The Glory of the Son (Mark 9:1–13)

I. 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.”

1. 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.”

A. These words of Jesus have been debated for centuries.

This verse is actually the ending of chapter 8 rather than the beginning of chapter 9. It sets up the action that follows—one of the most disputed events in the Gospels. I tell you the truth is a strong injunction from Jesus to those who are listening to pay close attention. The prophecy in this verse is problematic.

The words “And He said to them” introduce an authoritative statement by Jesus. He predicted that some who stood there listening to Him would not taste death before they saw a powerful display of God’s kingdom. The words “taste death” are a Hebrew idiom for experiencing physical death.

B. What did Jesus refer to when he mentioned the kingdom of God coming with power?

The most likely meaning is that some of the disciples would get a glimpse of the Kingdom’s full glory in the Transfiguration that follows.

There are many interpretations of what Jesus meant when He said that some would not taste death till they see the kingdom of God present with power. But I believe it all in Jesus and what He did.

II. His glory displayed (9:2–8)

2 Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John, and led them up on a high mountain apart by themselves; and He was transfigured before them. 3 His clothes became shining, exceedingly white, like snow, such as no launderer on earth can whiten them. 4 And Elijah appeared to them with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus. 5 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”—6 because he did not know what to say, for they were greatly afraid.7 And a cloud came and overshadowed them; and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!” 8 Suddenly, when they had looked around, they saw no one anymore, but only Jesus with themselves.

A. This event confirmed Peter’s confession and fulfilled Jesus’ prediction.

It takes faith to accept and practice this lesson on discipleship, so six days later, the Lord gave a dazzling proof that God indeed does transform suffering into glory. He took Peter, James, and John to the top of a mountain, and there He revealed His glory.

Jesus was transfigured in the presence of the three disciples. “Transfigured” (“metamorphosis”) means “to be changed into another form,” not merely a change in outward appearance. For a brief time Jesus’ human body was transformed (glorified) and the disciples saw Him as He will be when He returns visibly in power and glory to establish His kingdom on earth. This was dramatically portrayed by the bright whiteness of His clothes.

B. Two significant Old Testament men.

Elijah and Moses, appeared miraculously and were conversing with Jesus. Moses represented the Law and Elijah the Prophets, both of which find their fulfillment in Jesus Christ. Moses had died and his body was buried, but Elijah had been raptured to heaven. When Jesus returns, He will raise the bodies of the saints who died and will rapture the living saints

Jesus will one day establish His glorious kingdom and fulfill the many promises made through the prophets. Christ’s sufferings and death would not prevent God from establishing His kingdom; rather, by solving the sin problem in God’s world, the cross would help to make the kingdom possible.

C. Peter’s suggestion reflects again human thinking and not divine wisdom.

How wonderful it would be to stay on the mountaintop and bask in His glory! But discipleship means denying self, taking up a cross, and following Him; and you cannot do that and selfishly stay on the mount of glory. There are needs to be met in the valley below. If we want to share the glory of Christ on the mountaintop, we must be willing to follow Him into the sufferings of the valley below.

The Father interrupted Peter’s speech and focused their attention, not on the vision, but on the Word of God: “Hear Him!” The memory of visions will fade, but the unchanging Word abides forever. The glorious vision was not an end in itself; it was God’s way of confirming the Word. Discipleship is not built on spectacular visions but on the inspired, unchanging Word of God. Nor do we put Moses, Elijah, and Jesus on the same level, as Peter hinted. It is “Jesus only”—His Word, His will, His kingdom, and His glory.

III. Elijah Has Returned (9:9–13)

9 Now as they came down from the mountain, He commanded them that they should tell no one the things they had seen, till the Son of Man had risen from the dead. 10 So they kept this word to themselves, questioning what the rising from the dead meant. 11 And they asked Him, saying, “Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?” 12 Then He answered and told them, “Indeed, Elijah is coming first and restores all things. And how is it written concerning the Son of Man, that He must suffer many things and be treated with contempt? 13 But I say to you that Elijah has also come, and they did to him whatever they wished, as it is written of him.”

A. His command to silence.

As they walked back down the mountain, Jesus ordered Peter, James and John to say nothing about what they had witnessed. So when they reached level ground again and the crowd was amazed at Jesus’ radiance, Jesus himself had become a parable. Something profound had happened. The three disciples were perplexed by Jesus’ command. They kept discussing among themselves … what “rising from the dead” meant. They believed in a future resurrection, but were puzzled by the unexpected announcement of Jesus’ death and resurrection.

This was Jesus’ last command to silence recorded by Mark and the only one on which He set a time limit. This implied that a time of proclamation would follow this period of silence. Only from the perspective of the Resurrection would they understand the transfiguration and thus be able to proclaim its meaning correctly.

B. His declaration about Elijah.

The presence of Elijah at the transfiguration, the confirmation of Jesus as Messiah, and His reference to the Resurrection (v. 9) suggested that the end of all things was near. If so, where was Elijah who must come first to prepare the nation spiritually for the Messiah’s coming? Perhaps the disciples thought Elijah’s work of renewal would mean the Messiah would not need to suffer.

Jesus made two things clear. First, He acknowledged on the one hand that Elijah does come first (before the Messiah) and restores all things through spiritual renewal (Mal. 4:5–6). On the other hand this does not remove the necessity for the Son of Man to suffer much and be rejected. John the Baptist fulfilled the Elijah prophecy (Mal. 4:5–6) typically at Christ’s First Advent. Yet Malachi’s prophecy (Mal. 4:5–6) indicates that Elijah himself will also appear just before Christ’s Second Advent.