Listen!

Mark 9:2–9 NRSV

2 Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain apart, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, 3 and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no one on earth could bleach them. 4 And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, who were talking with Jesus. 5 Then Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” 6 He did not know what to say, for they were terrified. 7 Then a cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud there came a voice, “This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him!” 8 Suddenly when they looked around, they saw no one with them any more, but only Jesus. 9 As they were coming down the mountain, he ordered them to tell no one about what they had seen, until after the Son of Man had risen from the dead.

Apart, by themselves...

It’s cool to suddenly realize who Jesus is...

The Law and the Prophets

Moses and Elijah- symbols of authority, tradition, and written Scriptures as well. They are endorsing and pointing to Jesus. So this is operating on more than one level.

But it’s not just an emotional experience or vision. This is rooted in reality and in the Scriptures that came before.

Is your ultimate experience truly ultimate?

Super Bowl or 1st Day of Spring Training… Election outcomes… Completing a big project or deal at work? Sex? Your family? I’ve lived long enough to know that its usually hard to remember who played in the last Super Bowl unless it’s the same team. Recently Tom Brady is a safe bet for who was the MVP, lol. But every season of life comes and goes and you can lay your heart on the line with it but you can’t control how it turns out. If your trust is in your circumstances or relationships you might end up very disappointed.

As we said last week, those who wait upon the Lord renew their strength. A fresh experience of who Jesus really is can do that for you. But it’s guaranteed to blow you away. You will be changed.

These days I do find that people struggle sometimes with metaphors like this. They expect something like they’ve seen in a movie to happen. Moses and Elijah probably won’t appear to you because they don’t need to. Now, we understand that they point to and certify that Jesus is the one who was to come. Now it’s about finding him in the pages about them and about him, found in the Bible. But you can find a profound sense of peace when you see it all come together.

And God isn’t intimidated by modern science and God isn’t against modern science. But scientists and doctors who feel they have adequately explained everything we experience by means of biochemistry are mistaken. The best ones say that chemistry can explain a lot about how we physically respond to what we experience. But they can’t explain what all we are responding to. But there are a lot of voices out there on twitter, in podcasts and tv shows and movies. Many of these are far less qualified to make judgments but still say with great boldness that it can all be explained away and religion is just after your money. Of course you can buy their merchandise, their books, you can become a patreon supporter aaaaaaand we’re back, as they say.

So my point is this: you probably won’t have great experiences with God if you don’t believe God exists or are surrounding yourself with voices telling you not to believe. This will confuse and undermine what God wants to do in your life. And that’s exactly what the devil wants. But you don’t need the devil to be able to talk yourself out of wonderful things that can bless your life and fill it with hope and well-being.

I’m not going to try to argue with you about these experiences. God is certainly a lot more than a lofty experience on a mountain top. But if you take the time to listen, God is calling you to get away from all the other voices and listen deeply to his.

Mark 9:7 NRSV

7 Then a cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud there came a voice, “This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him!”

You don’t need to figure it all out. But if you’re willing to listen to God’s Word, Old Testament and New, God’s family found in a local church body, and yes the still small inner voice of God that can guide you… Short version: if you can learn to listen to Jesus, many things become so much more clear.

But this wasn’t just about an experience. And for right now this experience was mainly just for them.

Mark 9:8–9 NRSV

8 Suddenly when they looked around, they saw no one with them any more, but only Jesus. 9 As they were coming down the mountain, he ordered them to tell no one about what they had seen, until after the Son of Man had risen from the dead.

Yeah, see the experience faded, but there was Jesus. Guiding them down from the mountain and back into the flow of life. But now they really knew who he was. Now they could trust him. Now eventually they told someone, right? Because we know about it....

2 Peter 1:16–18 NRSV

16 For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we had been eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17 For he received honor and glory from God the Father when that voice was conveyed to him by the Majestic Glory, saying, “This is my Son, my Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.” 18 We ourselves heard this voice come from heaven, while we were with him on the holy mountain.