As we near the halfway point in our year focusing in on Mark’s gospel, we come to an event that leaves a significant impression on Jesus’ inner circle of disciples. I suspect that Peter, James, and John would remember this trip up the mountain with Jesus for the rest of their lives. It was on this short trip away from the rest of the disciples that Jesus showed them something really special.
Let’s read this passage and discover what happened. Our passage is found in Mark’s gospel, chapter 9, and we will read from the God’s Word translation. Starting in verse 2, Mark tells us that:
2 After six days Jesus took only Peter, James, and John and led them up a high mountain where they could be alone.
Jesus’ appearance changed in front of them. 3 His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone on earth could bleach them. 4 Then Elijah and Moses appeared to them and were talking with Jesus.
5 Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it’s good that we’re here. Let’s put up three tents—one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” 6 (Peter didn’t know how to respond. He and the others were terrified.)
7 Then a cloud overshadowed them. A voice came out of the cloud and said, “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!”
8 Suddenly, as they looked around, they saw no one with them but Jesus.
Pausing reading our passage for a moment, I feel a little sorry for Peter. Mark tells us that Peter spoke because it felt like the right thing to do but also that he really didn’t know how to respond. Reading this detail prompts me to think that Peter talked when he was nervous or scared, while James and John simply stayed quiet.
Reading this event and the reactions of these three disciples also prompts me to wonder what I would have done. Would I have said something, even though I had no idea what to say, or would I have remained speechless?
Knowing a little about myself, I probably would have remained speechless. I might have also paid close attention to what was being said. It is interesting in my mind that the two men who came to visit Jesus were two people who likely had become great friends with Jesus in heaven. Both Moses and Elijah would have spent hundreds of years in heaven with Jesus prior to Jesus’ coming to earth, and I wonder if they had been allowed to come visit one time to help encourage Jesus that He was on the right path.
This trip would have also been special for Moses, since this might have easily been the first time he set foot in the Promised Land. When we look at the Old Testament, Moses passed the leadership over to Joshua prior to his death and Moses did not get to enter the Promised Land. Instead, he only got to look at it from a distance. On this trip to visit Jesus, Moses would have been able to finally set foot in the land that God had promised Israel over a thousand years earlier.
It is also interesting that Elijah came to visit, and I wonder if Elijah’s presence is what prompted the disciples’ question we see on the trip down the mountain. Continuing in verse 9, Mark tells us:
9 On their way down the mountain, Jesus ordered them not to tell anyone what they had seen. They were to wait until the Son of Man had come back to life. 10 They kept in mind what he said but argued among themselves what he meant by “come back to life.” 11 So they asked him, “Don’t the experts in Moses’ Teachings say that Elijah must come first?”
12 Jesus said to them, “Elijah is coming first and will put everything in order again. But in what sense was it written that the Son of Man must suffer a lot and be treated shamefully? 13 Indeed, I can guarantee that Elijah has come. Yet, people treated him as they pleased, as Scripture says about him.”
On this trip down the mountain, two things stood out to me in how Mark described this event. The first of these things is how Jesus tells these disciples to keep what they had seen a secret until after He had come back to life. It would seem that the three closest disciples didn’t fully grasp this simple message because Mark describes them arguing among themselves about what He meant by the phrase “come back to life”.
Remember that Mark describes this event happening after Peter had declared to Jesus and all the disciples his belief that Jesus was God’s Messiah, and also after Peter had openly challenged Jesus about the Messiah’s upcoming death. From this passage and some of the earlier passages we have focused in on, it seems like Peter was more set in his understanding the Messiah from the traditional, cultural view, and that he had a harder time breaking free from the preconceived ideas he had already formed in his mind about the role the Messiah would take. I wonder if some of this arguing was between Peter wondering if Jesus was being symbolic about His death, while James and/or John were seeing Jesus speaking more literally.
The other thing in this trip down the mountain that stood out in my mind is Jesus’ response to the disciples’ question about Elijah. First, Jesus restates the prophecy about Elijah’s coming, but before moving to tell them that Elijah already came, which other gospel writers who include this event allude to referring to John the Baptist, Mark includes a statement about Jesus suffering and being treated shamefully.
From the details in this passage, I suspect Jesus really wanted these closest disciples to ask for more details about His upcoming crucifixion. It would appear that since we don’t have a record of it here, and because the disciples, Peter especially, are shocked and scared when Jesus is arrested and ultimately crucified, that these three disciples missed the perfect opportunity to ask Jesus about what would happen the weekend of His death.
Jesus gives these disciples more openings than they could count to ask Him about what they saw and specifically about Jesus’ repeated warnings about His death and future resurrection. This is likely the same with us. Too often we are scared, timid, or overly cautious when sharing Jesus. While sometimes our fear is warranted, other times our fear is simply false evidence that our minds trick us into believing is very significant and very real.
Nowhere does Jesus promise His people an easy life free of problems here on this earth. Instead, Jesus tells us that we might add to our problems when we choose Him, but that choosing Him is the only way to survive past the problems of this life and past the sin in this world!
Jesus subtly reminds these disciples that He would suffer a lot and be treated shamefully, which are both subtle hints foreshadowing Jesus’ path to the cross, and as followers of Jesus, we shouldn’t be surprised if we are treated like Jesus was treated. However, when we side with Jesus, we get to experience Jesus’ resurrection, and accept the promise and gift of a new life with Him!
As we come to the end of this podcast episode, here are the challenges I will leave you with:
As I always challenge you to do, intentionally seek God first in your life and choose to side with Jesus regardless of what the world and culture thinks. Choose to push past your fear and ask the questions that need to be asked, listen when it is time to listen, and stand up for God when the world challenges your faith!
Also, build your faith on the truth about Jesus. Pray and study the Bible for yourself to learn and grow personally closer to God each and every day, and never let your faith or spirituality be dependent on someone else.
And as I end every set of challenges by saying in one way or another, never stop short of, back away from, chicken out of, or walk away from where God wants to lead you to in your life with Him!