February 15, 2026
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TEXT: Matthew 17:1-9
TOPIC: Jesus’ Transfiguration
SERMON SUMMARY:
We Have Seen His Glory: A Reflection on the Transfiguration
On the last Sunday of Epiphany, our lectionary brings us back to one of the most electrifying moments in all of Scripture: the Transfiguration of Jesus on the holy mountain. As I have sat with this passage over the years, it has never lost its power to move me — and I think it’s worth asking ourselves why.
Peter, James, and John had already given up everything to follow Jesus. They had seen him heal the sick, calm the storm, and feed thousands. And yet, on that mountain, something utterly different happened. Jesus was transfigured before them — his face shining like the sun, his garments white as light. Moses and Elijah appeared. And then the voice of the Father broke through: “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased. Listen to him.”
I believe this mountaintop experience was a gift — not only for Jesus, who was being prepared and strengthened for the cross, but for the apostles themselves. They were about to walk through the crucifixion, and all their worldly hopes and dreams would die that day with him. God, in his mercy, gave them something to hold onto. And hold on they did — Peter and John both wrote about it decades later, still awed by what they witnessed.
That is what God’s revelations do: they carry us through the suffering and the uncertainty of this world and keep us on the right path. In an age when so many of the institutions we once trusted — law, medicine, media — feel increasingly unreliable, how much more do we need to return to these great biblical moments and let them anchor us? The transfiguration is not just history. It is a foretaste of how Christ will come again — in power and in glory.
This week, I want to encourage you to do more than read Matthew 17. Sit with it. Meditate on it. Let the glory revealed on that mountain become your fortress when the culture around you feels confused and dark. We have seen his glory — and that changes everything.
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A: The Transfiguration was a gift of preparation for both Jesus and his three closest disciples. Jesus went up the mountain to be strengthened for the suffering he was about to endure — the garden, the beatings, the cross. But Peter, James, and John needed that moment too. They were about to see their Lord die, and every worldly dream they had attached to him would be crushed. God knew what they needed to survive that devastation and go on to lead the church. By revealing his full divine nature to them on that mountain — confirmed by the voice of the Father himself — he removed all doubt and gave them something no trial could take away: the certainty of who Jesus truly was.ion text goes here
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A: Scripture is not just meant to be read for information — it is meant to be marinated in. When we prayerfully meditate on the great moments of Jesus’s life, we encounter the living reality of who he is, not merely facts about him. These mountaintop moments in Scripture function like our own personal revelations from God: they carry us through the sufferings and disappointments of life and keep us headed in the right direction. The Transfiguration in particular reminds us that the glorified Christ we glimpse on that mountain is the same Christ who is coming again. Sitting with that truth gives us a solid foundation when the culture around us feels increasingly unstable and uncertain.
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A: The Father’s declaration — “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased. Listen to him” — was not just a message for Peter, James, and John. It is a word for every generation of believers. In a world where competing voices clamor for our trust and allegiance, the Father cuts through the noise and points us to his Son as the one reliable, trustworthy voice. Jesus is our rock and our foundation. The Father’s blessing spoken over him on that mountain is the same blessing that flows to us who are in Christ. And his command — Listen to him — is as urgent and necessary today as it was on that holy mountain.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, you who were transfigured in glory on the holy mountain — shine your light into our hearts today. When the world around us feels uncertain and the foundations we trusted begin to shake, remind us that you are the same yesterday, today, and forever. Let the Father’s words over you become our anchor: you are the beloved Son, full of grace and truth, and we are yours. Give us ears to hear your voice above all others, eyes to behold your glory in your Word, and hearts willing to follow you wherever you lead. Carry us through every crucifying moment, as you carried your own. And keep us on the path that leads to life. In your most holy name, Amen.
Ordained in the Anglican Church more than 20 years ago, The Very Reverend Rob Holman has led congregations in New York and Los Angeles with sound biblical preaching, prayerful discernment, and trained organizational management skills. Besides his role as Rector of St. Luke’s Anglican Church in Montrose, CA, Fr. Rob is also Dean of the Greater Los Angeles Deanery in the ACNA’s Diocese of Western Anglicans. During his tenure in Los Angeles, he has run Kingdom Conferences for the Diocese and been a speaker at the Deanery’s annual Next Steps in Mission training day. Fr. Rob received his Master of Divinity at Trinity School for Ministry in Ambridge, PA and is a graduate of the University of Virginia (BS Engineering '87 and MBA '91).
For over a century, the congregation of St. Luke’s has followed Jesus Christ through ancient forms of worship and spiritual growth presented in a contemporary style. St. Luke’s celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2024. The original building, made of stones from the local mountains, still stands on Foothill Blvd in La Crescenta—though the Anglican congregation has moved to a new building just a few blocks away near downtown Montrose. Retaining its biblically faithful foundation and liturgically rich worship service through the move, this long-standing Los Angeles church also carries on a tradition of warm welcome for newcomers. St. Luke’s is part of the Diocese of Western Anglicans, Anglican Church in North America, and the Global Anglican Communion. We invite you to join us online or in person this Sunday!
