Times Are Changing
By Rev. Heidi L. Barham | February 15, 2026
Click here to listen to the service
Read Matthew 17:1 – 9 (NIV)
If we were to consult the Liturgical calendar, we would see that today is Transfiguration Sunday… which falls on the last Sunday after Epiphany and just before we move into the Lenten season.
Maybe it’s just me but it feels like the transition from Advent and the Christmas season to Lent and Resurrection Sunday comes more quickly year after year… although it could just be one of those quirks of aging… when time starts to feel like it is moving at break-neck speed.
But as we prepare to shift our focus from the birth of Christ to the events leading up to His death, burial, and resurrection that call for our attention especially during the season of Lent… Transfiguration Sunday affords us the opportunity on to reflect on the revelation of Jesus as the Christ… the Son of the Living God.
Now, our New Testament lesson for today contains the story of the Transfiguration of Jesus as it is found in Matthew 17... [just as a quick side note] this same story can also be found in the Gospel of Mark as well as the Gospel of Luke (see also Mark 9:2-13 and Luke 9:28-36).
I frequently use the Life Application Study Bible (LASB) in preparing sermons... and in that Bible, this story has the same heading in all three gospels, “Jesus Is Transfigured on the Mountain.”
Now, before we look at the text, because today is Transfiguration Sunday, I thought might be helpful to share the definition of the word “transfigure.”
Looking at the online version of Merriam Webster’s dictionary, that word “transfigure” is described as a transitive verb that means, “to give a new and typically exalted or spiritual appearance to.”
And as we look at our text, we discover that Jesus took three of His disciples… His inner circle… Peter, James and John high up on a mountaintop... and while they were there, something rather amazing happened… right before their very eyes, Jesus was transfigured.
The scriptures say, “His face shone like the sun and his clothes became as white as the light.” Clearly this would qualify as a new and exalted or spiritual appearance.
But that is not all that happened…
While the disciples were probably still rubbing their eyes, wondering if what they were seeing was real… they suddenly realized that Jesus was no longer standing there alone… He was actually standing there talking to Moses and Elijah!
Now, I cannot even begin to imagine how I would have reacted to Jesus suddenly starting to glow and gleam like the sun… but then all of a sudden to see Moses and Elijah standing there with Jesus... I think that would have been a bit much.
After all, Elijah had been taken up in a whirlwind roughly 850 years before all of this took place. Not to mention the fact that Moses had been dead for roughly 1,400 years by that point... It seems only natural that the disciples would have been caught off guard at the sight of Moses and Elijah standing on top of that mountain talking to Jesus.
Now, what is not so surprising... is that, of the three disciples... Peter was the one who felt compelled to jump into action – offering to build three shelters, one for Jesus, one for Moses and one for Elijah.
Although the text doesn’t tell us what James and John were doing during all of this… I can almost imagine them standing there with their mouths hanging open… trying to take everything in... while impetuous Peter became even more intent on “doing” something.
Keep in mind, this is the same Peter who had identified Jesus correctly as “the Christ, the Son of the Living God” ...but then turned around a short time later and literally rebuked Jesus for saying that He would “suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life” (Matthew 16:21).
You remember him... the same Peter who had the audacity to ask Jesus to prove who He was by calling Peter to get out of the boat and walk on the water toward Him… only for Peter to take his eyes off of Jesus... which caused him to start sinking which ultimately led to Jesus rescuing him (Matthew 14:28-30).
And yes, it was this very same Peter, who would cut off the ear of one of the men who came to arrest Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane (see Matthew 26:51, Mark 14:47, Luke 22:50, John 18:10) …causing Jesus to tell Peter to put away his sword while He healed the servant’s ear.
Suffice it to say, Peter was ALWAYS busy doing SOME-thing... even when it wasn’t necessarily the right thing for him to do... and when it meant Jesus having to come to the rescue. And things were not all that different in our text for today.
However, before Peter could put his current plan into motion... something else amazing happened… The scriptures tell us that “a bright cloud enveloped them and a voice from the cloud said, ‘This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!’”
