Mountain Top Moments

Introduction

Shortly after becoming a Christian, I attended a conference over the winter break in Colorado with several other college students. If you have ever been to a conference with friends and little to no responsibility while you’re there, they can be some of the most impactful memories you will ever have. It’s as if they’re these mountain-top experiences that we don’t want to walk away from.

During the conference we were sitting under some teaching where the topic was centered around dealing with guilt and shame over our sin. I felt tense the entire time because I could sense the conviction in my heart from the Holy Spirit and as the preacher started to get to the end of the sermon he was calling us to let go of our shame and hand it over to Jesus because our sin was nailed to the cross. I was encouraged to finally after what felt like decades of holding on in shame, the Spirit moved in my heart to actually see how great Jesus was and I felt freedom like I’d never felt before. It was a weight lifted off my shoulders and I was overwhelmed with the love and forgiveness of Christ.

After the sermon we began to sing “No Longer Slaves” and I couldn’t even open my mouth because the lyrics of the songs were so powerful to speak over me what I felt God doing in me. I was so overwhelmed with emotion that I had to sit down because I could feel myself at the feet of Jesus but not only did it feel like a moment of me being right at his feet, it was as if he was sitting next to me and his arm was around my body as I was tucked into his chest with gratitude and joy over the freedom I received.

From that moment on, I’ve had several moments in life where I feel like I’m chasing that mountain top experience of being so near to God. God’s been kind enough to bring several more of those types of experiences, but the thing is, those mountain top moments are honestly few in comparison to the everyday life experiences that we walk though.

It’s when we turn the page and move on from those moments or seasons that our broken world sets in. In the same way, Peter, James, and John have what must have been one of the most beautiful mountain top moments with God as they descended from the mountain back into the broken world with a scene of arguments, failure, and a tormented child. Our reading today invites us to see that Jesus is in the mountain top moments and the valleys of life.

Point 1: Glory Doesn’t Come W/O Suffering (v. 2-13)

Context

Jesus for the last 8 chapters has been proclaiming and displaying his power and the kingdom of God breaking in through his authority, teaching, and miracles. Yet in the passages just before our text this morning, Jesus invites his disciples in Cesarea Phillipi to declare who they believe him to be. As Peter’s confidence steps forward once more he’s giving the greatest news people could hear, but just moments later as Jesus affirms and encourages Peter, he turns back around and tells his disciples of the suffering that he must endure.

In giving them the hard and terrible news about his death, Peter speaks out against Jesus saying that there is no way this could happen, but Jesus who just lifted this man up now turns around to call him Satan as he is thwarting the plans of God. The graphic description for the disciples to hear Jesus teaching goes on that it’s not just him that will be brutally rejected and killed, but those who follow him will also lose their lives. They’ll have to endure carrying the cross of the humiliating crucifixion that the Romans have come up with to make the worst of the worst suffer as punishment for their crimes.

Explain

V. 2-3

But it’s after this teaching sits for six days as they continue on their travels, Jesus looks to Peter, James, and John once more as his closest disciples and wants some time with them specifically. He invites them to further conversation as they start to walk up the high mountain of Mount Hermon. Another several hours of hiking added to their day. But as they get to a space where Jesus was comfortable with them to be alone, verse 2 tells us that Jesus was transfigured. He was completely changed. His clothes whiter than anything anyone had ever noticed so much that Mark writes that no launderer could ever get these this white, not tide pod formula or bleach combination could even touch the surface of the glowing white clothes that the disciples witnessed. Whiter than the new back to school Nikes, or wedding dress. Even whiter than the pale person you know the first day at the pool in the summer!

But it wasn’t just that Jesus was glowing with radiance, but that Jesus himself was transfigured. The greek, metamorpho, gives us the root of the word metamorphosis which we would use to describe a caterpillar being transformed into a beautiful butterfly. Jesus allows the disciples into this moment to pull back the veil to see that his glory as the Son of God, the second person of the trinity, not just a man, but that he was fully God.

V. 4-7

As if that wasn’t enough, two of the most legendary figures in the history of their people show up from the dead, Moses and Elijah. It’d be as if Martin Luther King Jr. and Billy Graham popped up before our eyes. While we have no idea how they know who these two were - Moses the lawgiver symbolizing Jesus fulfillment of the law, and Elijah the prophet - converse with Jesus.

