Passage: Mark 9:1-13

The Big Idea

Right after calling His followers to deny themselves and take up their cross, Jesus promised that some of them would see His kingdom come in power. Six days later He took Peter, James and John up a mountain and was transfigured before them, shining with the glory that had always been veiled in His humanity. Moses and Elijah appeared, and Peter wanted to build three shelters, as if Jesus were simply one hero among others. But the Father spoke: “This is My beloved Son. Listen to Him!” Then they saw no one but Jesus. The path of following Him is hard, but the end is glorious, and it’s totally worth it.

It’s Worth It (Mark 9:1)

Jesus said, “Truly, I tell you, some standing here won’t taste death until they see the kingdom of God come with power.”

This continues the conversation from the end of chapter 8, where Jesus explained that following Him means taking up your cross and denying self.
Now He promises that some of them will see and experience His glory before they die. It will be amazing. It will be worth it.
You could say one motivation for denying self and following Jesus is that we get to know Him in His glory.

Following Jesus is worth it, because He is worthy.

Many amazing, glorious experiences are not easy. Ask anyone who has climbed Mount Everest, or traveled to the moon, or been married. Glorious, but not easy!

We have a path in front of us. It’s difficult, and it isn’t always fun. But the end is glorious.

We deny self.
We follow Jesus, even to death.
We abide with Him.
We spend time with Him when we could be doing other things.
We serve Him when we could be serving ourselves.

And the end is a front-row seat to the greatest thing in the universe. “Worth it. Totally worth it.” That’s what we’ll say.

James says to draw near to God, and He will draw near to you (James 4:8). Have you ever wondered why some people seem so full of love for the Lord, always ready to worship and praise Him? What’s their secret?

It’s no secret at all. They’ve set their hearts on living close to Him, and He has promised to draw close to them. The result is the sweet presence of Jesus in their lives.

Transfigured (Mark 9:2-3)

Six days later, Jesus took Peter, James and John up a high mountain by themselves, and He was transfigured before them. His clothes became radiant, intensely white, whiter than anyone on earth could bleach them.

Why Peter, James and John?

They would be key leaders. This was leadership training.
His leaders needed to know who He is, how amazing He is.
They’d go through a great deal of suffering and would need something more beautiful than the suffering was painful: a hope that wouldn’t fade.
This was their training. (Pretty easy training: sit there and be overwhelmed by His glory!)
They had been abiding with Jesus. Now He chose to reveal His glory to them.

“Transfigured” is the Greek word from which we get metamorphosis.

Jesus had always been God. His divinity was simply veiled in humanity. Fully God, fully man.
As a man, the disciples knew Him and loved Him, so much that Peter was upset in the last chapter when Jesus said His life would be rejected and taken.
But they didn’t yet know Him in His glory as God.

John wrote that the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we saw His glory, the glory of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:14). They had seen the grace and truth. Now they saw the glory.

Think of a movie hero who was always strong, but whose true greatness was hidden inside until great suffering finally brought it out. Jesus’ glory was there all along, under the surface.

Mark struggles for words: clothes shining, whiter than any launderer could make them. Matthew says His face shone like the sun and His clothes became white as light (Matthew 17:2). Luke says that as He prayed, His face was altered and His clothing became dazzling white (Luke 9:29).

I like to imagine the glory was so great it would have been visible for miles, and that He took them up the mountain partly to shield everyone else from it, the way God shielded Moses with His hand on another mountain (Exodus 33:22).

So why weren’t Peter, James and John consumed by this glory? For the same reason Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego weren’t hurt by the fire: supernatural help. Grace. And you don’t have to be perfect, or even good, to receive grace.

Moses and Elijah (Mark 9:4)

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

Luke tells us what they talked about: His departure, which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem (Luke 9:31).

Now things got even stranger. God was showing His disciples, and us, how little we know of reality:

Jesus is God, and glorious.
There’s a reality where the dead aren’t dead.
They’re aware of what’s happening here.
And somehow the disciples recognized who they were. (Name tags, maybe?)

Why Moses and Elijah?