So, let’s pause and do a quick recap of where we are up to this point…
First, Jesus was transfigured into a glowing white figure… and then Moses and Elijah seemingly came back from the great beyond… now, it would appear that the disciples were able to handle that part… at least to a certain degree.
But God talking to them from a cloud? That seemed to be the tipping point for them... because that is when… according to the text… the disciples all fell face down on the ground… and they were terrified!
But not to worry, beloved disciples! Jesus is near!
And that is the point when the Gospel writer tells us that Jesus came over to them and touched them… encouraging them to get up... telling them not to be afraid.
Then when the disicples stood up... it seemed as if everything had gone back to the way it had been before… or had it?
I mean, is it even conceivable to think that Peter, James and John could have simply gone back to life as usual and not been changed by everything they had witnessed up on that mountaintop?
Perhaps, they were able to come to the realization that TIMES ARE CHANGING.
Because, for all intents and purposes... change is a natural by-product of this thing that we call life.
Something takes place in our lives or in the lives of the people we love or in the world around us and we find ourselves being changed as a result… and whether we like it or not... the TIMES ARE always CHANGING
And I dare say that was the case for the disciples as well. There would have been no way for them to witness what happened right before their very eyes on that mountaintop... and then be able to walk away without at least some understanding that TIMES ARE CHANGING.
So, as we are given this glimpse into the glory of Jesus that the disciples witnessed so unexpectedly during the transfiguration… perhaps it should serve as a reminder to us today that, ready or not, the TIMES ARE CHANGING...
That reminds me of a song that was recorded by jazz artist, George Benson and was released back in 1977.
The opening lyrics of the song say:
Read Matthew 17:1 – 9 (NIV)
If we were to consult the Liturgical calendar, we would see that today is Transfiguration Sunday… which falls on the last Sunday after Epiphany and just before we move into the Lenten season.
Maybe it’s just me but it feels like the transition from Advent and the Christmas season to Lent and Resurrection Sunday comes more quickly year after year… although it could just be one of those quirks of aging… when time starts to feel like it is moving at break-neck speed.
But as we prepare to shift our focus from the birth of Christ to the events leading up to His death, burial, and resurrection that call for our attention especially during the season of Lent… Transfiguration Sunday affords us the opportunity on to reflect on the revelation of Jesus as the Christ… the Son of the Living God.
Now, our New Testament lesson for today contains the story of the Transfiguration of Jesus as it is found in Matthew 17... [just as a quick side note] this same story can also be found in the Gospel of Mark as well as the Gospel of Luke (see also Mark 9:2-13 and Luke 9:28-36).
I frequently use the Life Application Study Bible (LASB) in preparing sermons... and in that Bible, this story has the same heading in all three gospels, “Jesus Is Transfigured on the Mountain.”
Now, before we look at the text, because today is Transfiguration Sunday, I thought might be helpful to share the definition of the word “transfigure.”
Looking at the online version of Merriam Webster’s dictionary, that word “transfigure” is described as a transitive verb that means, “to give a new and typically exalted or spiritual appearance to.”
And as we look at our text, we discover that Jesus took three of His disciples… His inner circle… Peter, James and John high up on a mountaintop... and while they were there, something rather amazing happened… right before their very eyes, Jesus was transfigured.
The scriptures say, “His face shone like the sun and his clothes became as white as the light.” Clearly this would qualify as a new and exalted or spiritual appearance.
But that is not all that happened…
While the disciples were probably still rubbing their eyes, wondering if what they were seeing was real… they suddenly realized that Jesus was no longer standing there alone… He was actually standing there talking to Moses and Elijah!
Now, I cannot even begin to imagine how I would have reacted to Jesus suddenly starting to glow and gleam like the sun… but then all of a sudden to see Moses and Elijah standing there with Jesus... I think that would have been a bit much.
After all, Elijah had been taken up in a whirlwind roughly 850 years before all of this took place. Not to mention the fact that Moses had been dead for roughly 1,400 years by that point... It seems only natural that the disciples would have been caught off guard at the sight of Moses and Elijah standing on top of that mountain talking to Jesus.
