From Rev’d Caroline – 01285 712467 – carolinesymcox@googlemail.com
Readings for Sunday: Exodus 24.12-end; 2 Peter 1.16-end; Matthew 17.1-9
To hear Caroline’s sermon click on the arrow below.
The following is taken from the Parish Newsletter for Sunday 15th February 2026.
This Sunday marks the final pit-stop before we step into that solemn season of preparation and penitence that is Lent. Our jumping-off point into this time of reflection then, is a moment of clear revelation – the Transfiguration – where Jesus shows his closest disciples exactly who he is. He, Peter, James and John climb up a mountain and in a second, Jesus’ appearance is transformed. He is clothed in dazzling white, his skin shining like the sun, and suddenly at his right hand and on his left appear two of the most significant figures from the long story of the Jewish people – Moses and Elijah. To say the disciples are shocked would be an understatement, and perhaps we might be similarly surprised at this sudden unveiling of Jesus’ true nature.
Have you ever noticed that in our stained glass windows at St Mary’s, this happening is shown not in a window by itself, but rather right in the middle of two illustrations of Jesus’ resurrection appearances, at the top of the Corpus Christi chapel? We might wonder why that is. The Transfiguration happens quite some time before Jesus even gets to Jerusalem. Why should these moments be pictured together?
The answer is the same as why we reflect on this moment before we dive into our preparations for the great festival of Easter. It is a foreshadowing, a glimpse of the whole of the story, before everything can unfold. It is a moment of mystery and awe that will be a touchstone for the disciples as they go through all the suffering that comes with Jesus’ arrest and execution, and then again as they face persecution as followers of the Risen Christ in the years after Jesus’ Resurrection. There’s a reason why Peter references this moment in his letter to the churches that we read this Sunday.
This clear unveiling that Jesus offers to his disciples, us included, is a gift of knowledge and assurance. How do we know who Jesus really is? We know because he has shown us. He has shown us in his words and actions, his teaching and healing, in his suffering and his death. And just in case that wasn’t enough, for those who need the evidence of their own eyes first and foremost, he has shown us in visual glory and the welcoming voice of God echoing in the mountains, “This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!”
This is a moment for us to carry with us too. Here is the fullness of who Jesus is – dazzling bright, flanked by law and prophecy, full of glory and power. And we remember with thanksgiving how Jesus lays that glory aside for our sake, as we tread that hallowed path toward the darkness and pain of the Cross, and the bright victory that lies beyond it.
Rev’d Caroline
Updated 15th February 2026