The Mountaintop

Intro

Are you the kind of person who hates silence? If no one is talking, you feel like you should? Even if you’re wrong or not sure what to say, you just have to say something. Or maybe you’re the person who sits quietly listening and learning - watching and waiting for someone else to say something. Maybe you don’t want to be wrong or have everyone think judge you. Guess which group Peter falls into?

In today’s message from Mark 9, Peter is in another situation where he just can’t help himself. Just like in our last passage, where Peter rebuked Jesus for saying he would suffer and die. Now, Peter sees Jesus transformed on a mountaintop and thinks, someone should say something - I guess it will be me again! What will he say and how will Jesus respond? What’s the point of this event? Let’s find out.

Series

As we continue our series: The Crown & The Cross sermon, Mark’s Gospel shows Jesus as a man with a clear message and mission, and the reader is called to actively response to the message.

In the first half of Mark the emphasis was on Jesus as Messiah the King who deserved a crown. Now in the second half the focus is on Jesus fulfilling His life’s purpose in suffering and dying on the cross.

Back in Mark 1, Jesus was baptized as he prepared for his ministry and God the Father confirmed his identity speaking from heaven, You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased. As Jesus is now preparing for the final phase of his mission, going to the cross to die, again the Father speaks from heaven confirming that Jesus is the Son of God. But this statement is also for the benefit and encouragement of his three closest disciples - Peter, James, and John.

PRAY

READ Mark 9:1-13

A troubling statement

v. 1 Let me restate this verse as a positive. Some of you here right now, will see the Kingdom of God coming with power before you die, others of you won’t.

Let’s go back a verse to 8:38. After shocking them with the plan that he must die and rise again, Jesus said, his disciples must not be ashamed of him or he would deny them when he comes in the glory of his Father. There is a connection to Jesus being glorified and that’s what this passage is all about.

Several interpretations. One is that this means some of the disciples (three in fact) would witness Jesus’ transfiguration which is about to happen six days later.

Another is that some of the people present would see the resurrected Christ in just a few weeks, after his death.

Another interpretation is that it refers to Jesus returning to heaven many weeks later followed by the power of the Holy Spirit coming on the disciples at Pentecost.

Whichever one it is, clearly Jesus wanted people to know that his glorification was happening soon - within their lifetime. It was not like the messianic promises that took hundreds of years before being fulfilled. The kingdom of God was near!

What the Disciples Saw

Six days later Jesus took three of the disciples up a high mountain to get away and pray. It was Peter, James, and John. they are often called the inner three. They were often separated for special teaching and ministry.

This could have been Mt. Hermon near Caesarea Philippi. It is the highest mountain in Israel. Could have traveled six days to Mount Tabor, but that had a city on top so it would not have been an isolated place to get away for prayer. Some have suggested it could be Mt Meron on the way to Capernaum. Name is not included so it is not vital. Perhaps like other locations that are unclear in the Bible, God did not want them to be worshiped as holy shrines with magical power. The focus should always be on Jesus Christ.

Our parallel passages are in Matthew 17 and Luke 9 and as usual, they give some additional insights that Mark chose to leave out. Luke tells us that Jesus was praying when something spectacular occurred.

Jesus was transfigured - he was transformed into something else. The disciples saw Jesus change right before their eyes. The appearance of his face was altered and his clothing was dazzling white. Peter’s additional description in Mark 9:3 was that his clothes were so white - no one on earth could bleach them that bright! People would typically wear tan or natural colored clothes. White was more costly and hard to keep clean in their dusty climate. They saw Jesus in all his glory and splendor as the Son of God - not the Son of Man that they were accustomed to. God wanted these three especially to be totally convinced that Jesus was the Son of God.

And then Jesus was no longer alone! Elijah and Moses suddenly appeared talking with Jesus. They were all alone on the top of a mountain. Where did these guys come from and how did the disciples know it was Elijah and Moses? Name tags? The Holy Spirit must have revealed that to them, just as he revealed Jesus’ identity as the Christ to Peter earlier.

Luke 9:31 tells us that Moses and Elijah were talking to Jesus about his departure - literally his exodus after he went to Jerusalem. They were talking about his resurrection! What’s unique about these two men, is that they both had unusual departures from earth - In Deut 34 it says, Moses went into the mountains and was buried by God. 2 Kings 2 tells us, as Elijah an Elisha were walking along and talking, behold, a chariot of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them, and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. These men knew about the promised Messiah, and now they were talking to him about his upcoming resurrection! Moses and Elijah also had mountaintop experiences with God, so it is fitting that they are here. Moses represents the Law and Elijah the greatest of the prophets. During Jesus’ sermon on the mount (a different one) he said, “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill” (Matt 5:17).

Peter didn’t what what to think or what to say. V. 6 says the disciples fell on their faces because they were terrified. So he blurts out, Rabbi (teacher or master) it is so great that we are here. I will make three tents (one for each of you) maybe hoping they would stay longer?

Before Peter could start gathering materials to build some tents, a cloud covered the top of the mountain - probably a thick fog that they could no longer see.

What the Disciples Heard

v. 7 And a voice came out of the cloud, “This is my beloved Son, listen to him.”

