1 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." 2 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, 3 and his clothes became radiant, intensely white, as no one on earth could bleach them. 4 And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus. 5 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." 6 For he did not know what to say, for they were terrified. 7 And a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, "This is my beloved Son; listen to him." 8 And suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone with them but Jesus only. 9 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. 10 So they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what this rising from the dead might mean. 11 And they asked him, "Why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?" 12 And he said to them, "Elijah does come first to restore all things. And how is it written of the Son of Man that he should suffer many things and be treated with contempt? 13 But I tell you that Elijah has come, and they did to him whatever they pleased, as it is written of him." (Mark 9:1–13)

What are we to do with such a beautiful and awe-inspiring episode? What did it mean for them? What did it mean for Jesus? And what does it mean for us?

1. An Encouraging Preview

Jesus' Promise

First, it was an encouraging preview of things to come. I want you to notice the way our passage begins. Jesus said, "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" (1).

The question is, who were the some standing there who would see the power of the kingdom? And what would the power of the kingdom of God look like? The answer that satisfies me is the one that points to the transfiguration as the fulfillment of Jesus' promise. Mark even connects Jesus' saying with the mountaintop transfiguration by saying "And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves " (2).

Peter's Reflection

This is certainly how Peter thought of the episode many years later:

2 Peter 1:16–18 (ESV) — 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. 17 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," 18 we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain.

What did Peter think he saw on this day? Jesus' majesty. Honor and glory from the Father. The power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. That's right, power.

This Was the Disciples' Need

I submit to you today that seeing Jesus this way was their great need. They were about to enter into years and decades of tumultuous and tireless work for Jesus.

And this event, this glimpse into Jesus' power and glory and majesty, would have been an aid to all these men.

What they witnessed was a weapon. This revelation was for their motivation. Jesus' power propelled these men.

This Is Our Need

We have a similar need today. When we are bombarded with life's tragedies, when we are tired and worn down by its incessant pressures, and when we feel overwhelmed at the prospects of the future, it is a vision of Jesus' glory and power that can help move us along.

Worship

By the way, this glimpse of Jesus, which so encouraged these disciples, was worship. They saw something so glorious and beautiful in Jesus that it drove them to worship. And worship fueled them for their mission.

2. An Important Conference

Jesus Was Also Encouraged

So this meeting on the mountaintop was an encouraging preview, but it was also an important conference. Jesus met there with Moses and Elijah. It had been centuries since both men walked the earth. Supernaturally, however, they met with Jesus on his mountain.

Mark only tells us they were talking with Jesus (4). But Luke tells us they appeared in glory and spoke of his exodus, which he was about to accomplish in Jerusalem (Luke 9:31). Moses led an exodus from Egypt, and died a mysterious death, while Elijah exited the earth in a whirlwind of fire. But Jesus would, after his death and resurrection, exit the earth by ascending back to the Father. And his departure -- preceded by his death -- would enable the greatest exodus when his love and blood rescued sinners.

So they talked to Jesus about his departure. And this was done as a way to encourage Jesus. Remember, Jesus became flesh and dwelt among us. One glimpse into his prayers in Gethsemane the night before the cross shows us how much the cross weighed on his mind. So, on that mountain, Moses and Elijah talked to Jesus about those coming events in Jerusalem. I won't call it a pep talk, but a reinforcement of the determined direction of Jesus' heart. As their words bolstered him, Jesus was strengthened for his journey.

Total Reinforcement of Jesus' Identity

But it wasn't only Jesus' heart that was reinforced that day. His identity and mission were reinforced for his disciples as well.

First, Jesus' identity was reinforced when God responded to Peter's proposal.

But God responded by coming in the cloud. Every one of these characters -- Jesus, Moses, Elijah, Peter, James, and John -- were Israelites. Their ancestors had been led by God's presence in the form of a cloud, had watched the cloud of God's glory descend upon the temple, and had seen God's cloud depart from them when they were in error (Ezekiel 10). So now, when this cloud descends, they knew God was making himself known.

And then God spoke, "This is my beloved Son; listen to him" (7). Just as God had at Jesus' baptism, he confirms Jesus' identity as his only begotten Son.

