The Transfiguration
Text: Mark 9:2-13
Core Idea: Jesus Christ is the glory of God in the flesh who is worthy of our worship and He’s also the bridge that makes it possible for sinners like us to experience the fullness of God’s glory and be safe. Then knowing that He guarantees our future glory, let His transfiguration give us hope and strength today.
INTRODUCTION
Thank you, Victor, for sharing your story with us – and reminding us that our worth doesn’t come from our good deeds but from the work Jesus accomplished on the cross. And I loved the way you invited the church to reflect on their own journey by asking those pointed questions. I pray that all of us will take some time to do just that this week. It’s always good to remember God’s past faithfulness because it will remind us of God’s present and future faithfulness. May it be an opportunity to recalibrate your hearts to the Lord. And if anyone wants to share their story with us, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me. We would love to hear your story.
We’re exploring the life of Jesus through the Gospel of Mark. A few weeks ago, we saw that Jesus healed a blind man in two stages – he went from not being able to see at all, to being able to see partially, then being able to see perfectly. Now Mark included this story here not only to demonstrate Jesus’ power and compassion, but it was also symbolic in telling us the need for spiritual sight – that no matter who we are, all of us need to be touched by Jesus in order to be healed of our spiritual blindness. And that’s exactly what we saw in the disciples. They recognized Jesus as the Messiah, but their understanding was incomplete, inaccurate – seeing things only partially. Yet in our passage today, Jesus is going to allow a few of His disciples to see clearly who Jesus really is. Then my prayer is that we too will see the fullness of who Jesus is (His beauty and glory) either for the first time or in a fresh way. With that in mind, let’s turn our Bibles to Mark 9:2-13. Let me read this for us.
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 covered 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. 10 They kept the matter to themselves, discussing what “rising from the dead” meant. 11 And they asked Him, “Why do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?” 12 Jesus replied, “To be sure, Elijah does come first, and restores all things. Why then is it written that the Son of Man must suffer much and be rejected? 13 But I tell you, Elijah has come, and they have done to him everything they wished, just as it is written about him.”
Amen. This is the Word of God for you today.
There are three things I want to point out from this passage.
THE GLORY REVEALED
THE GLORY EXPERIENCED
THE GLORY PROMISED
1) THE GLORY REVEALED
Let’s turn to verse 2. Mark tells us that Jesus took a small group of His disciples with Him on a high mountain. This is an important detail we should pay attention to, because all throughout the Bible, God often revealed Himself on mountains. For example, when the Israelites were slaves in Egypt, God called Moses from Mount Horeb and revealed Himself in the burning bush (Ex. 3:1-6). Seeing the suffering of His people, God promised that He will deliver them and prophesied that, one day, they will worship Him on this mountain (Ex. 3:12). And that’s exactly what happened – God miraculously delivered them, and they came to Mount Sinai (which was another name for Mount Horeb), where they experienced the fullness of His glory. This is what Exodus 19:16, 18 says, “On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast. Everyone in the camp trembled. Mount Sinai was covered with smoke, because the LORD descended on it in fire. The smoke billowed up from it like smoke from a furnace, and the whole mountain trembled violently.” Can you imagine this scene? The whole mountain trembled and everyone in the camp trembled. This is what happens when the glory of God fills the place. Let me read you two more passages and look at the details that resemble our passage today. Exodus 24:15-17 says, “When Moses went up on the mountain, the cloud covered it, and the glory of the LORD settled on Mount Sinai. For six days the cloud covered the mountain, and on the seventh day the LORD called to Moses from within the cloud. To the Israelites the glory of the LORD looked like a consuming fire on top of the mountain.” Remember that on the seventh day, God revealed Himself in glory. And Exodus 34:29-30 says, “When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the covenant law in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the LORD. When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, his face was radiant, and they were afraid to come near him.”
Let me make some connections to our passage. Not coincidentally, after six days, on the seventh day, Jesus took Peter, James, and John on a high mountain and He was transfigured before them. The Greek word for “transfigured” is metamorphothe which is where we get the word “metamorphosis” – a complete change in form and substance. In fact, Matthew tells us that “His face shone like the sun and His clothes became as white as the light” (Matt. 17:2) – just like Moses. The only difference was that Moses was reflecting the glory of God as the moon reflects the light of the sun while Jesus produced the very glory of God. Jesus didn’t point to the glory of God like Moses; Jesus possessed the glory of God. Hebrews 1:3 puts it like this, “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His being, sustaining all things by His powerful word.” What Mark is trying to tell us is that Jesus isn’t just a teacher, a prophet, or a leader – He is the glory of God in the flesh. In other words, to see Jesus was to fully gaze on the glory of God – the same glory that shook the mountains; the same glory that came like a consuming fire; the same glory that caused people to tremble. For a brief moment, Jesus’ true identity was allowed to shine forth in all its glory.
