A Glimpse of Glory Mark 9:1-8.
And he said to them, “Truly I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God after it has come with power.”And after six days Jesus took with him Peter, James, and John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, And his clothes became radiant, intensely white, as no one on earth could bleach them. And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus. And Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good that we are here. Let us make tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.”For he did not know what to say, for they were terrified. 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.
Dear Children of God,
The glory of the Kingdom is evidently tied to the previous mention of the Son of Man coming in glory.
Guarantee (v. 1). It is not clear what Jesus was promising when he said these words. The preceding passage would imply the Second Coming, which is unlikely, but the subsequent account suggests the transfiguration. It is also possible that Jesus was referring to his death and resurrection, the teaching about which had triggered Peter’s rebuke, and the accompanying teaching about the Son of Man.
Glory (vv. 2-3). Jesus took three of his disciples to a mountain, where he was transfigured. Obviously, Mark wants us to relate this to the promise that some would not die until they had witnessed the Kingdom in its power. That it was only Peter, James and John points to the fact that Jesus wanted witnesses there, but not undue excitement.
Glimpse (vv. 4-6). We do not know in what form Moses and Elijah appeared, but the disciples could see them. They may not have been privy to the discussion between Jesus and the two greats of the Old Testament, but they saw enough to know who it was. In common Jewish thinking, Moses represented the law, while Elijah represented the prophets – a word that was often taken to mean the rest of the Old Testament. Together, these two men represented the entire Old Testament. This is not what Peter was thinking about, though. The fascination with great men who had lived centuries before mooted in him the idea of preserving the status quo by pitching tents, so that he could permanently enjoy this moment. Do we not all prefer to savor a good moment, sometimes at the expense of things that need doing?
Guidance (vv. 7-8). Clouds were associated with the presence of God with his people. From their exodus from Egypt and for forty years in the desert, the Lord went before his people “in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way…” (Exodus 13:21). The voice that spoke from the cloud was obviously of God the Father. He not only affirms Jesus as his Son, he also points to him as the one to listen to. Moses and Elijah (the Old Testament) are important, but the Son is far greater. As suddenly as the cloud had appeared, it disappeared and Jesus was all that was left as if to say, he is all you need.
The presence of God was represented by a cloud in the Old Testament, now the cloud is lifted and we see God in Jesus. There is no other way to God, friends. The Old Testament (Moses and Elijah) and the Father have yielded the power of salvation to him. He is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6). Have you found the way?
Your Loving Pastor Chris.