THE TRANSFIGURATION OF CHRIST AND ITS IMPORTANCE TO US TODAY – MARK 9:1-13 Our Heavenly Father, Creator of all things and Master Teacher, we humbly come into Your presence to seek Your Holy Spirit to open our eyes to these Holy Scriptures. We earnestly pray for enlightenment as we study together, and we ask You, Father, to open our eyes to see the truths contained in these words. Open our minds to comprehend that which we are reading, and open our hearts to receive the message that You have for us. Finally, dear Father, we ask for the strength and courage to live our lives in a manner of the called, constantly giving You the glory, honor, and praise that You deserve. We claim these things in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. Mark 9:1 And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That there be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power. I believe Jesus was speaking not of the Rapture or His Second Coming, but of the event that would take place six days later when Peter, James, and John would witness His Transfiguration. Mark 9:2, 3 And after six days Jesus taketh with him Peter, and James, and John, and leadeth them up into an high mountain apart by themselves: and he was transfigured before them. And his raiment became shining, exceeding white as snow; so as no fuller on earth can white them. His Transfiguration being a confirmation that He had led a sinless life, I believe that had He so chosen, Jesus could have gone directly to heaven at this point—leaving us with no explanation or justification for our sin before the Father. Instead, Jesus came down from Mount Hermon, the Mount of Transfiguration, to climb Mount Calvary, the Mount of Redemption. Mark 9:4 And there appeared unto them Elias with Moses: and they were talking with Jesus. Elijah representing the prophets, and Moses representing the Law, the Law and the Prophets were, in effect, conversing with Jesus. Mark 9:5, 6 And Peter answered and said to Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias. For he wist not what to say; for they were sore afraid. Not knowing quite what to say, Peter blurted out, “Let’s build three monuments—one for Moses, one for Elijah and one for You”—thereby putting Jesus on the same plane as the law and the prophets. The law, however, was given to drive people to Jesus. And the prophets gave predictions about Jesus. Therefore, Jesus is far above the law and the prophets. Mark 9:7 And there was a cloud that overshadowed them: and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him. Fortunately for Peter, the Father interrupted him, keeping him from making further mistakes. Mark 9:8 And suddenly, when they had looked round about, they saw no man any more, save Jesus only with themselves. This happens to us as well. There comes a time when, after looking around, you realize there is no one save Jesus who is worthy of your attention, your affection, your adulation. In all that He is, in all that He says, in all that He’s done, He’s perfect. So we come together not to celebrate our righteousness or to congratulate ourselves on our morality, activism or accomplishments, but because we have discovered there is none worthy of praise save Jesus only. Mark 9:9–11 And as they came down from the mountain, he charged them that they should tell no man what things they had seen, till the Son of man were risen from the dead. And they kept that saying with themselves, questioning one with another what the rising from the dead should mean. And they asked him, saying, Why say the scribes that Elias must first come? The scribes quoted Malachi, who predicted Elijah would come before the Messiah set up His kingdom (Malachi 4:5). Mark 9:12, 13 And he answered and told them, Elias verily cometh first, and restoreth all things; and how it is written of the Son of man, that he must suffer many things, and be set at nought. But I say unto you, That Elias is indeed come, and they have done unto him whatsoever they listed, as it is written of him. Caught up in a fiery chariot because his ministry was not yet over, Elijah didn’t die. He is to come before the Second Coming of Christ and proclaim throughout the nation of Israel the truth concerning Christ Jesus. And yet, Jesus says, he is already come. In Matthew 11, we see Jesus saying that John the Baptist had come in the same spirit as Elijah. Yet when asked if he was Elijah, John the Baptist said, “No” (John 1:21). John the Baptist, the forerunner of Christ at His first coming, came in the same spirit of Elijah. But Elijah himself will prepare the way for Christ’s Second Coming. Have a blessed day!
Posted on: Thu, 20 Jun 2013 14:49:33 +0000
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