The Transfiguration
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Mark 9:1-13
Mark 9:1-13
1 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.”
2 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, 3 and his clothes became radiant, intensely white, as no one on earth could bleach them. 4 And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus. 5 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.” 6 For he did not know what to say, for they were terrified. 7 And a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, “This is my beloved Son; listen to him.” 8 And suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone with them but Jesus only.
9 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. 10 So they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what this rising from the dead might mean. 11 And they asked him, “Why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?” 12 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? 13 But I tell you that Elijah has come, and they did to him whatever they pleased, as it is written of him.”
OPENING REMARKS
Today we are considering one of the greatest supernatural signs and wonders in the history of the world, the transfiguration of Jesus Christ.
The three synoptic gospels, Matthew, Mark and Luke all contain this event which shows how significant it was to the gospel writers.
Verse 1
1 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.”
As we come to consider this passage, it’s always worth remembering that though every word of scripture is breathed out by God (2 Tim 3:16) the chapter and verse numbers, and the chapter titles are not.
16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,
So we need to remember that when these gospels were first read, they didn’t include chapter and verse divisions, they were read as one long continuous narrative. Verse one of chapter 9 is actually the end of the conversation that Jesus was having with His disciples in chapter 8. In each gospel, the transfiguration is very intentionally linked to the conversation had in Caeserea Phillipi about the suffering that Jesus was about to endure and also the life of self denial that each of His followers must live. So we mustn’t disconnect the end of chapter 8 from the beginning of chapter 9 in our thinking, the gospel writers want for us to link them together.
So what did Jesus mean when He told his disciples that some would not taste death until they had seen the kingdom of God after it has come with power?
Some say that Jesus is speaking about his second coming here, and that this makes him a false prophet because he didn’t return in the 1st century.
Others say that Jesus is speaking here of pentecost, when the Kingdom of God truly came with power.
But the most obvious interpretation of what Jesus meant here is that He was speaking of His transfiguration before Peter, James and John on the mountain. In each gospel when Jesus says this phrase it is immediately followed by the story of the transfiguration. Equally, each gospel writer gives a time period to actually connect this prophecy to the events that followed with the word ‘and’. We’re supposed to connect the prophecy to the transfiguration. And what is the transfiguration but a foretaste of Jesus’s second coming?!
Jesus has given them the hard truth about their walk with him in this life. That each must take up their cross and deny themselves. Yet he leaves them encouraged with a picture of both His and their future glory.
So in a sense, the end of chapter 8 speaks to us of the manner of Jesus’s first coming, and the beginning of chapter 9 speaks to us about the manner of His second.
VERSES 2-3
2 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, 3 and his clothes became radiant, intensely white, as no one on earth could bleach them.
A quick question; why do Matthew and Mark say the transfiguration happened after 6 days and Luke say it happened after 8 days?
At first glance this seems like a glaring contradiction but is it?
Well, Luke uses a small Greek word hosei as an approximate measure, it’s a word that Luke likes to use. It is often translated ‘about 8 days’ and can be rendered ‘something like 8 days later’. So Luke uses more of an approximate and Mark and Matthew are more precise.
And where was this high mountain? Well, church tradition held that this was mount Tabor, but now most think that it was Mount Hermon that they went up on, which is right next to Caeserea Phillipi where they had been in Mark 8 and is the highest mountain in Israel.
Jesus took just the three disciples up on the mountain to witness this? Why not take them all? Surely He knew what was about to happen? Why take just three? This could be His great Aha! moment! Why not invite the scribes and Pharisees who sneered at Him? This would show them!
Some of the things Jesus did just don’t make sense to us! And they often didn’t make sense in the moment to His disciples either. Only in hindsight did they understand. Isn’t that so often the way? We struggle to understand what God is doing in our lives in the moment and we want to explain to Him what would be best, and it’s not until time has passed and we look back that we see His wisdom and care in all that has happened to us.