If you dig a little deeper to understand why Moses and Elijah are present you see how significant this really is. Moses representing the law-he delivered the Torah on Mount Sinai after six days of waiting, his face was shining with God’s glory. Elijah embodies the prophets, calling Israel back to God on Mount Carmel and taken to heaven in a whirlwind.

But Peter, like any other normal person, is so enamored with the miracle before his eyes has no idea what to say so he just says like an awkward teenager “yeah sure it is good for us to be here…should I build some tents?” He’s terrified and excited to keep the moment lasting a little longer to be able to have them have a place to stay so that this glory filled moment won’t go away. But as he probably starts looking around and notices that there isn’t anything to build tents with, the miracles just keep rolling!

A cloud begins to cover them and appears out of nowhere, but as the confusion sets in even further, the booming voice shakes the chest of the three disciples as they hear the Father from heaven command them to see that Jesus is not just a Messiah sent to save his people, but he is the Son of God and the prophecy from Moses about a greater prophet in Deuteronomy 18 rings true as they have waited for someone who would come and were told to listen to him.

V. 8-13

But in an instant, the cloud disappears, Moses & Elijah disappear without any goodbye hugs, the glow and transfiguration of Jesus is now gone as they see him as they have known him. The “what just happened” seems to be too scary of a question to ask him, but they receive the order from Jesus to not tell anyone until he rises from the dead, again, perplexed by what in the world this means.”

Again they decide to ask what feels like a random question to us, but for the Jewish person, the next question to pop into their mind when discussing resurrection would be the prophet Elijah as he was prophesied return from Malachi 4. Jesus gives them further clarity that he has already come and to him they murdered him - John the Baptist. But it’s not just him to suffer, the Son of man must also suffer like him.

Argument: glory after suffering.

The disciples miss what Jesus has emphasized since predicting his death: glory requires suffering. This mountain top glimpse was a gift to sustain them, but their version of the Messiah conquering Rome was wrong. True glory comes through his death and resurrection-not as they imagined. And they’re about to see it demonstrated in real time.

Point 2: Power of Belief in the Valley’s

Explain

V. 14-18

As they make the hike down the mountain, dazed and confused, yet feeling like they’re on a spiritual high they arrive at the base of the mountain hearing the clamor of an argument. They finally arrive close enough for the crowd to see them and be near to them it’s brought to see the scribes arguing with the people because while Jesus was away, the other disciples were brought a boy by his father who was in grave need as he was unable to speak, convulsed with seizure like symptoms, faming at the mouth and becoming stiff as a board.

I imagine the rest of the disciples who first met the father as he approached them and asked them to do the work they had done before as the whole region was clamoring over Jesus and his signs and wonders. I have this picture of some of the disciples thinking through how to get this demon out of the boy. They ponder on what Jesus has done in the past…”well someone go get the pigs to see if we can get him to go into them instead!!” After that doesn’t work they look at each other in confusion then Bartholomew steps forward and spits on the kid’s face thinking about how Jesus just did that to someone to heal them…nothing but disgust over him. Finally Andrew steps forward with a pile of mud on his hands to rub it all over the kid…”that should do it!”

V. 19-24

Out of frustration, Jesus calls them a “faithless generation” echoing Deut 32. A people who did not believe in the power and work of God and had nothing but faith in themselves and the other things this world has to offer. Jesus questions the father, who begs compassion but doubts: “if you can…” Jesus replies, “all things are possible for one who believes.”

I imagine the father saying something like “Jesus, I’ve heard of you, I've done everything I possibly can on my own to help my son, but everything falls short. Everything fails. Nothing can do this, but I do know you. I beg you, help me in my doubt. Help my unbelief to remind me or show me why you are the one to believe in. Help me trust you!”

In the darkness of the valley moments in life, Jesus stepped in to command the spirit to leave. The boy convulses violently, appearing to be dead. But even the demons obey Him; Jesus raises the boy, free from bondage.

Argument: Faith in the valley of suffering until glory comes

The story resolves in such an odd way. As they go into the home that they're staying in the disciples who feel probably utterly defeated at their failure, yet in awe of his power ask why they couldn’t cast it out. Alone later with Jesus, the disciples ask why they failed. Jesus says, “this kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.” Some manuscripts add “and fasting.” We don’t see Jesus pray explicitly, but faith, belief, and dependence saturate teh scene.

