Beginning to Really See Jesus
Preached by Jason Abbott
October 20, 2013
This week we are rejoining the narrative of Mark’s gospel account at the climax of a section in which the disciples and the readers are being challenged to see Jesus for whom he really is. If you recall, in 8:27-30, Jesus asks the disciples, “Who do you say that I am?” and, Peter responds, “You are the Christ.” He’s right. But, as we quickly find out, he is also very wrong.
For, in 8:31-9:1, Jesus begins to talk about what he, as the Christ, must endure and suffer on his mission, and Peter objects and rebukes Jesus. So Jesus must, in turn, rebuke Peter for his human-centric perspective of the Christ’s mission. And, following this rebuke, Jesus calls the crowds to him and teaches them about the costs of discipleship, the costs of following him. Finally, he ends by explaining that some of those present will see and experience (even before they die!) the kingdom of God come in power.
It’s at this point that we pick up Mark’s narrative again.
Mark 9:2-13
2 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, 3 and his clothes became radiant, intensely white, as no one on earth could bleach them. 4 And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus. 5 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.” 6 For he did not know what to say, for they were terrified. 7 And a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, “This is my beloved Son; listen to him.” 8 And suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone with them but Jesus only.
9 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. 10 So they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what this rising from the dead might mean. 11 And they asked him, “Why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?” 12 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? 13 But I tell you that Elijah has come, and they did to him whatever they pleased, as it is written of him.”
There are so many questions that could be asked of this passage:
Why did Jesus just take Peter, James, and John?
What mountain did they climb?
Why did they climb a mountain at all?
What is this cloud all about?
How did Peter know it was Moses and Elijah with Jesus?
However, there is one essential question that we could forget to ask and answer in the shuffle and clamor of looking for answers to all the mysterious questions that emerge from this passage. That question is namely this: What does this passage say about Jesus? In short, what does it tell us about him?
Let’s look therefore at the details of this passage while always keeping them under the guide of this ultimate question:
1. What does the appearance of Moses and Elijah tell us about Jesus (vv. 4-5)?
One argument is that they convey the fulfillment of God’s deliverance of his people in the person of Jesus. This argument essentially points out that both Moses and Elijah were great delivers of Israel—Moses from slavery in Egypt and Elijah from slavery to idol worship under King Ahab.
However, though this view of their presence here in Mark is attractive, it falls short of providing real functional satisfaction. For, if this were the lesson God intended for us to glean from their appearance then “other and more important deliverers” like “Joshua, David, and Josiah” would have made that lesson more clearly and more powerfully.1
Another argument is made that Moses and Elijah are present in order to show that the law and the prophets point to Jesus. This argument essentially suggests that Moses represents the law and Elijah represents the prophets. Thus, through Moses’ and Elijah’s presence with Jesus, we are to understand that both these (the law and the prophets) find their fulfillment in Jesus Christ; he is the ultimate fulfiller of the law, and he is the ultimate prophet from God!
However, this too is unlikely because (while it is true that Jesus is the fulfillment of both the law and the prophets) it probably links Moses too simplistically to the Law and Elijah too simplistically to the Prophets here. In other words, it’s “probably too specific to maintain that Moses stands for the law and Elijah for the prophets, because each figure was associated with both the law and the prophets.”2
The best view (I believe) can only be arrived at when we factor in an interesting Old Testament passage in which both Moses and Elijah play an important role. Listen to this from the minor prophet Malachi:
“Remember the law of my servant Moses, the statutes and rules that I commanded him at Horeb for all Israel.
“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction”(Malachi 4:4-6).
In this passage from Malachi, the people of Israel are called to ready themselves for the day of the Lord. In order to do so, they are to remember all that Moses had taught them, and they are to look for the prophet Elijah who would “turn” the people toward repentance. In this way, Moses and Elijah are seen as “joint preparers of the final Prophet to come.” 3 The ultimate Prophet who the Lord promised Moses and Israel he would raise up (Deuteronomy 18:15, 18).
So, what does the presence of Moses and Elijah on the Mount of Transfiguration tell us about Jesus?
Well, I think their position as “joint preparers” for the day of God’s judgment tells us that Jesus is the ultimate Preparer for the day of God’s judgment. I believe their role as “joint preparers” highlights the final preparatory work that Jesus must do for each one of us! In the face of Peter’s objection that the Christ must not die (Mark 8:32), the presence of Moses and Elijah highlights that unless Jesus dies for us “a decree of utter destruction” (Malachi 4:6) must fall upon us!
Let’s now turn to a second detail in this passage and see what it has to tell us about Christ Jesus.
