Mark 9:2-11 | A Mysterious Mic Drop

Who is Jesus to you? Have you responded to Him and if so how?

This is why the Gospel of Mark was written. As we’ve been walking through some snapshots in the life of Jesus, seeing Him revealed to the crowds and to us as readers, hopefully that you’ve seen as mysterious as Jesus was and is today, hopefully you’ve seen that He is a person with whom we must make a decision about.

And I’m not just talking about agreeing to a set of facts here Church.

Just this past week in my men’s connect group, we were talking about just this reality. In America today, lots of people claim to “believe in Jesus,” and what they mean by that is that they believe He was a person, they may even say that they believe He was God and God’s son. It’s maybe not as popular as it used to be, but turn on any country radio station and you’re going to here echoes of Christianity as well as the name of Jesus belted out by some country artist. Our culture still has echoes of Christianity woven through it and we are increasingly becoming more and more spiritual as people. We are open to alternative medicine and mediation. Many folks, more and more when surveyed consider themselves to be spiritual people. The problem is most, simply like to curate the best things they like from different religious sources and craft for themselves a system of beliefs that affirms their preexisting ideas and gives them a sense of identity and purpose that makes them feel better about who they want to be and how they want to define themselves.

And so many many people claim to believe in Jesus and for many what that means is that they are happy to add Jesus to their list of spiritual ideas, picking and choosing what they like about Him and what makes them feel good, and then disregarding the rest.

Many folks are happy to claim a belief in Jesus so they can rest easy knowing that they will escape hell fire. They’re happy to jump through the religious hoops they deem necessary to cover over their chosen lifestyles. They are happy to have Jesus as their savior, but they do not think of Him as their Lord, as the God and King who has the right to tell them how to live. So many claim belief in Jesus. They agree to a list of facts in the Bible as one might intellectually agree with the facts that George Washington was the United States’ first president. And their belief in Jesus has about as much bearing in their life today as does the fact that George was our first president.

So when I ask you how you’ve responded to this mystery man personal I want you to know that the response God has is mind for our salvation is more than mere intellectually belief. It is not enough for you to simply agree to a set of facts about who you think Jesus was and is.

There is a verse, James 2:19 that has always given me pause when thinking about what it means to believe in Jesus in a saving manner. James writes “19 You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.” This verse indicates that demons know the facts about who God is, but that does not lead them into the safety, security and rest of God through salvation, but rather the facts they know cause them to shudder in fear! Presumable the fear of judgement!

Apparently, Jesus has in mind something more than just learning facts about Him as the response required from us in order to receive salvation. So what is it? What is the response Jesus desires from us in order to be saved?

Well I can’t think of anything more clear and helpful than what Jesus says in Matthew 7:21-23. Here Matthew records for us Jesus speaking about true and false disciples. Let’s read what He says briefly together:

Matthew 7:21–23 (NIV)

21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’

If we put this section of scripture together with what James says in Jame 2:12 we can deduce that salvation does not come from knowing facts about Jesus alone. Even the demons know those facts and they aren’t saved. Nor is doing a lot of good things for Jesus what saves us. Here we see people, prophesying and drive out demons and preforming miracles, but Jesus has strong words for them. What does He say to these people doing good things in the name of Jesus? He says away from me I never knew you!

And there it is Church. Do you want to know how to be saved? Do you want to know what kind of response you need to have to this mystery man Jesus Christ for you to know salvation? You need to get to know Jesus and allow Him to know you personally!

Knowing the religious rules and facts and doing the religious rules and facts will not save you. You’ve got to know Jesus!

This is what the Bible is and always has been about from Genesis to Revelation. It’s a book to help you know God personally!

Now we’re going to look at another mysterious event here recorded for us in Mark that is packed with symbolism and meaning. And we’ll spend a little bit of time unpacking some of that, but what I want you to see is not just the cool symbolism and facts, what I want you to pay close attention to is how Jesus responds to what happens in the account that Mark records for us, which has become known throughout Church history as the Transfiguration.

