Message preached Sunday, January 3, 2016 from Mark 9:1-8
Theme: The Transfiguration of our Lord on the mountain revealed certain things about Him that ought to impact our daily lives.
(Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are taken from The Holy Bible, New King James Version; copyright 1982, Thomas Nelson, Inc.)
If we were to think of the most significant events in the Bible that clarify to us who Jesus is, I believe that two of them would stand out the most.
Almost immediately, we would think of the story of His birth. We would, of course, remember the quiet and tender announcement that the angel made to Mary—that she would conceive and bear a son by the power of the Holy Spirit; and that for that reason, He would be called ‘the Son of God’. And we would also think of the stunning and loud angelic announcement to the shepherds in the fields of the tidings of great joy to the world that a Savior has been born.
And we would also think of another great event; and that would be Jesus’ resurrection from the dead. We would remember how the women who came early to the tomb heard the announcement from the angel at the tomb that He was alive; and of how Peter and John came later to find the tomb empty; and of how He appeared to the disciples while they were assembled together, and proved to them that He was truly alive. Sin and death has been conquered by Him; and we now have a living hope through Him.
Those two events—His conception by the Holy Spirit and His resurrection from the dead; ‘bookends’ on either of the extreme ends of His earthly life—are what we would typically think of as the decisive events that declared who Jesus is to this world. But I would like to suggest that there is a third event—one that’s found in the middle of His earthly ministry—that is just as decisive in declaring His identity. We Protestants don’t observe a holiday in memory of it as much as we do for the other two; but it was an event that, nevertheless, was so remarkable that those who were eye-witnesses of it were impacted by it for the rest of their lives. It became a great motivation for their bold proclamation of Jesus to this world.
It’s an event that is given particular mention at least five times in the New Testament—described in great detail in three of the four Gospels; referenced in a few brief but powerful words at the beginning of John’s Gospel; and written about very passionately in the second letter of the apostle Peter. It’s an event that—if true—would be one of the most remarkable things that ever happened on planet earth. It’s the event we often call, the Transfiguration.
This event is described for us in the ninth chapter of Mark’s Gospel. I ask that we walk through this passage together slowly—picking up some of the details here and there. And then, I ask that we take a few moments afterward to highlight what this event teaches us about Jesus.
And in all of it, I pray that God would help us to place ourselves, as it were, in the scene with those who witnessed this event; and along with them, behold the glory of Jesus Christ.
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Now; this story is taken up immediately where another leaves off. Over our past few times together in the Gospel of Mark, we saw how our Lord taught His disciples about His identity. He asked them who they said that He was; and they replied that He was the Christ—the Son of the living God. And then, He let them know that, as the Son of God, He was going to go to Jerusalem and be crucified and be raised from the dead three days later.
Do you remember how Peter pulled Jesus aside and tried to rebuke Him for talking like that? And do you remember how Jesus then turned around and rebuked Peter?—and told him and all the other apostles that, if anyone would be His disciple, they must also take up their cross and follow Him? In Mark 8:38, He told them;
For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels (Mark 8:38).
So; He had just finished talking with them about paying the price to follow Him in the light of His future, glorious, second coming as King of kings and Lord of lords. And it was against the background of that bold affirmation that our passage picks up this morning. In Mark 9:1, we read these remarkable words:
And He said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you that there are some standing here who will not taste death till they see the kingdom of God present with power” (9:1).
What an astonishing thing for Jesus to have said! To say that “some” would not “taste death” meant that a few of those standing there at that moment would (as the original language has it) absolutely not—not by any means whatsoever—partake of physical death until a certain thing happened first. It’s a promise that the Lord meant to be taken seriously—prefacing it with the words, “Assuredly, I say to you . . .” Those certain ones would not die until they actually saw, with their own eyes, “the kingdom of God present”—that is, having come to them and being in existence in their presence—“with power”.