Moses represents the Law.
Elijah represents the Prophets.
The Old Testament is “the Law and the Prophets.”
So this brilliantly shows that all of Scripture points to Jesus and is completed in Him! It’s all about Jesus, and it all treats His death as the pinnacle of everything.

Peter’s Suggestion (Mark 9:5-6)

Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it’s good for us to be here. Let’s make three shelters: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” He didn’t know what to say, because they were terrified.

Peter, bless his heart, didn’t always say smart things. Here he was, blessed with an amazing revelation, and he felt he had to say something.
(Tip: if you ever find yourself in this situation, it’s okay to stay quiet!)
Peter missed the whole point. The point is that Jesus is God, glorious, and greater than anything!
Peter was basically putting Jesus on the same level as Moses and Elijah. They were legends to him, the great heroes of Israel. He probably felt generous including Jesus in their company.
Boy, was he wrong. And God opened heaven to correct him, which seemed to be happening to Peter a lot lately!
That gives me hope when I think about how many times God has corrected me. He didn’t give up on Peter, and He won’t give up on you.

“Listen to Him!” (Mark 9:7-8)

A cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came from the cloud: “This is My beloved Son. Listen to Him!”

“Peter, hush. Jesus is My Son. He is far above Moses and Elijah!”
“Don’t get confused. Jesus is glorious! Moses and Elijah are My servants.”
Jesus is everything. Everything else is nothing in comparison.
If you hear Jesus, you hear everything. You’ll even understand Moses and Elijah rightly!

Suddenly, when they looked around, they no longer saw anyone with them but Jesus only.

Everything went back to normal.
But they were left with a tremendous impression. They saw Jesus as a man, but they knew immeasurable power and glory lay right under the surface.
Imagine their conflict later, watching Him die on the cross, knowing the infinite worth of His life and not understanding why He was dying like a weak, silent lamb.

And Jesus wanted a relationship with them. He made it as easy as possible. They needed a real human to lead and love them, and Jesus became that for them.

He could have left them right then. He had every right to return to heaven. He had lived a perfect life, showing what a human being should truly be and do. He had nothing left to prove.

But Jesus again wrapped His power and light in human flesh, so He could suffer and die in love for us.

What hidden glory. What humble service. Jesus is the best in every way you can measure.

Hidden Glory in Your Story (Mark 9:9-10)

As they came down the mountain, He ordered them to tell no one what they’d seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. So they kept it to themselves, discussing what “rising from the dead” might mean.

Jesus didn’t show them this so they could brag or be treated as special.
He showed them so they’d understand His death and resurrection later.

Maybe that’s why you’ve experienced some of the things you have. Maybe their meaning will be revealed later. God will always use them to deepen our understanding of the life and death of Jesus.

Your life matters! Your suffering matters! There is glory there, hidden under the surface. Abide with Jesus, and at the right time you’ll understand. I don’t know when that will be, but it will be the right time.

What About Elijah? (Mark 9:11-13)

They asked Him, “Why do the scribes say Elijah must come first?” He answered, “Elijah does come first to restore all things. And how is it written of the Son of Man that He must suffer many things and be treated with contempt? But I tell you, Elijah has come, and they did to him whatever they pleased, as it is written of him.”

Jesus pointed them to John the Baptist, who came in the spirit of Elijah (Matthew 17:13) and was treated with contempt, just as the Son of Man would be.
In effect Jesus said, “You’re focused on the wrong thing. Stop worrying about Elijah. Look at Me.”
Elijah would do his part, and they might or might not understand it. But all of it happened so they could know Jesus better.

That’s why everything in your life has happened too. Jesus has worked out a million ways for you to see His glory. Stay near Him, and it will be revealed at the right time.

Grace Takeaway

The road of following Jesus runs through denying self and carrying a cross, but it leads up the mountain to His glory. Peter wanted to make Jesus one great name among many; the Father said, “This is My beloved Son. Listen to Him!” When everything else fades, may we see no one but Jesus only. He veiled His glory to suffer for us, and He will reveal it to all who stay close to Him. It’s worth it.

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