We are so often minded of the things of man, just like Peter was when he started to rebuke Jesus in the last chapter. We want maximum impact, we want vindication in the eyes of man, we want to be celebrated by others, we want everyone applaud us and our lives lived for Jesus, and so often we superimpose that desire onto Jesus. So we don’t understand when He doesn’t seem to want that too. But Jesus knows humanity better than any of us and He was never driven by the approval of others.
23 Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many believed in his name when they saw the signs that he was doing. 24 But Jesus on his part did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people 25 and needed no one to bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man.
God has always chosen to reveal Himself to the few rather than the majority. He isn’t interested in gaining consensus approval from mankind but rather in forging real loving, covenantal relationships with His people.
Luke tells us that Jesus had gone up the mountain to pray and that it was as He was praying that he was transfigured. Isn’t this just in incredible picture of what happens when we follow Jesus in prayer. That as we pray, He is transfigured before our hearts.
And just imagine what an encounter this was for the disciples! All of a sudden Jesus radically changes, the guy they watched put his dusty sandals on in the morning is now standing before them altered. Shining radiantly! This light isn’t being reflected off Him, but is literally emanating from Him! It was His own glory, not like Moses’s face which shone after He had encountered God on the mountain, his glory was reflected, Jesus’s glory was His own.
Rather than this being a change in Jesus’s character or nature, this was just Him revealing His true glory to the three disciples, He was pulling back the veil for them.
What this sun is to the eyes of the flesh, that is the Lord to the eyes of the heart. - Augustine
You know I believe the church needs to see this picture of Christ today. Perhaps we have become overly comfortable with the sandal wearing, tousle haired Jesus of the new testament, maybe we’re a touch over familiar with his humanity, we need to be reminded of His glory, of His majesty, of His radiance. If we get out of touch with either Christs humanity or on the other hand His divinity that’s when we begin to struggle.
VERSE 4
4 And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus.
And then Elijah and Moses appear and are deep in discussion with Jesus. Luke 9:31 tells us they were discussing His departure, or in other words His death and resurrection which were about to happen in Jerusalem. Not that they were advising Jesus, giving Him information, but rather that they were learning of and discussing these things with Him.
What’s interesting is that the disciples immediately recognised these two men as Moses and Elijah, they didn’t have to be told, they knew. You know, what we have here in the transfiguration is a foretaste of Christ’s second coming. And what we can learn from this event is that we will be able to recognise one another when we rise with Christ. Jesus, Moses and Elijah still looked like Jesus, Moses and Elijah just much brighter!
Moses and Elijah represent for us both The Law and The Prophets. The Law and The Prophets are summed up by these two men. This is a wonderful prophetic picture of the law and the prophets in their relationship to the Messiah. Both the law and the prophets point to Christ, He is their end, He is their summation. We don’t see the true Jesus Christ unless we see both the law and the prophets, without the law we don’t see our need of Him, without the prophets we don’t know what to expect of Him.
15 “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers—it is to him you shall listen—
VERSE 5-6
5 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.” 6 For he did not know what to say, for they were terrified.
I like the way Luke phrases this ‘not realising what he was saying’. Because on one hand, Peter got this very wrong. He had assumed, in a way, that Christ was merely a peer of Elijah and Moses, worthy to be counted amongst them by saying that three tabernacles should be made for each man. Secondly, he belied his motivation for Christ to be seen by all in this glorified state with Moses and Elijah. He was like ‘this is it!’ ‘this is what I was trying to explain to Jesus a few days ago, this is the kind of Messiah the people need, less of the stuff about suffering and death.’ Luke actually notes that Peter said this as Moses and Elijah were departing, it’s like Peter was saying ‘No, don’t go!!’
But on the other hand, Peter must be commended. Although frightened he had the boldness to speak with Jesus, and Jesus doesn’t rebuke him. And he was right, it was GOOD for them to be there!
VERSE 7
7 And a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, “This is my beloved Son; listen to him.”
It was then that they were overshadowed by a cloud. This was no ordinary rain cloud! Matthew says that the cloud itself was bright! This was a cloud of God’s glory. The same cloud that appeared before Moses, Solomon and was witnessed by Ezekiel in the Old Testament.
