What Is the Transfiguration and Why Does It Matter?

The Exalted Status of Jesus

Hello everyone. This morning, we’ll continue our series through the Book of Mark. And as you might remember – from the very beginning of this account about Jesus’s life, there’s been a stated goal. The goal of this part of Scripture is to convince us that Jesus is the Christ (the ultimate King), and he’s the Son of God. We’ve already seen various pieces of evidence for this. We’ve seen the supernatural events of Jesus’s baptism. We’ve seen the otherworldly insight of his teaching, and the impressiveness of his miracles, and the authority of his commands. But in our text today, we’ll be giving attention to an event that’s especially powerful in driving home the exalted status of Jesus. We’ll be looking at his transfiguration.

Of course, I’m aware that among all the events of Jesus’s life, the transfiguration is probably the one that’s most neglected and least understood. Most Christians have no problem appreciating the significance of his birth – his incarnation. They see the importance of his death – his crucifixion. They perhaps even have a good handle on the significance of his resurrection and ascension into heaven. But I suspect that for many Christians, if someone suddenly snatched the transfiguration out of the Bible overnight, relatively few people would miss it.

So why should it matter to us? What was the transfiguration about? Well, if you have a Bible nearby please turn with me to Mark Chapter 9. (If you’re using one of our church Bibles you can find our text on page 793?. I’ll be reading verses 2 through 13. But before I read our text, please pray with me:

[Pray and Read Text]

What Does the Transfiguration Show Us?

As the weather’s been warming up, and as the regular school semester has been drawing to a close, I think it’s clear – summer’s just around the corner. And since, in Michigan, we can only reliably count on warm weather to last for four months or so, summer is often the time where people plan day trips. Or you might already be planning some sort of vacation to travel across the state or the country.

But of course, an important part of the planning is to make sure that you’re going to have reliable transportation. The last thing you’d want is for your car to break down 300 miles away from home. So before you go on a vacation – whether you’re the handyman yourself, or whether you’re depending on a mechanic – what you ultimately want is for someone to look under the hood, and give you confidence that the car has the ability to get you to your destination.

In a similar way, the transfiguration, here, is intended to solidify our confidence in Jesus. Because in this event on the mountain, Jesus shows us what’s under the hood. He reveals the hidden secret of his supernatural glory. He gives evidence that He’s the Chosen One, sent from heaven, to bring us to our grand destination. The transfiguration is intended to deepen our faith in Christ. But even more than this, it delivers a foretaste of what the future holds for those who follow him.

That being said, this passage isn’t just about Jesus’s glory. At this point in history, Jesus insists that he still needs to carry out his role as a suffering servant, in a state of humiliation. Jesus is careful to point out – there’s a right ordering of things, both for him and for his followers. Before glory, there will be groanings. Before the crown, there will be a cross. But the bright light of the transfiguration shines to us, to encourage us. After the long, dark winter of our temptations and trials, the Son will give us his light and delight us with new life.

You may notice, our text divides, quite naturally, into two main parts. First, there’s an encouragement from Jesus’s ultimate glory, that we see in verses 2 through 8. And there’s an insistence on Jesus’s intervening humiliation, which is laid out in verses 9 through 13. These will be my two main points from the text.

An Encouragement from Jesus’s Ultimate Glory (vs. 2-8)

So first, let’s see how the transfiguration, here, gives us encouragement from Jesus’s ultimate glory.

You might remember, in our text last week Jesus was teaching the crowds. And he was clearly explaining – if people are going to follow him, they need to deny themselves and they need to prepare to suffer. Jesus is very honest, that people who are serious about following him will not have an easy time of it. Of course, this undoubtedly raised the question for a lot of people. Is following Jesus worth it? But perhaps even more than that, it raised the question – Is Jesus worthy of being followed? After all, who is Jesus? What makes him so special? How do we know that he deserves our trust?

Of course, in Chapter 9, verse 1, Jesus promised that some of his followers would soon have that question answered. Jesus announced that it wouldn’t be long before some would see “the kingdom of God after it has come with power.”

