Sermon Tone Analysis

Text: Mark 9:1-10

Theme: Mountaintop Glory For Valley Living

Date: 03/17/20 File name: GospelOfMark20.wpd

ID Number:

If you’ve ever been to a movie theater during the last 100 years, you have seen what the movie industry still refers to as a movie trailer.

We know them better as previews of coming attractions.

But in 1913 when the very first movie trailer was shown in a Loew movie theater in Lincoln, Nebraska, it has shown after the feature film, hence the name that has stuck ... movie trailer.

Very quickly they were moved to precede the feature film because once the film credits started rolling, the audience left.

Now they are a staple and take up twenty minutes of theater time.

Now even DVDs and Blurays come with previews of other films the producers hope you will want to watch.

The event that James, John, and Peter experience in our text for this evening is preview of coming Kingdom attractions.

We call it the transfiguration, and next to the resurrection, is the most fascinating event in the life of Jesus.

If you don’t know it, Mark 8:27-30 is the high-water-mark of Mark’s gospel.

It comes as Peter’s answer to Christ’s question, “But who do you think I am?” to which the Apostle responds, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Everything in Mark that came before Peter’s confession leads up to it; everything that follows in Mark’s Gospel flows from that confession.

The time line, and circumstances of this passage have always intrigued me.

As your read through it, hindsight tells us that Jesus is setting up James, and John, and Peter for a unique experience.

He’s taken them to Caesarea Philippi, perhaps the most pagan, idolatrous region of Israel.

It’s mostly a gentile region.

The city was located near a large spring at the foot of Mount Herman, and the cave that the spring gushed forth from was considered a gateway to the underworld.

Hence there were a plethora of pagan temples and shrines in the area.

It was in the bastion of pagan falsehood that Jesus asks his question, Who do you think I am?

Over the next several days, Mark 8:31 says he began to teach them.

One of the things he began to teach them was that “ ... the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again.

32 He spoke plainly about this, ... .”

(Mark 8:31–32, NIV84)

Peter rebukes him.

The disciples looked forward to Jesus’ kingdom and their glory with him in that kingdom — in fact, they regularly argued about which disciple would be the greatest in Christ’s kingdom — but they are unprepared for the scandal of the cross that must precede his kingdom.

Jesus delivers a stinging rebuke of his own to Peter.

Jesus continues to teach them defining what it takes to be a disciple.

He ends this teaching moment saying, “If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.””

(Mark 8:38, NIV84).

Jesus doesn’t pull any punches.

Then we come to a curious statement.

“And he said to them, “I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God come with power.””

(Mark 9:1, NIV84).

I think the disciple just nodded and smiled, and thought to themselves, “Yes, yes.

Soon Jesus will officially announce his Messiahship.

Israel will flock to him.

The angels will escort Rome legions out of the country, and the ancient Davidic Kingdom will be restored.

Christ will be crowned king in Jerusalem, and we will help him reign.”

They were clueless as to what was about to happen.

I. THE VISION OF THE GLORIOUS CHRIST

Mark 9:2 "And six days later, Jesus took with Him Peter and James and John, and brought them up to a high mountain by themselves.

And He was transfigured before them."

1. this is were we pick up the text for this evening

a. Jesus has taken Peter, James and John, up onto a high mountain for a time of solitude

b.

Luke's Gospel tells us they were going there "to pray"

ILLUS.

Christian tradition places the Mount of Transfiguration in eastern Galilee and is known as Mt.

Tabor.

Most likely, however, the mountain they climbed is Mount Herman.

It's the closest large mountain in proximity to Caesarea Philippi, where Jesus was ministering.

Herman's peaks rise some 11,000 feet above the Jordan valley.

From Jerusalem to Tyre, its snow-clad slopes can be seen on a clear day.

c. because of the length of such a climb, it was early evening as they began their prayer meeting

2. evening had fallen, and they were in prayer

a. Luke’s Gospel tells us that as the prayer meeting continued, His disciples became very sleepy and that they eventually dozed off

3. but then something amazing suddenly happened

a. Jesus was transfigured in their midst

1) that woke ‘em up!

2) the Scripture doesn't tell us who woke up first, but whoever it was, I'm sure he instantly awakened the other two

A. THE TRANSFIGURATION REVEALED THE INNER GLORY OF JESUS AS THE CHRIST

vv.

2c-3 "And He was transfigured before them; and His garments became radiant and exceedingly white, as no launderer on earth can whiten them."

1. there on top of that mountain, with the only backdrop being a blanket of dark night, lit only by the summer stars, the inner glory of Jesus Christ was revealed

a.it revealed the inner glory of his divinity that had been there since the Holy Spirit overshadowed Mary’s womb and humanity and Godhood miraculously came together

2. His clothing began to glow brightly white

a. the word radiant can be translated dazzling or glittering

b.

Luke’s Gospel says that His garments became a brilliant white, like the light

c.

Matthew’s Gospel says that His face shone like the sun

3. like a caterpillar hides the glory of the butterfly, so the humanity of Jesus hid His divinity

a. now it was breaking through

b. in fact, the word we translate at transfigured, is literally metamorphoo from which we get our word metamorphosis

ILLUS.

In his commentary on Mark’s Gospel, Kent Hughes writes, "For a brief moment the veil of His humanity was lifted and His true essence was allowed to shine through.

The glory which was always in the depths of His being rose to the surface for that one time in His earthly life.

Or, put another way, He slipped back into eternity to His pre-human glory.

It was a glance back and a look forward into His future glory!"

c.

I’m sure the disciples were absolutely spellbound and speechless

4. as if Jesus' transfiguration were not enough to blow them away, I'm sure the appearance of Moses and Elijah was

Mark 9:4 "And Elijah appeared to them along with Moses; and they were conversing with Jesus."

a. these were two of the greatest figures in all of Israel's history

1) they were mighty men of God

b.

Moses and Elijah were also no strangers to mountaintops

c. both meet God at Mount Horeb where they experienced God's glory

5. in these two figures we see a symbol of the law and the prophets

a. and together they were talking with Jesus

1) Luke tells us they were "speaking of His departure, which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem."

2) think about it ... Jesus is having a conversation with Moses and Elijah about his impending death, burial, and resurrection

6. the Transfiguration was the "Great Divide" in the life of our Lord

a.

He stood there in the perfect, spotless holiness of his manhood; then he turned his back on the glory and came down from the Mount to be identified with sin

B. THE TRANSFIGURATION REVEALED THE INNER CONFUSION OF THE DISCIPLES

Mark 9:5-6 "And Peter answered and said to Jesus, 'Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; and let us make three tabernacles, one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah.'

For he did not know what to answer; for they became terrified.”