And he said to them, “Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God after it has come with power.”

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, and his clothes became radiant, intensely white, as no one on earth could bleach them.And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus. 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.” For he did not know what to say, for they were terrified. And a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, “This is my beloved Son; listen to him.” And suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone with them but Jesus only.—Mark 9:1–8 

Introduction

The biblical text before us today has been used as a weapon against the Bible.

And he said to them, “Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God after it has come with power.”—Mark 9:1

The argument goes like this:

1. This verse clearly shows that Jesus predicted that the Second Coming would happen during the lifetime of some of the disciples.
2. Obviously, this did not happen. Therefore, you cannot trust the words of Jesus or the Bible.

So what should we do? Close the Book and go home? No, no, a thousand times “no.” In fact, I am going to show you that the whole point of this passage is the polar opposite: The whole point of the transfiguration is that you can trust the words of Jesus. That is the main point: The Transfiguration teaches that we can trust what Jesus says. 

Outline:

So let’s begin. Why can you trust the words of Jesus? This text has three movements that build to a climax. 

1. The Gift of Sight (vv. 1–4)
2. The Problem of Blindness (vv. 5–6)
3. The Lesson of Listening (vv. 7–8)

We will walk through each point and then see the main point of the passage in the climax of the story.

1) The Gift of Sight (vv. 1–3)

Verse 1 came to pass in verses 2–3. It is the same principle again: If you have a question about a verse, often the best way to answer it is to read what comes next 

The phrase “some standing here” of verse 1 is immediately fulfilled by “Peter, James, and John” of verse 2. Jesus says “some” because all the disciples did not go up the mountain with him, just three of them (some of them). What would they see in the transfiguration? “The kingdom of God after it has come in power” (v. 1). Verses 1–3 show us the gift of sight: the Transfiguration is seeing “the kingdom come in power.”

Is there any way to nail down this argument a little tighter beyond just the Gospel of Mark? Is there anywhere else that Peter talks about the transfiguration? Yes. Listen to 2 Peter 1:16. 

For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 

Remember that most scholars believe that the Gospel of Mark consists of John Mark compiling the words of Peter so that the Gospel of Mark has apostolic authority through Peter’s words. Here we have another place where Peter uses these two important terms together: “power and coming” (2 Peter 1:16); cf. “come in power” (Mark 9:1).

So here is the question: When did they see the power and coming of Jesus—when were they “eyewitnesses of his majesty” (v. 16)? Even if you don’t know the answer, you probably know how to find the answer … “keep reading!”

For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,” we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain.—2 Peter 1:17–18

The Transfiguration was the moment when Peter, James, and John got to see the kingdom of God come in power—the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Divine power and glory were on display in a clearly supernatural way because his clothes were radiantly white as no one on earth could bleach them (Mark 9:2–3). More on this later.

The backstory of the Exodus is really important for the Transfiguration. You will remember that Moses went up a high mountain and God’s glory came down in the cloud, and Moses heard God’s voice. All of these details are here: (1) the high mountain, (2) God’s glory in the cloud, (3) God speaking from the cloud, (4) even Moses himself will make an appearance. But the parallels are so clear that even the reference to the number six appears to be intentional:

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, and his clothes became radiant, intensely white, as no one on earth could bleach them.—Mark 9:2–3 

Mark is rarely so specific with precise chronology data. He emphasizes “after three days” for the Resurrection, but no where else does he tell us the number of days for other events. But the Exodus mountain story provides the answer: Moses was on the mountain for six days before he heard God’s voice call out from the cloud.

Then Moses went up on the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain. The glory of the Lord dwelt on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days. And on the seventh day he called to Moses out of the midst of the cloud.—Exodus 24:15–16

But now we come to a stunning difference. They are on a different mountain—not Mt. Sinai. Why? This is not Mt. Sinai all over again. Here is the key difference. God’s glory was there on both mountains in different ways. At Sinai, Moses saw the glory of God and even reflected the glory of God (so much so that his face shone with that glory). God was the source of the glory and Moses reflected it like the moon reflects the glory of the sun. 