Well, in verse 2 of our text this morning, we’re told that after Jesus’s hard teaching, an additional six days go by. And on the seventh day, Jesus takes some of his closest disciples (Peter, James, and John) and together they go to a secluded a place where they can pray, to the top of a high mountain by themselves. The specific mountain isn’t identified in our text (whether it’s Mt Hermon, or Mt Tabor) – but that’s probably intentional. The Spirit is guarding people from viewing mountains with any sort of superstitious reverence. Because he wants our attention on Jesus.

And starting at the end of verse two, Mark begins to lay out a number of amazing things that happen on the top of this moment.

The Visible Radiance

First, Mark describes the visible radiance of Jesus – his visible radiance. We’re told that he (Jesus) was transfigured before them. The Greek word here for transfigured is actually where we get our English word metamorphosis. Jesus’s appearance was suddenly and stunningly changed. And verse 3 makes clear – it wasn’t just Jesus who was changed, but even his clothing was affected, “his clothes became radiant” – they literally were shining, brighter than sunbeams reflecting off a field of snow. And his clothes were “intensely white, as no one on earth could bleach them.” Mark wants to make sure we don’t misunderstand – this wasn’t just an optical illusion. It’s not just as though Jesus was having a good hair day. But there was a brightness to Jesus’s appearance that was distinctly supernatural. The intense whiteness of his clothes was “as no one on earth could bleach them.” What the disciples saw on that mountain wasn’t from this earth. It was the light of divine glory, the consuming fire of eternal majesty radiating from the human figure of Jesus.

The Visitors

But it isn’t just the visible radiance that’s unusual here. The visitors at the transfiguration are also surprising. In verse 4, we see that Moses and Elijah, two of the greatest prophets from the Old Testament. They suddenly appear, and are seen talking with Jesus. Moses was famous among the Jews as the prophet God used to give the law. And Elijah was a miracle-working prophet who God sent to restore the law at a time of spiritual darkness. In some respect, they represented two major divisions of the Holy Scriptures – the Law and the Prophets. And yet neither of these men had roamed the earth for hundreds of years. Moses had died on a mountain outside the Promised land, while Elijah, remarkably, had been taken up into heaven alive. But all of a sudden, mysteriously, these two men show up as Jesus is glowing with his Sacred Splendor. And this further confirms, this event is profoundly meaningful – because of the visitors who are here.

The Vivid Fear

But we’re also able to sense the gravity of this event, by the effect it has on Jesus’s disciples. It produces vivid fear in them. On the one hand, it’s a wonderful kind of fear – the kind of trembling that a young man feels when he’s on a date with the most wonderful girl he’s ever met. Or the kind of fear you have as you’re plunging down on the most exhilarating of roller coasters. The experience is intense – overwhelming, even – and yet it’s so amazing that Peter wants to prolong it.

And this is exactly the right impulse. If you rightly see Jesus, you’ll want to be with Jesus. But our problem is that we have a hard time viewing Jesus like Peter did. Here, Jesus is shown to us in his royal position, higher than the stars, brighter than a welder’s torch, more spectacular than 10,000 sunrises – even now, the Lord Jesus is present among us to be worshiped and admired. If we could just be conscious of Jesus’s grand magnificence, we’d never feel boredom in our prayers. We’d never be in a hurry to leave his presence, to rush off to a movie or a sports event. But seeing his face, we’d want to linger with him – to tremble before him, to treasure him. Do you know anything of what it means to have that desire? Because if you rightly see Jesus, you’ll want to be with Jesus.

This is why, in verse 5, Peter rightly states, “It is good for us to be here.” And Peter suggests that they prolong the experience by building three tents – one for Moses, one for Elijah, and one for Jesus. Verse 6 tells us that he said this out of his great fear. He didn’t know what else to say. But even though Peter has a good impulse, here, his suggestion of building three tents misses the point. Because there weren’t three men of equal greatness in front of him. There weren’t three shining men on the mountain – just one.

The Voice

And so as our text continues, the distinct greatness of Jesus is further confirmed by yet another amazing occurrence. It’s confirmed by the voice that speaks from heaven. Verse 7 explains that as these men were standing on the mountain, “a cloud overshadowed them.” Now, for tall mountains, cloud cover isn’t anything unusual. But Mark wants us to understand that this was a unique cloud. This cloud was given as a sign of God the Father’s presence. The same thing had happened in the Old Testament. The cloud of God’s presence led Israel through the wilderness, it descended to the tent of meeting, and it filled the temple of God after its consecration (1 Kings 8:10).

