Glimpsing Glory

Glimpsing Glory

Mark 9:1-13

The disciples were already reeling from the His revelation that He would be put to death and rise again.

On the heels of that stunning statement, Jesus called His followers to a life of total commitment and absolute separation. His words must have come as a shock to their system. They had left every aspect of life as they knew it to go with Jesus. They were expecting Jesus to destroy Rome, deliver Israel and establish the Kingdom of God on earth.

Now, Jesus tells them that following Him is a costly business. He’s given them the negative side of being His follower.

As soon as Jesus tells His disciples that He’s going to die, and as soon as He calls them to a life of total surrender; Jesus makes a very strange statement. He tells the assembled crowd that some of their number will actually see the kingdom of God coming in power before they die. He softens the blow of His earlier words with the promise that His followers will enjoy His glory in the future.

He’s saying there is a better world waiting for the people of God! A world where there is no sin, sickness or separation. A world where Jesus is glorified and the saints of God will see the Redeemer in all of His glory. This passage gives us a little glimpse of the glory we’ll see one day in the future.

Some people have a problem with this passage. Liberals try to tell us that Jesus is talking about His second coming in this verse. They say that Jesus made a mistake and was wrong when He said what He did here. Jesus wasn’t talking about His second coming; he’s talking about the transfiguration.

He didn’t make a mistake; He merely took the opportunity to encourage His discouraged and confused disciples.

So, let’s pray and we’ll get a glimpse of His glory.

Pray!

Mark 9:1–13 ESV

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.” 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, and his clothes became radiant, intensely white, as no one on earth could bleach them. And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus. 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.” For he did not know what to say, for they were terrified. And a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, “This is my beloved Son; listen to him.” And suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone with them but Jesus only. 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. So they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what this rising from the dead might mean. And they asked him, “Why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?” 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? But I tell you that Elijah has come, and they did to him whatever they pleased, as it is written of him.”

The first thing we see is:

A Place

This passage opens with the mention of a mountain.

We’re not told what mountain it is, but most scholars believe that it is Mount Hermon. This mountain rises some 9,200 feet above sea level. It is some twelve miles north of Caesarea-Philippi, and near the place Jesus has been ministering. Those who have seen this mountain tell us that, even in the hottest of months, the top of this high mountain is wrapped in bands of snow.

Mountains occupy a special place in God’s Word.

· It was on a mountain called Moriah that God demonstrated His grace to Abraham when he willingly offered up his son Isaac

· It was on Mount Sinai that God handed down His Law to Moses

· It was on Mount Carmel that God demonstrated His power to Israel through Elijah

· It was on Mount Horeb that God ministered peace to the troubled heart of Elijah

· It was on Mount Calvary that Jesus died for our sins on the cross

· It was from the Mount of Olives that Jesus ascended back into glory

· It will be that same mountain that will greet His feet when He returns in glory

Mountains occupy a special place in our own lives as well. He sets aside a few mountain top experiences along the way for you and me. We have our valleys, our hardships, our sufferings, our sicknesses and our problems; but I’m glad there are a few places along the way where we are allowed to see His glory and His power!

Every now and then we are blessed with a mountain top experience. We ought to enjoy them for all they’re worth! When Jesus and His men came down from the mountain, they ran directly into the devil and his work. But these men who were with Jesus on the mountain never got over what they experienced there. The mountains of life will help us make it through this life as well.

There is a place and:

A People

We’re told Jesus chose Peter, James and John for this special trip.

Jesus had twelve disciples, so why just these three?

The answer to that question isn’t easy to answer, but it’s clear that these three men became the foremost in the early church. Maybe they were allowed to witness the events of this day in preparation for the places of leadership they would later occupy.

Of course, this isn’t the first time Jesus singled these men out for a special time of ministry, nor would it be the last time.

The first time Jesus singled these three men out was when Jesus raised the daughter of Jairus from the dead. Jesus would also take these men “a little farther” with Him in the Garden of Gethsemane the night before He went to the cross.