Jesus is not some “moon” like Moses—reflecting the glory—he is the Sun itself—the source of the glory. The Transfiguration shows that he is God. He produces the glory—it emanates from him. Jesus “is the radiance of the glory of God” (Hebrews 1:3). At Mt. Sinai, God came down, and Moses saw his glory. At the Mount of Transfiguration, Moses, Elijah, Peter, James, and John saw the divine glory of Jesus.

People give many explanations for the presence of Moses and Elijah. There are some natural connections. Both Moses and Elijah had similar experiences on Mt. Sinai seeing the glory of God. There could also be a representative dimension— a reference to the way that Moses and Elijah testify to the coming of the Messiah in Scripture. In fact, Scripture has Moses and Elijah appearing together in one other passage:

“Remember the law of my servant Moses, the statutes and rules that I commanded him at Horeb for all Israel.

“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes.”—Malachi 4:4–5

The coming of Elijah will show up again in the discussion of Jesus and the disciples on the way down the mountain in the very next passage (Mark 9:11–13).

Some say that Moses represents the Law and Elijah represents the Prophets (the Law and the Prophets testify to the coming of Jesus). Moses certainly testified that a prophet like himself would come:

“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—just as you desired of the Lord your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly, when you said, ‘Let me not hear again the voice of the Lord my God or see this great fire any more, lest I die.’”—Deuteronomy 18:15–16

This is exactly what God the Father says in Mark 9:7, “Listen to him.”

The coming of God’s presence may alert you to another Exodus theme: the theme of the tabernacle. The disciples continue to show evidence of blindness.

2) The Problem of Blindness (vv. 5–6)

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.” For he did not know what to say, for they were terrified.

Peter is the first to speak again. He is the spokesperson for the disciples in Mark and invariably he puts the blindness of the disciples on display. He proposes that they build three tabernacles, or dwelling places. What are we to make of this proposal?

Mark already tips his hand that this was not a good thing to say in verse 6. He said this: “… for he did not know what to say” (v. 6). One could almost say that Peter blurted out a half-baked idea. He just didn’t get it. He put his blindness and fear on display. What was he missing? God the Father is now going to speak up for his Son and we will see clearly what Peter failed to see. 

3) The Lesson of Listening (vv. 7–8)

And a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, “This is my beloved Son; listen to him.” And suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone with them but Jesus only. 

The cloud now overshadows them. This is not just a response; this is a rebuke to Peter’s foolish request. The glory cloud cuts them off and now God the Father speaks out of the cloud. The Gospel of Matthew makes the point about the rebuke all the more pointed:

He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were terrified.—Matthew 17:5–6

Peter was still speaking and God the Father cut him off and shut him down. How do you imagine the scene immediately after this voice thunderously speaks? The disciples did not think it was cool or an adrenaline rush. They didn’t want to take a selfie with Jesus with the cloud in the background. They fell on their faces and were terrified (Matthew 17:6). 

This is the second time that God the Father has spoken audibly in the Gospel of Mark. Let’s compare the two.

Mark 1:11
And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”

Mark 9:5
And a voice came out of the cloud, “This is my beloved Son; listen to him.”

Let us note two big differences: (1) who is being addressed, and (2) what the message is.

First, God the Father speaks directly to the Son at the baptism: You are my beloved Son. At the Transfiguration, the Father speaks to the disciples about the Son: This is my beloved Son. 

Second, the message at Jesus’ baptism was a statement of identity (indicative—what is). The message at the Transfiguration is a statement of identity (indicative—fact) plus a command (imperative or implication). Because this is my Son, listen to him!

Main Point: The Transfiguration teaches that we can trust what Jesus says.

The Father makes the point as clear as possible: Because of who Jesus is, listen to what he says. How is this a response to what Peter foolishly and blindly blurted out?

Peter’s proposal would lump together Jesus with Moses and Elijah, as if each one needs a tent or tabernacle. Do not put Jesus in the same category as Moses and Elijah. They reflected the glory of God. Jesus is the glory of God. They spoke from God; Jesus speaks as God.

