The Gospel of Mark 9:1-13
“And Jesus was saying to them, “Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God having come in power.” And six days later, Jesus took with Him Peter and James and John, and brought them up on a high mountain alone by themselves. And He was transfigured before them; and His garments were shining intensely white, as no launderer on earth can whiten them. And Elijah appeared to them along with Moses and they were conversing with Jesus. And Peter answered and said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; let us make three booths, one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” For he did not know what to answer; for they became terrified. Then a cloud formed, overshadowing them, and a voice came out of the cloud, “This is My beloved Son, listen to Him!” And all at once when they looked around, they saw no one with them anymore, except Jesus alone.
And as
they were coming down from the mountain, He gave them orders not to recount to
anyone what they had seen, until the Son of Man rose from the dead. And they
seized upon that statement, arguing with one another what rising from the dead
meant. And they began asking Him, saying, “Why is it that the scribes say that
Elijah must come first?” And He said to them, “Elijah does first come and
restore all things. And yet how is it written of the Son of Man that He will
suffer many things and be treated with contempt? But I say to you that Elijah
has indeed come, and they did to him whatever they wished, just as it is
written of him.”
Jesus
continued to talk with His disciples after He spoke of the cost of following
Him. This cost was to lay down one’s life and die to sin and the word, take up
the yoke of Jesus, and cleave to Him and His ways with all they had in them.
And ever so loving
them he told them “Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are
standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God having
come in power.” Yes, some of the twelve would not die until they see the
kingdom of God coming with power.
This is a prelude to what happens next in Mark’s Gospel for we are told six days pass and Jesus chose from the twelve disciples Peter, James, and John, and brought them to a high mountain alone and by themselves. Much like Moses being shielded in the cleft of a high mountain waiting in anticipation for the Glory of Yahweh to pass by, these three wait for what they do not even suspect will come.
It is night
and most likely dark on the mountain and Jesus is transfigured before them. “and
His garments were shining intensely white, as no launderer on earth can whiten
them.” I imagine as the kingdom of God is opened the realms of this world
and Eternity are breached and appearing before the three disciples, they see
their King in His “glory that He had before the world existed.” (Jn 17:5)
Conversing
with Jesus were Moses and Elijah alongside Him. Why these two? What we see here
is Moses, who gave the law, Elijah, the prophet of prophets, and then Jesus the
Messiah, the Gospel. The Law, the Prophets, and the Gospel.
Peter, James,
and John were frightened and were speechless except for Peter who did not know
how to answer what they were seeing. In his fear, he says, “Rabbi, it is good
for us to be here; let us make three booths, one for You, and one for Moses,
and one for Elijah.”
My biggest
question is how did they know it was Moses and Elijah? I believe the cause of
their instant knowledge is one of two possibilities. Either Peter is recounting
the experience through the illumination of the Holy Spirit, or the power of the
kingdom of God present allows them to see perfectly. Paul talks of this in
1 Corinthians 13:9-10 “For we know in part, and we prophesy in part, but
when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away.”
And though
they can see things, it would be unkind of the Father to reveal Himself lest
they die, “and a cloud formed, overshadowing them, and a voice came out of
the cloud, “This is My beloved Son, listen to Him!” The Father revealed
Himself and His affection to Jesus, His Son. “God owns him, and accepts him,
as his beloved Son, and is ready to accept us in Him; we must then own and
accept Him as our beloved Savior and must give up ourselves to be ruled by him.”
(M. Henry)
Covered by
the cloud and the voice of God appearing put them in a stir “and all at once
when they looked around, they saw no one with them anymore, except Jesus alone.”
I’m certain they were rattled by such a sight, and now they are alone again on
the mountain in the dark of the night. Jesus and His disciples came down the
mountain “He gave them orders not to recount to anyone what they had seen
until the Son of Man rose from the dead.”
The three of
them then “seized on upon that statement, arguing with one another what rising
from the dead meant.” For “they understood none of these things. This
saying was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what was said.” (Lk
18:34)
And they
also asked, “Why is it that the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”
And Jesus talked with them. He gave them the liberty to ask these questions and
even challenged their notions. The concepts they had learned from the Rabbis in
their life.
And He said
to them, “Elijah does first come and restore all things.” As the scriptures in Malachi
foretell, “Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the
coming of the great and awesome day of Yahweh. And he will turn the hearts of
the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers,
lest I come and strike the land, devoting it to destruction.” (Mal 4:5-6)
An angel
tells Zacharia about his son John in Luke 1:16-17 “And he will turn many of
the sons of Israel back to the Lord their God. And he will go before Him in the
spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers back to the
children, and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous, to make ready a
people prepared for the Lord.”
Jesus
Continued, “And yet how is it written of the Son of Man that He will
suffer many things and be treated with contempt?” He further tells them that “John
the Baptist had told them of the Son of man, that he must suffer many things,
and be set at naught. John the Baptist did indeed tell them so, when he pointed
to him passing by, and said, “Behold the Lamb of God, which takes
away (or takes up or bears) the sins of the world, John
1:29.” (M. Poole) James and John were first the disciples of John the
Baptist before Jesus started His ministry.
Jesus finishes,” But I say to you that Elijah has indeed come, and they did to him whatever they wished, just as it is written of him.” And so, they did, for John the Baptist was beheaded and this is how the world treats the righteous and so it will happen to Jesus as He is teaching His disciples. Jesus will suffer at the same hands that killed John the Baptist and more.
As I spoke
last week, we will suffer for Jesus’ righteousness for He brings healing and
peace to all who believe in Him and redeems them and brings them into the
kingdom of God. Jesus said in Luke 12:32, “Do not fear, little flock, for
your Father is well pleased to give you the kingdom.”
Jesus came
to save sinners. Sinners suppress the truth and hide in their darkness because
they love darkness. They are unbelieving, vile, foolish, rebellious, haters of
God who have adopted the ideologies of this world and the doctrines of men.
They have become slaves to their sexual desires, perverting the flesh and mind,
and rebelling against the created order of God. They are doomed to condemnation
and will be judged by Jesus and sent to Hell where they will burn for eternity
in the lake of fire.
However, God
so loved His creation, mankind, that He sent His Son Jesus, who can forgive you
of your sins and redeem you because He has the authority and power. Jesus
brings eternal life to all who repent and believe. For Jesus bore all our sins;
He bore all the sins of all who believe in Him. Jesus was born and lived a
perfect life of obedience to God as a man. Jesus was condemned to be executed
and die in the sinner's place. He suffered the totality of God's wrath upon
Himself on the Cross, which every sinner deserves, so that those who believe in
Jesus may have peace with God.
Jesus rose from the dead, conquering death, and lives, and ascended to the right hand of God the Father. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life, and He is in your midst with us offering you salvation, repent, and believe Jesus.
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