Text: Mark 9:2-9
Date: February 14, 2021
Event: The Transfiguration of our Lord, Year B
Mark 9:2-9 (EHV)
2After six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John with him and led them up a high mountain where they were alone by themselves. There he was transfigured in front of them. 3His clothes became radiant, dazzling white, whiter than anyone on earth could bleach them. 4And Elijah appeared to them together with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus.
5Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us make three tents: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” 6He did not know what to say because they were terrified.
7A cloud appeared and overshadowed them, and a voice came from the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him.”
8Suddenly when they looked around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus alone.
9As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead.
The Transfiguration Gives a Glimpse of the True Jesus
At Christmas this past year, I thought I knew what one of the presents was that my mom had sent to the kids was. But when the presents arrived, it was not the shape or feel at all of what I thought it would look like. Eventually I began thinking that I misunderstood what Mom had said she was planning and had chosen something different instead.
But around our house, the kids were mostly mystified about those presents, “But do you know what Gram sent?” the kids would ask. And I would have to puzzle out a truthful, “Well, I thought I did, but now looking at it, I’m just not so sure.” “Is it something practical or fun?” the questions continued. And my confusion continued as well, “I... I’m just not sure.”
But then fast forward to Christmas Day and the presents are opened. Once the wrapping paper was off the puzzle made sense. Under the wrapping paper, the gift was wrapped in this thick, bubble shipping sleeve, which added the very strange feel and shape. But under the wrapping paper and bubble sleeve was the exact present that I thought was coming. It had just been masked and hidden.
In many ways, that’s kind of what happened with Jesus. The promises of the Messiah were clear that the Savior would be divine, would be God. And yet what did Jesus look like? Just another guy, right? If you were living at that time, he would’ve looked no different than you or your neighbor. And we’ve seen through this Epiphany season that yes, in many ways, Jesus and others revealed who Jesus truly was in words and actions. But there still would’ve been this nagging question in the minds of people seeing and listening to Jesus: “Really? This guy? He’s the Messiah?”
So that brings us to the Transfiguration, a moment later in Jesus’ ministry where he set aside all doubt as to who he was and focuses on what he had come to do. As we come closer and closer to our Lenten journey that will take us down the path of difficult self-examination and seeing the price our sins cost our Savior, we will keep the events on this hilltop in mind because it gives us perspective. For as difficult as it will be to see our Savior’s passion, for as weak he may appear, the transfiguration gives a glimpse of the true Jesus, the Savior who came to be our champion.
For this event, Jesus took just the “inner circle” with him—Peter, James, and John. It was just the four of them because, as the de facto leaders of even the twelve disciples, there was something important for them to see. There he was transfigured in front of them. The word “transfigured” comes from the Latin word used to translate the Greek “metamorphosis.” It simply means “changed.” Jesus’ appearance changed. He changed from something that masked his true nature into showing who he really is. His clothes became radiant, dazzling white, whiter than anyone on earth could bleach them. This was not a wardrobe change on Jesus’ part. He didn’t bring a brighter set of clothes with him. These clothes were supernaturally white. The other gospel writers use words like “lightning” and “the sun” to describe Jesus’ changed appearance, both his clothing and his face.
This is Jesus showing himself to be God as he is. He wasn’t just like you or your neighbor. This was God who had taken on our human nature. And that’s important because in order to the Savior of the world, our Savior needed to be God. No one else but God could live the perfect life we needed, and have that life count for all people. No one else but God could have his death count for everyone. This glimpse into Jesus’ true nature was meant as a comfort for the disciples. “Yes, what you will see will be difficult to watch. It will appear that I am powerless, but I am not. I am doing this to save you and everyone else from their sins.”
As if this were not enough to take in in the moment, it is suddenly not four on the hilltop, but six. Moses and Elijah, two of God’s prophets from the Old Testament appear to speak with Jesus. Luke recounts in his Gospel that they were talking about Jesus’ upcoming “departure,” that is his death. Note with what focus Jesus approaches your need for a Savior! Nothing deters him; he is laser-focused on your forgiveness. Everything is leading to the cross and the empty tomb. It’s all leading to a triumphant “It is finished!” amid apparent defeat, and the glorious proclamations of “He has been raised!” As we will confess in the Nicene Creed, this was all “for us and for our salvation.”
We can sympathize a bit with Peter, can’t we? Here is Jesus in his glory as God, here are two respected heroes of faith from the past. Who wouldn’t want to stay? And also, who wouldn’t be scared out of their wits? Peter’s offer to put up the tents makes some sense in a terrified-beyond-rational-thought sort of way. This is what happens to sinners in the presence of God, and yet a God who loves us. Our sin makes it impossible to stand in his presence, but knowing that is also our Savior means that we can recognize that it’s good to be here.
And if Peter had any clarity on what would happen—the gut-wrenching upheaval that would come to all of their lives beginning in the Garden of Gethsemane—that would have been all the more the reason to want to just stay up here forever. But that’s not the plan. It was not the plan for Jesus to just be here and live out time in peace, and that wasn’t the plan for Peter, James, and John either. They all had work to do. They all had difficulty to endure. And it would all be for the good of those around them, for the good of all who so desperately needed the forgiveness that God freely provides.
We get to experience good times that we hope will never end; we have to endure trials that we wish would end immediately. But the Savior who showed a glimpse of his power at his transfiguration stands by us in all of it, blessing the good and working the bad for our eternal benefit. Peter longed to stay with Jesus on the top of that mountain, but Jesus had bigger plans. Not an extended camping trip, but an eternity of perfection with our God. That is what he came to do, thus they could not stay there that day.
But before they break camp and move on, a cloud envelops them, likely the same cloud pillar that led the Israelites through the wilderness, the same glory of the Lord that surrounded the shepherds at Jesus’ birth. This is the presence of God made clear. Here the Father speaks again, like he did at Jesus’ baptism. But this time the Father speaks not to Jesus, but to the disciples, “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him.”
Jesus is going to ramp up how blunt and clear he’s going to be with his disciples in the days ahead. He’s going to be clear about the suffering he’ll undergo—the betrayal, arrest, condemnation, death, burial, and even the resurrection. Peter had already been direct with Jesus that these things should never happen to him and Jesus had to rebuke him as a messenger of Satan trying to veer him off course. The Father’s message for the disciples is clear, “Jesus knows what he’s doing. He’s doing what is right. I love him and his dedication to the mission that I sent him on. Listen to him.”
None of this is going to make sense in the moment. It’s going to seem weird, out of place, and shocking. It’s going to continue to seem like this Messiah is not the Savior that we expected. But what lies ahead for Jesus is not what it might seem. Jesus’ transfiguration points ahead to the greater glory, the greater victory that Jesus will display. That victory will be directly beneficial for Peter, James, John, you, and me. Jesus made it clear that the disciples shouldn’t talk about this until after he had been raised from the dead because only then would all of the pieces fit together. Even in that moment, they didn’t really understand what he was talking about in regard to the resurrection, but they would in time.
As we continue to go through trials and difficulty, as we continue to hope for and wish for the relief from trials we have and to experience blessings that we have not had, as we seek to understand what God is doing in our lives and why he’s doing it, take this scene and the Father’s words to heart. Your Savior knows what he’s doing. He’s conquered sin and death for you and will bring you to his heavenly home when the time comes. Until that day, rest easy in the one who might not have looked the part, but who is your heaven-sent Savior who conquered sin and death by his life and death for you. Thanks be to God! Alleluia! Amen.
