Mark 9:2-13
2 And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves.
And he was transfigured before them, 3 and his clothes became radiant, intensely white, as no one on earth could bleach them.
4 And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus.
5 And Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good that we are here.
Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.” 6 For he did not know what to say, for they were terrified.
7 And a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, “This is my beloved Son; listen to him.”
8 And suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone with them but Jesus only.
9 And as they were coming down the mountain,
Mount Tabor Israel
He charged them to tell no one what they had seen, until the Son of Man had risen from the dead.
10 So they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what this rising from the dead might mean.
11 And they asked Him, “Why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?”
12 And He said to them, “Elijah does come first to restore all things. And how is it written of the Son of Man that he should suffer many things and be treated with contempt? 13 But I tell you that Elijah has come, and they did to him whatever they pleased, as it is written of him.”
When we picture the Transfiguration of Jesus, we probably remember hearing this all of our lives. And for numerous people, they have to glaze over. How can we relate to the Glory of God made Manifest?
And we have some idea of what we picture as the Transfiguration, which seems pretty far out.
I'd, probably, disagree with the photos above. Jesus took care to show His Body ate fish and breakfast and was solid. Most likely, Moses and Elijah were solid, or more accurately phrased, 'present in the body.'
Who has trouble with the Glory of God? Moses' wife. Zechariah, Joseph, Mary, Mary's parents, Jesus' Brothers goading Him. The crowd, the Pharisees. Herod. Pontius Pilate. Everyone. Disciples.
Except, Peter's portion in the New Testament has quite a lot of insight into Moses and Genesis!
And when we feel overwhelmed, we tend to turn the channel and think of other things. Instead, remember Jesus fixing breakfast on the Shore of the Sea of Galilee. Come back, Jesus invites.
God doesn't generally put on a show. Instead, God moves with Love, Encouragement, Deliberation in Fulfilling His Word. Grace upon Grace. And when we know God is orderly instead of chaotic, we know the Transfiguration had a plan.
Two Separate Artists depicting the same event.
Peter was about to be able to give ideas and motivation to the entire Purpose of Christ Jesus. To the millenniums of God's Children. If Peter had seen the Transfiguration, already, Peter was going to be more ... let's be polite and say, Prepared.
God gives gifts to men. And this time Preparedness was one of the gifts, in probability.
When Jesus healed the widow of Nain's son, this was uncharacteristic of Jesus. Usually, Jesus was giving healing, very deliberately, in relationship. One to one. Our prayer lives are deliberately one on One daily. The widow of Nain's son was healed very publicly. Jesus was explaining, "To all of Israel" about Resurrection.
Jesus knew Herod believed Jesus was reincarnated from John the Baptist. How? Om in what type of years?!? Herod didn't think about God a lot, evidently. Once Herod invited Jesus to visit and Jesus fobbed this off by calling Herod a fox. When Herod is this dissuaded, one would think Herod wasn't really terribly interested.
Jesus was not raising ghosts in Moses and Elijah. Jesus explains clearly, "God is God of the Living." Jesus was preparing the Body of Christ to see the Physical Presence of the Body of Jesus Christ, Living and Triumphant.
Still feeling glazed? Jesus also said the work of all mankind is to believe the One He has Sent.
And why was Ascension necessary? Jesus is in relationship with His Disciples. And All of Israel knows about Jesus and the Resurrection. Jesus wanted His Children to understand where Jesus is - Today. John brought us more Word of God about Living Triumphant Jesus as the walls dropped about 60 years after Jesus was Grace upon Grace in His Ministry. Suddenly, John was in the Presence of Jesus in His Kingdom. This is Transfiguration as well.
What would make a good pairing with this passage of Mark's Gospel? Matthew 22 verses answer this nicely.
Mark 22:29, 32
Know the Scriptures and the power of God.
32"‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’?
He is not God of the dead, but of the living.”
Abba, Father
We are all traveling in the footsteps
Of those that'd come before
And we'll all be reunited
On that new and sunlit shore
When the Saints go marching in
When the Saints go marching in
Lord, how I want to be in that number
When the Saints go marching in
And when the sun refuses to shine
When the sun refuses to shine
Lord, how I want to be in that number
When the Saints go marching in
Oh, when the Saints go marching in
Oh, when the Saints go marching in
Oh, how I want to be there on that morning
When the Saints go marching in
When the trumpet sounds its call
When the trumpet sounds its call
Oh, how I want be in that number
When the trumpet sounds its call
Oh, when the Saints go marching in
When the Saints go marching in
Lord, how I want to be in that number
Oh, when the Saints go marching in
Now some say, some say this world of trouble
Is the only world we'll ever see
But I'm waiting for that morning
When the new world is revealed
Oh, when the new world is revealed
Oh, when the new world is revealed
Lord, how I want to be there on that morning
When the new world is revealed
Oh, when the Saints (oh, when the Saints)
Go marching in (marching in)
When the Saints go marching in
Lord, I want be in that number
When the Saints go marching in
Lord, how I want
(Lord, how I want)
To be in that number (to be in that number)
When the Saints go marching in!
Amen in Jesus Christ dwelling in us,
Jesus dwelling in those we love,
Seeking Jesus first,
Ending well in Jesus Christ.
Amen to His Glory. Jesus Christ. Amen.
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