And as this cloud settles in, there’s a voice. A voice comes out of the cloud, and declares, “This is my beloved Son; listen to him.” And all of a sudden, the intense cloud is past, Moses and Elijah are gone, and Jesus is there alone with his disciples, once again looking like his normal self.

Now, on a basic level, we can benefit greatly from the text, just by appreciating Jesus’s divine gloriousness. Certainly, that’s one of the main take-home messages, here – and it supports Mark’s basic argument that Jesus is the Son of God. When Jesus says, “follow me,” we can have confidence that he has legitimate authority to ask that from us. And we can trust him to bring us to a good destination, because he leads with divine power.

The Added Value of the Transfiguration

Yet in addition to this, the value of the transfiguration can be seen in a few other ways. And so I want to mention three additional encouragements that Jesus gives us in this unusual event.

For one thing, when Jesus is changed on the mountain, at this specific point, it gives important proof of his standing with God. I’m not sure if you’ve realized this before, but this is the only place in Jesus’s earthly ministry where he reveals his glory to the disciples like this. He doesn’t even shine on them after the resurrection. (Although, to be fair, he’s shining when he converts Saul on the road to Damascus). But, the point is that there must be a reason why Jesus chooses to bedazzle his disciples here, at this specific moment.

And here’s what I think is going on. Here’s some background. The Jews at that time generally believed that suffering was only for wicked people. They assumed that if someone suffered, that must mean that God is upset with that person. And here’s the rub. Jesus has just recently announced that he’s going to suffer. To most Jews, this wouldn’t make sense. How can Jesus suffer if he’s really from heaven? If he suffers, doesn’t that prove that he’s an evildoer – God’s enemy – a fraud? Just think of the confusion here.

But notice the timing. After Jesus announces the certainty of his future affliction, that’s when he decides to reveal his glory as the true Son of God. Jesus wants to bring clarity. Though he really is going to suffer, it’s not because he’s having problems with the Father. But actually it’s because he’s perfectly aligned with the Father. The Father and Son, in their perfect relationship together – they have a plan to save sinners. They’re united in it. Yet here’s what the plan requires – the Beloved Son must suffer. He must be penalized with death for our wrongs, in our place. Because that’s the only way for stubborn, self-absorbed wretches like us to gain peace with God. This suffering piece – it was hard to accept.

And yet the timing of the transfiguration confirms that this plan has the Father’s endorsement. It shows that Jesus, the suffering servant, has his Father’s full blessing. And this assures us that Jesus’s affliction was without doubt pleasing to God, and powerful in bringing salvation. The One that the Father sent to hang on the cross for you – it wasn’t the person he most despised. But it was the One he most dearly loved. That’s the status that Jesus possessed during his whole ministry – and it’s proven to us in the transfiguration.

But the transfiguration also shows us the preeminence or the primacy of Jesus’s glory. Specifically, we’re supposed to see that Jesus is greater than both Moses and Elijah – the two prophets that the Jews revered most. This is an important result of the transfiguration that shouldn’t be underestimated.

We’re supposed to see Jesus’s superiority in a few different ways. First, Exodus 34 tells us that when the prophet Moses spent time with God, it caused his face to glow. But here on the mountain, Jesus’s full body and clothing radiates light – not because Jesus has spent time with God, but because Jesus is God.

Second, it’s important to realize – Moses himself knew that his ministry as a prophet was just preparing the way for a greater prophet who would come after him. Moses wrote about this in Deuteronomy 18: “The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers—it is to him you shall listen.” And here, on the mount of Transfiguration, do you remember what the voice from heaven commands us to do, with respect to Jesus? “Listen to him.” “To him you shall listen.” Jesus is the ultimate prophet who speaks with authority, not only as God’s servant, but as God’s himself.

