I Die for You

Series

The Life of Jesus for Us. Overcoming the blocks between us and God. Self, World, Evil, Sickness and suffering, today: death.

Context

Our lesson comes from Mark 9:2-9.

Jesus has been teaching, preaching, working miracles, driving out demons. The Kingdom is at hand. The disciples are seeing a movement develop around Jesus: Messiah, Son of God, the Expected One to bring liberation and monarchy and divine blessing for God’s people.

But, Jesus has a different vision of his mission. Not to proceed directly to earthly power, but to succumb to it first. His plan is to die and then rise again from the dead. (Mark 8:31)

He tells his disciples, that he must suffer many things, be rejected and killed rise again on the third day. The disciples are shocked and confused by this. Peter even pulls Jesus aside and rebukes him, no way that can happen!

In other words, Jesus is getting ready to go to his cross — the centerpiece of his ministry — but his disciples are resisting him.

Now we pick up the story.

Mark 9:2–9 ESV

And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became radiant, intensely white, as no one on earth could bleach them. And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus. And Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.” For he did not know what to say, for they were terrified. And a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, “This is my beloved Son; listen to him.” And suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone with them but Jesus only. And as they were coming down the mountain, he charged them to tell no one what they had seen, until the Son of Man had risen from the dead.

Introduction

Last year, John Mulaney, shared about an event that saved his life. It was an intervention. He had a drug problem. His close friends and other celebrities saw that he was in danger and intervened. He walked into his dressing room. They were there in person or on video. Prepared things to say. It worked. Later he joked about it as a star-studded intervention. But then quite seriously, thanked by name those who had participated in it. Back into sobriety, he could say, It saved my life. (https://www.menshealth.com/entertainment/a43711034/john-mulaney-intervention-who-was-there/)

Interventions are staged by friends and family members and often a professional guide, to interrupt a problematic behavior in someone’s life that they can’t beat on their own.

The transfiguration is a spiritual intervention.

Exegesis: Afraid of death

The disciples need an intervention. Jesus has been trying to tell them about the central work of his ministry: death and resurrection. But they are unwilling, unable to hear what he saying.

They are wrapped up in the momentum of his stardon.

Teaching the crowds with authority.

Driving out evil.

Performing miracles of healing.

The crowds are flocking to him so much he has to preach from a boat.

Everyone is thinking: The one who could bring liberation from Rome to Israel, the next King!

And the disciples might have been a little heady about it. They are, afterall, his inner circle. His cabinet.

But Jesus has a different agenda in mind.

I will die and rise again. If you want to follow me you will have to take up a cross too! (Horrifying, shameful, defeat)

if you would gain your life, you must lose it.

His mission is so counter-intuitive, so unexpected they cannot accept it.Response: no, no, no.

Implication 1: Afraid of death

Let us not be hard on the disciples.

Knowing the whole story, that Jesus did die and rise again, we can be tempted to think that the disciples were hard of faith in a way that we surely would not have been, if we were with Jesus.

But that is not fair, at least not fair for me to do.

Over the years, I have experienced that Jesus really does care about me.

healing, guidance, protection, provision.

I can become attached to idea that my earthly security and comfort are the only thing or most important thing Jesus cares about.

consequently, when he calls me to sacrifice and hardship and service — take up the cross and share in his suffering…I say no, no, no, that’s not how it should be.

Simple examples.

Not cross. But other ways.

Gather for worship. Ah, it my only morning to sleep in and that comfort is most important.

Tithe and offerings. Ah, income not outflow.

Serve on church team, mission. I really ought to be working on my own interests.

Jesus is trying to orient us to his cross, but we argue.

He needs a way to break through…

Exegesis 2: Intervention

So Jesus stages a divine intervention : time, place, participants.

Purposeful: break through their fear of death.

Timing: Six days later. 7th or 8th day after the altercation. Day of new creation.

Location: up a high mountain. Place of revelation

Moses, Mt. Sinai.

Elijah, Mt. Carmel.

Friends and family members: Elijah and Moses.

Jesus is transfigured. Trans -morphed. Physical event. Matthew says his face shone like the sun. His clothing dazzling white. Cf. Revelation; Daniel. Face like the sun.

Elijah and Moses appear.

Elijah - the prophets.

Moses - the Law.

They point to Jesus. Jesus is the fulfillment of their expectations.

Visually stunning: Also, they are alive in glory, and now with Jesus. Elijah had lived 800 years earlier; Moses about 1400 years earlier.

Amazing: just in seeing these men, the disciples are having their notions about life and death radically challenged. This world, this life..not the main or only thing. Moses and Elijah are alive and with Christ. They know him, he knows them! He says their names…so good to talk with those who get my mission!

All coordinated to break the disciples out of their resistant mode.

Star-studded Intervention.

Peter interjects.

It is good that we are here, let us make some shelters for you, for Elijah and Moses.