In the moments leading up to Jesus' conversation, his frustration comes out in the desire for them to have faith in God to work through them. But he rebukes their unbelief. In verse 24 we see the opposite finally come to fruition as the father himself should and begs the Son of God to help his unbelief. A prayer of desperation for faith in the living God to work in power.

The focal point of the interaction is that the only thing that will actually guide us through our suffering in the valley moments of life which are all too regular and frequent in the broken world that we live in, is the faith, belief, trust, dependence on Jesus. The mountain top moments we receive are gifts to reflect upon and help us persevere through the tragedy of suffering because it’s going to happen whether we like it or not.

The passage feels so utterly confusing at first glance as you’re reading about this mountain top moment with Jesus revealing himself to the three disciples, but it’s met with this valley of darkness and demonic work and oppression right before their eyes. The setting and story points us to see that the mountain top moments that we long for and love to live in, Jesus is there. But at the same time, we know that most of life happens in the valley. Our lives are filled with narratives of desperation, disease, sickness, pain, persecution, death, decay, and darkness. But Jesus is in the mountain top moments and in the valleys of suffering. Glory comes because of his suffering.

So how does that all impact us today? What’s the hope that we have as we see that glory must come through suffering? I see 3 observations that are helpful for us as we go on today.

Application

Look to Jesus in seasons of fear, not run from him

First is to look to the glory of Jesus in seasons of fear. Don’t run from him, but run to him in desperation. A few times we see the disciples actually not approach Jesus in fear. In v. 6, Peter doesn’t know how to handle his fear. In v. 10 they don’t ask for clarity on not understanding the rising of the dead and I’m guessing, it’s because they’re afraid to ask him. If we’re honest with ourselves, I think there are times and seasons where we are going through things and we’re afraid to take them to Jesus.

But what we see from the example of the father of the boy is his utter desperation that even the most embarrassing thing you could say to the living God is that you don’t believe completely. And Jesus meets this man where he is at. Lean into Jesus in the valleys of suffering. Because it’s when we remember what he has done in our lives, when we reflect on those mountain top experiences, we’re reminded of Jesus shining in all his glory has given us access to him to cry out and comfort us through his Spirit with compassion upon us. When the fear or suffering comes, don’t hide, but bry out ilke the father “Help my unbelief!”

Listen in seasons of pain like seasons of joy

Second, in seasons of pain, listen to Jesus like you did in seasons of joy. Spiritual highs are the best. Seasons of life that you're regularly spending time in God’s word, you feel connected to the Spirit in prayer and dependence, having your eyes to see how great God is are some of the greatest blessings in life.

But those seasons come to an end. In our seasons of the valley of darkness, experiencing the broken pieces, that is when we tend to run and hide from the Lord. It’s when we stop listening. We believe the lies that God isn’t present. He doesn’t care. His power isn’t enough to overcome whatever you’re desiring. And it’s in those seasons that we need to remember the command from the Father declaring the Word in flesh, Jesus, to be the voice that we listen to the most. Instead of clinging to emotions, sin, your own thoughts, deception, listen to Jesus in seasons of sorrow to comfort you and show you his power in your desperation.

Pray & fast in all seasons to see him more

Third, pray & fast in all seasons to see him more clearly. The passage ends with Jesus instructing the disciples that the darkness they were met with could not be conquered by self reliance, but only by dependence on God. Some of the manuscripts add “prayer and fasting” to Jesus' answer about why they couldn’t cast out the demon. I firmly believe that our prayer life and fasting as spiritual disciplines help us be built up to regularly depend on God. The more we pray, the more we are actively teaching and demonstrating to ourselves that we need him more than ourselves. The more we fast, we are regularly saying no to our stomach to be reminded about what we’re truly hungry and desperate for, which is Jesus himself. I’d encourage you to regularly commit to praying regularly throughout your day in thanksgiving, dependance, meditating on your scripture, reading, praying through those verses and committing to fasting regularly to focus on Jesus.

Conclusion

I don’t know how many or how often God has and will give you mountain top moments with him. But I do know that at least every born again Christian has two. The moment he opened your eyes to see your desperate need for salvation with your heart being pierced with the great news that your sin was forgiven by him and the final one to come as he welcomes us home into his presence forever. Whether you’re on the top of the mountain right now or feeling like you’re in the valley experiencing the broken spaces of our world, the glory of Jesus and the gift of his presence is with you in either space. Glory will come to its fullness.