THE TRANSFIGURATION OF OUR LORD
Brilliant!
February 15, 2026
AS WE GATHER
Jesus looks brilliant! As language changes, sometimes the most basic meanings of words change and expand with the times. For generations, the English word brilliant meant simply something that shines or radiates light. The word is thought to be derived from the prized gemstone beryl, which is mentioned in both the Old Testament book of Daniel (10:6) and the book of Revelation (21:20). Jesus’ garments became “white as light,” Matthew writes (17:2), in a way that mirrors Psalm 104, where the psalmist writes of God: “You are clothed with splendor and majesty, covering Yourself with light as with a garment” (vv. 1–2). As He stands on the mountaintop with Moses and Elijah, Jesus is shining, radiant, and brilliant. An expanded meaning of the word brilliant is “perfect, amazing, and wonderful.” Jesus on the mountaintop is brilliant as He discusses how He will carry out God’s plan of our salvation with two of the best coaches ever, Moses and Elijah. Jesus does not just look brilliant—He is brilliant!
+ PREPARATION +
HYMN The People That in Darkness Sat LSB 412 V 1, 3, 4 & 6
The people that in darkness sat A glorious light have seen
The light has shined on them who long
In shades of death have been In shades of death have been
To us a Child of hope is born To us a Son is giv’n
And on His shoulder ever rest
All pow’r in earth and heav’n All pow’r in earth and heav’n
His name shall be the Prince of Peace The everlasting Lord
The Wonderful the Counselor
The God by all adored The God by all adored
Lord Jesus reign in us we pray And make us Thine alone
Who with the Father ever art
And Holy Spirit one And Holy Spirit one
INVOCATION
Pastor: In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.
People: Amen.
OPENING SENTENCES Psalm 50:1–2; 67:1, 3; 2 Corinthians 4:6
Pastor: The Mighty One, God the Lord, speaks and summons the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting.
People: Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God shines forth.
Pastor: May God be gracious to us and bless us and make His face to shine upon us.
People: Let the peoples praise You, O God; let all the peoples praise You!
Pastor: For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,”
People: has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION
Pastor: O God our Father, we admit and confess that we are by nature sinful and unclean and that we have sinned against You in thought and in word and in deed.
People: Have mercy on us and forgive us, O God.
Pastor: We confess that we have not always listened to Your Word and have not brought glory to You through our words and our deeds.
People: Have mercy on us and forgive us, O God.
Pastor: We confess that we have been thoughtless in our judgments, hasty in condemnation, begrudging in forgiveness, slow to seek reconciliation, and unwilling to help our neighbors as we ought.
People: Have mercy on us and forgive us, O God.
Pastor: We confess that we have not always been defenders of the weak and the needy as advocates of those not yet born and defenders of those in the final stages of life.
People: Have mercy on us and forgive us, O God.
Pastor: We confess that we have not used every opportunity given us to witness to the faith that is ours, that we and have let the devil, the world, and our sinful flesh set the agendas for our lives and actions.
People: Have mercy on us and forgive us, O God.
Pastor: We repent of all that is sinful in our lives, both those things that we know of and those things unknown to us that are against Your righteous laws.
People: Have mercy on us and forgive us, O God.
Pastor: Upon this your confession and by the command of our Lord, I, a called and ordained servant of Christ, forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.
People: Amen.
Pastor: Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; He will surely do it.
People: Amen.
+ WORD +
SONG All My Hope
Light in my darkness Peace for my soul
You are my rescue You never let go
Light in my darkness Peace for my soul
You are my rescue You never let go
All my hope is in You All my strength is in You
With every breath My soul will rest in You
Here in my weakness You are always the same
Your love is my shelter Your life is my way
All my hope is in You All my strength is in You
With every breath My soul will rest in You (repeat)
Constant Savior Friend forever Lord You have my heart
Sure foundation never failing Lord You have my heart
All my hope is in You All my strength is in You
With every breath My soul will rest in You
All the earth beneath You All my life before You
With every breath My soul will rest in You
With every breath My soul will rest in You
PRAYER OF THE DAY
Pastor: Let us pray. O God, in the glorious transfiguration of Your beloved Son You confirmed the mysteries of the faith by the testimony of Moses and Elijah. In the voice that came from the bright cloud You wonderfully foreshowed our adoption by grace. Mercifully make us co-heirs with the King in His glory and bring us to the fullness of our inheritance in heaven; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
People: Amen.
OLD TESTAMENT READING Exodus 24:8–18 (Moses meets with the Lord God on Mount Sinai.)