In speaking: he shows exactly the behavior that needs to be correct: He is not listening to Jesus.

A kind of resistance is even still at play.

The intervention takes an even more intense turn.

A cloud descends. Enveloped in a darkness. And a voice comes out of the cloud.

This is my Beloved Son. The Father is speaking. The cloud is the Holy Spirit.

Godhead is on scene.

Father, Son, Holy Spirit, Law, the Prophets.

All say the same thing: the point of the intervention.

Listen to him. Listen to Jesus. Listen to him about what? His death and resurrection!

Implication 2: listen

The Bible, worship, prayer, God, wants us to do one thing. Listen to Jesus.

Hebrews: in times past, God spoke to us in mysterious signs and symbols and prophecies, but now in the last days, he has spoken by his Son. Oh, that we would hear his voice today!

Example in the gym. Two guys talking. “I was doing this set..” “I did this run..” as if each one were just waiting to stop talking so the next could get his word in.

Jesus listens to us. He wants us to listen to him, too. He wants to share with us things we don’t know. Things that are going to pull us deeper into the mystery of death and eternal life. Can’t get it, if we don’t listen.

We can cultivate listening to Scripture.

Not to confirm what we already believe. Not to give ammunition against what others believe.

Prayerfully: Jesus what do you want to tell me about yourself?

Group, commentary for a new a different perspective.

We can listen when we are at worship and preaching.

Listen to me…more listen to what God is saying to you.

We can listen at need when life is overwhelming.

CSL in Problem of Pain: God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pain: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world…

Jesus is not an historical figure merely. He is alive. So are Moses and Elijah and James and John and Peter. They want us to listen to Jesus.

Exegesis 3: They believe

The intervention seems to have worked.

After the vision, Jesus told them to keep the matter private, until after he had risen from the dead.

And that is what they did. They don’t discuss with the other disciples or anyone else. (We know about the event now because the story was written down later…after the resurrection.)

They don’t argue with him anymore. They go toward the cross with him. Wondering what it meant (v.10). And went as far as Gethsemane.

But after he rose from the dead, the transfiguration remained an guiding experience for them. An intervention they could refer back to to help others.

Peter

We were with him on the sacred mountain, not a clever myth. (2 Peter 1:16-17)

John

After we die, the same outcome will happen. We shall be like him for we shall see him as he is (again). 1 John 3:2.

Paul, later, same messages, saw the risen Christ in glory.

We suffer with him, then we are (physically) glorified with him (Rom 8:17, 23)

Listen to the gospel, it is absolutely other worldly: there is death and resurrection. Death is not the end. Nothing can separate us from God in Christ.

freed disciples to bravely and hopefully follow Jesus.

Peter, crucified upside down. I will take my cross, like Jesus my Lord, but not worthy for the same way, but upside down. James executed by sword. John exiled. Paul, tradition says was beheaded. All braved death because Jesus rose from the dead.

Implication 3: Worth it

Interventions to make a change.

John Mulaney, so many others. It wasn’t easy to recover, but it saved my life. Worth the work. So thankful. Now free for healthy life.

The apostle’s could say. It was scary at the time. When he rose from the dead, I can see that is what he was really all about. I was sick with the fear of death. So thankful.he saved our lives.

serving him sacrificing for him is the path to glory!

Can you say that? Can I say that?

If we are living like this is the only life. “If it is for this life only that we have placed our trust in Christ, woe to us.” Jesus came to give us so much more.

Jesus’ message is the same today as then.

If you would gain your life be ready to lose it. Gain the next life, ready to lose this one. take up your cross every day so that when the last day comes you will be ready for eternal life.

Conclusion

Jesus’ whole ministry was an intervention. He came into this world to identify with us, to see us, to heal us, to drive away evil, to heal us, and even more to show us eternal life.

Will it work?

let us pray that it will. Sinner’s prayer.

Prayers of Intercession

Mighty and merciful one, you have come to us in glory; now we come to you in prayer, saying, Lord, in your glory…hear our prayer.

We pray for your glorious creation…. Stamp out fires of destruction, drive away clouds of pollution, and restore the beauty of this world. Lord, in your glory…hear our prayer.

We pray for the body of Christ…. Open our hearts in faith, enlighten our minds with knowledge, and strengthen us to proclaim the gospel. Lord, in your glory…hear our prayer.

We pray for the people of all nations…. Show the nations your vision of justice, offer the leaders your mantle of wisdom, and give the people your blessing of peace. Lord, in your glory…hear our prayer.

We pray for those who are perishing…. Feed those who are starving, comfort those who are suffering, and receive the dying into your arms. Lord, in your glory…hear our prayer.

We pray for those whom we love…. Bless our families, friends, and neighbors, help them in times of trouble, and be near when they are afraid. Lord, in your glory…hear our prayer.

Holy One, make us ready for the day when this world is transfigured, transformed, made new— when all things will shine in the dazzling light of your glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.