If you are able, please stand with me as we come before God’s word together.  Please read with me our passage for this morning.  Mark 9:1-13.

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 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.”

Verse 1 is A Hinge.  Like a door hinge.  Meaning that it connects two parts and turns us in a new direction.  It connects us with where we’ve been with Jesus and where Jesus is going next - and turns our attention to how all that is helpful for us as we’re trying to understand and follow Jesus.

So thinking about where we’ve been - what the hinge connects us back to.  Last Sunday - looking at Mark 8:31-38 - last Sunday we left Jesus and the disciples where?  Caesarea Philippi.  Which is about 26 miles north of the Sea of Galilee.  What is beautiful location that ties together the religious and political systems and man centered - humanist - world view that had plagued God’s people since they were God’s people on the Promised Land. 

Caesarea Philippi was the setting of Jesus’ midterm exam questions:  Who do people say that I am?  Who do you say that I am?  And Peter’s answer:  You are the Christ.

Meaning You [Jesus] are the One promised by God to be the One uniquely appointed by God to be the Christ - the Messiah.  And - even more astounding - You [Jesus] are God Himself.  Whatever is true of God is true of Jesus.  Whatever God is, and all that God is, Jesus is.

Caesarea Philippi is also the beginning point of Jesus’ post midterm - second quarter - of instruction focusing on what it means that Jesus is the Christ.  Knowing Who Jesus is - how are the disciples - how are we - suppose to respond to that reality?

Last Sunday we saw - as Jesus is introducing His second quarter curriculum - Jesus tells His disciples that the growing conflict between the political and religious leaders of Israel and Jesus - that was going to lead to Jesus’ death and three days later, His resurrection.  And to follow Jesus means that His disciples are going to have to deny themselves and daily take up their own cross.

Meaning a 180 degree turn away from anything and anyone that was not part of being 100% focused on following Jesus whatever that might mean.  Letting go of our version of our life - whatever we might be clinging to for security and trying to control our lives with - letting go of our reputation and concern for what others may think of us - following Jesus whatever that might mean - probably physical death - martyrdom.

Last Sunday morning as we went through Jesus’ teaching and at our Life Group Sunday night - it got said that the message last Sunday was hard to hear.  The implications and what Jesus is teaching here is not easy to hear.  It’s pretty heavy - sobering - convicting.

Which it is.  Yes?   And not just for us.

Who is Mark primarily writing this gospel account for?  Mark is writing to Romans.  Throughout the Empire and living in Rome.

Romans - who if they choose to follow Jesus - given the religion and politics of the Empire at the time Mark is writing - they’re looking ahead to martyrdom.  Many of Mark’s readers - our siblings in Jesus - many of them will die horrible deaths - after being tortured.

Then thinking about Jesus’ immediate audience.  Remember how the disciples died?  Imprisoned - bound and dragged through the streets - tortured - beaten - run through with swords and spears - shot with arrows - stoned - flayed alive - crucified - beheaded.  John gets dropped in a caldron of boiling oil.  Miraculously escaped death.  Gets exiled to Patmos.  John was the only disciple who died of natural causes.

So - if this is hard for us.  Imagine being in 1st Century Rome - or being a disciple - with the backdrop of Caesarea Philippi - a religious and political system in conflict with Jesus - and hearing Jesus talk about “deny and die.”  Might have been a tad hard to hear.  Yes?

That’s the what the hinge connects back to. 

Then in verse 1 - same Caesarea Philippi setting - Jesus tells His disciples:  “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.”

There is a whole of discussion about what Jesus’ meant by that.  Who He’s talking about and when that will happen.

But we know - because we just read it - that what the hinge connects forward to - is a preview of Jesus - Who is the kingdom of God at hand - God in the flesh and blood of our humanity - what we’re coming to is a preview of Jesus’ coming in that glory and the power of His kingdom.

Same Jesus.  But transformed so we see a glimpse of His true glory.

So, the hinge - verse 1 - connects us to what we’ve seen and what we will see and turns our attention to how all that is helpful for us as we’re trying to understand and follow Jesus.

