February 3, 2016 (Wednesday)
This evening at Bethel Baptist Church, Ingleside, we will study Mark 9:1-13, which describes the Transfiguration of Jesus Christ.
Jesus is quoted as saying, “Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see that the kingdom of God has come with power” (Mark 9:1 NIV). He was speaking of the Transfiguration.
“After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them. His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus” (Mark 9:2-4 NIV). (Moses represents the Law and Elijah the Prophets. The Hebrew Bible classifies its contents as The Law, The Prophets and The Writings. Moses represents the Law. Elijah represents the prophets, although all we know of him is written in books of The Writings).
Suddenly the human veil had been lifted and they saw Jesus in all of His glory.
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). The fear that overwhelmed them was understandable. We all would have been afraid if we had been there ourselves. No one had ever seen or experienced anything like that. It was a miracle–unique and terrifying because it involved Jesus Himself.
Then a cloud appeared and covered them, and a voice came from the cloud: “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!”
Immediately the scene changed. Everything went back to normal. Jesus was there with his three disciples. The miracle was over.
Jesus then told them not to tell about the experience until he had risen from the dead. They had questions about that and about what they had seen. There was still much for them to learn.
Because of the glory of the Transfiguration experience for the disciples, we have come to speak of special spiritual experiences as “mountain top experiences.” There are times when we feel close to the Lord in new and different ways we have not known before. Such happenings come to us in various ways and are very personal. Let us rejoice when we look back and realize that, in the words of the hymn, “Heaven came down and glory filled my soul,” and we can say in the words of a Gaither classic, “He touched me.” Such moments may be rare but they are precious.
Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Philippians 2:5-11 (NKJV)