The Transfiguration (Mark 9:1-13)

 

The Transfiguration (Mark 9:1-13)

What is glory? It is to be honorable, radiant, and brilliant. However, the glory of this world is different from the glory of heaven. Worldly glory is fleeting and empty. We desire recognition, praise, and acclaim, but these are only momentary and do not quench our thirst. In contrast, heavenly glory is eternal and unchanging. God always dwells in glory, honor, majesty, and power; He has called us into His glory and blessed us.

In Mark 9:1-13, Jesus was suddenly transfigured before three of His disciples. In an instant, He took on His original form as God. He appeared in a radiance of glory, completely different from the everyday appearance the disciples were used to. We reside in the kingdom of heaven since redeemed by the blood of Christ, dwelling and reigning together with this very Lord of glory, Jesus Christ.

Seeing the Kingdom of God Coming with Power

1 And he said to them, “Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see that the kingdom of God has come with its power.” 2 After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them. 3 His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. 4 And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus. (Mark 9:1-4)

No one has seen the Kingdom of God fully; the Lord’s kingdom is invisible. However, some have seen it partially. Moses saw the pattern of the heavenly sanctuary on Mount Sinai (Exodus 25:40; Hebrews 8:5). Moses asked God to show him His glory (Exodus 33:18). At that time, God did not show Moses His face (because he would have died), but placed him in a cleft in the rock and covered him with His hand until He had passed by, allowing him to see His back (Exodus 33:20-23).

The prophet Elijah fled to Mount Horeb to escape Jezebel’s threat after the battle at Mount Carmel (1 Kings 19:1-8). There, God appeared to him and spoke in a gentle whisper (1 Kings 19:12). The Lord God was not in the powerful wind that shattered the rocks, nor in the earthquake, nor in the fire. Prophets like Isaiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel, as well as John, saw the glory of God and became like dead men (Isaiah 6:5; Ezekiel 1:28; Daniel 10:8-9; Revelation 1:17).

Peter, James, and John saw the Kingdom of God coming with power. On the high mountain, Jesus was transfigured into His original form as the glorious Creator God. At that moment, Elijah and Moses talked with Him. Jesus, who came to this earth in the flesh, is the Creator who originally dwells in the glory, power, and majesty by which He created the heavens and the earth through His word.

Moses died on Mount Nebo at the age of 120 (Deuteronomy 34:5). Chariots and horses of fire separated Elijah from Elisha, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind without seeing death (2 Kings 2:11). These two men represent the Law and the Prophets. The Law and the Prophets prophesied that the suffering Christ would come.

Since Jesus is without sin, He had no reason to die on a cross. Jesus, transfigured as the essence of glory on the high mountain, proves this fact. Jesus could have entered His original glory at any time without going through the cross, but He chose not to. Jesus returned to God the Father through the cross of suffering.

The Kingdom of God – Eternal Home for Believers

The Kingdom of God refers to the realm where God reigns. It is not a specific geographical location in the universe. The Kingdom of God includes everything—the visible universe and all invisible realms like power and authority. In fact, since there is no realm that God does not rule, we are living in the Kingdom of Heaven.

However, the invisible is more significant than the visible. This includes the principalities and powers of Satan, who holds the power of the air. The gravity, electromagnetism, and nuclear forces that govern the universe are also invisible. Within the vast universe that operates in such an orderly fashion, the glory and power of the God who created the heavens and the earth are clearly and undeniably revealed (Romans 1:19).

The Kingdom of God is described as a sea of glass (Revelation 4:6, 15:2). There is not the slightest shaking or agitation. There is no surprise or pretension; it exists within the glory and power of the Holy God. While the surface of the sea may be rough and tossing, the deep sea is not agitated at all. The Kingdom of Heaven is like this.