Now, what is not so surprising... is that, of the three disciples... Peter was the one who felt compelled to jump into action – offering to build three shelters, one for Jesus, one for Moses and one for Elijah.
Although the text doesn’t tell us what James and John were doing during all of this… I can almost imagine them standing there with their mouths hanging open… trying to take everything in... while impetuous Peter became even more intent on “doing” something.
Keep in mind, this is the same Peter who had identified Jesus correctly as “the Christ, the Son of the Living God” ...but then turned around a short time later and literally rebuked Jesus for saying that He would “suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life” (Matthew 16:21).
You remember him... the same Peter who had the audacity to ask Jesus to prove who He was by calling Peter to get out of the boat and walk on the water toward Him… only for Peter to take his eyes off of Jesus... which caused him to start sinking which ultimately led to Jesus rescuing him (Matthew 14:28-30).
And yes, it was this very same Peter, who would cut off the ear of one of the men who came to arrest Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane (see Matthew 26:51, Mark 14:47, Luke 22:50, John 18:10) …causing Jesus to tell Peter to put away his sword while He healed the servant’s ear.
Suffice it to say, Peter was ALWAYS busy doing SOME-thing... even when it wasn’t necessarily the right thing for him to do... and when it meant Jesus having to come to the rescue. And things were not all that different in our text for today.
However, before Peter could put his current plan into motion... something else amazing happened… The scriptures tell us that “a bright cloud enveloped them and a voice from the cloud said, ‘This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!’”
So, let’s pause and do a quick recap of where we are up to this point…
First, Jesus was transfigured into a glowing white figure… and then Moses and Elijah seemingly came back from the great beyond… now, it would appear that the disciples were able to handle that part… at least to a certain degree.
But God talking to them from a cloud? That seemed to be the tipping point for them... because that is when… according to the text… the disciples all fell face down on the ground… and they were terrified!
But not to worry, beloved disciples! Jesus is near!
And that is the point when the Gospel writer tells us that Jesus came over to them and touched them… encouraging them to get up... telling them not to be afraid.
Then when the disicples stood up... it seemed as if everything had gone back to the way it had been before… or had it?
I mean, is it even conceivable to think that Peter, James and John could have simply gone back to life as usual and not been changed by everything they had witnessed up on that mountaintop?
Perhaps, they were able to come to the realization that TIMES ARE CHANGING.
Because, for all intents and purposes... change is a natural by-product of this thing that we call life.
Something takes place in our lives or in the lives of the people we love or in the world around us and we find ourselves being changed as a result… and whether we like it or not... the TIMES ARE always CHANGING
And I dare say that was the case for the disciples as well. There would have been no way for them to witness what happened right before their very eyes on that mountaintop... and then be able to walk away without at least some understanding that TIMES ARE CHANGING.
So, as we are given this glimpse into the glory of Jesus that the disciples witnessed so unexpectedly during the transfiguration… perhaps it should serve as a reminder to us today that, ready or not, the TIMES ARE CHANGING...
That reminds me of a song that was recorded by jazz artist, George Benson and was released back in 1977.
The opening lyrics of the song say:
Everyone must change / Nothing stays the same
The young become the old / Mysteries do unfold
'Cause that's the way of time / Nothing and no one goes unchanged
There are not many things / In life you can be sure of
Except, rain comes from the clouds
And sun lights up the sky
And hummingbirds do fly
Now, with all due respect to Mr. Benson and the writer of that song… there is something else… make that some ONE else that we can absolutely be sure of and that is Jesus… who as the writer of Hebrews says, “… is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8).
Which also calls to mind something that we find back in the Old Testament in the book of Malachi (3:6) where we read, “I the Lord do not change…”
But wait a minute, Pastor Heidi, isn’t the subject of today’s sermon TIMES ARE CHANGING?
Yes, and I am so glad you asked that… because TIMES ARE CHANGING... but there is a very important point that needs to be made before we go any further this morning.
Which is that while the appearance of Jesus may have changed right before the eyes of His beloved disciples… Jesus, Himself, did not change.
