The Glory of Jesus

The Glory of Jesus

Mark 9:1-13

Main Idea: Jesus is the source of glory and the pinnacle of God’s revelation, who will share his glory with us.

I. The Source of Glory (9:1-8)

There are unmistakable parallels between this account and Mt. Sinai in the book of Exodus. 

  • The timestamp of “6 days” (Ex. 24:16)

  • Traveling up a “high mountain” (Ex. 24:1)

  • Moses’ face “shining” after encountering God’s glory (Ex. 34:29)

  • The cloud of God’s presence and the voice of the Lord (Ex. 24:16)

Jesus was “transfigured” (to be ‘changed’ or ‘transformed’) before Peter, James, and John. The disciples are not seeing Jesus transform into something he wasn’t before, but rather seeing him as he truly is and how all will one day see him: glorious and “intensely white” (cf. Col. 2:9, John 1:14)

“Is this Mount Sinai all over again? No, because there is a head-snapping twist. Moses had reflected the glory of God. But Jesus produces the glory of God; it emanates from him. Jesus does not point to the glory of God as Elijah, Moses, and every other prophet has done; Jesus is the glory of God in human form.”
~ Tim Keller, Jesus the King

Hebrews 1:3: He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high

Moses and Elijah’s presence represent the Law and the Prophets in the Old Testament. They also had previous “mountain top” experiences on Sinai, and anticipated the coming of the Messiah (cf. Deut. 18:15, Mal. 4:4-6). Peter and the disciples' confusion is understandable, as an encounter like this would have been deadly in the Old Testament.

God’s presence then descends in a cloud, and the voice makes clear what Peter should have known: “This is my beloved Son; listen to him” (cf. 1:11) Then suddenly, everything else fades away “but Jesus only.” This is the point of the transfiguration: Jesus is not on the same level as Moses and Elijah. He is in a glorious class of his own, and therefore, we must listen to him. 

II. The Surprise of Glory (9:9-13)

Coming down the mountain, Jesus commands his disciples one final time in Mark to remain “silent” about what they have seen. This time, however, he adds an “expiration” to his command: “until the Son of Man has risen from the dead.” The resurrection is the key to everything, and until it has occurred, the disciples' vision will be blurred and partial. 

The disciples reveal again their misunderstanding surrounding the suffering of Christ (cf. 8:31-33). The disciples assume the presence of Elijah means the “day of the Lord” must be imminent (Mal. 4:4-5). But they see no way that Jesus’ suffering is compatible with this vision. Jesus affirms that Elijah has indeed come in the ministry of John the Baptist, but he suffered and died, just as Jesus will.

Hebrews 2:9: But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. 

“The Transfiguration serves to confirm that the suffering Jesus will endure is not incompatible with his glory. The scene functions like a hologram. For a brief moment, the disciples glimpse the truth as divine glory shines through the veil of suffering. It foreshadows the time when God will gloriously enthrone Jesus after the degradation on the cross. This white flash of the splendor to come brightens the dark cloud of tribulation that presently hangs over Mark’s first readers and confirms Jesus’ promise that those who follow and suffer for him will not have done so in vain.”
~ David Garland 

III. Our Future Glory

The word for ‘transfigured’ is only used two other times in the New Testament outside of this account:

  • Romans 12:2: Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

  • 2 Corinthians 3:18a: 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. 

We are right now being transformed into the glory of Jesus, though we do not always outwardly see it. And though our outer selves will “waste away” in this life (2 Cor. 4:16), we will one day be transformed into the same glory as Jesus, as we follow in his resurrection. Our future is truly “glorious” in Christ.

1 Corinthians 15:42–43, 49: “What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power… Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven.”

“The New Testament writers speak as if Christ’s achievement in rising from the dead was the first event of its kind in the whole history of the universe. He is the ‘first fruits,’ the pioneer of life,’ He has forced open a door that has been locked since the death of the first man. He has met, fought, and beaten the King of Death. Everything is different because He has done so. This is the beginning of the New Creation: a new chapter in cosmic history has opened.”
~ C.S. Lewis