You should probably know that this is considered one of the most perplexing verses in the whole Gospel of Mark. How could such a thing have happened? When did it occur? A lot of strange explanations have been developed as to what event it might have been that Jesus was talking about. But I don’t believe there needs to be any perplexity at all. It’s a promise that is always found to be given, in the other Gospels, just before the story that we’re about to read.
I take it then that the remarkable event that Mark goes on to describe in the verses that follow—that is, the Transfiguration—is the fulfillment of that promise. Some of the apostles who were standing there at that very moment were going to actually see—with their own eyes—the coming of the kingdom of God with power. Jesus Himself is the living embodiment of the Kingdom of God. He Himself is it’s King. And the visual display of the kingdom’s ‘coming in power’ was through the Person of the Lord Jesus Himself—exhibited in His Transfiguration as a sort of ‘preview’ of the glory of His second coming at the end of the age.
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So; here’s what happened. We’re told in verse 2,
Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John, and led them up on a high mountain apart by themselves . . . (v. 2a).
In Luke’s Gospel, we’re told that it was “about eight days after these saying” (Luke 9:28). But there’s no conflict. Six days is about eight days. So around a week after making that remarkable promise, Jesus took three of His closest apostles—Peter, James, and James’ brother John—with Him on a hike up a high mountain all by themselves. If they were in the area south of the Sea of Galilee, then it was probably Mt. Tabor. There is a church at the top of that mountain today that marks the traditional spot where it is believed that this event happened. But if they were still up north from the Sea of Galilee—which is where they had just been—then it was probably the much higher location of Mt. Hermon. But whichever location it actually was, it was upon a high mountain; and they were by themselves—just Jesus and these three.
Why just these three apostles? Why just Peter, James and John—and not all the others? One reason, I suppose, was because they were the closest of Jesus’ disciples. You’ll often find them described as being in the ‘inner-circle’ of His twelve disciples. They were closest to Jesus; and so they got a more clearer view of who He is. I like what one preacher said about this, “If you want a clearer understanding of Jesus, you need to go ‘higher-up’ with Him.” And as it turns out, two of these three men—Peter and John—wrote books that we have in the New Testament; and they declared to us the things they learned about Jesus on this mountain-top experience. But there might be another reason for just these three; and that’s because, in the Bible, we’re told that that “by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established” (Matthew 18:16). But whatever the reason that the Lord had for picking just these three—and no others—we know that He made the right choice.
I speculate that they themselves didn’t know exactly why it was that the Lord had called them on this trip up the mountain. When we read in the other Gospels about this event, we find that it had become evening; and that the Lord Jesus was praying—and that they were heavy with sleep. But they suddenly became awake; because we’re told,
and He was transfigured before them (v. 2b).
The word that is used in the original language—here translated “transfigured”—is the word from which we get the word “metamorphosis”. It describes a transformation of the outward image; and in this case, it was a transformation of Jesus’ outward image in such a way as to express His true inward nature. The word is put in the “passive voice”; meaning that it was not something that He did to Himself, but was something that was done to Him by another. I believe that, as He prayed—in the presence of these three select apostles—God the Father changed our Lord’s outward form for a brief moment, and allowed the inward glory of who He truly was to be seen and made manifest. He was not being made into something different than what He was; but rather, that what He truly is was being allowed to shine forth.
What a sight it must have been! Mark—who was reporting to us the eyewitness account as Peter remembered it—wrote,
His clothes became shining, exceedingly white, like snow, such as no launderer on earth can whiten them (v. 3).
Matthew’s Gospel tells us that His face “shone like the sun”; and so it must be that the resplendence of His inward glory shown through His physical body outward in such a way as to make even the garments that He wore shine with majestic splendor. Peter was a hard-working fisherman; and I suspect that it really impressed him whenever garments were made white. But he knew that no launderer on earth—not even a launderer who could make a fisherman’s garments clean—could make garments shine so brightly as what he saw upon Jesus!
What’s more, we’re told,
And Elijah appeared to them with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus (v. 4).
