“Jesus 101: Grabbing the Glory”
Mark 9:2-13
People love to finish strong. Most of us desire to “go out in a blaze of glory.” Athletes want go out as champions. Actors hope their last performance is award winning. Preachers want their last sermon to be their best. And there’s something to be said for this – after all, even the Bible, from beginning to end, portrays Jesus finishing strong, going out in a blaze of glory. Consider, for example, today’s passage in Mark’s Gospel. We need to look at it from three perspectives to fully grasp its significance.
First, we view it from JESUS’ PERSPECTIVE. “After six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John with him…” After six days – What happened 6 days prior to this? Why is this a SIGNIFICANT TIME for Jesus? When we look back at 8:27, we discover that six days prior Peter had proclaimed to Jesus, “You are the Christ.” Jesus then divulged his future suffering, warned the disciples of the coming judgment when the Son of Man will come in glory, and promised that some present will see the kingdom coming in power before they die.
So it is a significant time because Jesus is WRAPPING UP THE CURRENT CHAPTER OF HIS LIFE. The first chapter was his birth; the second was his childhood; this third was his ministry of teaching, healing, and training of the disciples. Now that the disciples recognize him for who He is – the Christ, the promised Son of God – Jesus can end this chapter; his goals for chapter three are accomplished. It was a significant time.
“After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone.” Jesus went to the mountain. The mountain is the place where God shows up, where revelations appear; it’s the place where great visions are introduced, strength is renewed, and missions clarified. On a mountain, Moses received the 10 commandments and met with God. Noah’s ark came to rest upon a mountain. Jesus endured his temptation on a wilderness mountain. So at this critical juncture in his life, Jesus goes up the mountain – according to Luke’s account, Jesus WENT THERE TO PRAY – to be sure chapter three was ending, to make sure he had the right direction for chapter four, and to gain strength and inspiration for the journey ahead. Indeed, it was a significant time.
It was also a SIGNIFICANT TESTIMONY for Jesus. “There he was transfigured before them. His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them.” The language Mark uses tells us that Jesus was not transformed into someone different, but rather He ‘glowed from within.’ His appearance was dazzling, shining; He had an outer splendor that was created by his inner purity and sinlessness. His appearance recalled that of Daniel’s Ancient of Days (7:9-10): “…thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took the seat. His clothing was white as snow; the hair of his head was white like wool/ His throne was flaming with fire, and its wheels were all ablaze. A river of fire was flowing, coming out from before him.” This was the glorified Christ. He would later, just prior to his arrest and crucifixion, pray (Jn. 17:5) “And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.” This was a glimpse of that glory. John later wrote about it (1:14): “We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” Peter wrote of it as well (2 Pt. 1:16-18): “…we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received honor and glory from God the Father…we were with him on that sacred mountain.” THE TRANSFIGURATION WAS GOD’S TESTIMONY, to Jesus and the three disciples, that Jesus was indeed the One Peter had confessed Him to be. It was a significant ending to chapter three.
But it was also an introduction to chapter four of Jesus’ life. The scene proclaimed also a SIGNIFICANT TRUTH. “And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus.” Why Moses and Elijah? Because Moses and Elijah pointed to JESUS AS FULFILLMENT. Moses represented the Law – his appearance demonstrated that the Law finds its fulfillment in Jesus. Elijah represented the prophets – his appearance demonstrated that prophecy finds its fulfillment in Jesus. Moses represented the old covenant – he was pointing to Jesus as the new covenant. Elijah represented the restoration of all things – he was pointing to Jesus as the ultimate restorer of all things. Further, Moses died, but Elijah was translated. Moses, therefore, represents the dead saints who shall rise from their graves and come forth at his coming, while Elijah represents those who shall be found alive at his advent. Our Lord brought with him, at his transfiguration, Moses who had died, and Elijah who had been translated, that he might show his power over both “the quick and the dead.”
But Luke, in his account, tells us that Moses and Elijah were talking with Jesus about his upcoming death. They were reminding Jesus and the disciples that THE WAY TO FINAL GLORY WAS TO BE THE WAY OF SUFFERING AND DEATH. Glory comes through suffering and death. This is, in fact, what the author of Hebrews understood, for he wrote (12:2) “… who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” So Moses and Elijah are encouraging Jesus to move on with chapter four, as difficult as it would be. They were exhorting him, “Go on! You are the One; you have made the right choice. You came to be crucified and it’s time to march to the cross.” It was time, as Hebrews 2:14-15 states it, “…by his death that he might destroy him who holds the power of death – that is the devil – and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.” Salvation would come through Christ, through the cross, alone. To grab the glory Christ must cling to the cross. The glory of Christ will be far greater than they could imagine – but so will be his suffering. The concern of heaven, the talk of heaven, THE SONG OF HEAVEN IS THE CROSS. As Catherine Hankey wrote:
“I love to tell the story, for those who know it best
Seem hungering and thirsting to hear it like the rest;
And when in scenes of glory I sing the new, new song,
‘Twill be the old, old story that I have loved so long.”
But what was the DISCIPLES’ PERSPECTIVE of Jesus’ significant time? “Peter said to Jesus, "Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah." (He did not know what to say, they were so frightened.)” It was, first and foremost, a TIME OF TERROR. It was a combination of excitement, awe, and fear. It was a typical reaction to the glory of God in Jesus. The shepherds feared when the angels announced Jesus’ birth. Peter feared when He recognized Jesus calming the storms and walking on the water. The women and the disciples feared when they were told that Jesus had risen. So the disciples were frightened. And why not – after all, they were getting A GLIMPSE OF THE FINAL CHAPTER, the final glory when “Jesus shall reign where’er the sun does its successive journeys run – His kingdom spread from shore to shore, ‘Till moons shall wax and wane no more.” Listen to the words of Revelation (1:17-18): “When I saw (Jesus) I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said, ‘Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever.”