How Jesus responds to glory reveals to us that not only should we want to know Him personally, but if we would choose to make Him our Lord and Savior personally, even though we may suffer we can trust that we will never suffer alone because Jesus choose to make His home with us and promises to never leave us nor forsake us no matter what comes our way!

Before we read Mark 9, allow me to give you some context.

As we’ve been studying. Mark has shown us that Jesus is a mysterious man of strange or otherworldly power and authority. He came teaching with that authority and He casting our demons came and healing people with that same power and authority.

And all of these actions if you were to keep reading in Mark sort of find their climax in Mark 8 where Jesus’ inner circle of Disciples are asked by Jesus who they say that He is and Peter responds in Mark 8:29 that Jesus is the Messiah! They correctly identify who Jesus is and then once Jesus is convinced that they know who He is, Jesus then begins to instruct them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and eventually be killed by the leaders of the day and then raised 3 days later.

In response to Jesus teaching His disciples that He must suffer death and resurrection, Peter, the same man who had just correctly identified Jesus, Peter says to Jesus, “may it never be!” Mark records in Mark 8:32 that Peter takes Jesus aside and rebukes Him for speaking about suffering and death!

Which Jesus then responds by saying to Peter in Mark 8:33 “Get behind me, Satan! You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns,” and then Jesus goes on to teach the crowds that not only is the way for the Messiah the path of suffering and dying to one’s self but it is also the way in which Jesus expects His followers to take after Him.

Look at the words of Mark 8:34 “34 Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.”

Take up your cross. For us that is a cute Christian saying we tattoo on our biceps or hang on a necklace. Do you know what it was in the days that Jesus spoke these words. Taking up your cross meant carrying an instrument of torture to your death and humiliation.

Can we all just agree that for someone trying to start a movement, this isn’t something that would focus group very well? Right, if you got some spin doctors in a room or some marketing gurus in a room and were like, how do we sell this movement to the masses, ain’t nobody going to come up with the tag line for the Messiah’s campaign, “take up your cross and follow me!” That would be like a presidential nominee kicking off His presidential bid with a line like, a vote for me and I’ll put you in the electric chair! Right, we don’t have to focus group that as a tag line, we all know it’s terrible!

And yet, here Jesus is and people are finally starting to grasp who He is, and He starts telling his inner circle He’s going to die and that He expects all His followers to join Him in His suffering!

Isn’t this just the most mysterious thing? It’s downright bewildering! And I think it’s precisely why Jesus takes His inner core, His most trusted confidants with Him to where we find Him going in Mark 9, to the mount top! Let’s read it together:

Mark 9:2–11 (NIV)

2 After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them. 3 His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. 4 And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus.

5 Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” 6 (He did not know what to say, they were so frightened.)

7 Then a cloud appeared and covered them, and a voice came from the cloud: “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!”

8 Suddenly, when they looked around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus.

9 As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus gave them orders not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. 10 They kept the matter to themselves, discussing what “rising from the dead” meant.

11 And they asked him, “Why do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?”

When we pick up the story in Mark 9, “the six days later” is in reference to Peter’s declaration of Jesus being the Messiah and it’s an intentional time reference because Mark wants his readers to connect this six days to the six days that Moses waited for God to meet with Him on Mount Sinai in Exodus 24:16 when Moses received the 10 commandments and the law for Israel.

How do I know that, because Moses shows up and this reference to 6 days is the first of many parallels Mark sprinkles between this encounter with Jesus on the Mountain top and other mountain top experiencing from Moses and Elijah in the Old Testament.

You see, Peter, and Jesus’ other disciples, they are getting the idea of who Jesus is and as I’ve shown you, they’re thinking about the nature of salvation and redemption for God’s people is mistaken. They are fixated on political revolution, but Jesus is focused on spiritual transformation! So as you could easily imagine, as you’re starting to see Jesus do all the miracles and casting our demons all the supernatural authority and power on display, you can understand why they might be getting excited as His close inner circle of followers! I mean imagine if a presidential nominee began operating like Jesus did with that same power and authority. If you start healing people and casting out demons and preforming miracles, you could own the whole world pretty quickly and those in your inner cirlce are going to reap all that power and authority and wealth with you. So His disciples are getting pumped! Nows the times! God’s going to bring about a whole new world order and we’re going to be with Him at the top but then Jesus starts talking about suffering and dying… you can also most hear the record scratching right.

