Today things go back to normal, but they aren’t the same. 

That’s the difference, I suppose, between reading a story and being in it.

They gather for a Passover meal. It is a meal that means more than eating; it is remembering.

We don’t start with a pity party - we start with an actual party. A parade. A celebration!

Many Christians have pondered the question asked by Peter, James, John, and Andrew: “When will this be, and what will be the sign that all these things are about to happen?”

These teachings range from traditional insights up to warnings about being like the scribes. There is a lot packed into these verses.

This story is simply unrelenting in its illogical events and violent encounters.

Today, we get two scenes following Jesus’ third prediction, and they are tied closely together by one simple thing…

“What were you arguing about along the way?”

The Transfiguration shows us God’s glory, and because of God’s glory seen in Jesus the Messiah, everything changes.

When we look at our extensive Gospel lesson for today, there is a safe, easy way and a not-so-safe, harder way to go with the sermon.

…as I wrestled with the various approaches to writing a sermon, something struck me: I love the Jesus we get in today’s story.

Did the drowning of their pigs concern them more than the drowning of their demons?

“Which one are we?” occurs often as we read through the Bible. It especially gets brought up whenever Jesus’ parables roll around, too.

All the unexpected in these three scenes is meant to point us to the new things God has done in Jesus.

There is often this thing we do with the Christmas story where we try to picture ourselves as one of the characters. We try to connect with one of those aforementioned characters, see which one we feel like or which one fits our life, our calling, our situation.

Does Christmas matter?

It was witness to the God who stirs hearts, calls the scattered, and lays foundations in the midst of ruins.