Now, appearing with Jesus were Elijah and Moses in verse 4. Of all the people in the OT, why these two men in this particular moment? Most of the commentaries share that Elijah represents the prophets and Moses represents the law. So, what you have is the law and the prophets (the totality of the OT) finding their fulfillment in Jesus Christ, which is why, as we’ll see later, both of these figures suddenly disappear at the end while Jesus stood there by Himself – signifying that the law and the prophets fade away in light of His presence. It’s also interesting to note that both Moses and Elijah encountered God in their own lifetime on a mountain. If you remember, when Moses climbed Mount Sinai and begged God, “Now, show me Your glory” (Ex. 33:18), God responded by saying, “No one can see My glory and live. But this is what I’ll do – I’ll hide you in a cleft of a rock and cover you until I pass by. After I pass by, you can come out and look at the lingering trail of My glory and beauty” (Ex. 33:21-22). And that’s exactly what Moses did. On the other hand, Elijah was also on Mount Sinai because he was being chased by Queen Jezebel who wanted to kill him. There, he was seeking God who would restore him in the midst of all his fears and exhaustion. And God did meet Him, but in a way that was unexpected. You may remember that there was a powerful wind that tore the mountains and shattered the rocks – but God was not in there. There was an earthquake and fire – but God was not in there as well. Then came a gentle whisper – and God was there. Now, notice what Elijah did next in 1 Kings 19:13, “When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.” He had to cover his face because he knew that no one could look upon the face of God and live. Then think with me. Here were two people who desperately wanted to see the glory of God but were only able to see the lingering trail of it – yet after all these years, they finally got to look at God face to face through the person of Jesus Christ. Here, they were in the glory that they have been waiting for so long. Do you see the mind-boggling claim that Mark was saying in this story? He was saying that to see the man Jesus was to see the face of Almighty God – the One who Moses and Elijah eagerly longed to see. And on this mountain, all their desires were satisfied as they talked with Jesus face to face.
What does this mean for us? It certainly means that Jesus is worthy of our worship – He is worth living for, dying for, worth losing everything for. He’s the One who should overshadow everything in our lives – the very reason and motivation for all that we do. In other words, Jesus’ revealed glory should lead us to worship. Then let’s honestly ask ourselves, “Am I truly living a life of worship or has worship become just an activity that I do on Sunday?” At one point, Jesus was so beautiful in our eyes – we adored Him; praises flowed out naturally, so passionately; we worshiped Him with everything we had, but then life happened. We got busy. Work has been extremely draining. It feels like never-ending chores at home. Everyday feels like a battle – and Jesus has been pushed to the periphery. In contrast, some of us just got lazy. We lost that motivation. The first thing we do when we wake up and the last thing we do before we sleep is check our phones – spending hours on social media, YouTube, or Netflix. We get easily distracted. And worship has become a mindless activity that we do on Sunday just because it’s part of our weekly schedule. Then suddenly we realize that we’re no longer in awe of Him; we’re no longer moved by His beauty; we’re no longer overwhelmed by the weightiness of His glory.
Then how do we recover this heart that is hungry for the Lord? How can our hearts be in awe of His glory? We must warm ourselves at the fire of the truths of God. In other words, we must meditate on the Scripture. Meditation in Christianity is not emptying your mind; it’s the filling of your mind with truths – truths that will shape your reality today. Without meditation, the truths of the Word can flow through our minds like water in a pipe and make no impact. But by means of meditation, we give the truth a chance to settle in our minds and do its work. This is so important to note especially because worship is always a response – one cannot generate worship out of nowhere, it must come from something; namely, through the Word of God. Let me say it more boldly: worship will not come out of you unless you are in the Word of God. Brothers and sisters, if you want to be in awe of Him, if you want your heart to explode with worship, turn to the Word today. See the glory of Christ written all over it – and let your meditation on His revealed glory cause you to give Him your unreserved worship today.