He was and is and always will be the Son of God… the Alpha and the Omega… the First and the Last… the Beginning and the End (Revelation 22:13).
And this is critical for us to understand because although TIMES ARE CHANGING in our lives and the world around us… the Lord does NOT change which means we can trust Him to honor His word… to never leave us nor forsake us (see Deuteronomy 31:6, Joshua 1:5, Hebrews 13:5).
And we can also hold onto something else that we find further on in Matthew’s Gospel which is where we find Jesus’ promise... “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).
Now in the environment that we find ourselves living in at this present moment… when it seems like the TIMES ARE CHANGING as quickly as we take our next breath and before we can even blink our eyes… isn’t it good to know that the Lord does not change?
Each year on Transfiguration Sunday, the Gospel reading in the Lectionary rotates between the version found in Matthew as it is this year… Luke as it was last year… and Mark as it was the year before that.
As I have shared before… in preparing a sermon for any given week, I will often look at past sermons that I have preached that use the same text.
The key is to look at a text and see what message we can take from it this time that may be different from previous years… keeping in mind that although the Scriptures themselves may be the same… we are not the same...
And the fact of the matter is that TIMES ARE CHANGING... probably faster now than ever before.
Looking back at some of my previous Transfiguration Sunday sermons... I was left with a sense that as the old saying goes... the more things change, the more they stay the same…
Now, a Google search of that phrase credits it to a French writer by the name of Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr… and it also provides an explanation that “even the most turbulent of changes do not affect reality on a deeper level other than to cement the status quo.”
And when we think about the fact that TIMES ARE CHANGING for all of us… although not always for the better… isn’t it comforting to know that on a deeper level even the most turbulent of changes cannot shake our firm foundation which is cemented in Jesus the Christ?
Make no mistake... TIMES ARE CHANGING... but we do not have to let the changes overwhelm us.
We can persevere and make the best of our ever-changing circumstances by embracing the One who remains constant… the One who has promised never to leave us nor forsake us.
And when we have a firm foundation built on our hope in Jesus… we do not have to accept that a dark and dreary future is all that awaits us… we can have hope that although TIMES ARE CHANGING… it could potentially be a change for the better.
But that may take a little work on our part… to actually find the better that comes with change… particularly when it is an unexpected or problematic change.
Some of you may remember a reference I made in the past to the movie, Pollyanna... and something called the Glad Game that her father encouraged her to play.
The rules of the game were fairly simple and involved Pollyanna having to find something to be glad about in the midst of any situation.
Now, the last couple of weeks have presented me with several opportunities to play the Glad Game... for instance, when Ron had to put his car in the shop for repairs and I was getting ready to go pick him up... only to find out that the battery in my car had died.
What was there to be glad about in that situation?
First and foremost, it was really cold outside, but I was glad that I was still at the office and could go back inside to call AAA. Then I was glad that AAA got there, almost an hour earlier than had been estimated because of the extremely cold temperatures... and the driver was able to jump the battery and get my car running so I could make it to Auto Zone to buy a new one... and let’s just say, I was extremely glad that was all it needed.
Then the following week, we had to take Ron’s car back for some warranty work to be done from when his car had been hit by a deer last year. What could I be glad about in that moment?
Well, there was no cost for the work to be done, and they got the repairs finished while we still had rental car coverage from the original insurance claim.
And that brings me to this past Thursday, when I was headed back from the 80-degree weather in Texas...
Ron told me that our furnace was blowing cold air. Not exactly what I wanted to hear when I was coming back to some extremely non-Texas like temperatures. But I was really glad that they had a tech available to dispatch who got to the house within an hour or so and had the heat working before midnight... and without needing a major repair or replacement of the furnace... talk about glad!
So, what is the moral of all those stories… other than reminding us to play the Glad Game? What does any of that have to do with a sermon about the changing times?
Well… in spite of all the challenging circumstances that arose and the various changes that were happening at any given time… I could still be glad because God is still God and God is still good!