Matthew adds, with whom I am well pleased. And Luke adds my Son, the Chosen One (the Christ or Messiah).

This was the Shekinah glory of God. Matthew says it was a bright cloud overshadowed them, representing the presence of God the Father. Moses had experienced this on the top of Mt. Sinai, but Exodus 19 describes it as a dark cloud with smoke, fire, thunder and lightning. The people were not allowed to approach the mountain or they would die. Moses choose three men to accompany him, but they could not experience God’s glory directly. God hid Moses in a cleft of a rock while he walked by.

But now God has appeared in brilliant light and glory, and Jesus invited his three close disciples onto the mountaintop, into the cloud to hear from God and to see himself, the Son of God, transformed in all his glory.

The words God spoke confirmed that Jesus was the Christ, the Messiah. That he was in fact the Son of God, who pleased his Father. And God said “Listen to Him.”

This was probably for Peter’s sake. Peter, you know how you just corrected Jesus and told him he shouldn’t talk about suffering and dying. Peter, listen to my Son! Obey him. Do what he tells you.

When they got up it was only Jesus, there alone.

As they walked back down the mountain together, Jesus told them to not tell anyone what they saw until he rose from the dead. V 10 says the disciples didn’t know what he meant by rising from the dead, but instead of asking him that, they asked why the scribes say Elijah must come before the Messiah. In fact, Malachi 4:5, says “Behold I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes.”

Jesus answered, Elijah does come. And the Son of Man should suffer and be treated with contempt. Jesus said, Elijah did come and they did whatever they wanted to him, just as it was written.

Matt 17:12 tells us they did not recognize Elijah when he came and the Son of Man will also certainly suffer. Then the disciples understood that he was talking about John the Baptist. He was like Elijah coming to prepare the way for the Messiah. Just like he suffered and was killed, the Son of Man will suffer and be killed.

What the Disciples Felt

Peter, James and John enjoyed the blessing of fellowship with God’s great people - Moses and Elijah - giants of the faith. Plus they they heard Jesus talking with Father, they saw Jesus fully glorified as the Son of God and they actually got to hear the Father reply out loud! How did they feel? They must have felt amazing! They experienced real worship in the presence of God and God had a message for them - This is my Son, listen to him. This should have hammered home the message that Jesus was trying to emphasize to them - I must suffer, I must be rejected, I must die, and I must rise again from the dead.

Matt 17:7 says, Jesus came and touched them and told them to get up. They were terrified and hid their faces from God. This is the right attitude of a sinner before a holy God, but Jesus gently assures them “Don’t be afraid.” He is approachable and invites them to walk and talk to him.

What it all means

I really enjoyed Pastor Tim Keller’s book Jesus the King, based on Mark’s Gospel. He has some great insights into these passages and I want to share some of those with you.

After experiencing God’s glory on Mt. Sinai, Moses built a tabernacle (tent) to worship God. Peter also wanted to build tents for worship and separation, but it was not necessary. Moses and Elijah were gone. Jesus is the bridge over the gap between God and man. We can commune with God directly with no religious practices, no tabernacle, no priests, no offering. Jesus did it all. Moses and Elijah representing the Law and the Prophets were gone. They completed their mission of telling about the coming Messiah. And now Jesus is preparing to complete his mission on the cross. God has provided a new covenant in Jesus Christ. His Word is what we must listen to and obey.

Jesus was confirmed and empowered by God to be ready for the suffering and the cross that were awaiting him in Jerusalem; just as before at his baptism when God strengthened him for his great temptation and beginning of his ministry. God can empower us the same way to face evil and endure suffering. Last week I encouraged you with the truth of your identity found in Eph 1 - you are my son/daughter, holy and blameless, I love you. And in Ephesians 2:10, You are my masterpiece, created in Christ Jesus for good works that God prepared for you well in advance, that you should complete them.

The purpose of the Transfiguration of Christ - seeing him in all his glory - on top of a high mountain, with Moses and Elijah, and all of the references back to the Old Testament the law and the prophets, God was clearly reinforcing the purpose of Jesus mission in suffering and dying. He wanted to prepare the disciples for the hard road ahead and he wanted to encourage them to listen to Jesus and know that this was all really true. God’s kingdom had come to earth - but it was a spiritual kingdom that they did not fully understand.

Take Aways

Just like for the disciples, this should confirm our faith Jesus as the Son of God and only true redeemer and Savior. We should also be excited about his return when we too will be transformed into his glorious image.

After Jesus told the disciples that he must suffer and die, we should be prepared to suffer and die for the sake of the Gospel - Are you willing to give up anything to help others find the gift of eternal life you have already received?

When you have experience beautiful, mountaintop times of worship, fellowship, and community with God and his family do you want to stay there, like Peter, or are you invigorated and encouraged to go back down the mountain to share the Gospel and live it out? There is such a focus on great worship experiences today, that there may be a danger for many Christians to just seek out those experiences instead of going out and doing the work of sharing the Gospel in word and action.

Our weekly church gathering should bring us into worship of our great God - seeing his amazing glory, but also hearing His Word and listening so we obey it.

Benediction

Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.