our soapbox and overused our word quotient. “My, the president was terribly preachy,” I heard a critic say of Pres. Obama’s 70-minute state of the union speech. You see, preaching has a bad name, doesn’t it? Even the dictionary can’t help. To preach - to give advice or urge a course of action, especially in a meddlesome or tedious manner. Terrific. This is my chosen vocation. I’m a preacher. You don’t hear a carpenter saying, “Please excuse me for building.” Or a mechanic say, “I’m sorry for tuning this engine,” or an accountant say, “Pardon me for balancing these books.” Imagine a lawyer saying, “Sorry for arguing your case.” But preaching? That’s another story. I almost want to say, “Pardon me for preaching this morning, but I am standing in a pulpit and this is the time for a sermon and I am, yes, a preacher.”

“Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” (Luke 4:20)

You may as well admit it because we’re all thinking it anyway. Last week’s Gospel was a whole lot of fun. Jesus’ changing of 180 gallons of washing water to the finest wedding wine there ever was. Man what fun that was! And what fun that must have been in Cana of Galilee too. Let’s face it. If we could have this kind of Jesus every Sunday, every day, Christianity would be great fun. A party. Lots of wine and even a divine excuse to drink it. What fun!

“On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee.” Mary, the mother of Jesus, is there along with her Son and His new disciples. On the third day - the creative day in which the Word called forth vegetation, including the grape, from the earth. “And God said, “Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, on the earth.” And it was so.” The third day, the day of fulfillment and resurrection. “After two days He will revive us; on the third day He will raise us up.” “Destroy this temple and in three days, I will raise it up again.” On the third day big and important things happen. Got it? Good!