Скачать или смотреть The Glorious And Crucified Jesus | The Rev. Caroline F. Devitt

The Glorious and Crucified Jesus | Transfiguration Sunday Sermon

On the Last Sunday after the Epiphany, the Church takes us up Mount Tabor to witness the Transfiguration of Jesus. His face shines like the sun. His clothes become dazzling white. Moses and Elijah stand beside Him. The glory of Christ is unveiled.

But the radiant Jesus does not stay on the mountain.

In this sermon, we explore why the Church gives us the Transfiguration right before Lent — and why that timing matters. Before we walk toward ashes, repentance, and the cross, we are first shown who Jesus truly is. The glorious Son of God is the same Jesus who walks down the mountain toward Calvary. The One who shines in light is the One who enters death and conquers it from the inside.

Fear is one of the most deeply human experiences. We fear illness. We fear loss. We fear failure, exposure, rejection, and death itself. On the mountain, the disciples fall down in fear when confronted with holiness. And yet Jesus does something remarkable — He moves toward them, touches them, and says, “Get up. Do not be afraid.”

This sermon reflects on:
• The Transfiguration (Matthew 17)
• Mount Tabor and Mount Calvary
• The connection between glory and the cross
• Fear, judgment, and the fear of death
• Why Lent is not about spiritual self-improvement
• How the crucified and risen Christ gives us resurrection confidence

Lent is not about proving ourselves to God. It is about walking honestly toward the cross with the One who already loves us. We go into Lent grounded in glory. We go having heard the Father say, “This is my Son, the Beloved.” We go having been touched by Christ Himself.

Because if death does not win, then fear does not win.

The Glorious and Crucified Jesus reminds us that nothing we are afraid of gets the final word. Not illness. Not failure. Not regret. Not death. Jesus does.

St. John’s Episcopal Church is a vibrant, growing parish located in the beautiful Hyde Park neighborhood of South Tampa, just off Bayshore Boulevard at 906 South Orleans Avenue. Our mission is to make Jesus Christ known, hallowed, and adored throughout Tampa. We strive to build a spiritual community forming Christians of all ages through education, worship and outreach. We invite you to visit our stunning historic church and hear our angelic Anglican-style choir, and enjoy warm fellowship following both the 8:00 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. Sunday services.

We want to make it easy for you to get more acquainted with life in the parish. Throughout the year there will be frequent opportunities for you to meet new people and to learn more about St. John's and the many different ministries and volunteer opportunities.

Our website is here: https://www.stjohnstampa.org

Subscribe for livestream church services, sermons, and Christian faith formation:    / stjohnstampa  

Find us on Facebook:   / stjohnstampa  

Also, on Instagram:   / stjohnstampa  

To donate to help support our ministry and outreach to those in need in both the Tampa area & internationally: https://onrealm.org/StJohnsEpiscopa83...

We look forward to seeing you at St. John's Episcopal Church Tampa!