Back to the mountain. Mark continues, “Then a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and a voice came from the cloud: "This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!" The time of terror became a TIME OF TESTIMONY. Following Jesus’ baptism God had sent his Spirit in
the form of a dove to Jesus and proclaimed that Jesus was His beloved Son. Now again God speaks and confers authority upon Him. “LISTEN TO JESUS. His words are my words. His truth is my truth. His authority is my authority. Do not change his words or redefine his demands. Listen to Him. Obey him.”
And just like that, things were back to normal. “Suddenly, when they looked around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus. As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus gave them orders not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead.” The testimony led to a TIME OF TRUTH. From now on, it would be Jesus only. It was a truth they were to live out and teach, without sharing what had happened on the mountain. They were not to share this experience – until the resurrection. The resurrection would prove the authority of Jesus. THE SUFFERING AND CROSS ARE NECESSARY – without it there would be no glory; without it there would be no salvation. To grab the glory the disciples must cling to the cross. Peter, James, and John were to hold this moment in their hearts as their inspiration and strength as they led the disciples through the difficult next chapter. They had what they needed, so Jesus led them down the mountain.
However, the story doesn’t end there. There is a third viewpoint – we need to examine OUR PERSPECTIVE. “They kept the matter to themselves, discussing what "rising from the dead" meant. And they asked him, "Why do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?" Jesus replied, "To be sure, Elijah does come first, and restores all things. Why then is it written that the Son of Man must suffer much and be rejected? But I tell you, Elijah has come, and they have done to him everything they wished, just as it is written about him."” There’s A TRUTH TO GRASP. The disciples wrestled with the thought of resurrection for Jesus. Since their theology had no room for nor thought of a suffering, dying Messiah, why would there need to be a resurrection? They still did not completely understand that glory comes through suffering, and life comes through death – that their GLORY AND LIFE WOULD ONLY COME THROUGH SUFFERING AND DEATH. To grab the glory the disciples must cling to the cross, must endure suffering and death.
We wrestle with the same truth. I like how one writer put it: “Many in the church today suffer from a form of Bible amnesia. They remember only the parts that promise wealth, happiness, and glory and forget, or fail to listen, to the calls for self-sacrifice, suffering, and bearing one’s cross. They want to skip Suffering 101 and move on to advanced placement in Glory 909. The Gospel of Mark emphasizes that the Messiah must shoulder a cross, embrace humility, and renounce brute force, and his disciples must do the same if they bear Christ’s
name.”
When Jesus and the disciples reached the foot of the mountain, they came upon a TRANSFORMING SCENE. They found a large crowd; the disciples were arguing with the teachers of the law. A man in the crowd said, "Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech. Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not." If Jesus and the disciples had remained on the mountain, this scene would not have changed. Jesus and the disciples – and we – must LEAVE THE HEIGHTS AND DESCEND INTO THE VALLEY OF HUMAN NEED. Moments on the mountaintop are necessary but cannot be prolonged. The reality of the world awaits. As Jesus’ followers, we must confront the unbelief, blindness, rejection, and misery of the world around us. Life is much more than a series of spiritual highs – it is lived in the low valleys.
We are to use the truths and inspiration gained on the mountaintop to strengthen us for life in the valley. Jesus will be glorified as we serve him – so JESUS INVITES US TO BE HIS SERVANTS. Richard Foster, in his classic book “Celebration of Discipline” makes an important distinction. “We must see the difference between choosing to serve and choosing to be a servant. When we choose to serve we are still in charge….But when we choose to be a servant, we give up the right to be in charge…we surrender the right to decide who and when we will serve. We become available and vulnerable…Service (servanthood) is not a list of things we do, though in it we discover things to do. It is not a code of ethics, but a way of living. To do specific acts of service is not the same thing as living in the Discipline of service.”
To be a servant is to walk around with a towel and basin, like Jesus, looking to offer ourselves to those in need. However, such an attitude of service ONLY COMES FROM A RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS CHRIST. Through His Spirit’s promptings and divine urgings we know who, where, when, and whom to serve. Therefore, I urge you to engage Jesus Christ this morning – call upon Him while He is near. Invite Him to control your thoughts and actions. Because when you walk out these doors everything changes; the world out there is not as glorious as it is in here. It’s an ordinary, drab, grey Michigan winter day out there in the valley. Nevertheless, I can think of no better way to enter into the Lenten season than going forth, with Christ in your heart, as a willing servant.
You see, it’s all about servanthood. The Christian life is not primarily about moments of euphoria and periods of ecstasy, as nice and important as they are, but about being Jesus in the real world. Glory comes through servanthood. It’s the way God’s glory is seen. And THROUGH SERVING YOU AND I ARE TRANSFORMED . As Paul wrote (2 Cor. 3:18) “And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” It will not be easy – the glory comes through suffering and death. That’s why Paul continued: “But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed…Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”
So let us go out in a blaze of glory – by grabbing the glory of the cross, by being servants of Jesus Christ. I propose that we put signs above the exit doors of our facility. Right above the exit signs, so it’s the last thing we see as we exit here, let’s put signs that read, “Servants’ Entrance.” It is, after all, what glory is all about.
(i) I have unfortunately lost the original source of this quotation
(ii) Richard J. Foster, Celebration of Discipline, Harper, Revised edition, © 1978 & 1988 BY Richard J. Foster, p. 132 & 134