How it was that the disciples could know that this was Moses and Elijah is something we’re not told. But it must be that God spoke to their hearts and made sure they knew who these two men were. And what kind of state of being were their bodies in? We can’t know. We can only know that it was them, and that they were with Jesus, and that they could be seen and heard by the human senses.
Why was it that just these two Old Testament saints appeared with Jesus? One possibility could be because of what they represented by their ministries. Moses—as we all know—was God’s appointed messenger in giving His written law to the people. God used him to give us the first five books of the Bible. He was God’s appointed lawgiver. And Elijah, although he never wrote a book that we find in the Bible, was often considered to be the premier Old Testament prophet—a remarkable man through whom God gave His message to His people through remarkable signs and miracles. It may be that that Moses and Elijah were sent to talk to the Lord Jesus because they represented the whole of the Old Testament Scriptures—the law and the prophets. We’re told in Luke’s Gospel that they were talking to Him about the death that He was about to accomplish in Jerusalem; and so, this would be showing us that the ministry of Jesus upon the cross was consistent with the Old Testament promises contained in the Scriptures.
Another possibility has to do with what these two men represent in the way that they died. You may remember how the Bible tells us that, when Moses died, God Himself buried his body. No other human being was allowed to know exactly where the body of Moses was. The body of no one else was ever buried as the body of Moses was buried. But Elijah did not physically die as other people have died. We’re told in the Scriptures that his life on earth was concluded by his being taken up alive into heaven by God in a fiery chariot. And so, it could be that these two men are presented as a picture of the two great classes of humanity that will be impacted by the Lord’s glorious return—those who will have died physically, and are kept by God for the day of resurrected to meet Jesus in glory; and those who will still be alive and will be transformed into glory at the twinkling of an eye. The representatives of both groups—Moses and Elijah—were shown talking to the Lord Jesus together about the death He would accomplish for all those He would redeemed.
What an amazing sight this would have been! There would have been no other like it in human history! And we’re not told that Peter, James and John were merely in a trance; or that this was a vision that was given through a dream. We’re told in another Gospel that they were awakened from their sleep in order to actually behold this sight! It’s an even that is presented to us as actually happening before their eyes—in the real, physical, time/space universe! All three saw it and could testify! They had not tasted death, and yet were seeing the kingdom of God “present with power”. They were seeing it as they beheld the Lord Jesus in His majestic glory!
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And it’s then that Peter spoke up. Peter often spoke up at such moments. I can’t personally fault him for that. And yet, it would have been better if he had remained silent; because he spoke unwisely—and from out of a distressed state of mind. We’re told;
Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; and let us make three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah”—because he did not know what to say, for they were greatly afraid (vv. 5-6).
What Peter was saying was, of course, true. It truly was good to be there. But for him to suggest that a tabernacle—a holy structure—be built each for Jesus and Moses and Elijah was a terrible mistake. In his unthinking words, he was lowering Jesus in status—calling Him merely “Rabbi” or “Teacher”, and putting Him on the same level as Moses and Elijah. Perhaps Peter had forgotten what he had already declared earlier: that this very same Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God!
And that’s when God the Father Himself spoke and made things clear to Peter and the others. We’re told;
And a cloud came and overshadowed them; and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!” (v. 7).
In another Gospel, we’re told that they were fearful as they entered this cloud. And that may be because it was clearly not a cloud of earthly origin. It might have reminded them of that cloud of old, the Shehkinah cloud—the cloud of God’s glorious presence that came upon the tabernacle in the wilderness after Moses had built it; the cloud that once came upon Solomon’s temple with such glory that the priests could not enter in. This holy cloud came over them; and from out of the cloud, the voice of God the Father made it clear that only One was His beloved Son. Only One should be heard above all the others! Who? Mark tells us;
Suddenly, when they had looked around, they saw no one anymore, but only Jesus with themselves (v. 8).
What a clear testimony of who Jesus is! And what an amazing event it must have been to see! The apostle John wrote about it later in his life, in the first chapter of the Gospel of John;
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. . . . And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:1-4, 14).