But then there’s a third way that Jesus’s superior glory is displayed. You’ll notice after the voice from heaven speaks, Moses and Elijah disappear. They have no lasting place on the mountain. But Jesus remains. And in the same way, this shows us the ministry of Moses and Elijah – and the Old form of the covenant with its rituals and customs – those things were temporary. But with the arrival of Jesus, there’s a new, enduring expression to God’s covenant of grace that’s been ushered in. The ceremonies, the sacrifices, and the cleanliness laws were shadows – but Christ is the substance. This is another key thing that the transfiguration testifies to – the preeminence of Jesus’s enduring glory.

But there’s one more thing I’ll mention, about why we should value the transfiguration. And that’s because at the mountain, we’re also given a preview of Jesus’s kingdom. We’re given a glimpse of his excellence, as our king. And as his kingdom appears in power, here, we also see the occupants of his kingdom – that it will include both godly persons who’ve died before his coming, like Moses, and those who are alive when the Lord comes to take them, like Elijah.

But even more personally for you and I, the transfiguration also previews the glorious kingdom of Jesus by foreshadowing how we will be transformed in it. Because later in the New Testament, the rather uncommon word that’s used to describe Jesus being transfigured or transformed – that same word is applied to every Christian. It’s used to describe the transforming work that God is doing in us, as our vision is filled more and more with Jesus. 2 Corinthians 3:18: “And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” So notice, God’s goal is to transform us to have the same image and likeness of Jesus, from one degree of glory to another. And if you’re a Christian, that process of change has already started in you. Though you may not be giving off beams of visible light, in a very real way the Spirit has already transformed you to glow in the dark spiritually. And you and I are urged to keep on gazing on the glory of the Lord, with eyes of faith, so that we’ll be further challenged and changed to be more like him. And when the day comes that our old mortal flesh dies away – and the new self is fully put on in the day of resurrection, we’ll reflect the brilliant radiance of Jesus in his kingdom, with everlasting cleanness and brightness and goodness and glory. And so for every follower of Jesus, the transfiguration should give excitement and eagerness. Because no matter what your trials are – no matter how big your regrets, or how deep your sorrows – you have a future where there will be no shame, no tears, no humiliation. Your future will be with Christ, in glory.

An Insistence on Jesus’s Intervening Humiliation (vs. 9-13)

And yet, between now and the full arrival of glory, there’s a period we need to wait – a time frame that will often involve suffering. And Jesus understood that a time of suffering would need to happen before the full, final revealing of his glory, as well. And so he confirms this in verses 9 through 13 of our text, where we find an insistence on Jesus’s intervening humiliation. (This is my second main point – an insistence on Jesus’s intervening humiliation)

Jesus insists that the road to his glory must first pass through a tar pit of humiliation. He says this about himself. And yet it’s also instructive for us. Because as followers of Jesus, this tells us what we should expect. Jesus insists that before the crown, must come the cross. And he draws attention to this in three ways.

To start with, you’ll notice in our text that Jesus gives a command for silence. In verse 9, he charges Peter, James, and John to stay quiet about the transfiguration. But he doesn’t tell them to be quiet permanently. He tells them to be quiet until the Son of Man has risen from the dead. In other words, the primary reason why Jesus’s disciples shouldn’t talk about his glory yet, is because it isn’t the right time. And so clearly, Jesus is conscious that there are different chapters in his life and ministry. Though the chapter of glory will be coming soon, Jesus understands – at this point, he’s in a chapter of humiliation. He’s taken the form of a servant. And he’s humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross (cf. Phil 2).

And in his life of utter humility, Jesus leaves an example for you and I to follow in. He demonstrates what eager, humble service to God looks like. He’s the example par excellence of bold obedience, self-sacrificial love, and endurance in the midst of suffering. Jesus reminds us – this earthly life isn’t the time for you to seek a here-and-now glory for yourself. Be content to be nobody. Be satisfied with the role of a servant. The time for greatness and honor – let God take care of that. As for you, 1 Peter 5:6 reminds us that those who humble themselves under the mighty hand of God will be exalted at the proper time. The path of humiliation is the one that’ll lead to the paradise of glory.

In verse 9, though, there’s a second way Jesus prepares us for humiliation before future glory. Jesus makes reference to his future resurrection. And notice, by speaking about the resurrection, Jesus is confirming that in the meantime, he’ll be faced with death. Right? – in order to be resurrected, you first need to die!