Furthermore, the time for tabernacles is coming to an end. There is no longer any need for a tabernacle because Jesus is the Tabernacle to end all tabernacles. The word became flesh and tabernacled among us—God pitched his tent among us (John 1:14). At Mt. Sinai, God came down in the cloud and spoke. In the Incarnation, God came down and took on flesh. He walked and talked and acted among us. Listen to him!

The uniqueness of Jesus over Moses and Elijah is further confirmed in the way the story ends: ^“And suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone with them but Jesus only” (Mark 9:8). Jesus only! Moses and Elijah are no longer there. Listen to Jesus! He is preeminent—all Scripture points to him! In the past, God spoke through the prophets in many ways and at many times, but in these last days he has spoken in his Son! (Hebrews 1). 

Remember as well that Peter had just rebuked Jesus when he told his disciples that he was going to die and rise again. Jesus had to rebuke him with teaching. The Transfiguration is another proof of Jesus’ words, and this time the Father rebukes Peter and tells the disciples to listen up. 

But the Transfiguration is more. Jesus’ words can be trusted because of the Transfiguration in another sense. The Transfiguration is like a movie trailer, a sneak peak of what is to come. The Christmas hymns say stunning things like “veiled in flesh, the Godhead see”—the way it is most of the time during Jesus’ days of walking on earth. People would see a human being, and he was most certainly and assuredly truly human. His supernatural nature would come through at certain moments, like walking on the water, stilling the storm, etc. But there was one moment in his earthly life when his divine nature would overshadow and outshine his human nature: the Transfiguration. Why do I say it is a sneak peak of what is to come? The disciples got to see Jesus as he appears in the Resurrection and the Second Coming. 

There are three major pieces of evidence for this point: (1) what comes next, (2) what came before, and (3) how Peter talks about the Transfiguration elsewhere.

1. What Comes Next: The Resurrection (Mark 9:9–10)

What is the first thing Jesus speaks of when they are coming down the Mountain? The Resurrection!

And as they were coming down the mountain, he charged them to tell no one what they had seen, until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. So they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what this rising from the dead might mean.

2. What Came Before: The Second Coming

For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”—Mark 8:38

The disciples just got a sneak peak of that glory—what he will look like when he comes in the glory of his Father. How does the Resurrection relate to the Second Coming? Consider what the angels said to the disciples, after Jesus ascended.

And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”—Mark 9:9–11

3. How Peter Talks About the Transfiguration Elsewhere 

For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,” we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain. And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts—2 Peter 1:16–19

Peter applies the Transfiguration in one primary way elsewhere: We can trust the words of Scripture. Here is the question: How does the Transfiguration more fully confirm that we can trust the Scriptures? That is what verse 19 says: “We have the prophetic word more fully confirmed.” 

First, notice that the whole context is Peter speaking of the reliability of his words to them. He contrasts the difference between eyewitness testimony and “cleverly devised myths” (v. 16). The charge here is that Peter’s teaching is like a fairy tale or a fable, something that has no basis in real life. It does not come from history; it is make-believe that comes from his mind. But Peter easily refutes that sort of skepticism. Peter appeals to the senses. We saw the glory. We heard the voice. We were physically there. This was not second-hand hearsay. The Bible does not read like other books. It presents itself as a sober recognition of God’s space and time intervention into history. Peter sums up the entire experience as being “eyewitnesses of his majesty” (v. 16). They saw his glory.

Second, Peter’s logic is absolutely fascinating. He does not say that the Transfiguration is more certain than the prophetic word; he says that the Transfiguration makes the prophetic word more certain. How does the Transfiguration do that?

I think the answer is that the Transfiguration is a sneak peak of the Second Coming. It is the one time in Jesus’ earthly ministry where his divine nature outshines his humanity—a picture of the power and glory that we will see again when he splits the skies and comes in the glory of his Father. He is coming on that day to be glorified in his saints and to be marveled at among all who have believed (cf. 2 Thessalonians 1:10).

We testify of what we have seen and heard and touched. God really took on flesh. He really came. We saw his glory. We heard his teaching. We saw him calm storms, heal lepers, cast out demons, and we saw him transfigured before us and we heard the very voice of God the Father speak and verify it all: This is my Son. Listen up!

