Many years ago I read an article as part of a class I attended on the Gospel of Mark. The article was about the Mount of Transfiguration, and I still remember a couple of points it made. I think they stuck with me because I had never considered these ideas.
One point was that the Mount of Transfiguration is a neglected part of the ministry of Christ. The author suggested this was because most NT scholars are not sure what to make of the events on that mountain. He said this is why we don’t hear many sermons on it. I don’t know if that is true or not. I haven’t kept track of how many messages I’ve heard on the subject.
The author also mentioned that critics of the Bible point to the Mount of Transfiguration as a reason for rejecting the inspiration of the Scriptures. They maintain that the whole episode is based on mythology. It is the kind of account that would appeal to pagans who believe in gods intervening in the lives of men. I suppose that many people would indeed look upon it as a source of ridicule.
I trust that the readers of this blog do not share those sentiments. We accept the inspiration of the NT and do not look to pagan mythology to determine what happened on that mountain. Mark was not comparing Jesus Christ to one of the gods in the Greek pantheon.
There is no need to defend such points here. Instead, I would like, in this short blog, to point out some obvious lessons from this event.
As always, it is helpful to look at the context surrounding the event. In chapter 8, Mark records Jesus’ first prediction to the disciples that He would suffer and die and that–to make matters worse–His own people, the Jews, would play a major role in what happened to Him (8:31). He would be rejected by the chosen people. That would be their verdict regarding Him.
But on the mountain, the voice of God speaks, giving His verdict–quite different from that of the chosen people. He says that Christ is the beloved Son of God. Instead of rejecting Him, the disciples were to listen to every word He said (9:7).
Christ, then, received the approval of God on the Mount of Transfiguration. This was something the disciples could not understand. How could Someone who would suffer the way Christ had just predicted also be approved by God? But the message was clear. The disciples saw Christ’s glory. His kingdom would be unimaginably glorious even though He would suffer. God was pleased with His suffering Son. It did not matter that the world hated Him.
Surely one of the lessons from this account is that the disciples were being told to follow Christ’s example. Following Him would result in suffering. The world will reject the believer who walks after Him. But what will be the result of such actions?
Such a believer will share in His glory. Such a believer will gain the approval of God. All of this is, in one sense, a preview of the Judgment Seat of Christ. Christ was greatly rewarded for suffering because of His obedience to His Father’s will. What will it be like for the suffering and obedient believer when the King returns?