Which is the third function of the hinge that we need to make sure we’re clear on before we come to verse 2.

Pretty much every Sunday I’ll throw a map up here on the screen - like this one - and maybe a picture of a location.  At times I’ll put up a selfie.  Like I did last week with Caesarea Philippi.  Or a couple months back standing in the Governor’s Office in Idaho. 

The reason for all those maps and pictures and selfies isn’t to create a Hee Hah moment.  But to help us to realize that we’re reading historical accounts about real people in real places in real time doing real things.  Caesarea Philippi being just as real a place as the Governor’s Office in Idaho.

When we’re reading historical narrative - like we read in chapter 8 - and then we’re reading historical narrative like we’re coming to in chapter 9 - all that is still an account of real people in real places in real time doing real things.

Jesus is not speaking philosophically or about some mystical spirituality and following Him.  Jesus is teaching real people in real places about the reality of what it means to follow Him in real life.

It’s important for us to remember that.  Because in what we’re looking at today, some people might say that Mark just had a spiritual experience or a vision about something.  But that this couldn’t have happened like this.  Or Peter - Peter who was the source of what Mark writes here - that Peter may have had some bad anchovy humus and dreamed all this in some kind of nightmare or something.

But Scripture doesn’t make that distinction.  Scripture presents what happens next with the same basis in historical reality as what we just saw in chapter 8.

Which is hugely important for us to focus on as we seek to follow Jesus.

Imagine for Mark’s readers - the importance of knowing that what comes next is just as real as what Jesus has called them to go through in Rome.  Or the disciples.  Or what Jesus calls us to here in Merced. 

Verses 2 to 4 describe Jesus’ Transfiguration.

And after six days - how many days?  Six.  Meaning six days before this  - Jesus had said this would happen.  Jesus knowing in advance where He was going.  Who He was taking.  What would happen.  Jesus being God and sovereign over all of this.

And after six days Jesus took with Him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves.

Caesarea Philippi being on the foothills of Mount Hermon - it was probably up to the summit of Mount Hermon that Jesus led Peter, James, and John.  Mount Hermon being 9,232 feet high and not an impossible walk for 4 well bodied men who are used to walking a lot. 

Another picture.  This is looking at Mount Hermon from the Lebanon side of the mountain.  Sorry, best I could come up with - with an almost selfie.  You can see Mount Hermon in the back through the haze.

Point being:  Real people - real place - real event.

Going on:  And He was transfigured before them, and His clothes became radiant, intensely white, as no one on earth could bleach them. 

The word “transfigured” translates the Greek word we get “metamorphosis” from.  Think:  Larvae becoming pupas becoming butterflies.

Jesus’ body is altered in its appearance but this is still Jesus.  Matthew’s record of this event tells us that Jesus’ face shone the like the sun.  Jesus being the source of that light.  Mark tells us that Jesus’ clothing becomes radiant - shining.  His clothes are whiter than the whitest white possible.  (Matthew 17:1-8)

What’s being described - as best as that can be put into words we can understand - is a revelation of Jesus in the brilliance of His divine glory.

Verse 4 tells us that Jesus was joined by Elijah and Moses.  Mark tells us that they’re having a conversation.  Luke records that they were talking about what Jesus was going to accomplish in Jerusalem.  (Luke 9:28-36)

Which is not random.  But ties back to what Jesus had been teaching back in chapter 8.  His coming death and resurrection and ascension. 

Verses 5 and 6 focus on Peter’s Response.  Peter again proving that silence is golden.  It’s been said that there are those who have something to say and those who have to say something.

The word for tent translates a Greek word which is where the Spanish word “casa” comes from.  “Jesus!  It’s good you brought us here.  We can make three little casitas for the three of you.”  Like heavenly, glorified, transfigured people need tents.

Let’s be careful.  Peter’s suggestion - which seems absurd - which comes out of his fear and the disciples who were literally terrified by what they were experiencing - Peter’s suggestion actually touches on the significance of what they’re seeing.

