Transfiguration (4)
Notes
Transcript
Mark 9:2-9 (NIV)
2 After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them. 3 His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. 4 And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus. 5 Peter said to Jesus, "Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters--one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah." 6 (He did not know what to say, they were so frightened.) 7 Then a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and a voice came from the cloud: "This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!" 8 Suddenly, when they looked around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus. 9 As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus gave them orders not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead.
Have you ever had a secret that was time sensitive? You had information that would be important to share but had to kept hidden until the proper time?
In a war, military leaders will plan ahead how they will attack a position or defend one and at the proper time it would be necessary to order the troops into battle. But telling the soldiers too soon could lead to a slip of the tongue or worse yet a spy revealing the battle plans and the operation could go south in a hurry.
Parents may know well in advance what gifts they will be giving to their children for Christmas or birthday but if they tell them ahead of time, it would spoil the surprise.
Recently the votes had all been cast and tallied well in advance of the announcement of who the 2020 MVP of the NFL was but it was not officially announced until the night before the Super Bowl. (That may have been one of the worst kept secrets in the history of the NFL.)
The parents of an expectant child certainly know well in advance before they share the news that they are going to have a child.
These secrets are certainly to be revealed at the proper time. But it is important to wait until the time is right for full effect.
The Bible tells us of some secrets or mysteries concerning Jesus (see passages).
25 Now to him who is able to establish you by my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past, 26 but now revealed and made known through the prophetic writings by the command of the eternal God, so that all nations might believe and obey him— 27 to the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ! Amen.
14 Although I hope to come to you soon, I am writing you these instructions so that, 15 if I am delayed, you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God’s household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth. 16 Beyond all question, the mystery of godliness is great: He appeared in a body, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory.
One of them is the belief that Jesus of Nazareth was no ordinary man but the one sent by God to be the anointed one. Although he is identified as such early in his ministry (see John), we do have cases where Jesus told his disciples not to broadcast it. We also have this event which Peter, James, and John witnessed that they were told to keep secret until the proper time.
40 Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. 41 The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ).
17 Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. 18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” 20 Then he warned his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Christ.
Why? (research)
Bible History Commentary: New Testament 47. The Transfiguration
“As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus instructed them, ‘Don’t tell anyone what you have seen, until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead’” (v. 9). Pause for a moment to consider the statement: “They were coming down the mountain.” What does it mean in regard to Jesus? That Jesus was leaving the mount on which his divine glory shone forth for a little while, in order to resume his way as the lowly Jesus. That path of humiliation had to lead to Jerusalem and death on the cross. So great was his love for sinners that he willingly followed the road that led to the hill of shame, Mount Calvary. And in perfect love he brought a perfect sacrifice there—and so his resurrection had to follow as proof of the completed atonement for sin.
As for the three apostles, on the way down the mountain Jesus instructed them to keep silent about what they had witnessed until he had risen from the dead. The reason for this prohibition is not hard to discover. We have seen that the apostles still entertained completely false expectations regarding the Messiah. They still looked forward to an outwardly splendid rule by Jesus here on earth, with positions of honor and power assigned to them, the chosen Twelve.
They had found the announcement of his death dismaying and shocking. That could not happen to their divine Master! As a result, the prediction of his resurrection on the third day had “sailed right past” them. Mark informs us that “they kept the matter to themselves, discussing what ‘rising from the dead’ meant” (Mark 9:10). How could they communicate correctly to others something that was a great conundrum to themselves? After Jesus’ resurrection the vision of his transfiguration would appear to them in its full significance.
As far as we know, they followed the instructions of Jesus. We can imagine what happened after the Transfiguration. Thomas may has asked, “Hey, what went on up there, anyway?” I doubt that Peter, James, and John would have lied or made something up. They probably either said Jesus had told them to keep it a secret or they abruptly changed the subject.
Later, they would share the details of this event. After the resurrection of Jesus and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, the disciples would openly teach what they had seen and heard
2 There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. 3 What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs.
For several decades the oral history of Jesus’ life would be told and retold to those who believed the message. A similar thing happens today. Who of us does not have family stories that are told and retold at family gatherings? Certainly, they are not as astounding as this event but they are not secrets. Almost 25 years ago when I was moving to Lowell, WI; my father told me about his second cousin, Wayne, who lived in Lowell. According to my recollection of the story, Wayne was hosting a confirmation party at this home and had run out of refreshments. He drove to a local supplier and purchased a quarter barrel of beer and put it in the back seat of his car. On the way back he ran off the road and as a result of the impact the beer barrel hit him in the head and killed him. Just how true all the details are I don’t know but my dad’s cousin is buried in the Lowell Cemetery and he had died at a fairly young age. I suppose a newspaper article would support the exact details of the tragic accident.
Many modern day skeptics and critics of the Bible will use such an example to question the veracity of what happened at the Transfiguration of Jesus since it would not be written down until decades later and the reports are not word for word in agreement with each other. This could lead someone to doubt that Jesus is who the Bible claims he is.
Let me reply in this way. Peter was an eyewitness.
He would relate this event in one of his epistles.
16 We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17 For he received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” 18 We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain. 19 And we have the word of the prophets made more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. 20 Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation. 21 For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
In his defense, he also emphasizes the veracity of the Word of God.
Jesus promised the disciples that the Holy Spirit would lead them to recall what they had seen and heard.
26 But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.
Therefore, we can reflect on this event as historically accurate and use it to reassure us that Jesus is the Son of God and that we are to listen to him.
And isn’t this way God the Father instructs us to do? Mark 9:7 (NIV84)
7 Then a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and a voice came from the cloud: “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!”
Although there are those who openly question the veracity of what the Bible says Jesus taught, I hope that you trust the sources as being the inspired Word of God. That you not only believe that he actually said and did those things but that you do indeed listen to him. To listen to him means to believe what Jesus says to be true and to act according to his commands.
God promises that when we listen to Jesus, we will be blessed.
25 Jesus answered, “I did tell you, but you do not believe. The miracles I do in my Father’s name speak for me, 26 but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. 27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.”
22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror 24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25 But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.