Series Introduction:

Today we are both wrapping up the sermon series that launched us into 2023 and kicking off the new sermon series that will carry us through Easter. In January we began a series called “Who Do You Say That I Am?” and for the last several weeks we have looked at individuals who had encounters with Jesus during his earthly ministry, and how they were transformed as a result. 

This week we are going to look at an event known as the Transfiguration, in which Jesus revealed his glory to a select group of disciples. This will also be the start of our new series “Journey to the Cross” where we will look at Mark’s Gospel and the events from Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem to his death, burial, and resurrection. 

Scripture Reading: 

• Mark 9:2-13
• Ephesians 5:14

Opening Prayer: 

Father God, we thank you for the honor and privilege of gathering here today. I pray that you would bless this time of preaching, so that the words said would bring you honor and glory. Let this message reach those who need to hear it, and may we all leave here with hearts of worship. Amen. 

Introduction:

I don’t think it is a coincidence that many people in the Bible had spiritual encounters on mountain tops. While mountains themselves are not sacred, there is something spiritual that seems to happen when you journey up a mountain. For starters, I think mountains require you to slow down. Even in the age of cars, there really is not a fast way to get to the top of a mountain. You have to take your time and you have to be patient. Mountains also tend to be isolating experiences. The higher up the mountain you go the less people you see, and the further away you feel from all the hustle and bustle of life. And then there is the fact that mountains naturally give us a new perspective. The higher up you go the smaller everything below appears. It is no wonder that in our fast pace, hyper connected age that many people choose to journey to the mountains to escape and find renewal, even if for just a few days. 

It makes sense to me that when Jesus decided to reveal his glory to his closest disciples, in order to prepare them for the journey to the cross he was about to take, that he did so on top of a mountain. Mark does not tell us the name of the mountain, but most scholars agree that this was Mt. Hermon. I have never been to Mt. Hermon myself, but I came across this description of what it is like to witness a sunset while ascending this mountain:

[As the sun descended] a deep ruby flush came over all the scene, and warm purple shadows crept slowly on. The Sea of Galilee was lit up with a delicate greenish-yellow hue. The flush died out in a few minutes, and a pale, steel-colored shade succeeded, a long pyramidal shadow slid down to the eastern foot of Hermon, and crept across the great plain; Damascus was swallowed up by it; it was the shadow of the mountain itself, stretching away for seventy miles across the plain —the most marvelous shadow perhaps to be seen anywhere. The sun underwent strange changes of the shape . . . now almost square, now like a domed Temple —until at length it slid into the sea, and went out like a blue spark.

H.B.Tristram, Land of Israel

Now imagine you are one of the three disciples witnessing this beautiful scene play out after a long hike with Jesus. I feel like my thoughts would naturally drift to all the places we had been, all the people we had met, and all the miracles we had seen together. I would probably think about the Kingdom of God that Jesus had been preaching about all these years. What would it be like? When would he decide to usher it in?

Then imagine as the sun set in the west and the cool darkness of evening began to set in, suddenly a great light appeared! A light so magnificent and powerful that it knocks you back! Once your eyes adjust you realize that the light is no reflection of the sun, but it is emanating from Jesus himself! Imagine what you would have felt in that moment, what thoughts might have gone through your head! For Peter, James, and John this was not an imaginary thought exercise, but a real moment they got to experience first hand! It is a moment deep with meaning and importance, but as we talk about the symbolism and significance of this event I do not want us to forget that this was a real event that happened in real history some two-thousand years ago! 

Three Disciples: 

Our account begins by simply telling us that “Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves” (Mark 9:2). When Luke recorded this same event he added the detail that they were going up the mountain “to pray” (Luke 9:28). What were they praying about? We are not told specifically, but because we know that it would not be long before Jesus was going to enter Jerusalem and take up the cross in order to pay the price for our sins. I imagine that the weight of what was to come was upon him, and I imagine that he wanted his disciples to be as spiritually prepared as they could be for what was about to happen. 

So why did Jesus only take three disciples with him? Again, we are not directly told, but there are a few things that set these three apart from the rest of the twelve. These were the first disciples Jesus called, way back when he began his ministry in galilee. They were humble fishermen at the time. These three would also go on to play special roles after the resurrection and ascension of Jesus. 