Now, there are some people who would suggest that it would be more realistic to look at things from a different perspective... they would have us believe that the world is simply going to “hell in a handbasket” as my grandmother used to say…
And when we stop and take a look at everything going on in the world around us… we could be tempted to go along with them... because TIMES ARE CHANGING and not necessarily for the better...
In fact, some of the changes are all too reminiscent of a much darker time in our history... a time marked by ugliness and evil... a time when suffering and sorrow were the order of the day... at least for certain groups of people.
The other day, I had the chance to attend an event at the City Club of Cleveland and hear from the sole survivor of the 1963 bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama when four little girls were killed... one of whom was her sister. We also heard from the sister of another one of the little girls that was killed in that horrific incident.
They spoke openly about the trauma they suffered over sixty years ago... and how, in spite of all they witnessed back then and are now seeing today... they still have hope... and they still have faith in God to carry them through.
It reminds me of what Paul wrote in his letter to the Romans (5:3 – 5) where we find these words:
Which also calls to mind something that we find back in the Old Testament in the book of Malachi (3:6) where we read, “I the Lord do not change…”
But wait a minute, Pastor Heidi, isn’t the subject of today’s sermon TIMES ARE CHANGING?
Yes, and I am so glad you asked that… because TIMES ARE CHANGING... but there is a very important point that needs to be made before we go any further this morning.
Which is that while the appearance of Jesus may have changed right before the eyes of His beloved disciples… Jesus, Himself, did not change.
He was and is and always will be the Son of God… the Alpha and the Omega… the First and the Last… the Beginning and the End (Revelation 22:13).
And this is critical for us to understand because although TIMES ARE CHANGING in our lives and the world around us… the Lord does NOT change which means we can trust Him to honor His word… to never leave us nor forsake us (see Deuteronomy 31:6, Joshua 1:5, Hebrews 13:5).
And we can also hold onto something else that we find further on in Matthew’s Gospel which is where we find Jesus’ promise... “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).
Now in the environment that we find ourselves living in at this present moment… when it seems like the TIMES ARE CHANGING as quickly as we take our next breath and before we can even blink our eyes… isn’t it good to know that the Lord does not change?
Each year on Transfiguration Sunday, the Gospel reading in the Lectionary rotates between the version found in Matthew as it is this year… Luke as it was last year… and Mark as it was the year before that.
As I have shared before… in preparing a sermon for any given week, I will often look at past sermons that I have preached that use the same text.
The key is to look at a text and see what message we can take from it this time that may be different from previous years… keeping in mind that although the Scriptures themselves may be the same… we are not the same...
And the fact of the matter is that TIMES ARE CHANGING... probably faster now than ever before.
Looking back at some of my previous Transfiguration Sunday sermons... I was left with a sense that as the old saying goes... the more things change, the more they stay the same…
Now, a Google search of that phrase credits it to a French writer by the name of Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr… and it also provides an explanation that “even the most turbulent of changes do not affect reality on a deeper level other than to cement the status quo.”
And when we think about the fact that TIMES ARE CHANGING for all of us… although not always for the better… isn’t it comforting to know that on a deeper level even the most turbulent of changes cannot shake our firm foundation which is cemented in Jesus the Christ?
Make no mistake... TIMES ARE CHANGING... but we do not have to let the changes overwhelm us.
We can persevere and make the best of our ever-changing circumstances by embracing the One who remains constant… the One who has promised never to leave us nor forsake us.
And when we have a firm foundation built on our hope in Jesus… we do not have to accept that a dark and dreary future is all that awaits us… we can have hope that although TIMES ARE CHANGING… it could potentially be a change for the better.
But that may take a little work on our part… to actually find the better that comes with change… particularly when it is an unexpected or problematic change.
Some of you may remember a reference I made in the past to the movie, Pollyanna... and something called the Glad Game that her father encouraged her to play.
The rules of the game were fairly simple and involved Pollyanna having to find something to be glad about in the midst of any situation.
Now, the last couple of weeks have presented me with several opportunities to play the Glad Game... for instance, when Ron had to put his car in the shop for repairs and I was getting ready to go pick him up... only to find out that the battery in my car had died.