Total Reinforcement of Jesus' Mission

But, second, Jesus' mission was also reinforced on that mountain. This is why God said, "Listen to him " (7). The disciples had just recently argued with Jesus about his cross, so now the Father tells them to listen to what Jesus had said.

And when they came down the mountain, Jesus charged them to tell no one what they had seen, until he had risen from the dead (9). Jesus knew he had death to accomplish.

Even the disciples' question about Elijah reinforced Jesus' mission. They had all been taught that Elijah would come before the Christ to restore all things.

Malachi 4:5 (ESV) — 5 "Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes."

In response to their question, Jesus told them Elijah does come first to restore all things (12). This likely means Elijah will somehow come before the second coming of Christ, perhaps as one of the two witnesses mentioned in Revelation 11.

Then he said, "But I tell you that Elijah has come, and they did to him whatever they pleased, as it is written of him" (13). It is a fascinating phrase with double meaning. First, the original Elijah was written about in 1-2 Kings. A wicked king and his wife, Ahab and Jezebel, persecuted Elijah. But, second, John the Baptist had come in "the spirit and power of Elijah" (Luke 1:17). And a wicked king and his wife, Herod and Herodias, had persecuted John until they beheaded him. And Matthew tells us that when Jesus said these words about Elijah's suffering, the disciples understood that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist (Matthew 17:13).

And Jesus also asked, "How is it written of the Son of Man that he should suffer many things and be treated with contempt?" (12). Jesus drew their attention to this reality. He reminded them of his mission.

Total Reinforcement Is Needed

You might think to yourself that the reinforcement of Jesus' identity and mission was necessary for the disciples at that time, but not believers in our time. You'd be wrong.

First, believers today desperately need to recall Jesus' identity as the only begotten Son. We tend to listen to too many voices that would compete with Christ. Instead, as the Father said, we must listen to him. We tend to forget the humble service of Christ as he incarnated for us. Instead, we need to imitate our Lord and serve the world around us. We tend to treat Jesus like another in a long line of teachers and prophets, dispensing great teachings and good morals to which we will adhere. Instead, we need to recognize he is the Last Adam who came to transfer us from death to life!

Second, believers today desperately need to recall Jesus' mission of the cross. We tend to think answers are found elsewhere, but the gospel of Jesus Christ is humanity's great need. The cross must always be exalted. It must always be preached. It is that which divides the hearts of humanity. It is that which produces true rescue.

3. A Different Mountain

Moses and God's Glory

Moses, Elijah, and Jesus all had different experiences on mountaintops with God's glory.

Jesus went to his mountain -- not Carmel or Sinai -- and prayed (Luke 9:29). There, he was transfigured. This does not mean God's power and glory came upon Jesus, but that it shone from Jesus. He was changed into what he truly was -- the glorious Son of God. In another place, Jesus prayed, "Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed" (John 17:5). And when Jesus shone, as Mark says, with radiance like no launderer on earth could produce, it was a manifestation of his own glory (3). He did not need to reflect God's glory, like Moses, or call down God's glory, like Elijah. Instead, he produced God's glory because, of course, he is God.

Us!

But how does this information help us? Simple. The Bible teaches us that faith in Christ leads us to become new creations in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). We are made new, transferred into Christ. Our new nature is such that it is as if we died with Christ, were buried with Christ, that we might live out the newness of life we have in Christ (Romans 6:1-4). "Our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin" (Romans 6:5). We must consider this to be so, that just like Jesus, "we are dead to sin and alive to God" (Romans 6:11). Dead to sin. Alive to God.

And once you know who you are in Christ, you will stop trying to grow the Moses or Elijah way. You will stop thinking you need experience after experience to change you temporarily, like Moses. And you will stop thinking your only hope is to call down the power of God at various moments in life, like Elijah.

Instead, you will know you are changed in Christ. You are new in him. You are a new creature within. You have been changed. Christ's position is now yours.

Positionally, in Christ, you have been changed. Now, as you walk in him, you become outwardly changed.

2 Corinthians 3:18 (ESV) — 18 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. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.