Jesus, who was suddenly transfigured on the high mountain, is always the same. He is full of glory, honor, power, authority, and majesty. Jesus is always holy. He is filled with a perfection that does not deviate in the slightest. While on this earth, Jesus demonstrated that holiness and perfection. In any situation, under any accusation, or during any questioning, He always remained in control. Jesus said to Pilate:

10 “Do you refuse to speak to me?” Pilate said. “Don’t you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?” 11 Jesus answered, “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin.” (John 19:10-11)

Example: Chosen in Christ Before the Creation of the World

How does God accomplish our salvation? He knew all things before the ages—even before He created the world. Before the creation of the world, God chose us in Christ to be holy and blameless in His sight in love (Eph 1:4; Isa 49:1; Jer 1:5; Gal 1:15). This grace consists of every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms given to us in Christ. Through Christ's sacrifice, this grace was bestowed according to the purpose God intended before the ages (Eph 1:7).

God’s plan of redemption was not established after Adam’s fall. God already knew and predestined the sacrifice of Christ before the beginning of time (Rev 5:6, 13:8; 1 Pet 1:19-20). Therefore, there is no other name by which we must be saved except the name of the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 4:12). For this reason, the Lord was pleased to strike His only begotten Son:

"Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life an offering for sin, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand" (Isa 53:10).

The Disciples Were Terrified

5 Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” 6 (He did not know what to say, they were so frightened.) 7 Then a cloud appeared and covered them, and a voice came from the cloud: “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!” 8 Suddenly, when they looked around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus (Mark 9:5-8).

Peter and the disciples watched this scene with fear and trembling. In the presence of the glory and power of God, they did not know what to say. When the God of glory descended on Mount Sinai, Moses and the people likewise trembled with fear (Heb 12:21). God dwells in honor, glory, and majesty; He is never to be mocked (Gal 6:7-8).

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise" (Ps 111:10).

At that moment, a cloud came and covered the disciples. The cloud symbolizes the presence of the Lord. During the wilderness journey, this cloud stayed above the Tabernacle (Num 9:22; Ex 40:36-37). When the cloud remained over the Tabernacle, the people stayed; when it moved, they followed (Num 9:17). The Lord God Himself guided and protected the path of His people.

Then, a voice came from the cloud saying, "This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!" This was clearly a command to believe that the Lord Jesus Christ must die and rise again. The fact that the Heavenly Father spoke directly to the disciples highlights how vital it is to accept the "Suffering Christ."

Since Jesus was without sin, He could have ascended to heavenly glory without ever enduring the cross. However, if He had, there would be no salvation for those under sin. No one except Jesus Christ can take the place of another’s sin. Only the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, has the power to redeem those fallen under sin.

13 When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, 14 having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. 15 And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross (Col 2:13-15).

Tell No One What You Have Seen

9 As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus gave them orders not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. 10 They kept the matter to themselves, discussing what “rising from the dead” meant. 11 And they asked him, “Why do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?” 12 Jesus replied, “To be sure, Elijah does come first, and restores all things. Why then is it written that the Son of Man must suffer much and be rejected? 13 But I tell you, Elijah has come, and they have done to him everything they wished, just as it is written about him” (Mark 9:9-13).

Jesus warned them not to tell anyone until He had risen again. This is in the same context as when He healed a blind man and told him not to go into the village. It was because the disciples did not yet have complete knowledge regarding the Suffering Christ. Just as Peter suggested building three shelters because he didn't know what to say, they still lacked full understanding of Jesus Christ—specifically regarding His suffering and resurrection.

The prophet Malachi had prophesied long ago that Elijah must come first (Mal 4:5). Jesus explained that while Elijah comes first to restore all things, he had already come and was treated poorly, just as written. This refers to John the Baptist, the forerunner of Christ.

When Zechariah entered the temple to burn incense, an angel appeared and told him his wife Elizabeth would bear a son named John (Luke 1:13). The angel said he would go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord (Luke 1:17).

The prophet Elijah stood alone against the king and people of Israel who had fallen into the sin of idolatry, manifesting the power and glory of the Lord God (1 Kings 18:38). John the Baptist, with that same zeal, preached a message of repentance to a thirsty people and baptized them in the Jordan River for the forgiveness of sins (Mark 1:4-5).

At the same time, Jesus told them to take note of what was written about the Son of Man: that He must suffer much and be rejected. To teach this Gospel truth, Jesus was transfigured before the three disciples, and God the Father spoke directly from heaven, commanding: "Listen to Him."

Amen!

May 17, 2026

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Scripture quotes are from the NIV.