The Greek word “skene” - “tent” - is what the Greeks used to translate the Hebrew word “mishkan” meaning tabernacle - the place where God’s revealed glory dwelt with His people.  Which was the pattern for the Temple in Jerusalem - the central focal point location of worship for God’s people.  In the New Testament that word describes the dwelling place of God in heaven.  (Hebrews 9:2,6,8,11; Revelation 13:6)

In all that terror and awkwardness of Peter’s response is a recognition that they’re glimpsing behind the curtain of where we do reality to the transcendent reality of the presence of God.  The power and glory of God’s kingdom revealed.

Question:  How did Peter know who Elijah and Moses were?  Answer is…  We don’t know.

Maybe they had name tags:  “Hello.  My name is Elijah.”  Or they played some kind of People Bingo crowd breaker:  “Find someone who’s never been to the Promised Land.”

We don’t know.  But Peter did.  And it’s significant that Peter - making His suggestion - identifies them and suggest a tent for each of them.  Tent meaning the dwelling place of... God’s revealed glory.

Elijah was a prophet that God had used during a time when God’s people were self-destructing because of their sin.  God using Elijah to speak His truth into all that.  Elijah is the prophet that the scribes - the experts and teachers of Scripture - taught that Elijah would come and turn the hearts of the God’s people back to God just before the Messiah came.

And yet - Jesus is the origination of prophecy - the sovereign God Who uses time and the events of time for His purposes alone.  The God Who speaks with divine authority and reveals His will and plans for His people and how they are to respond to Him.  Jesus isn’t the one pointing to the Messiah.  He is the Messiah. 

Moses was the man God used to deliver His people out of Egypt.  Moses is the great lawgiver that God used to give His covenant to His people and the terms of their dwelling with God on the Promised Land.

And yet - Jesus is the Deliverer.  Jesus is the author of the covenant and the law which defines what it means for God’s people to live within that covenant relationship.  Jesus is the fulfillment of the law and the basis of our New Covenant relationship with God.

Elijah and Moses are hugely significant in the history of God’s people.  But three tents would have placed Elijah and Moses on the same level with Jesus.  And yet - in every way Jesus is infinitely superior to Elijah and Moses.  Elijah and Moses are there to demonstrate what it means to follow Jesus 100% “all in.”

Paul - writing to the Thessalonian church - Paul writes:  “For the Lord Himself [Jesus] will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, with the sound of the trumpet of God.  And the dead in Christ will rise first.  Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.”  (1 Thessalonians 4:16,17)

Three things we know will happen when Jesus returns.

First:  “The Lord [Jesus] Himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command.”  Which is going to be a powerful - mind blowing - scene.  Jesus, in all His majesty as God, descending from the clouds with a loud shout - a cry of command.

Jesus tells us - recorded in John 5:25 - Jesus says, “I say to you, an hour is coming and now is here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.” 

The cry of command - some of that command is addressed to those who have died trusting in Jesus as their Savior.  When they hear the command they’re going rise up.

Second - when Jesus comes back there’s going to be “the voice of the archangel” 

In Daniel 12:1-2 we’re told that the Archangel Michael will call the righteous of Israel from the grave into eternal life.

Third - there’s going to be the sound of “the trumpet of God.”

In 1 Corinthians 15 - another  great chapter about the return of Jesus - in 1 Corinthians 15 - Paul writes:  “I tell you this, brothers:  flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.  Behold!  I tell you a mystery.  We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet.  For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.”  (1 Corinthians 15:50-52)

We shall not all sleep.  Meaning we’re not all going to die before Jesus comes back.  Some believers will be alive.  And, when those who are still alive hear the trumpet sound they will be caught up - rising up towards Jesus - and changed into immortal bodies that can inherit eternity - and they will be reunited with those who have been asleep.

Elijah and Moses are the demonstration of that truth.  Both of their lives ended in mysterious ways. 

Moses died - physically.  And Moses is buried by God in valley in the land of Moab.  Just east of the Dead Sea.

With Elijah there were chariots and horses of fire and Elijah - who does not die physically - Elijah gets taken up into heaven in whirlwind.    (Deuteronomy 34:6; 2 Kings 2:11)

They are examples to all of us - examples of those who die and those who remain.  But superior to all of that is the Lord Jesus Christ - crucified - resurrected - ascended - and returning - leading the all conquering - victorious - armies of heaven in all of His transcendent magnificence and divine glory. 