2) THE GLORY EXPERIENCED
Let’s turn to verse 5. When the curtain was pulled back and the disciples saw Jesus in His full glory, Mark tells us that Peter was frightened – he felt threatened. So, he said, “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.” Now, Mark tells us in verse 6 that Peter, in fact, didn’t know what he was saying – he was just babbling out of fear. You see, he knew that no one could see God’s glory and live. Peter read about how God’s glory descended on the mountain and the Israelites didn’t dare to touch even the base of the mountain because they knew they would die. And yet here he was, standing on the mountain, looking directly at the dazzling brilliance of God’s glory in Jesus. He must have thought that he was going to die at that moment. Now, isn’t that ironic? I just shared that the glory of God is what the world has been waiting for, something that will completely satisfy our hearts, something worth dying for, yet experiencing it will leave us in absolute terror. God’s glory is beautiful yet terrifying – even deadly. It’s something we want more than anything else, but at the same time, it has the power to incinerate us.
Then if you think about it, what Peter said makes a lot more sense. He must have instinctively known that he needed to build shelters – partially, to honor them, but more so to protect himself from this fatal glory of God. He needed something that would shield him from Jesus. The word “shelters” is the Greek word for “tabernacle.” As some of you know, the tabernacle was the one place in the OT where the glory of God could rest, and it would be safe for sinners to draw near, because there were priests who would mediate on behalf of sinners and sacrifices to atone for their sins. The tabernacle was a shield to protect God’s people from God’s own glory. And here, Peter was saying, “That’s what I need – or else, I will die.”
Now, immediately after Peter said this, a cloud appeared and covered them. Can you imagine how terrified he must have been? He read from the OT that God’s glory descended on clouds. He was in the very presence of God. Yet he didn’t die – in fact, other disciples didn’t die as well. How could this be? We get the answer from verse 8 – Mark tells us that suddenly there was no one else except Jesus. Do you see what God was trying to say here? He was saying, “Peter, you don’t need a tabernacle; Jesus is the true and final tabernacle. You don’t need priests who will stand in the gap between you and Me; Jesus is the true and final High Priest. You don’t need sacrifices to atone for your sins; Jesus is the true and final sacrifice – the One who will die in your place to atone for your sin once and for all.” Jesus is able to give what Elijah couldn’t give, what Moses couldn’t give, what no one else could ever deliver – He is the bridge over the gap between God and humanity. Through Him, we can enter the presence of God, encounter His fatal glory and still be safe.
Now, how does He do this? How does He bridge the gap between this holy God and us? By leaving this mountain to climb another mountain – namely, Mount Calvary. The Bible tells us that we are all enslaved to sin. All of us without exception have rebelled against God and all of us without exception deserved eternal judgment before God. Knowing this, Jesus left this glorious transfigured state and walked down the mountain – embarking on a journey to Jerusalem knowing that a cross was waiting for Him. This is the good news of the gospel: that God sent His one and only Son Jesus Christ to die on the cross for our sin. He substituted His place for us and died on behalf of us. You see, Jesus didn’t remain robbed in dazzling light – instead, He allowed Himself to be stripped naked in utter humiliation at the hands of those He came to save. When He was on the cross, there was no voice from heaven, saying, “This is My Son, whom I love” – there was just a lonely voice that cried out, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” This was the moment when He was taking all that was fatal about God’s glory upon Himself (all of the justice, all of the holiness, all of the righteous anger at our sin, all the wrath that we deserved). Why? So that we would be freed from the shackles of sin that condemn us, so that it would be safe for us to come to the glory we so longed for, so that you and I can hear from God the Father, saying, “This is My son, daughter whom I love.” Brothers and sisters, on the cross, Jesus wasn’t transfigured, He was disfigured for us in order to draw us into the love and glory of God.
Then how should we respond to this gospel truth? God tells us in verse 7, “This is My Son, whom I love. Listen to Him.” Now, this is not the first time that Mark has recorded a voice from heaven. Remember that at Jesus’ baptism, God spoke, saying “You are My Son, whom I love; with You I am well pleased” (Mk. 1:11). The first time God spoke, He did so for the benefit of His Son. Now, He speaks for our benefit. Not “You are My Son,” but “this is my Son.” And we are to “listen to Him.” Life is found in listening to Him and doing what He says. How do we do this practically? Pastor John Piper once said, “Every word of the Bible is the voice of Jesus.” I know this was the application from our previous point, but I invite you once again (because it’s that important) to turn to the Word today. If you’ve been reading consistently, great! If not, start today. Read with humility, diligence, and expectation – read it, as A.W. Tozer reminded us, “with the idea that it’s not only a book which was once spoken, but a book which is now speaking.” The wonderful news is that He wants to speak to us. Then let Him speak to you as you open the Bible and make every effort to obey all truths. How can we follow Jesus if we don’t listen to Jesus? This is how we experience the glory of God and see the beauty of the gospel.
