“A Preview of Coming Attractions”
Mark 9:2-10
Have you ever been in a group of people where someone told a joke and everyone else laughed except you?
Or perhaps you are in a group of people where someone makes a point and everyone else nods their head in agreement—except you?
“I don’t get it? I missed the point? What just happened?”
Today’s Gospel Lesson can be kind of like that.
It was that way for Peter, James and John…
…and it’s probably like that for us as well.
This is Transfiguration of the Lord Sunday, and the Gospel Lesson we are looking at is the reason it’s named this.
But what is it about?
Why did Jesus take Peter, James, and John up to the top of the mountain where Jesus was somehow “transformed” in front of them?
Why did Elijah and Moses appear and start talking with Jesus?
What were they talking about?
I don’t get it.
If you feel this way, you are not alone.
I think a key to trying to figure out what’s going on is to look at the context of the story.
What happened before it and what happens after it?
The story begins in verse 2 with this: “After 6 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…”
Six days after what?
If we look back at chapter 8 we find out what was going on six days before.
Jesus was asking His disciples, “Who do people say that I am?”
And then He asked, “Who do you say that I am?”
And Peter got the name right but not the meaning, “He said, you are the Messiah.”
And Jesus affirmed Peter’s answer.
And then we are told that Jesus began telling them what that meant: “He began to teach them that [the Messiah] must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again.”
But this didn’t make any sense to them.
They had been taught that the Messiah was going to be a conquering hero in a worldly way…
…not someone who would be arrested, killed, defeated…
So, Peter took Jesus aside and “began to rebuke him.”
After which Jesus rebuked Peter, “Get behind me Satan! You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”
Sounds pretty rough, right?
Then Jesus continues teaching them, but now He’s telling them what they are going to face as His disciples: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me…
…whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and the gospel will save it…”
Sounds tough.
It might even sound crazy.
(pause)
Six days later Jesus leads Peter, James and John up the mountain where Jesus is transfigured before them. “His clothes become dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them.”
What are they seeing?
Are they seeing the Resurrected Christ in all His glory?
Is this a preview of what’s coming?
He’s having a conversation with Moses and Elijah.
And then a cloud appears and God speaks from the cloud: “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!”
And I think this is the key!!!
Where else have we heard God say something similar to this?
This reminds us of God’s voice from heaven at Jesus’ baptism when He said to Jesus, “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”
We talked about this last month on Baptism of the Lord Sunday.
God the Father was affirming Jesus’ identity.
That’s Who Jesus is and that enabled Him to live triumphally in a world that kept rejecting Him, or praising Him or laughing at Him, or spitting on Him.
He was God’s Son, Whom God loved.
And God was pleased with Him.
And that was all that mattered.
Now God is speaking to the disciples rather than to Jesus using similar language but the ending is different: “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to Him!”
“Listen to Him.”
The Transfiguration has often been interpreted as a “pep talk” for Jesus before His crucifixion.
But I don’t think that is what it is at all.
Jesus has been telling them some very tough stuff about what is going to happen to Him, what it means to be the Messiah, and what it means to follow Him.
This is very hard for them to understand and to want to do?
Now, Peter, James and John are getting a glimpse of the Ressurected Christ—even before it happens.
…and why not?
Jesus is God made flesh.
He came from heaven and will return to heaven.
And instead of this being a message from God to Jesus it’s a message from God to Peter, James, John and everyone who ever wishes to follow Christ throughout all time—which means it’s a message for us as well.
Jesus is God’s Son.
Listen to Him!!!
(pause)
Now what comes after this?
They head back down the mountain, and beginning in verse 9 we are told, “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.”
It goes on, “They kept the matter to themselves, discussing what ‘rising from the dead’ meant.”
In other words, this is what it was about.
Jesus had told them that He would have to die.
But He also told them that would not be the end.
He would rise.
Then He showed them what that looks like.