Peter is in his revelry dreaming of being fed grapes on a plush mattress and being fanned by some eyculyptus branches and then Jesus says He’s going to be killed. EEEERRRRRWWWEERRRRT… Wait what!? Suffer? Die? Jesus that’s not the plan! And then Jesus rebukes you, calling you Satan and reaffirms, this is God’s plan! In fact, it’s His plan that I would suffer and die and that all who would follow me would join in my suffering by dying to themselves, by taking up a cross and following me!

This is why Jesus takes His closest friends with Him up the Mountain. They need to see that this has always been the plan. That Jesus is who He’s claimed to be and that They should listen to Him!

Which is precisely what they seen when they get up to the Mountain Top.

Six days later after Peter correctly Identifies Jesus, six days later, just like when Moses met with God on his mountain top. Six days later A cloud descends upon Mount Hermon, Jesus is transfigured. His appearance is changed and what is reality in Heaven is revealed on Earth. The veil is lifted and Jesus true form is revealed to Peter, James and John. Jesus shines like the sun, brighter white than any bleach could make a garment! He shines forth with the Shekinah glory cloud that once filled the temple of God in the Old Testament! Shekinah is a Hebrew word that means dwelling or settling. There was a glorious light that dwelt or settled upon the temple of God in the Old Testament and shown forth. Now that same light or glory is emanating and vibrating forth from Jesus and 2 of the greats from the Old Testament appear. Moses, the man who lead Israel from their slavery to Egypt into Freedom and Elijah, the prophet of God who fought heroically against the forces of evil to deliver God’s people from an evil King and from idolatry to pagan gods! 2 men who sort of summarize the law and the prophets, they show up and begin speaking with Jesus. They seem to know Him, indeed they do, because He was the one with whom they dealt with when they were living their lives upon the earth! I believe when Moses met with God in the tent of meeting, you can read about it in Exodus, I believe He met with Jesus!

Anyways, it is an other worldly, mysterious and terrifying event. How do I know that, because Mark tells us. Peter and the other, they were terrified. They were so frightened. Which again points us back to the Israelites response to seeing the glory cloud of God surround the mountain and hearing His voice from the cloud. They told Moses, you go talk to Him for us, we’re too afriad to even go close to the Mountain. God’s presence, unveiled is a terrifying sight. And Peter being Peter, He’s never speechless. Right, He’s too afraid to know what to say, so rather than taking the prudent route and just saying nothing, he says the first thing that pops into His head.

“We should build you all some tents here!” Which is laughable at first glance. Why would sparkling and dazzling beings who can just appear out of thin air need a tent or dwelling place? Silly right, but not so fast?

Peter as flippant as he can be is actually on to something.

We just mentioned briefly the glory cloud or Shekinah presence of God descending on the temple and the tabernacle. Do you know what the word tabernacle means? It means dwelling place. It means to pitch a tent among us! To dwell with. When Moses with with God on the Mountaintop, he received instructions from God saying in Exodus 25:8–9 “8 “Then have them (them being the Israelites) Have them make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell among them. 9 Make this tabernacle and all its furnishings exactly like the pattern I will show you.” You see, God’s desire throughout the law and the prophets has always been to dwell among His people! He has desired to be their God and to dwell among them!

The Gospel writer John succinctly draws this out for us in how it relates to Jesus when he writes in the introduction of his gospel letter in John 1 when He describes Jesus as the Light and Living Word of God and then in verse 14 tells us that Jesus John 1:14

John 1:14 (NIV)

14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

So when Peter says, we should make a dwelling for you here! He’s actually on to the right idea! Jesus is God’s dwelling place among humanity! Jesus is how we experience God’s presence. As John says, He is His glory, the glory of the one and only Son who came from the Father full of grace and truth!