These men were privileged to see things the other disciples never got to witness.

Now, we know that God “shows no partiality” (Romans 2:11).

This simply means that He doesn’t prefer one person above another because of any special merits that person may have. In other words, God doesn’t play favorites. He doesn’t love you more than He loves me and He doesn’t love me more than He loves you.

He may not love one of His children any more than any other, but some are simply closer to Him than others are. And those who are closer to Him will see more of His glory and more of His power than those who stay farther away.

We’re only as close to God as we want to be. We can experience as much of His glory and power as we desire.

Have you ever wondered why some people seem so full of love for the Lord? Have you ever wondered why some people seem always ready to worship and praise Him? Have you ever wondered what their secret is?

Their secret is no secret at all! Those people have made up their minds to live close to Him. As a result, He’s promised to live close to them.

So, why did Jesus choose these three men?

I’ll tell you why Jesus chose them when you can tell me why Jesus chose you and me! To think that He would take a sinner like me, save me by His grace and then allow me to experience His glory is more than I can understand! But the simple fact that I can’t understand it won’t stop me from enjoying it! I want to get as close as I can!

There is a place, a people and

A Presentation

The climb to the top of the mountain would have taken the better part of the day. Luke tells us that Jesus went there to pray and the disciples fell asleep.

Suddenly, Jesus changes!

His face and clothes change. He is “transfigured.” This word comes from the word “metamorphosis.” It’s the same word that is used to describe the changes a caterpillar goes through when it is “transfigured” into a butterfly.

Jesus changed forms on the mountain.

The glory that was concealed within was revealed on that mountain. You see, this was not the first time Jesus had experienced a transfiguration. When He was born in Bethlehem, Jesus concealed the glory of His deity behind the veil of His human body. On this occasion, the glory on the inside burst out.

The mountain was bathed in a light brighter than the sun. Anyone looking up that night would have seen the mountain lit with the glory of God.

These men were given a glimpse of the glory all of God’s people will see when they get to Heaven. One day, we’ll see Jesus in all of His glory.

Then, Moses and Elijah appeared there on that mountain and were talking with Jesus to discuss his departure according to Luke. They came to talk with Him about His impending death upon the cross.

Why Moses and Elijah and not others from the Old Testament?

Moses and Elijah are the representatives of the Law and the Prophets. Moses was the great lawgiver and Elijah was one of the greatest prophets. These men have come to encourage Christ as draws closer to the cross.

These two men also represent the two ways the people of God meet death.

· Moses died and was buried

· Elijah was taken up alive into Heaven

Like Moses, many have or will die. Like Elijah, some will be taken up into Heaven to meet God.

Like Moses and Elijah, no matter how you leave this world, if you know Christ, you’ll be with Him in glory someday!

Peter, James and John have been sleeping. But when they wake up the mountain is bathed in supernatural light. Jesus was no longer the same person that He had been. When they walked up, Jesus was just an ordinary man. When they woke up, Jesus was shining brighter than the sun.

Of course, they’re terrified.

Peter doesn’t know what to say, so he just blurts out the first thing that comes into his mind, “Let’s get something together for you guys to sleep in, one for you, one Moses and one for Elijah.”

You know, there are people who have something to say and there are people who just have to say something. The first group is worth listening to and the second group will get you into trouble!

Peter just had to say something and God had something to say.

Suddenly, a cloud darkened the sky above them and out of that cloud booms the voice of God, “This is my beloved Son; listen to him.”

God is telling them that Jesus is far greater than these other men. He is greater than the law and the prophets. After all, it was Jesus who gave them the very words they wrote. It was Jesus that they were writing about when they did write.

People can try to get right with God by keeping the Law or by doing religious things, but those things will never be enough. Salvation, forgiveness and Heaven will only come when someone believes in Jesus for their salvation.

The advice that God gave to those three men on a mountain so long ago is still good advice today.

Listen to Him!

John 14:6 ESV

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

If you want forgiveness and hope today, you need to listen to what He has to say.

