And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and 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 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. 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.
And as they were coming down the mountain, he charged them to tell no one what they had seen, until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. So they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what this rising from the dead might mean. And they asked him, “Why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?” And he said to them, “Elijah does come first to restore all things. And how is it written of the Son of Man that he should suffer many things and be treated with contempt? But I tell you that Elijah has come, and they did to him whatever they pleased, as it is written of him.” (Mark 9:2-13, ESV)
Sorry again that this is coming late. I guess I'll just make Tuesdays my sabbath day, since by the time I come home, I don't have enough time to blog.
This one was a bit of a thinker anyway, but here's what I think of it...
I'm still curious as to why Jesus picked these three disciples specifically. Especially Peter, considering how often he messes up, but who knows. God uses the weak for His mighty purpose, in the end.
I can't begin to imagine how I would have felt if I saw all of this happen before me. Jesus takes these guys up a mountain, starts transforming into something more beautiful (that's what it means to be transfigured), and then all of a sudden, two dead guys show up and start chatting with Jesus. And then a random voice from a cloud starts talking, and suddenly, the two dead guys are gone, and Jesus is back to normal.
But the more I read this, the more it sort of makes sense.
On that actual transfiguration itself, we often think that this is a new miracle, that this is a new thing going on. But the truth is that it isn't. The transfiguration, as some commentators put it, is a real miracle put on hold. This is because the real miracle is Jesus CONCEALING this kind of radiance and glory. After all, this is who Jesus was all the time, before He humbled Himself and became man. Though He was rich in glory, He decided to conceal it and become poor, for our sake.
And I don't think it stops there. 2 Corinthians 3:18 says that we are being transformed from one degree of glory to the next. To be transfigured it to be transformed to something more beautiful. Are we not, in some sense, in the process of being transfigured as well? Christ here is shining so bright, that His clothes become a radiant white that out whites any possible bleaching job. That's REALLY white. And yet, the Bible says that we have been washed as white as snow. Not the greatest comparison, but the point is that we too, because of Christ, are going to be completely white as well. After looking at the transfiguration, it makes much more sense when we say that when God sees us, He see Christ, and that's why we are seen as spotless and righteous. This is so cool.
On Elijah and Moses, they both showed up because of what they represented. Elijah represented the Prophets, and Moses the Law. Them talking with Jesus is symbolic of the fact that both the Law and the Prophets ultimately pointed to Christ. Everything the Mosaic Law and all of the Prophets stood for was Jesus. It all pointed to Jesus. Then God speaks, instructing the three to listen to Jesus, who is God's beloved son, and then they disappear, which is symbolic of the fact that Christ came and fulfilled both the Law and the Prophets. This is huge, because the Christ that we follow is the Christ that everything we know is centred around. Everything points to Christ, because Christ is over everything.
But Peter doesn't see that. Speaking out fear, he decides to try and pitch the idea of building tabernacles for all three of these radiant beings, as if they were equal to each other, as if by doing so, he would be able to avoid the much-talked suffering and rejection and enjoy the glory of God now and from then on. But no, Christ is supreme even over Moses and Elijah.
I gotta say though, I can't blame Peter. I don't think anyone else would know what to do in a situation like that. He's bold, I'll give him that, but not very wise.
On the cloud and the voice, this cloud is no stranger. This cloud is none other than God Himself, the same cloud that guided the Israelites in the dessert, the same cloud that was over Mary when she gave birth to Jesus, and the same cloud in many other passages as well. And the fact that God is affirming Christ should have been enough reason for the disciples to know that Jesus meant His every word from before this moment, and that they have every confidence to believe Christ.
But apparently, the disciples still don't. On the way down, Jesus commands them not to say anything until after Christ rises back from the dead. On the way down the mountain, the disciples are debating with each other as to what that means. They didn't see that rising from the dead meant rising from the dead. Jesus was going to die, but He would rise to life again.
When the disciples ask about Elijah coming first, Jesus answers that he will come first. Elijah was supposed to come before the Messiah though. So if Jesus is the Messiah, where's Elijah?
Apparently, Jesus was referring to His SECOND coming, where he who restores all things will make way for THE RESTORER of all things. That's what Jesus is going to do on His second coming, so it is likely that Elijah will show up before then. BUT, at the same time, Elijah already has showed up, considering that John the baptist helped pave the way for Jesus Christ, in the spirit of Elijah. This is all kind of confusing, I know.
But the important thing here, I think, is that Jesus again asks the disciples to consider this whole suffering thing again. They just saw Jesus in all of His glory, but they still can't quite understand Jesus suffering.
Maybe that's why Jesus told them to not say anything about what they saw. If they did, it would risk Jesus being seen as some glorious political fighter, and not a humble, lowly servant who was to be punished in our place. Again, Jesus' real miracle here is that He is choosing to hide His glory for our sake.
While Jesus was on earth, His glory was hidden from us, so that He would become like us, yet He was still the radiant, bright shining king over everything, and His transfiguration revealed that to these three men.