3) THE GLORY PROMISED
Let’s turn to verse 9. Jesus once again told His disciples not to tell others about what they had witnessed here. But there’s a twist this time. He ordered them not to tell anyone until He has risen from the dead. What does this mean? Previously, we talked about how Jesus demanded silence about His identity because people had an incomplete, inaccurate understanding of who the Messiah was. But here, Jesus gives another reason for silence – namely, that we cannot understand Jesus’ true identity apart from the cross and the empty tomb. It’s His death and resurrection that will give us the spiritual sight to perfectly see His identity and mission.
It’s not surprising to see that the disciples were still puzzled. Mark tells us in verse 10, “They kept the matter to themselves, discussion what ‘rising from the dead’ meant.” But let me share this so that you won’t be left confused. What Jesus shows us through this moment of transfiguration isn’t simply to reveal His glory, for us to experience that glory, but also to show us that this is what’s promised for us – we will be glorified just as Christ was transfigured. Think about the flow of the story. In Mark 8:31, Jesus shared that He must suffer, must be rejected, must be killed, but must rise again. The pattern is suffering then glory. Then in Mark 8:34, Jesus invited us to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Him – a clear indication that suffering will be part of our discipleship. But right after He said this, He transfigured Himself before His disciples. Why? Because He wanted to give us a glimpse of the glory we will receive later on. Remember that Jesus’ messiahship shapes our discipleship. If the pattern for Christ was suffering then glory, it would be no different for us. After suffering, glory will come. Our glory is guaranteed.
Now, why is this important for us to see? Because it gives us hope. Pastor Tim Kerr defines “hope” in a very simple way: the guaranteed better future that God promises. And it’s this hope that will help us move forward even in the darkest moment in our lives and remain faithful in our discipleship because the meditation of this promised future joy becomes our present joy. Let me explain. Let’s say you decided to go away to Mexico in a month for your vacation. Even though you’re not there yet just thinking and talking about all that you’ll be doing there is getting you excited and providing strength to get through your day now. That’s exactly what happened to the disciples. For example, history tells us that Peter was persecuted and imprisoned multiple times for his faith – and at the end, he was crucified upside down on a cross. James was beaten and stoned many times – and at the end, he was beheaded. John was rejected and thrown into a pot of boiling oil but miraculously survived – and at the end, he was exiled on a small island where he died alone. Yet all of them remained faithful – they persevered because they knew what awaited them. For example, Peter wrote a letter to some of the churches more than 30 years after this event because there were some false teachers who claimed that Jesus wasn’t coming back. Listen to how he responded in 2 Peter 1:16-18, “We were eyewitnesses of His majesty. 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.’ We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with Him on the sacred mountain.” Despite the questions and accusations that could’ve shaken his faith, cause his heart to fear, what sustained him, what made him unshakable was what he experienced on this mountain. In other words, he received hope on this mountain. Then brothers and sisters, we too should remember that glory awaits us. Are you exhausted, restless from following Jesus? Meditate on the hope of this glory. This is what will sustain us, keep us from giving up, and faithfully follow Jesus.
CONCLUSION
Lighthouse family, Jesus Christ is the glory of God in the flesh who is worthy of our worship. Not only that, He’s also the bridge that makes it possible for sinners like us to experience the fullness of God’s glory and be safe. He makes a way for us so that we who were once enemies of God can become children of God. Then knowing that He guarantees our future glory, let us faithfully take up our cross and follow Him every single day. Let this transfiguration give you hope today.
Discussion questions
What does it mean to live a life of worship in light of Christ’s revealed glory? What does this look like in your life?
God’s glory is beautiful yet terrifying, which is why Peter was utterly frightened. Then what does it mean to fear God? How can our hearts remain in awe of His glory?
How does transfiguration give us hope? How does this promised glory give us strength for today in our discipleship?