It is to Jesus - not to Elijah or to Moses - but to Jesus that we will rise - dead - alive - trusting in Him - following Him - we will rise to meet Jesus our Lord and Savior - the author and perfecter of our faith.

What Peter, James, and John are glimpsing - in real time and in a foreshadowing what’s to come - what they’re being shown is the fulfillment of what Jesus predicted 6 days earlier:  “Some standing here will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God after it has come with power.”

Let’s think about that.

How significant would it be for those facing persecution in Rome and around the Empire - and for the disciples hearing Jesus talk about the cost of following Him - how significant for our Christian siblings today who are being persecuted - for us here in Merced - to know that following Jesus 100% “all in” leads to eternity with God forever?

Following Jesus doesn’t end in disaster and death and darkness but in triumph and victory and glory.

Going on.  Recorded in verses 7 and 8:  God Rebukes Peter.

And a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, “This is My beloved Son; listen to Him.” 

The Greek word translated “overshadowed” has the idea of the right there and then presence and power of God.

Exodus 19:9:  “The Lord said to Moses, ‘Behold, I am coming to you in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with you, and may also believe you forever.”

God speaks:  “This is My beloved Son; listen to Him.”

Three times in the Gospels the voice of God is recorded speaking.  At Jesus’ baptism - God the Father announcing the Son and His ministry.  Once before the crucifixion - God the Father validating the authority of Jesus and His work.  And here - God the Father rebuking Peter [ouch] and the Father declaring His pleasure with the Son and His message.

“My beloved Son - meaning that suffering to come - the way to the cross and the crucifixion - isn’t because the Father is displeased - angry - punishing Jesus.  Jesus suffers because the world hates Jesus.  Jesus going to the cross is still loved by the Father.

“Listen to Him” meaning - Peter this isn’t about tents and what you think you need to tell Jesus and what you think you need to do.  You’re in the presence deity - My Son.  You need to listen to Him.  You need to listen to what He’s teaching you and what He’s calling you to and do that.

Which - for those in Rome - suffering - persecuted - following Jesus - seeking to be 100% “all in” - hugely comforting to know that God is 100% pleased with His Son - 100% “all in” to what Jesus has called them to.  Persecution and suffering doesn’t mean that God is punishing us or that God doesn’t love us.

Following Jesus doesn’t end in disaster and death and darkness but in triumph and victory and glory.

Then the cloud is gone.  Elijah and Moses are gone.  And looking around it’s just the 4 of them up on Mount Hermon.

Verse 9 - Jesus’ charge and questions.  And as they were coming down the mountain - hiking back down to Caesarea Philippi - Jesus - charged them to tell no one what they had seen, until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. 

Which starts the disciples’ minds spinning on what Jesus meant by that.  They began - questioning what this rising from the dead might mean.

The disciples had seen Jesus raise people from the dead.  Resurrection wasn’t off the radar of what’s possible. 

Jarius the synagogue official had a daughter that Jesus had raised from the dead.  (Mark 5:21-43)  In the town of Nain - Jesus had compassion on a widow and her only son - and He raises her husband from the dead.  (Luke 7:11-17)

The vast majority of people living in Judea believed that there was a coming general resurrection of the dead at the end of the age.  And somehow that was tied into the coming of the Messiah.  Which the disciples - knowing that Jesus is the Messiah - they probably associated resurrection with Jesus.

But, Jesus’ instruction “to tell no one” is different from all that because it’s about telling no one until Jesus Himself rises from the dead.  What does Jesus mean by this special rising of the “Son of Man” - singular?  That’s confusing.

In verse 11 they finally came out with a question: “Why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?”

What the scribes - who were the teachers of theology and the Scripture -  what the scribes had taught - and what the disciples had been taught since they were enrolled in the synagogue nursery - what the people of Jesus day were expecting was a sequence of events.  Elijah comes then the Messiah comes.

Remember Peter’s answer to the question?  “Who do people say that I am?”  “Some say Elijah.”