Peter was going to be the leader of the early church, and when the Holy Spirit came upon the church he was the first to proclaim the gospel to Jews and Gentiles at pentecost. James would be the first of the apostles to die for the faith, whereas John would be the last of the twelve to die after receiving the Revelation, which brought the scriptures to a close. Again we are not told why these three were chosen to witness the transfiguration, but I think it is likely because these three were set apart for such  important tasks, they were given this revelation of Christ’s glory in order to strengthen their faith. 

We know this account was significant for these men because it not only appears in three of the four gospels, but also is alluded to in the letters of Peter and in John’s Revelation. In fact there are many, myself included, who believe that Mark’s gospel account, from which we are reading today, was taken primarily from the eyewitness testimony of Peter himself. Sadly we do not have any writings from James (the book of James was written by James the brother of Christ) but I imagine that he cherished this moment in his memory just as much as Peter and John. 

The Transfiguration:

So what did these disciples actually witness. We are told that “[Jesus] was transfigured before them, and his clothes became radiant, intensely white, as no one on earth could bleach them” (Mark 9:2-3, ESV). Other accounts try to use the brightness of the sun or the pure whiteness of light and glistening snow to describe something that was utterly indescribable. The best term these men knew to use in describing this moment was to say that Jesus was “transfigured” which is to say he was transformed before their very eyes. 

The glory of Christ’s Godly Nature was allowed to shine out from his earthly body. The word used to describe the light as coming from Jesus is describing an active shining light. Jesus was not reflecting the light of God like a mirror, he was the source of the light. When Jesus said “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12, ESV) he was not exaggerating.

Many years from now Peter would write to the churches in Asia Minor: 

“For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,” we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain.

2 Peter 1:16-18, ESV

The Apostle Paul, who would have his own encounter with Jesus appearing before him in Glory, would describe Jesus as… 

“He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion.”

1 Timothy 6:15-16, ESV

In a real sense, these men were given a small taste of the things that most of us will not get to see until we are in heaven. 

Two Guests: 

Eventually these disciples noticed that where there had been four people on the mountain before, there were now six people. Two saints from the Old Testament had come from heaven to bear witness to this moment. The three disciples were now joined by Moses and Elijah. Moses, who was known as the lawgiver, had come to represent the Law of God in the minds of many. Likewise Elijah, considered by many to be the greatest of the Old Testament prophets, came as a representative of the prophets of old. Together they bore witness to the fact that Jesus was the Messiah of whom the Law and the Prophets spoke of and in whom the Law and the Prophets found their fulfillment. 

Mark’s account simply tells us that: 

And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus.

Mark 9:4, ESV

Luke’s account provides a few more details, saying: 

[Moses and Elijah] appeared in glory and spoke of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. 

Luke 9:31, ESV

Moses and Elijah knew that Jesus was preparing to enter into Jerusalem, where he would be betrayed by the ones he came to save, where he would die on a cross for the sins of the world, and where he would rise from the dead three days later eternally triumphant over sin and death having won salvation for all who would come to him in faith. Peter, James, and John had been told about such things, but they would not fully understand them until they were able to look back upon them with the benefit of hindsight and the illumination of the Holy Spirit. 

Just one chapter earlier Jesus had asked his disciples: 

“Who do people say that I am?” And they told him, “John the Baptist; and others say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets.” And he asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Christ.”

Mark 8:27-29, ESV

By this point the disciples had come to know and believe that Jesus was the promised Messiah, but at the same time they struggled to understand how Jesus would save the world. Just two verses after Peter confesses Jesus as the Christ, we get this exchange: 

And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again. And he said this plainly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”

Mark 8:31-33, ESV

Peter believed, but he did not understand. He was trusting his human understanding more than he was walking by faith. I believe that one of the big reasons why Peter was given the privilege of seeing the Glory of Christ was to restore confidence that Jesus was God’s Messiah, and that he was to be followed – even if his ways seemed beyond our understanding. 

The Shekina Glory: 

The disciples knew that they were among the few in all of history to witness the glory of God. Moses had seen it on the mountain, though he could not look upon God’s face because the glory was too great. Likewise Elijah had seen it when the chariot of fire and the whirlwind called him up to heaven. Now these three disciples were allowed to experience a fraction of holiness of heaven. 

I love Peter’s response in verse 5-6: 

And Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.”  For he did not know what to say, for they were terrified.