Then they are left discussing what rising from the dead means.
It’s a preview of coming attractions.
It is a message of hope.
They still don’t understand what Jesus is talking about.
And they don’t understand what they saw on the Mount of Transfiguration or why they saw it.
But, after Jesus rises from the dead, they will remember.
And what did God say they are to do?
“Listen to Him!
Trust Him.
He’s my Son whom I love and you are His beloved followers.
Listen to Him.
Things are going to get very rough.
But this is what happens in the end!
Death, and crying and mourning and hunger and pain will all be defeated.
Jesus is the Messiah.
He has come to save the world.
And this is how it must take place.
Listen to Jesus.
Trust Him in this even though you don’t understand.
Trust the One Whom you have just seen transfigured or transformed (the words are interchangeable) right before your eyes!
Trust the One Whom You just witnessed talking to Moses and Elijah no less—the ones who represent the Law and the Prophets.
Listen to God’s Son whom God loves.
It’s going to be all right as long as you listen to Him.”
And the same goes for us!
This life is hard!
We experience illness.
Our family members experience illness and death.
Many people go hungry.
Many are homeless.
Wars and rumors of wars continue.
There are earthquakes, famines, droughts, hurricanes, tornadoes.
Then there are the temptations.
The same kind of temptations Jesus faced in the wilderness after fasting for 40 days.
But we are followers of Jesus Christ.
And Jesus Christ overcame the devil.
And Jesus Christ overcame death.
And Jesus Christ is God’s Son.
And Jesus Christ loves us.
And Jesus Christ can be trusted.
And so, every time we are knocked down or the devil whispers or screams in our ears—this life is too tough. Just give up and give in—we can say, “No. I am a follower of Jesus Christ. I listen to Him.”
Can we do this?
It’s the key to following Jesus.
Every time we are tempted to feel bitter, to lash out, and feel rejected can we go back and say, “No! I am a follower of Jesus Christ! I listen to Him!”
And He says, “Follow Me. It is going to be alright.”
You are the adopted children of God whom God loves.
That’s who you are.
You are my followers.
You are my church.
You are the light of the world.
You are the salt of the earth.
You are called to love one another so much that the world says, ‘I want to be like that.’
You are to feed the hungry, cloth the naked, welcome the stranger, give water to the thirsty, visit the sick and imprisoned.
You are called to do all this.
You are to be my witnesses and bring this sad and broken world—Hope!
And the only way you can do this is if you listen to Me.”
And listening to Jesus means we believe what He says, we take it to heart, we allow it to transform our lives and change who we are—Transfigure us—Resurrect us.
In Ephesians Paul writes that you and I are resurrected with Christ as soon as we believe: “because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions…”
If you believe. If you have repented of your sins and given your life to Jesus you are a resurrected person right now--born again....not of flesh and blood but of the Spirit of God.
You are a new creation.
You were dead in sin; now you have been raised to life with Christ Jesus.
And it's time to follow Him.
And the only way to follow Him is to listen to Him.
And so, let’s listen to what He says.
This is from John Chapter 16, it’s Jesus’ final instructions to us before His crucifixion: “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you.
Now remain in my love.
If you keep my commands you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love.
I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.
My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.
Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
You are my friends if you do what I command…
…This is my command: Love each other.”
Can we do this?
Can we do this no matter what the world throws our way?
Can we do this through thick and thin?
Can we do this when people are mean to us and when people are nice?
Can we do this?
Will we do this?
Will we listen to Him?
And in doing so, will we help change the world?
Will you pray with me?
Lord God,
You sent us Your Son, Whom You love and Who was Transformed on the Mount of Transfiguration.
And You instruct us to listen to Him.
We want to listen to Him.
We want to be His followers.
We want to do what Jesus calls us to do.
We want to God.
Please, remind us to listen even and maybe especially when the going gets rough.
In Jesus’ name and for His sake we pray.
Amen.
