Listen to Him

On the Mountain Top

Who doesn’t like a mountain top encounter with God? Encounters with God on a mountain top occur throughout scripture. Moses heard God’s voice and saw his glory on a mountain. Elijah after having a mountain top experience with God on Mt. Carmel, runs to the mountain of God and hides in a cave, where he hears God’s voice. In Mark Peter, James, and John have a mountain top encounter with God of their own. They catch a glimpse of glory, and hear the voice of God thunder from a cloud. “This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.”

As we remember this mountain top experience, lets remember our own encounters with God. Those times in your life where you ]could sense the presence of God. Was your journey to that experience smooth, or did it have it’s challenges? When you got there did you take time to listen, or were you too full of excitement and thinking of ways to set up camp right there in that space?

Any mountain top I’ve experienced came with it’s own share of challenges, and bumps along the way. The road to this mountain top was no different for the disciples. The disciples had been told prior to this that the son of man must suffer, that they must deny themselves take up their cross and follow in Christ foot steps. The road to glory is paved with suffering and challenges. Peter, James and John catch a glimpse of glory, and hear the voice of God “This is my beloved Son. Listen to Him.”

As we transition to lent, lets remember the climb to resurrection glory goes through the cross. As we journey along the way take time to listen to the call of Christ.

Romans 8:18 NLT

18 Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later.

Transfiguration

POINT OF TRANSITION

The transfiguration in Mark serves as a point of transition for Jesus and his disciples. While the disciples want to set up camp and bask in the glory they have seen, the journey down the mountain heads towards the cross.

Wednesday, is not only Valentines day it’s also Ash Wednesday. This marks the beginning of the 40 day journey of Lent, which we know doesn’t end in the suffering of the cross, but with the glory of the resurrection.

THE LEAD IN

Mark 8:31–37 NRSV

31 Then he began to teach them that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. 32 He said all this quite openly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. 33 But turning and looking at his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.” 34 He called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 35 For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it. 36 For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life? 37 Indeed, what can they give in return for their life?

In the lead in to our passage for today, Jesus begins to tell his disciples that the road ahead is not smooth sailing. He tells them there is suffering, death and resurrection. He even challenges the crowd to take up their cross and follow him. The cross was an understood symbol of suffering and death.

The disciples weren’t listening to this kind of talk. We can tell from Peter’s rebuke of Jesus, and Jesus in turn rebukes him.

The path to the glory they are about to catch a glimpse of goes through the cross.

The disciples weren’t this kind of talk as we can tell from Peter’s reaction.

THE 3 GOSPELS

This passage is covered in Matthew, Mark and Luke. To get a full understanding of the scene we need to look at all 3 accounts.

Matthew 17:1–9 NRSV

1 Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John 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 dazzling white. 3 Suddenly there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. 4 Then Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, I will make three dwellings here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” 5 While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud a voice said, “This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!” 6 When the disciples heard this, they fell to the ground and were overcome by fear. 7 But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Get up and do not be afraid.” 8 And when they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus himself alone. 9 As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus ordered them, “Tell no one about the vision until after the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”

Matthew gives us more of the reaction of the disciples to hearing the voice of God.

Luke 9:28–36 NRSV

28 Now about eight days after these sayings Jesus took with him Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. 29 And while he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white. 30 Suddenly they saw two men, Moses and Elijah, talking to him. 31 They appeared in glory and were speaking of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. 32 Now Peter and his companions were weighed down with sleep; but since they had stayed awake, they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. 33 Just as they were leaving him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah”—not knowing what he said. 34 While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were terrified as they entered the cloud. 35 Then from the cloud came a voice that said, “This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!” 36 When the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and in those days told no one any of the things they had seen.

Luke tells us why they climbed the mountain. To be alone and pray. Luke also gives us a glimpse into the conversation between Elijah and Moses. They were talking about his exodus from the world which was about to be fulfilled in Jerusalem.

The path of Christ goes from this mountain top experience to Jerusalem, to the cross, to the grave, and thanks be to God it doesn’t end there.

LISTEN TO HIM

The charge from God is the same in all 3 Gospels. This is my beloved Son. Listen to him. As we climb down this mountain and begin our lenten journey, lets take to time to listen to the call of Christ, to take up our cross and follow him right on up and through the grave.

Listening to the Call of Christ.

Leading into this mountain top experience Jesus inner three weren’t listening. Peter was rebuked, for rebuking Jesus when he talked about suffering. After this Jesus turns to the crowd and tells them if anybody wants to be my follower, you must turn from yourself, and embrace a cross. A widely understood symbol of pain, and suffering.

Here on the mountain top we transition from Epiphany, the revelation of God’s glory, to Lent. The road Christ calls us to follow him on goes through the suffering of the cross. Jesus is the Christ, the beloved son of the living God! We must listen to him!