34 Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. 35 And Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud settled on it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.
13 and it was the duty of the trumpeters and singers to make themselves heard in unison in praise and thanksgiving to the Lord), and when the song was raised, with trumpets and cymbals and other musical instruments, in praise to the Lord,
“For he is good,
for his steadfast love endures forever,”
the house, the house of the Lord, was filled with a cloud, 14 so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the house of God.
And just like in the Old Testament the disciples were afraid. Matthews gospel says they fell on their faces.
Then they hear the voice of God from the cloud ‘This is my beloved Son! Listen to Him.’ This is the second time God has spoken from heaven to affirm his son, but this time He does it with a command; listen to Him.
Notice too how Peter had placed equal value on Jesus, Moses and Elijah but when God speaks he only mentions and affirms one name; Jesus! I don’t think we can underplay the relevance of this. Men are quick to place other names alongside the name of Jesus, they are quick to elevate other religions, philosophies and ways of salvation alongside the name of Jesus, but God in heaven only speaks to affirm one name, He only commands our obedience to one name, the name of Jesus. Salvation is not through Jesus, plus the law, plus special revelations but through Jesus alone.
VERSES 8-10
8 And suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone with them but Jesus only.
9 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. 10 So they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what this rising from the dead might mean.
Jesus again charges them to keep quiet about what they had seen until He had risen from the dead. Imagine how difficult that would have been?!
Clearly they still don’t quite believe Jesus, they are discussing what rising from the dead might mean! Hmmm - does he mean spiritually rise from the dead? Metaphorically rise from the dead?
31 And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again. 32 And he said this plainly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.
Given that Jesus told them this plainly just days ago, this is pretty astonishing. Clearly not everything in the Bible is meant to be taken absolutely literally, but many things definitely are. There is danger in assuming that something in scripture is just metaphorical simply because we can’t comprehend it.
VERSES 11-13
11 And they asked him, “Why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?” 12 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? 13 But I tell you that Elijah has come, and they did to him whatever they pleased, as it is written of him.”
The disciples had understood from the passage in Malachi 4:5-6
5 “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. 6 And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.”
That Elijah must come before the Messaig comes and that Elijah has a ministry to fulfil. Surely, they thought, if this prophecy is to be fulfilled then Elijah needs to come back from wherever it is he has gone and start turning the hearts of fathers to their children?!
But their misunderstanding about this flowed from their understanding of there being only one coming of the Messiah, when He comes in glory on the awesome day of the Lord and sets up His kingdom. But Jesus has been at pains to show them that there are two comings, the first will be as the suffering servant, written about in Isaiah 53 and the second coming will be when he returns in glory at the end of the earth to judge the living and dead.
And he tells them that Elijah had come - past tense. And that he too had suffered at the hands of those he came to minister to.
13 Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist.
Although John the Baptist wasn’t Elijah, he came in the same spirit and calling as Elijah did. Calling the people of God to repentance and exposing the sinful hearts of the hypocritical leaders.
There are some who believe that John the Baptist is the fulfillment of that passage in Malachi, and there are others including many of the church fathers who believe that the Malachi prophecy will be fulfilled by a second, end-time visit of the prophet Elijah detailed in Revelation 11:6.
3 And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.”
CONCLUSION
So, in conclusion, what are the applications for us today:
Firstly that we know that Christ has two comings, the first lowly and meek, the second in power and glory.
Secondly, that just as He said that all His followers would share in His suffering and must take up their cross, so too they will share in His glory and join Him when He comes again at the end of this world. So though we will endure hardship, ridicule and persecution in this life, we know that one day we will be like Him in glory
2 Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.
Therefore it makes our earthly difficulties easier to bear when we see where we are headed.
Thirdly, this passage is a picture of our place with Christ even now Eph 2:6
6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
Even though our bodies are here on earth, our spirits are also with Christ in heavenly places. We have a dual citizenship! And our lives are being transfigured from glory to glory as we walk daily with Jesus.