Following Jesus: Mark 9 Series

Following Jesus (10)

Scott Bayles, pastor

Scripture: Mark 9:2-10

Blooming Grove Christian Church: 3/5/2017

For nine weeks we’ve followed Jesus from the banks of the Jordan River to a Judean Synagogue, across the Sea of Galilee and into the dusty villages of Caesarea Philippi. In the first two chapters of Mark’s Gospel, Jesus invited fishermen and tax collector alike, beckoning, “Come, follow me.”

And did they ever. In Mark 2, the house where Jesus stayed grew so packed with visitors that there was no more room even outside the door. In Mark 6, Jesus feeds a hungry hoard of 5,000 families. In Mark 8, he repeats the same miracle for crowd of 4,000. But then, as we saw last week, Jesus began to thin the herd a little. He issued a challenge to his wannabe followers, saying, “If any of you wants to be my followers, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me” (Mark 8:34 NLT). Jesus wanted to separate the tire-kickers from the car buyers. And that’s just what he did. As the crowds begin to dwindle, Jesus focuses more on his faithful followers.

As Mark 9 begins, Jesus singles out three of his most devoted disciples and leads them up a high mountain for a life-changing experience. If you have a Bible, open it to Mark 9:2-10.

It’s not surprising that this monumental moment takes place upon a mountain. It was on Mount Ararat that God made his covenant with Noah. It was on Mount Moriah that God stopped Abraham from sacrificing his son, Isaac and provided a lamb in his place. It was on top of Mount Sinai that God revealed his glory as Moses hid in the cleft of the rock. It was upon that same mountain that God spoke to Elijah in a still small voice. These “mountain top” moments left an indelible mark those who experienced them. And Jesus’ inner circle—Peter, James and John—were about to have one such experience. Let’s read this passage together.

Jesus took Peter, James, and John, and led them up a high mountain to be alone. As the men watched, Jesus’ appearance was transformed, and his clothes became dazzling white, far whiter than any earthly bleach could ever make them. Then Elijah and Moses appeared and began talking with Jesus. Peter exclaimed, “Rabbi, it’s wonderful for us to be here! Let’s make three shelters as memorials—one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” He said this because he didn’t really know what else to say, for they were all terrified. Then a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my dearly loved Son. Listen to him.” Suddenly, when they looked around, Moses and Elijah were gone, and they saw only Jesus with them. (Mark 9:2-8 NLT)

What Peter, James and John saw and heard here on the Mount of Transfiguration was astonishing and I can only imagine the emotional and spiritual impact it made on their lives. As we move through this story, let me highlight three significant aspects of this mountaintop experience. The first, and most obvious, is Jesus’s change.

• A MAJESTIC CHANGE

Mark says that Jesus was transformed or transfigured before them. Listen to this description again: “His appearance changed from the inside out, right before their eyes. His clothes shimmered, glistening white, whiter than any bleach could make them” (Mark 9:3 MSG).

In the Old Testament, when Moses came down from Mount Sinai carrying the Ten Commandment, his face had become radiant. It literally glowed after being in the presence of God. His face reflected the glory of God like the moon reflecting the sun. But this isn’t like that. The Living Bible says that Jesus “face began to shine with glory,” but unlike Moses this light didn’t come from some outside source; it came from within.

The Greek word translated changed or transfigured is metamorphothe, from which we get the word metamorphosis. The verb refers to an outward change that comes from within. It wasn’t merely a surface-level change, but a complete change into another form.

On earth, Jesus appeared as a man, a poor carpenter from Nazareth. But at the Transfiguration, Jesus’ body transformed into the glorious radiance of his heavenly form. The glory of Jesus that had been concealed in the manger is now revealed on the mountain. The glory and grandeur within Christ exploded like a just-opened fire-hydrant. One commentator puts it like this: “For a brief moment the veil of his humanity was lifted and Jesus’ body shined with brilliance.” The whole scene brings to life Psalm 104, which says, “Lord my God, you are very great; you are clothed with splendor and majesty. The Lord wraps himself in light as with a garment” (Psalm 104:1-2 NIV).