1. The Majesty of Christ on the Holy Mount: The Transfiguration
Mark 9:1-11; Luke 9:23-24

2. The Big Idea
Mark records this incident to authenticate the Person of Jesus Christ, as the Son of God, sent and approved by God the Father—the God of the Jews.

3. Context
Mark 8:48
Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.

4. Mark 9:1a
And he said unto them, Verily
What does this mean?

5. Mark 9:1
And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That there be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power.

6. Question
What did Jesus mean when He said some would not die till they saw the “kingdom of God come with power?”

7. Peter Answers This for Us

8. For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty.
For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount.

9. Mark 9:2a
And after six days Jesus taketh with him Peter, and James, and John, and leadeth them up into an high mountain apart by themselves:
Only 3 out of 12

10. Why Peter, James, and John?
Only 3 out of 12 Isn’t Fair
Why Peter, James, and John?

11. Mark 9:2b and he was transfigured before them. Latin: metamorphosis
Greek: metamorphoo

12. 2 Corinthians 3:18
But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed [metamorphoo] into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

13. Compare to Revelation 21:22-23
Mark 9:3
And his raiment became shining,
And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.
Compare to Revelation 21:22-23

14. And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.
And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.

15. Mark 9:3 And his raiment became shining, exceeding white as snow;
so as no fuller [launderer] on earth can white them.
Representing Purity

16. The Apostle John
Does NOT include a narrative of the transfiguration on the Holy Mount in his gospel—Instead,

17. John 1:14
John Writes:
And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

18. True followers of Christ get signs and more signs—but NOT equally.
Earlier Jesus Said
Mark 8:12
verily I say unto you, There shall no sign be given unto this generation.
True followers of Christ get signs and more signs—but NOT equally.

19. Hebrews 11:6
But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

20. There IS an afterlife! Mark 9:4
And there appeared unto them Elias [Elijah] with Moses:
There IS an afterlife!

21. The Sadducees are Wrong!
There is an Afterlife.

22. Mark 12:18
Then come unto him the Sadducees, which say there is no resurrection; and they asked him, saying,

23. Jesus Responds In
Mark 12:25-27

24. For when they shall rise from the dead, they neither marry, nor are given in marriage; but are as the angels which are in heaven. And as touching the dead, that they rise: have ye not read in the book of Moses, how in the bush God spake unto him, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living: ye therefore do greatly err.

25. Who else could God have sent with this level of impact?
Moses and Elijah
Who else could God have sent with this level of impact?

26. But they don’t clearly represent something!
Abraham & David
But they don’t clearly represent something!

27. Representations
Elijah
Prophets (Major and Minor)
Moses
Law (Torah)

28. Turn to Luke 16
v. 16 & v. 29

29. “the law and the prophets” (6x) in NT
Luke 16:16
The law and the prophets were until John [the Baptist]: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it.
“the law and the prophets” (6x) in NT

30. Luke 16:29
Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.

31. Representations Elijah Raptured (He Never Died) Moses
2 Kings 2
Moses
Resurrected (Angels Fought For His Body)
Jude 9

32. Authentication
Moses and Elijah’s mere presence with Jesus authenticate the truth that He is from Yahweh.

33. Luke 24:4 & 27 & 44
v. 4: And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments:
v. 27: Moses and the Prophets
v. 44: Moses and the Prophets

34. Luke 24: 5-7
And as they [the women] were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee, Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.

35. Mark 9:4
And there appeared unto them Elias [Elijah] with Moses: and they were talking with Jesus.

36. What were they talking about?
Question
What were they talking about?

37. Luke 9:31-32
Who appeared in glory, and spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem. But Peter and they that were with him were heavy with sleep: and when they were awake, they saw his glory, and the two men that stood with him.

38. Mark 9:5
And Peter answered and said to Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias [Elijah].

39. Peter is Struggling
His desire to stay on the mountain reveals he did not understand that the Lamb of God MUST die.

40. Legitimate Issue
If Peter truly saw what is described in Mark 9, what accounts for his denial of the Lord with cursing?

41. Feast of the Tabernacles
Peter is confused and is struggling with Phase 1 and 2 of Messiah’s Coming

42. The FEAR of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom.
Mark 9:6
For he wist [knew] not what to say; for they were sore afraid.
The FEAR of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom.

43. This is my beloved Son: hear [hearken to] him.
Mark 9:7
And there was a cloud that overshadowed them: and a voice came out of the cloud, saying,
This is my beloved Son: hear [hearken to] him.

44. Question
If Jesus is the NT manifestation of God (modalism) and NOT the 2d Person of the Trinity—how is it that the voice from Heaven speaks to Him?

45. Oneness Pentecostalism
Denies that the Father is distinct from the eternal Son in the Godhead who is distinct from Holy Spirit

46. Mark 9:8
And suddenly, when they had looked round about, they saw no man any more, save Jesus only with themselves.

47. Mark 9:9
And as they came down from the mountain, he charged them that they should tell no man what things they had seen, till the Son of man were risen from the dead.

48. Why does Jesus command people NOT to say anything?
Question
Why does Jesus command people NOT to say anything?

49. To the disciples Jesus says
Timing
To the disciples Jesus says
John 7:8
Go ye up unto this feast: I go not up yet unto this feast; [WHY]
for my time is not yet full come.

50. Mark 9:10
And they kept that saying with themselves, questioning one with another what the rising from the dead should mean.

51. Question
Why are the disciples so struggling with the Messiah rising from the dead?

52. You Don’t Win Wars If Your Leaders Die.
Answer
You Don’t Win Wars If Your Leaders Die.

53. After the Resurrection
Their Eyes Were Opened to all that they had Heard and Seen from Jesus in the Law and the Prophets. Have your eyes been opened and your sins forgiven?