Mark 9:1-13

Joke - 5 eggs and 10,000 dollars

9 And he said to them, “Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God after it has come with power.”

There are three most accepted outcomes of what Christ meant here when he said that “some of the disciples would see the power of the kingdom of God.”

One option is the resurrection of Christ in which the power of the kingdom of God was certainly on display

Number two is the Day of Pentecost as the power of the Holy Spirit descended on Jerusalem, 3000 plus people were gifted salvation as the New Testament church promptly began

or it is probable that Jesus’ statement included His transfiguration which happened in front of just three of his disciples just shy of a week after his statement in verse 1.

The Transfiguration

2 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, 3 and his clothes became radiant, intensely white, as no one on earth could bleach them.

The most likely location of the Transfiguration what Mt Hebron…why a mountain?

In the Bible…and I think you could make an argument for in our own lives…Mountains are associated with closeness to God and readiness to hear his word.

Exodus 3 - Mt Horeb [God meets with Moses at the Burning Bush

Exodus 24 - God met with Moses on top of Mt Sinai…where He recieved the 10 commandments

Moses saw the back of God in the cleft of the rock on “ a mountain”

1 Kings 19 - Elijah fled to the Mountains from Jezebel after he slayed the prophets of Baal…

Lord spoke to Elijah not through the win storm, the fire or the earthquake…but in a still small voice.

Have you ever been high on a mountain overlooking the vastness of God’s creation? Did you take an opportunity to just be still? To just be quiet? Did you feel a sense of closeness to the Lord?

The text tells us that Christ became radiantly, intensely white.

The word transfigured is found else where in the NT.

2 Corinthians 3:8 (ESV) and Romans 12:2 (ESV) “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

But here we see that it refers to Moral transformation - rather than the physical transformation that we see here with Christ in Mark 9

The greek word transfigured is where we get our english word “Metamorphosis” from.

Examples:

organic material turns to stone

a tadpole to a frog

a caterpillar to a butterfly

The idea here is that there is a radical change that took place! Jesus’ appearance was temporarily altered…in this inside out display of the glory of God.

4 And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus.

Moses - represented the law;

Elijah - representing the prophets

Matthew 5:17 (ESV) - “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.

Jesus came to reset the law and the words of the prophets back to their original intention. Away from the abuses and excesses that had been placed on it from

5 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.”

6 For he did not know what to say, for they were terrified.

7 And a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, “This is my beloved Son; listen to him.”

8 And suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone with them but Jesus only.

9 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.

10 So they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what this rising from the dead might mean.

Jesus told them this because they had no ability to understand what they had seen, and would not until after his resurrection

We on the other hand have the completed word of GOd and no room or excuse for unbelief

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

12 And he said to them, “Elijah does come first to restore all things. And how is it written of the Son of Man that he should suffer many things and be treated with contempt?

13 But I tell you that Elijah has come, and they did to him whatever they pleased, as it is written of him.”

Elijah - john the baptist