Transfiguration Pt.3: Listen Exclusively - Mark 9:4-8 Series

Mark 9:1 And he said to them, "I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God come with power."

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 with 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 enveloped them, and a voice came from the cloud: "This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!" 8 Suddenly, when they looked round, 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."

Introduction

We’re studying through the Transfiguration, and we found that God himself tells us what the main point of it is: Listen to Jesus. And so we’re learning all about how to properly listen to the Lord. Last time we found that we must listen confidently. Because of how much proof God has provided, how solid and unimpeachable the evidence is, listen to him the way you listen to the trusted expert, the most reliable source of information—the way you listen when you are 100% sure that the speaker is credible.

In a Class by Himself

Another thing we learn about how to listen is this: not only must we listen confidently and with faith, we must also listen exclusively—listen to Christ alone. Jesus emerges in the Transfiguration as the singular and exclusive mouthpiece for God. I think a failure to recognize that, was where Peter went wrong in his idea with the shelters. We know something was wrong with it, right, because right after Peter throws out his idea of building three shelters, or tabernacles, Mark says, “He did not know what to say, they were so frightened” (v.6) “Don’t mind him—he just said that because he was scared out of his mind.” So what was wrong with Peter’s idea? Evidently, the point of the three tabernacles was to build some kind of monument to commemorate these three great men. I don’t think he’s just thinking of shelters from the weather—like three lean-tos or something, because if that were all it was they would need 6, not 3. Peter specifies in v.5, one for Jesus, one for Moses, and one for Elijah. What’s wrong with that? It’s wrong because it puts all three in the same class. And God corrects that error by steering attention to Jesus alone. Instead of hearing Peter out and saying, “Great idea Peter,” God interrupts him and redirects all attention onto Jesus. Peter’s saying, “Let’s put up three shelters,” and God interrupts and says, “This is my Son. Listen to him.” In other words, God is saying, “Don’t think Moses, Elijah, and Jesus. Just think, Jesus.” Then what’s the very next thing that happens?

8 Suddenly, when they looked round, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus.

Poof, Moses and Elijah are gone, and Jesus remains. The point is Moses and Elijah don’t belong on the same monument as Jesus. The Mount Rushmore of Scripture doesn’t have three faces. It has one.

Now again, Peter knew better than to put Jesus in the same category as Elijah and Moses—we saw that back in ch.8. He was just so terrified he didn’t know what words were even coming out of his mouth.

So we don’t just listen to Jesus; we listen to him alone. The way God speaks to us now is different from the way he spoke in OT times.

Hebrews 1:1 In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son.