He really died for sins. He really rose and defeated the grave. He really ascended. He is there right now. He has poured out his Spirit to testify of him and glorify Him. He has come to convict the world of these truths.

The world may mock his name and slight his worth and taunt his memory as if were a myth or fairy tale. The world taunts us and scorns our faith. “Where is he?” “Do you really believe all that stuff about his return?”

How radically would all of this change if we were to see him as he really is? One day, the Father will say, “It’s time for your return, Son. And the response will not be mixed, but swift and crystal clear: Every knee will bow, every tongue will confess. Rich and poor, mighty and weak, every ethnicity, every gender, every social strata. All the rulers of this present age will meet the Ruler of every age. Kings will bow and adore and entire nations will kneel down before him. And every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Peter says, we saw what that will look like when he comes. So pay careful attention to the word. Put all your trust in the word—it can hold up all the weight you put on it. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever.

In this sense, the word of God is polar opposite of Snapchat. We don’t use Snapchat, so I had to look it up. Here's the description. 

Snapchat
A Snap is a picture or video you send through the app to one or more of your friends. A video snap can be a maximum of 10 seconds long. Snaps are deleted once they’ve been viewed by all recipients, unless you add them to your Story, in which case they disappear after 24 hours.

Jesus’ Words (Matthew 24:35)

Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

We live in a world where people are always trying to bring Jesus down to the level of every other religious leader. He is like Mohammed. He is like Joseph Smith. This is Peter’s error: Let’s put Jesus alongside Moses and Elijah. God the Father steps in and says: “Stop this patronizing blasphemy right now: This is My Son. Don’t you dare bring him down to that level.”

Listen to Him! Look to Him! You will see him with this same otherworldly glory and it will be evident to all, not just a few.

For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.—Matthew 24:27 

Every suffering sacrifice, every sideways glance, every scornful word, everything you face right now—will you really deny him in order to gain the world’s approval? Why would you trade what is coming for anything here and now? Why would we throw in the towel now? We can keep going because we know how it all will end. Don’t be ashamed of his words.

Conclusion: Trust Christ and His Words in Communion (Mark 14:22–25)

And as they were eating, he took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to them, and said, “Take; this is my body.” And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, and they all drank of it. And he said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. Truly, I say to you, I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.” 

This is our hope. The Mount of Transfiguration is not Mt. Sinai all over again. God’s voice did not give the 10 words of the Mosaic Law. It was about far more than words. The Mount of Transfiguration is a reminder that God gave us himself. All of him! A mouth that speaks the words of God—yes. But also hands that took the nails. A back that was flogged and scourged. A head for the crown of thorns. So he says, “this is my body.” This is my blood of the covenant. An everlasting covenant in blood. His body was broken. His blood was poured out. Why? Senseless tragedy? No—everlasting salvation, life eternal. Jesus made a way so that sin, Satan, and even death could never keep him from spending eternity with his bride.

We proclaim Jesus’ victory today over all the powers standing against us. And we proclaim the good news that he is coming back for us: “For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes” (1 Corinthians 11:26). And when he comes, the Last Supper will give way to the first supper, when at the marriage supper of the Lamb, we will see and we will sing and we will even dance—like nothing this world has ever seen.

Sermon Discussion Questions

Main Point: The Transfiguration teaches that we can trust what Jesus says.

Discussion Questions

• Why do some say that Mark 9:1 proves that you cannot trust the Bible?
• What is the argument for saying that Mark 9:1 is talking about the Transfiguration, not the Second Coming?
• How is what happened on the Mount of Transfiguration both like and unlike what happened on Mount Sinai?
• Why is Peter’s proposal so wrong (Mark 9:5–6)? How does the Father’s response function as a rebuke (Mark 9:7–8)?
• How does the whole passage (Mark 9:1–8) prove that you can trust the Bible (specifically, the words of Jesus)?

Application Questions

• Are there areas in your life where you struggle to trust God’s word? How have you fought those doubts?
• Does the Second Coming of Christ factor into your daily life? Is it “out of sight, out of mind”? How can you live in the light of the Second Coming more?

Prayer Focus
Our prayer can be best captured by the words of the song: “Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus, O for grace to trust him more.”