Don’t miss this – when Jesus stood on the Mount, shining more brightly than the highest angels, with the heavens thundering those stunning words, “This is my Beloved Son” – there’s no reason to think that such an untouchably regal person would stoop so low. Why would the exalted Lord of Light grovel with anguish, under the darkness of death? Yet the Lord Jesus confirms his willingness – his determinedness – he will be crushed and cursed for us. He will be humiliated for us, on his path to glory. Have you considered recently how deep his love for you must be, to do this for you?

But Jesus insists that humiliation will precede glory a third way, in verses 11 through 13. Jesus gives them a clarification about the Christ’s coming, by explaining Old Testament prophesies. You’ll notice, in verse 11, Jesus’s disciples ask, “Why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?” In other words, why do the Jewish scholars of the Old Testament say that Elijah must come before Christ comes? The simple answer is because the Old Testament says so. In Malachi Chapter 4, verse 5, the Lord says, “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes.”

And yet this text was often misunderstood by the Jews. Because it was largely assumed that this verse was talking about the same, historical prophet Elijah from 1^st and 2^nd Kings, in the Old Testament. But Jesus gives us insight, Malachi was actually saying that a prophet like Elijah would come before the Christ – (a prophet with the same Spirit as Elijah). Mark doesn’t directly identify who the prophet is, but if you compare our text with Matthew 17(:13), it’s clear that the Elijah-prophet predicted by Malachi was John the Baptist, who was Jesus’s forerunner.

So in verse 12, Jesus responds to his disciples question. And he affirms, that when the scribes say, “Elijah will come and restore all things” – they’re right! This prophet, like Elijah, will come to restore the hearts of God’s people back to their God, as seen in Malachi 4:6. And yet – Jesus was aware – many Jews assumed from this Old Testament prophecy that when the Elijah-prophet came, his restorative work would find widespread acceptance among the Jews, and the earthly future of God’s people would be nothing but prosperity and positivity. Because for this one prophecy, in isolation, that seemed to be the tone.

But Jesus pushes back on that wrong interpretation by asking his disciples a question. You’ll see that in the second half of verse 12. He asks, “And how is it written of the Son of Man that he should suffer many things and be treated with contempt?” In other words, Jesus raises the point that the Old Testament predicts that the Christ will suffer. And he forces his disciples to wrestle with question – if Scripture foretells that the Christ will suffer, shouldn’t we expect his forerunner to suffer, too?

Yes, Jesus says. In fact, in verse 13, he explains that Elijah has already come. And he has already suffered. The Elijah-like prophet, John the Baptist, came to spiritually restore the nation. But he was largely rejected by the Jews, because they were looking for someone wildly influential and culture-changing. And “they did to him whatever they pleased” – which is to say, they killed him.

And Jesus is pressing his disciples, and he’s pressing us, to make sure we understand – humiliation is a real part of the Christian life. This is part of the cross-bearing that he calls his followers to, as we saw last week. If this is how they treated the forerunner, Elijah – if this is how they treated the Christ himself – then even when we read encouraging prophecies of the Church’s growth in the Old and New Testaments – we need to recognize that followers of Jesus will still face hardship and humiliation, until the day of Christ comes, when at last he ushers in our Glory. Humiliation first. Jesus insists that that’s the case. But after that, Glory – true glory.

And that’s what Jesus wants us to see at the transfiguration. In the midst of our earthly journey – in the middle of our stressful weeks with whining kids and aching joints and discouraged souls – he wants us to climb the mountain with him. He wants to get our attention with the fact that he is not just a nice man. Jesus is not just a teacher. He is not just a moral example. Jesus is the God of glory, come down in humble human flesh, to save you. And just as surely as he now shines forever in his rightful place, in the throneroom of heaven – he’s shining upon you, fellow Christian. He’s strengthening you, safeguarding you – until you make it to glory, too. There may be humiliation. There may be affliction. It might feel really hard. But as you gaze upon the face of the LORD, you are being changed. His glory is already at work. And he will bring you into it. So be encouraged. Let’s pray:

Fellowship Reformed Church is a Bible-believing Presbyterian Church in Mt Pleasant, MI.