And the apostle Peter wrote very boldly about it, and said;
For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty. For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain. And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts . . . (2 Peter 1:16-19).
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That, I believe, is an event that deserves to be considered by us as one of the most decisive declarations of the glory of Jesus Christ that ever occurred on earth! I wish we had a holiday to celebrate it! What a thrill it is to read!—and to experience just a portion of what those disciples must have felt when they actually beheld His glory with their own eyes!
Do you realize, dear brothers and sisters in Christ, that we too will—one day, not far away—behold His glory? Jesus prayed for us once; and said, “Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world” (John 17:24). His glory won’t be partially veiled to us then; and it won’t be for just a a few moments that we behold it. It will be our eternal joy to behold His glory, and to see Him face to face.
But I believe we can experience the impact of that glory—to some degree—right now. We can learn far more things about Jesus from this story than we can talk about today. But here are at least a few things that can and should impact our daily lives right now as we await His second coming.
First, let’s briefly consider . . .
1. THAT HE POSSESSES ALL THE FULLNESS OF DIVINE MAJESTY.
When the three disciples were with Him on the mountain, and they saw His face shine like the sun and His garments glisten with a whiteness that was brighter than any launderer on earth could bring about, they were not seeing something that was being added to Jesus. What they were seeing was the veil of His humanness being, as it were, drawn back like a curtain—revealing the divine glory that was always there.
And that means that, if you have a relationship with Him by faith—and He is dwelling in you—then you are indwelt by One who possesses all the fulness of divine majesty! You are the dwelling place of the King of glory through the ministry of the indwelling Holy Spirit! This does not mean that Jesus literally shines through you now, of course. You don’t glow in the dark. But it does mean that the One who indwells you by faith is the One who possess all glory.
And that should make a great difference in how you view yourself. It should make a great difference in how you live. You should never look to something else to complete you or fulfill you; because you already have it all in having Him. As the apostle Paul put it:
Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power (Colossians 2:8-10).
Joining these three apostles in beholding the revelation of just a portion of His glory should convince us that we truly need nothing else but Him!
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Second, consider . . .
2. THAT HE IS TO BE HONORED BY US ABOVE ALL OTHERS.
No less of a pair of Old Testament saints than Moses and Elijah appeared with Him. But Moses and Elijah were not to be worshiped with Him. He did not come to them, but they came to Him. Tabernacles were not to be built for them all equally; because they were not all equals. Moses and Elijah were only created beings. But Jesus was the Creator—the one through whom all things were made, and without whom nothing was made that was made. The Father identified Him alone as His beloved Son.
And that means that Jesus Christ is to be honored by us above all—above all men, above all institutions of man, above all authority, above all other saints, and above all religious systems and philosophies of even the wisest and most saintly of men. He alone is to be worshiped and honored. The apostle Paul wrote about Jesus in Philippians 2;
who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:6-10).
As we have joined the three apostles in seeing the glory of Jesus, let’s be sure that—from now on—He alone receives our worship and our heart’s greatest devotion.
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And finally, consider . . .
3. THAT WE ARE TO TURN TO HIM FOR ALL THAT WE NEED FROM GOD.
I simply point out that after the Father revealed Jesus’ divine majesty to the three apostles, and after He showed that Jesus stands as superior to even Moses and Elijah, He commanded the three apostles, “Hear Him!” He alone is the Authority that we are to go to. He alone is the One by whom we have access to the Father. He alone is the One appointed by the Father to be our Savior, Master, Teacher, Redeemer, Healer, Example, and Friend. As Jesus Himself once prayed and declared;
“I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight. All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him. Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matthew 11:25-30).
Having stood—as it were—with these three disciples, and having witnessed with them the glory of the Lord Jesus, let’s turn to Him for everything. Let’s be sure that we know that this is no myth or fable that we’re following when we believe the gospel. Let’s be sure that we obey the voice of God the Father, and truly ‘hear Him!’