It's Good For Us To Be Here On This Mountain

In chapter (8:31) we find that the disciples were adjusting to the shock, and the explanation that Jesus would suffer countless agonizing pain, the texted revealed that he would be rejected crucified and be put to death, but ultimately he would rise again.

However, beyond all of the issues that he was facing yet he was calling them too completely commitment to self-denial, and total obedience. But at in the same time in chapter 9 and verse 1, He articulates to the gathered multitude that some of them will not die before they see the Kingdom of God. After sharing this declaration with them, He takes his inner circle Peter James and John up to the mountain, where they will have an experience standing on top of the world with the one that holds the whole world in his hands.

Life would be so amazing, if all we had was mountaintop experiences. But the facts are that, life is not filled with just sunny days on the mountain. The truth is that many of our days are filled with valley pitfalls. But, it is from the peak of mountains that we receive the power to live to fight another day. It is from the mountain that we gain our strength to hold on just a little while longer. It is from the mountain where our help come from.

And I know that we all have had some good days, and some bad days, I know that we have had some healthy days, and some sick days, I know that problems after problem has showed up. If it wasn't corona, it was sickness and death. If it wasn’t sickness and death it was an icy day and rolling back-outs, mixed with snow and rain without lights and water.

But what I love about our God is that He also allows us to experience a few mountaintop spiritual experiences along the way, so that we can see His glory, His power, and his brilliances.

As we visit the text of Mark, he says to them something that is heart felt, he says "Assuredly, I say to you that there are some of you standing here who will not taste death till they see the kingdom of God present with power."

Then he says in the next verse “Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John, and led them up on a high mountain apart by themselves; and He was transfigured before them. His clothes became shining, exceedingly white, like snow, so as no fuller on earth can white them” which means there were no cleaners or laundry mat, on earth that could ever clean them like this.

And Elijah appeared to them with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus. Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, "Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; and let us make three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah" for he wist not what to say, which means he didn’t know what to say, for they were greatly afraid. And while he was talking, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!" Suddenly, when they had looked around, they saw no one anymore, but only Jesus with themselves.

Now as they came down from the mountain, He commanded them that they should tell no one the things they had seen, till the Son of Man had risen from the dead. So they kept this word to themselves, questioning what the rising from the dead meant.

So, as we look at the text the point of the text is, to see the reason of mountain-top experience in chapter 9 it says Jesus said “Assuredly, I say to you that there are some standing here who will not experience death, taste death, or even see death until they see the kingdom of God. He was sharing with the three disciples who would travel with him up the mountain that they would literally see the glory of the Kingdom.

And we know this because in the second verse Mark tells it us that, “Jesus took Peter, James, and John and led them up to a high mountain.” And not all of the disciples had this same experience; only those that would needed it the most. Well Spies why did these three get picked?

Well Peter needed it because he would become the orator, the presenter, or the spokesman for the group, John the apostle needed it because he would live for and extended amount time the longest and James needed it because he was the first disciple to be a martyr.

Now Mark tells us that Jesus “led them up on a high mountain apart by themselves.” The scripture does not tell us which mountain, but some of the analysts believed it to be Mt Tabor, but other thought it is more probable that it was Mt. Hermon, because it was the highest mountain in the whole province.