What was there to be glad about in that situation?
First and foremost, it was really cold outside, but I was glad that I was still at the office and could go back inside to call AAA. Then I was glad that AAA got there, almost an hour earlier than had been estimated because of the extremely cold temperatures... and the driver was able to jump the battery and get my car running so I could make it to Auto Zone to buy a new one... and let’s just say, I was extremely glad that was all it needed.
Then the following week, we had to take Ron’s car back for some warranty work to be done from when his car had been hit by a deer last year. What could I be glad about in that moment?
Well, there was no cost for the work to be done, and they got the repairs finished while we still had rental car coverage from the original insurance claim.
And that brings me to this past Thursday, when I was headed back from the 80-degree weather in Texas...
Ron told me that our furnace was blowing cold air. Not exactly what I wanted to hear when I was coming back to some extremely non-Texas like temperatures. But I was really glad that they had a tech available to dispatch who got to the house within an hour or so and had the heat working before midnight... and without needing a major repair or replacement of the furnace... talk about glad!
So, what is the moral of all those stories… other than reminding us to play the Glad Game? What does any of that have to do with a sermon about the changing times?
Well… in spite of all the challenging circumstances that arose and the various changes that were happening at any given time… I could still be glad because God is still God and God is still good!
Now, there are some people who would suggest that it would be more realistic to look at things from a different perspective... they would have us believe that the world is simply going to “hell in a handbasket” as my grandmother used to say…
And when we stop and take a look at everything going on in the world around us… we could be tempted to go along with them... because TIMES ARE CHANGING and not necessarily for the better...
In fact, some of the changes are all too reminiscent of a much darker time in our history... a time marked by ugliness and evil... a time when suffering and sorrow were the order of the day... at least for certain groups of people.
The other day, I had the chance to attend an event at the City Club of Cleveland and hear from the sole survivor of the 1963 bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama when four little girls were killed... one of whom was her sister. We also heard from the sister of another one of the little girls that was killed in that horrific incident.
They spoke openly about the trauma they suffered over sixty years ago... and how, in spite of all they witnessed back then and are now seeing today... they still have hope... and they still have faith in God to carry them through.
It reminds me of what Paul wrote in his letter to the Romans (5:3 – 5) where we find these words:
… we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.
That means in spite of the fact that TIMES ARE CHANGING... because of God’s unconditional love and compassion for us… because of His all-encompassing grace and mercy… we can look beyond the chaos and confusion that could lead to despair… and instead, we can have hope.
Hope in the One whom we clearly need now more than ever. Because the reality is that there is not a single moment of a single day when we do not need the Lord.
And we have been given the opportunity to share this simple truth with others… although TIMES ARE CHANGING... the Lord has promised to be right here with us always… we just need to look up.
Out of curiosity, have you ever tried an experiment where you just stare up at the ceiling... without saying anything? And when you do that, what happens when other people walk into the room [they look up].
Let me suggest that we make it our mission to look up and keep looking up so that others will be drawn to do the same...
To look up to Jesus and imagine a world where people actually live by His command to love God and the people of God... where people care about and tend to the needs of others... where love, and not hate, is the order of the day.
And, if that is the kind of world that you desire to see some day... I want to invite you to stand and join in singing our Hymn of Discipleship: O for a World #683.
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Hope in the One whom we clearly need now more than ever. Because the reality is that there is not a single moment of a single day when we do not need the Lord.
And we have been given the opportunity to share this simple truth with others… although TIMES ARE CHANGING... the Lord has promised to be right here with us always… we just need to look up.
Out of curiosity, have you ever tried an experiment where you just stare up at the ceiling... without saying anything? And when you do that, what happens when other people walk into the room [they look up].
Let me suggest that we make it our mission to look up and keep looking up so that others will be drawn to do the same...
To look up to Jesus and imagine a world where people actually live by His command to love God and the people of God... where people care about and tend to the needs of others... where love, and not hate, is the order of the day.
And, if that is the kind of world that you desire to see some day... I want to invite you to stand and join in singing our Hymn of Discipleship: O for a World #683.