8 And Moses took the blood and threw it on the people and said, “Behold the blood of the covenant that the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words.” 9 Then Moses and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel went up, 10 and they saw the God of Israel. There was under his feet as it were a pavement of sapphire stone, like the very heaven for clearness. 11 And he did not lay his hand on the chief men of the people of Israel; they beheld God, and ate and drank. 12The Lord said Moses, “Come up to me on the mountain and wait there, that I may give you the tablets of stone, with the law and the commandment, which I have written for their instruction.” 13 So Moses rose with his assistant Joshua, and Moses went up into the mountain of God. 14 And he said to the elders, “Wait here for us until we return to you. And behold, Aaron and Hur are with you. Whoever has a dispute, let him go to them.”
15 Then Moses went up on the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain. 16 The glory of the Lord dwelt on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days. And on the seventh day he called to Moses out of the midst of the cloud. 17 Now the appearance of the glory of the Lord was like a devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the sight of the people of Israel. 18 Moses entered the cloud and went up on the mountain. And Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights.
EPISTLE 2 Peter 1:16–21 (Peter writes of his mountaintop experience with Jesus.)
16 For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17 For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,” 18 we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain. 19 And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, 20 knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone's own interpretation. 21 For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
HOLY GOSPEL Matthew 17:1–9 (Jesus is transfigured on a high mountaintop.)
And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. 2 And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. 3 And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. 4 And Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.” 5 He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” 6 When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were terrified. 7 But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Rise, and have no fear.” 8 And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only. 9 And as they were coming down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, “Tell no one the vision, until the Son of Man is raised from the dead.”
CHILDREN’S SERMON
SONG His Glory and My Good
I have seen my Father’s glory revealed in Jesus Christ
And the more that I behold Him the more He satisfies
When I gaze upon His beauty when I see Him as I should
Then my eyes are lifted upward for His glory and my good
There is hope in every trial for I can trust the Lord
He will turn my heart towards Him and help me bear the thorn
So in faith I follow Jesus on the road not understood
For I know that He is working for His glory and my good
To our God be the glory to our God be praise
He alone the name above all names
I will boast ever only in the Lord my God
For I know His glory is my good
See the open arms of Jesus upon the cross that day
What they understood as weakness deserves my every praise
For the charge that was against me it was nailed into the wood
Yes I know that He has saved me for His glory and my good
Would I gladly be made nothing that Christ would be made more
Would I seek the only Kingdom that far outweighs them all
I will stand before my Father where the faithful saints have stood
And with joy my heart shall praise Him for His glory and my good
And with joy my heart shall praise Him for His glory and my good
To our God be the glory to our God be praise
He alone the name above all names
I will boast ever only in the Lord my God
For I know His glory is my good (Repeat)
Yes I know His glory is my good
SERMON
NICENE CREED
I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth and of all things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of his Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made: who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary and was made man; and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate. He suffered and was buried. And the third day he rose again according to the Scriptures and ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of the Father. And he will come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead, whose kingdom will have no end.
And I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and Son together is worshiped and glorified, who spoke by the prophets. And I believe one holy Christian and apostolic Church, I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins, and I look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen.
GREETING/ANNOUNCEMENTS
OFFERING
PRAYER OF THE CHURCH
Pastor: Through faith in Christ, we may approach our God with confidence, praying for the whole people of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs:
God of love and peace, we bless You for revealing the mystery of the ages to us. We thank You for including each of us in the marvelous plan of salvation and for the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit in us and among us. Work in us to reflect the brilliant light of Christ and show forth His love at all times and in all places. Hear us, Father, when we pray.
People: Lord have mercy.
Pastor: God of power and might, we pray for our world and for all the people who share this planet with us. Grant us grace to listen to Your Word and to follow its directing, that we may share Your glory. Move us to reach out in every direction with the joyful news of the Gospel, that people everywhere may become part of the kingdom of God now and forever. Hear us, Father, when we pray.
People: Lord have mercy.
Pastor: God of grace and glory, we pray for this gathering of the faithful. Bless this congregation, its leaders, and all the people here present that we may be light in a darkened world. Bless also those with special needs, whose earthly journeys are burdensome or challenging. Especially we remember the sick, the homebound, and those in need of our petitions, [including . . .]. Bless them with Your presence and enable us to be their comfort and support. Hear us, Father, when we pray.
People: Lord have mercy.
Pastor: God of time and eternity, we thank You for the faithful witness of those no longer with us here on earth who shine in the beauty of Your light eternal. Inspire us by their faithful witness that we seek to serve You constantly all our days. Into Your hands, O Lord, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in Your mercy through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Hear us, Father, when we pray.
People: Amen