I think at the same time, His transfiguration reveals this beautiful truth to us; He became like man, so that man would become like Him, and not in the sense that man would be like a god, but rather, man would be able to share in His radiant glory, that they would shine from the inside with a light so bright, that it would reveal their stains being washed to a white that is too bright to even see. Our sins aren't just whited-out, but they are washed to the degree of out-whiting any white-out.
Christ hid His glory for us, so that we might share His glory with Him.
What a beautiful Gospel we believe and celebrate.
-simon
I can't begin to imagine how I would have felt if I saw all of this happen before me. Jesus takes these guys up a mountain, starts transforming into something more beautiful (that's what it means to be transfigured), and then all of a sudden, two dead guys show up and start chatting with Jesus. And then a random voice from a cloud starts talking, and suddenly, the two dead guys are gone, and Jesus is back to normal.
But the more I read this, the more it sort of makes sense.
On that actual transfiguration itself, we often think that this is a new miracle, that this is a new thing going on. But the truth is that it isn't. The transfiguration, as some commentators put it, is a real miracle put on hold. This is because the real miracle is Jesus CONCEALING this kind of radiance and glory. After all, this is who Jesus was all the time, before He humbled Himself and became man. Though He was rich in glory, He decided to conceal it and become poor, for our sake.
And I don't think it stops there. 2 Corinthians 3:18 says that we are being transformed from one degree of glory to the next. To be transfigured it to be transformed to something more beautiful. Are we not, in some sense, in the process of being transfigured as well? Christ here is shining so bright, that His clothes become a radiant white that out whites any possible bleaching job. That's REALLY white. And yet, the Bible says that we have been washed as white as snow. Not the greatest comparison, but the point is that we too, because of Christ, are going to be completely white as well. After looking at the transfiguration, it makes much more sense when we say that when God sees us, He see Christ, and that's why we are seen as spotless and righteous. This is so cool.
On Elijah and Moses, they both showed up because of what they represented. Elijah represented the Prophets, and Moses the Law. Them talking with Jesus is symbolic of the fact that both the Law and the Prophets ultimately pointed to Christ. Everything the Mosaic Law and all of the Prophets stood for was Jesus. It all pointed to Jesus. Then God speaks, instructing the three to listen to Jesus, who is God's beloved son, and then they disappear, which is symbolic of the fact that Christ came and fulfilled both the Law and the Prophets. This is huge, because the Christ that we follow is the Christ that everything we know is centred around. Everything points to Christ, because Christ is over everything.
But Peter doesn't see that. Speaking out fear, he decides to try and pitch the idea of building tabernacles for all three of these radiant beings, as if they were equal to each other, as if by doing so, he would be able to avoid the much-talked suffering and rejection and enjoy the glory of God now and from then on. But no, Christ is supreme even over Moses and Elijah.
I gotta say though, I can't blame Peter. I don't think anyone else would know what to do in a situation like that. He's bold, I'll give him that, but not very wise.
On the cloud and the voice, this cloud is no stranger. This cloud is none other than God Himself, the same cloud that guided the Israelites in the dessert, the same cloud that was over Mary when she gave birth to Jesus, and the same cloud in many other passages as well. And the fact that God is affirming Christ should have been enough reason for the disciples to know that Jesus meant His every word from before this moment, and that they have every confidence to believe Christ.
But apparently, the disciples still don't. On the way down, Jesus commands them not to say anything until after Christ rises back from the dead. On the way down the mountain, the disciples are debating with each other as to what that means. They didn't see that rising from the dead meant rising from the dead. Jesus was going to die, but He would rise to life again.
When the disciples ask about Elijah coming first, Jesus answers that he will come first. Elijah was supposed to come before the Messiah though. So if Jesus is the Messiah, where's Elijah?
Apparently, Jesus was referring to His SECOND coming, where he who restores all things will make way for THE RESTORER of all things. That's what Jesus is going to do on His second coming, so it is likely that Elijah will show up before then. BUT, at the same time, Elijah already has showed up, considering that John the baptist helped pave the way for Jesus Christ, in the spirit of Elijah. This is all kind of confusing, I know.
But the important thing here, I think, is that Jesus again asks the disciples to consider this whole suffering thing again. They just saw Jesus in all of His glory, but they still can't quite understand Jesus suffering.
Maybe that's why Jesus told them to not say anything about what they saw. If they did, it would risk Jesus being seen as some glorious political fighter, and not a humble, lowly servant who was to be punished in our place. Again, Jesus' real miracle here is that He is choosing to hide His glory for our sake.
While Jesus was on earth, His glory was hidden from us, so that He would become like us, yet He was still the radiant, bright shining king over everything, and His transfiguration revealed that to these three men.
I think at the same time, His transfiguration reveals this beautiful truth to us; He became like man, so that man would become like Him, and not in the sense that man would be like a god, but rather, man would be able to share in His radiant glory, that they would shine from the inside with a light so bright, that it would reveal their stains being washed to a white that is too bright to even see. Our sins aren't just whited-out, but they are washed to the degree of out-whiting any white-out.
Christ hid His glory for us, so that we might share His glory with Him.
What a beautiful Gospel we believe and celebrate.
-simon
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