Mark 9:5-6, ESV

Some of us might be able to relate to Peter in this moment. He was nervous and did not know what to say, and so he blurted out the first thing that came to his mind. Peter offers to build a tent for Moses, Elijah, and Jesus. Obviously they had no need for tents, but I imagine Peter felt he needed to contribute something. I also imagine that Peter did not want this moment to end, and so he wanted to keep it going as long as he could. He reminds me a lot of Martha, who was so focused on being a good host for Jesus in her home that she almost forgot to enjoy Jesus’ presence. Maybe I’m preaching to myself here, but I need reminders from time to time to just enjoy God’s presence and his approval. We don’t have to earn our place, because Christ has earned it already on our behalf. 

I hope that you get the opportunity to have a mountain top experience every now and then. I hope you are able to find moments when you are alone with God and you become deeply aware of his presence and approval, along with the joy and peace that it entails. When I was growing up my church always took our student ministry to something called Student Life Camp at Covenant College in Lookout Mountain, Georgia. We literally went up the mountain to a small college campus and for a week we fellowshipped, we shared meals, we studied God’s Word, and we worshiped together with other students and churches. I can’t tell you how important it was for me to get a whole week to just focus on God and to be surrounded by people who loved me and encouraged me to grow in my faith. Every year was amazing, and every year when it was over I felt disappointed that I would have to go down from the mountain and go back to the real world. I remember one year telling my mother how much I wished that things could always be like that, and she told me something that has stuck with me ever since. She told me that “It is good to visit the mountain top, but we were not meant to stay there forever. God has things for us to do down here with the time we have been given.”

I am sure Peter would have stayed on the mountain top forever, but that was not what God had planned for him (or for James and John). The mountain top experience eventually had to come to an end. 

We are told that: 

And a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, “This is my beloved Son; listen to him.” And suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone with them but Jesus only.

Mark 9:7-8, ESV

A cloud suddenly enveloped them. Matthew’s account of this describes the cloud as “a bright cloud” (Matthew 17:5), and from the cloud comes the voice of God declaring “This is my beloved Son; listen to him” (Mark 9:8). Again Matthew’s account adds another detail: 

 When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were terrified. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Rise, and have no fear.”

Matthew 17:6-7, ESV

If you are familiar with the Old Testament then you may have noticed that this cloud acts like Shekinah glory, the cloud that led the people of Israel out of Egypt and rested upon the tabernacle, and eventually came to be above the Mercy Seat in the Holiest of Holies within the Temple. This was a visual representation of God’s presence with the people of Israel, and now a cloud like it had enveloped Jesus and the disciples with him. 

From the cloud comes a mighty voice declaring, ”This is my beloved son, listen to him” was the same voice that echoed out of heaven during Christ’s baptism “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” The next thing the disciples experience is the gentle hand of Jesus, and his calming voice telling them to rise and not to be afraid. 

Conclusion: 

I know if I had witnessed anything close to what Peter, James, and John had experienced then I would be talking about it for weeks, and that is probably what would have happened if Jesus had not told these disciples to hold off on discussing these things until after the resurrection. Instead they asked Jesus about the prophecies and how all of this was going to come to pass. They had questions about Elijah and how these prophecies would be fulfilled, forgetting that these prophecies were fulfilled by John the Baptist whom Christ himself said is Elijah (Matthew 11:14). They also discussed the ways in which the Son of Man (the Messiah) would be treated with contempt and suffer many things, though this they also seemingly did not understand. 

One thing I find encouraging about this detail is that Jesus clearly does not expect us to understand all things before we follow Him. We also do not need to have perfect understanding in order to experience God in amazing and meaningful ways. What is needed is to seek after Jesus and listen to him. 

The author of the book of Hebrews begins his message by declaring that, 

“Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son.”

Hebrews 1:1-2, ESV

So as we conclude this series, I am going to pose the question to you that was posed in some shape or form to every person we have focused on these last few weeks. “Who do you say that Jesus is?” Maybe today is the day that you decide to confess Jesus as your Savior and Lord, and to place your trust in Him. Maybe today you will decide to listen to the gentle voice of our Savior, calling you to come to him without fear, so that you can inherit the salvation that he brought for you upon the cross. Maybe you don’t even know what God is calling you towards, but you feel the call and feel the need to respond. If you feel a need to respond I will be available during our time of decision or anytime after the service. I would just encourage you not to hesitate if the Lord has put it on your heart to respond to Him today. 

Closing Prayer: 

Father God, we thank you for sending your Son, Jesus Christ, into the world to be our savior. I pray that you would renew our spirits today so that as we descend from the mountain of worship and return to our day to day lives, we would do so with renewed conviction and love for you. Bless us as we enter our time of commitment. Amen.