Which was based - in part - on what God had spoken through the prophet Malachi:  “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes.”  (Malachi 4:5).

Did Elijah come and if so, why does the Messiah need to die and rise?  Especially with what we’ve just seen up on the mountain - the display of Jesus’ divine power and glory.  Isn’t the next thing on the prophetic clock the end of the age - the resurrection of the righteous and judgment of the ungodly and the Messiah doing His Messiah thing for Israel?  God’s restoring His people and the Messiah is going to rule as the King on the throne of David.

Verse 12:  And He [Jesus] said to them, “Elijah does come first to restore all things.

Meaning what you’ve been taught - your expectation is right.  But notice how Jesus changes the subject back to Himself. 

And how is it written of the Son of Man [Jesus] that He [Jesus] should suffer many things and be treated with contempt?

How can it be that Scripture which talks about Elijah - Scripture also says that the “Son of Man” must suffer much and be rejected.  Read Isaiah among others.

The prophets described the Messiah as a conquering king and also as a sacrificial martyr - someone who would die to save His people. 

Verse 13:  But [or and continuing with that idea of the Messiah suffering] I tell you that Elijah has come, and they did to him whatever they pleased, as it is written of him.”

Matthew records Jesus as saying that John the Baptist had fulfilled Malachi’s prophecy.  (Matthew 11:14). 

In the role of Elijah, John the Baptist had come preaching a message of restoration and repentance - calling hearts to change towards God.  The response was that John the Baptist was imprisoned and beheaded.

Which Jesus - bringing the discussion back to Himself - Jesus uses what happened to John as an example of how people will treat the Son of Man.  Those same people will treat the Son of Man - Jesus - with contempt.   Jesus will suffer and He will die.  And rise.

Which was utterly confusing to the disciples.

The problem is - until they get to the reality of the resurrection there’s no way to reconcile those two images of the Messiah - the suffering Servant and the coming King - trying to process that all with the role of Elijah which isn’t the point anyway.  Because all that is about Who the Messiah is and what the Messiah does and what that means for those who are following Him.

So, Jesus told them to wait until they had all the information they needed in order to explain to others what they’d just seen.  Otherwise what they were going to be trying to explain to people was going to misled people with a tangled mess of misunderstood misinformation.

In trying to make sense out of all that for ourselves.  Grab this.

For the disciples - coming down off of Mount Hermon - the resurrection which hasn’t happened yet - for them.  But for Mark’s readers - in Rome and elsewhere - for us - looking back on Jesus’ resurrection - we get it.  And for the disciples who will witness first hand Jesus’ resurrection.  They will get it.  And they will share it boldly with others.

The Messiah who suffers and dies for us - the sinless Son of God dying in our place - and the astounding reality of His resurrection - which is the exclamation point of our faith.

We’re together?  The resurrection explains everything.  The Messiah dying on behalf of His people and then rising from the dead to rule and reign over them as their King forever.

Following Jesus doesn’t end in disaster and death and darkness but in triumph and victory and glory.

Processing all that:

What’s here can be for us an invitation. 

First - an invitation to see ourselves as we really are.

Finally a mannequin that shows what a shirt really looks like.

If we’re honest - there is so much in life that confuses us.  Maybe even makes us just a tad fearful.  Where - when it really comes down to it - we have no clue.  When we come up against stuff that just points out our inadequacy. 

There is an invitation here to be honest about the reality of all that.

And second - what’s here is an invitation to see Jesus as He really is.  Our Lord and Savior.  God - our holy and glorious creator - in all of His magnificent sovereignty and majesty.  Who is loving and merciful and gracious towards us.  Who is  resurrected and returning.

Following Jesus doesn’t end in disaster and death and darkness but in triumph and victory and glory.

_______________

Series references:

Sinclair B. Ferguson, Let’s Study Mark (Edinburgh, The Banner of Truth Trust, 2016).

Charles R. Swindoll, Swindoll’s Living Insights New Testament Commentary, Volume 2:  Insights on Mark (Carol Stream, IL, Tyndale House Publishers, 2016).

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®  (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.  Used by permission.  All rights reserved.