As soon as God speaks these words, the cloud is gone, Moses and Elijah are gone and these three disciples are alone with Jesus once again.

God speaks and immediately the cloud is gone, Moses and Elijah are gone, and the disciples are alone with Jesus once again. Peter and the others had shifted their focus to other things and other people, instead of Jesus alone. God takes care of that by removing all the things they were looking to.

It’s the same today. We need to be careful to not allow anything to take our attention off Jesus. Anything that does is dangerous and may be taken away.

There is a place, a people, a presentation and

A Purpose

As Jesus and His disciples leave that mountain, Jesus tells them not to tell anyone what they’ve seen until He rises from the dead. They don’t understand what He means because they wouldn’t grasp the truth of the resurrection until Jesus had actually died and risen again.

Jesus told them to keep this information to themselves for two reasons.

· They didn’t understand all the information they needed.

· They didn’t understand the information they did have.

If they’d gone around telling everyone what they’d seen, they would have confused people and delayed the rest of His earthly ministry.

As they come off the mountain, these three men are confused.

They want to know why the scribes say that Elijah must come before the Messiah. Jesus tells them that Elijah will come and then He turns the tables on them.

Jesus turns the focus from Elijah to Himself. He tells the disciples that while Elijah will come, the Son of Man will suffer and be treated with contempt.

Jesus lets them know that Elijah has already come, not literally, but in the person of John the Baptist, who came in the “spirit and power” of Elijah. When this man of God came, he was put to death. The implication here is that the Son of God came to this world and He would be treated disgracefully as well.

The real message of verses 9–13 is that the disciples still didn’t get it. They saw Jesus in His glory and they failed to comprehend the message behind the miracle.

Let’s think about some of the reasons for the transfiguration.

To encourage the Son

Just as God had reinforced Christ’s work at his baptism when He said, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased,” He once again shows His approval, “This is my beloved Son; listen to him.” He’s giving His approval and encouragement to the Son.

To prove that Jesus is the Son of God

Jesus had performed many miracles during His ministry. Yet, His followers still doubted His deity. This miracle proves that He is God in the flesh.

To challenge the disciples

The disciples had been raised to believe that obedience to the Law and keeping religious rituals was the means of salvation. Here they are taught to trust Jesus and Jesus alone. That’s a lesson we should all take to heart! Works, religion and good deeds will never save us. Faith in Jesus alone is the only way.

To show the cross was a choice Jesus willingly made

When Jesus appeared in glory on that mountain, He was simply showing us that He could have stepped out of this life at any time. He could have left time and moved back into eternity. He didn’t have to go to the cross! No one killed the Lamb of God. He willingly laid down His life on the cross because He chose to.

He came into this world to die for our sins and that’s exactly what He did on the cross.

To show us grace and take us where the Law never could

While Jesus was transfigured on that mountain, God came down in a cloud that overshadowed the top of that mountain.

· A cloud led Israel by day during their exodus from Egypt

· A cloud rested on the tabernacle showing His presence

· A cloud filled the temple in Solomon’s day

The cloud had not been seen in Israel for generations. Now, it has come back and it has covered Jesus and all who are with Him! You see, the Law would never allow Moses, Elijah, Peter, James or John to enter into God’s glory. But, when they found themselves in the presence of Jesus, they experienced His power and His glory.

Grace alone can open the door to the things of God! When you come to Jesus by faith, you step into a new world. Getting to know Jesus will bring you in line to experience the glory of God in unimaginable ways in your life. His glory is seen in answered prayer; in His peace and presence; in times of profound, personal worship; and many other ways.

Nowhere in the Gospels can His glory and identity be seen any clearer than in the transfiguration. Jesus was completely man, yet He was so divine that He could let His real glory shine like the sun. He is the fulfillment of everything Moses, Elijah, all the Law and prophets, said or wrote.

He brings that fulfillment! He brings the presence of God to our lives; He illuminates our lives; and one day, through our relationship with, we will rest for all eternity in the glory of our risen, sovereign Lord.