The Power of Sonlight -- FPC sermon excerpt

The Sun is the center of our solar system, and the source of the power that gives us life. But for most of human history, we haven’t understood it.

Until fairly recently, we appreciated the light of the Sun, but didn’t think of it as an energy source. Now, solar panels are popping up around the world, and scientists are getting ready to launch a satellite called LightSail-1, a spacecraft that will be powered by sunlight propulsion.

LightSail-1 is basically a giant Mylar kite, one that will be pushed along by light photons from the Sun. The beauty of photon power is that it lasts forever, unlike the rocket fuel on traditional satellites. A spacecraft pushed by the Sun will keep going, gradually moving faster and faster, until it reaches speeds of one-tenth the speed of light.

That’s fast: About 108 billion miles per hour.

For thousands of years, we underestimated the size of the Sun, thinking that it was smaller than the Earth. Even the ancient Greeks — described in mental_floss magazine (September-October 2010) as “the classic nerds of the Old World” — had trouble figuring out which one was bigger.

One philosopher thought that the Sun was just a few times bigger than his country Greece. Another mathematician and astronomer calculated that it was bigger than Earth, but just 150 times larger.

It wasn’t until the year 1672 that two astronomers calculated the true size of the solar system. Today, we know that the Sun is 1.3 million times bigger than Earth.

Picture a baseball, approximately three inches in diameter. If the Earth is the size of a baseball, the Sun would be a ball with a diameter of 25 feet.

That’s big!

We also fail to grasp the effect of the Sun on our day-to-day lives. Flare-ups on the Sun can have an effect on the Earth’s magnetic field, and can mess with powerline currents and oil pipelines. You can now get an iPhone app called 3D-Sun, giving you all the info you need on sunspots and solar flare-ups.

The bottom line is that the Sun is powerful, big, and able to affect our day-to-day lives.

Just like Jesus.

The Gospel of Matthew tells us that Jesus gathers three of his disciples — Peter, James, and his brother John — and leads them up a high mountain, by themselves. While they are there, Jesus is transfigured before them, his face shines like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white (17:1-2).

They see the power of Sonlight — the light of the Son of God.

Now “transfigured” is not a word we stumble across every day, probably because surprising changes in appearance don’t happen often. To be transfigured is to be transformed, to undergo a metamorphosis — a change in appearance, condition, or form.

Jesus goes from being an ordinary Galilean peasant to an extraordinary figure with a face that shines “like the sun,” with clothes that are “dazzling white.”

The disciples look at him and think, “This is powerful.”

But before they can get a handle on this energy flowing out of Jesus, two men appear to them — Moses and Elijah (v. 3). These are the heavy-hitters of the Old Testament, men who represent God’s law and God’s prophecies. Both worked miracles, and were believed by some to skip death and go directly to heaven. Because Jesus is talking with them, he is on their level; his ministry is fulfilling what God had been doing through the people of Israel.

The disciples think, “This is big.”

Realizing the significance of the moment, Peter says to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, I will make three dwellings here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah” (v. 4). I give Peter credit — this is a thoughtful and hospitable impulse, but of course it is a ridiculous offer. Is there any way that something shining with the brightness of the Sun could be contained within a dwelling? It’s just too powerful. Too big.

Before Jesus can answer, a bright cloud overshadows them, and from the cloud a voice says, “This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!” When the disciples hear this, they fall down, overcome with fear. But Jesus touches them, saying, “Get up and do not be afraid.” And when they look up, they see no one except Jesus himself, alone (vv. 5-8).

As the disciples arise, they think to themselves, “This Jesus is the Son — the Son of God. He’s powerful, he’s big, and God wants us to listen to him. And what an effect he has, knocking us down and picking us up!”

On the day of the Transfiguration, the disciples begin to grasp the power of Sonlight.