2. What does this glorious physical transfiguration of Jesus tell us about him (vv. 2-3, 6)?
Certainly, there has been a lot written trying to firm up our understanding of the transfiguration. 4
Some have suggested that this story borrows from Greek mythology’s divine man motif. However, Jesus is not simply a divine man (i.e. part man and part god) but the God-man (i.e. fully God and fully man). Furthermore, his mission of suffering has no divine man parallel in ancient Greek literature. Divine men in Greek mythology (rather than embrace the way of suffering) always fought it! Nor were they typically inclined to serve mere mortals. Instead, mortals were supposed to serve divine men!
Others have argued that this is an ancient resurrection account of Jesus that somehow found its way into Mark’s gospel account. However, this seems implausible since it directly answers the question being asked time and time again in Mark’s narrative when Jesus teaches with authority or works in power: “Who then is this…” (Mark 4:41)?
What then does the transfiguration teach us about Jesus?
Well, it teaches us that Jesus is not like the three disciples present, and he’s not like you and me. We most often go about attempting to put on divine exteriors in order to mask our fallen, sinful interiors. We pose as divine men and women and keep our humanity as hidden as possible!
If I were to tell you that it was essential for me to die in order for our church to reach the city of Harrisburg, few in our congregation would trust that I was right. Many would think that I—despite having a pretty tidy and respectable outside appearance—was, in fact, insane and demented on the inside! You would start to distrust my leadership. You would begin to be suspicious that all the good things which I had done and said in the past were merely a farce or a façade!
Why? Because, no matter how great a leader I have been up to this point, such a death centered plan must reveal that I’m off my rocker now! For we all know that we’re just attempting to put our best foot forward in life, and if I think such a plan is putting my best foot forward then something must have gone wrong! That can’t be good and godly leadership!
But, Jesus isn’t simply a good human leader. Jesus, unlike us, isn’t simply trying to put his best foot forward. In fact, he’s kind of doing the very opposite. Instead of displaying a divine exterior in the course of his earthly ministry, he’s displaying a human exterior. He’s put on flesh. He looks a lot like you and me!
So, when Jesus says that he’s going to the cross, his disciples naturally object. They naturally think he must be mistaken! They naturally begin to wonder what has gone wrong with their rabbi! They think his hitting streak, his batting a thousand, just came to an end!
So God graciously intervenes! (God is gracious toward the disciples and us!) He provides this vision of Jesus. The “transfiguration is a momentary empirical revelation of the divine authority that Jesus has manifested throughout his ministry.”5 It is meant to display and affirm who Jesus really is—God’s “beloved Son”—so that the disciples might be encouraged to trust and follow him!
Thus, the Father says to the disciples, “Listen to him” (v. 7).
When Jesus tells you that you must forgive your enemies…listen to him. When Jesus teaches that your righteousness must surpass that of the Pharisees if you are to enter the kingdom of heaven…listen to him. When Jesus says that in order for you to live he must die in your place…listen to him. For, he is not merely a human teacher. He is the Son of the living God! So, listen to him!
The transfiguration shows the disciples and us that Jesus is God! This encourages us to trust Jesus even on the way to the cross!
Well, let’s look at one final detail and ask what it says about Jesus.
3. What does Jesus’ command to stay silent about these events tell us about him (vv. 9-13)?
This, for me, is one of the most interesting things in this passage! Jesus throughout his ministry has demanded silence about his full identity—from the disciples, from demons, from those whom he has healed.
Here the command to be silent speaks of the weakness (or the fragility) of the disciples. They still cannot understand Jesus’ mission even though they have been taught and retaught about it.
Here the command speaks of the absolute necessity of the crucifixion and resurrection to a right understanding of Jesus. We need his death and resurrection in order to see God for who he is and Jesus for who he is.
However, when Jesus commands Peter, James, and John to be silent about the transfiguration, I think it tells us something more that is very important about Jesus Christ.
I think it tells us that Jesus is fully resolved to accomplish the will of his Father by going to the cross. It demonstrates that Jesus wants no distraction as he sets about his primary goal of accomplishing redemption. Think about it:
People have wanted to craft Jesus’ mission into that of a divinely sent healer of their sicknesses (Mark 1:35-45).
People have wanted to make Jesus’ mission into that of a divinely sent military leader of their causes (Mark 6:30-44).
People have all kinds of purposes for Jesus. Yet, Jesus is not here to accomplish the purposes we have for him, but to accomplish the purposes the Father has for him. He has come to bring glory to the Father by reconciling sinners like you and me to God. He has come to restore what was lost!
Therefore, Jesus commands the three to be silent about his glorious transfiguration. There will be a time to speak about it but only after his work has been accomplished—his crucifixion, his resurrection, and his ascension to the Father’s right hand. Then, the time will be right to preach of these things.
We live in that time. In fact, we are commanded to share Jesus’ glory with the world. We must not hesitate to do so!
1James Edwards, The Gospel According To Mark, 265.
2Ibid.
3Ibid.
4See James Edwards’ helpful excursus: “The Transfiguration” in The Gospel According To Mark, 269-271.
5Edwards, 271.