But Jesus has something better in mind than a tent at the top of the Mountain. He intends to make His home in any person who would choose to follow Him in faith and know Him personally!

Which is why the Father shows up and says what He says. Peter, James, John! You’ve got this right, this is my Son, whom I love, Listen to Him!”

Listen to Him about about what? About the way forward and the path of suffering.

Here the disciples and you and I get an emphatic picture of the way of God. Although He could gather a following through displays of glory and power so out of this world no one would be able to say know to submitting to Him. God does not want followers who fear Him. He wants followers who love Him and are loyal to Him and to win people to Himself that way, that way doesn’t require glory, but rather it requires love, love that is willing to suffer and sacrifice everything for those He would ask to follow Him.

Look at what happens here Church.

Jesus is shown for who He is. The Lord of the Universe. The beloved Son, who is the physical glory of Almighty God! No body can take His life! No body can tell Him what to do! Moses and Elijah come at His beckon call and leave when He says leave! Heaven will be lit not by the flaming ball of gas we call the Sun but by the light and glory that shines forth from His power and self! That’s who Jesus is. He could have stayed on the Mountain in His true form. He could have returned with Moses and Elijah to whatever Heavenly abode or Spiritual realm they returned to! But He didn’t. He could have chosen glory, but He didn’t. Rather He chose to stay, to come down off the mountain with his confused and frightened disciples and make His home with them. And it was a choice that would ultimately taking him down the road of immense suffering and the cross!

Precisely where they hear the gospel, that Jesus is God’s Son who has come to take away the sin of the world, where they hear the gospel and where they see both its glory and their own inadequacy, there Jesus is with them. The one who calls disciples to follow Him does not abandon them for glory, but turns from glory to accompany them “on the way” to Jerusalem and the cross.

Church, Jesus chose love, love that required sacrifice and suffering to make His home with you! He came to be God dwelling with us? Why would you choose to dwell with or follow any other? And if this was the path of our Lord and Savior, we should not be surprised a long our journey of faith to discover that it is ours as well.

At the very beginning of this morning I asked you, how have you responded to Jesus? I’ll ask it again. Don’t just tell me you believe in Jesus, even the demons believe in the facts about Jesus! Don’t just tell me you believe! Make your home with Him! Make Him your safe place, your dwelling place! Give Him the authority over your life, Lord knows He’s earned that right by what He’s suffered for loves sake on your behalf! Follow Him friend. Don’t just believe in Him! Follow Him even if it means suffering. He did it for you. Love Him, like He loved you! Love Him enough to lay down your wants, your desires, your very life for Him. Pick your cross, friend and follow Him!

Pray

The Gospel according to Mark Removing the Veil: The Transfiguration of Jesus (9:2–8)

modeled after the greatest revelation of God in the OT on Mt. Sinai. True insight into the mysterious Son of Man is afforded not by human wisdom but by divine revelation. The first passion prediction (8:31) has thrown the disciples into a tailspin of bewilderment. What transpires on the Mount of Transfiguration is both a divine assurance in the midst of their consternation and a divine ratification of Jesus’ way to the cross.

The Message of Mark 2. The Transfiguration of Jesus (9:2–13)

Mark is signalling why Jesus has not thus far been open about who he is, and what will be the proper basis on which people will believe and understand what discipleship truly means. ‘There is no way rightly to understand who Jesus is until one has seen him suffer, die and rise again.’4

6 days from Peter’s declaration of Jesus being the Christ, the Messiah, the Chosen One of God. Links or parallels Moses’ 6 day sojourn on Mt. Sinai (Ex. 24:16), establishing the first of many points of contact with that seminal event in Israel’s history.

The Gospel according to Mark Removing the Veil: The Transfiguration of Jesus (9:2–8)

For Luke, Moses’ deliverance of the Israelites from Egypt and formation of them into a nation are prototypes of Jesus’ passion, through which he would deliver people from the power of sin and form a new people in the church. Elijah also was a deliverer of Israel, although from false gods of Baal worship rather than from foreign oppressors (1 Kings 17–18).