Tag Archives: high mountain

MARK’S GOSPEL…TRANSFIGURATION – 21

Bible Study,

Mark 9:2-5,7-8 NIV

“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. His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus. 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.” Then a cloud appeared and covered them, and a voice came from the cloud: “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!” Suddenly, when they looked around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus.”

This must have been a shocking experience for the disciples, unexpected, unanticipated, and completely outside of their frame of reference. O yes, their life with Jesus was anything but ordinary. Every day was an adventure, never a dull moment, but this! This is was utterly different. 

Since Jesus was the Son of God, sent by the Father from the other realm, it was inevitable that at sometime during His earthly life, eternity would break into time, even if for a few moments. The closeness of Father and Son demanded a manifestation and reassurance of the Father’s presence at some moment in their separation. 

The first time the Father broke into the earthly scene, His voice, heard by some nearby, affirmed His blessing on His Son after His baptism, before Jesus stepped into His public ministry. What was the purpose? We can only guess that this affirmation was the foundation on which Jesus built His security. Armed with the Father’s presence and support…always, He stepped out into an alien and hostile world. 

On this occasion, on the mountain, the voice of the Father boomed in the ears of the three disciples. Terrified, they crumpled to the ground, hid their faces in the dust, and dared not open their eyes to see the unearthly glory of their earthly Master. 

They had never seen Jesus like this. All their impressions and convictions about Him shrivelled to nothing. What’s more, He was in the company of the two greatest of their religious ancestors, representatives of their great heritage, Moses and Elijah, and they were both alive!

What could they say? Motor-mouth Peter, as usual, said it for them! “Let’s freeze this moment in time! A memorial…that’s what we need!” How typical! Of what value would a memorial be to them? What they needed was not some structure to remind them of this event, but the conviction in their hearts, confirmed by this vivid revelation, that Jesus was the Son of God, upon which to secure their faith, because that faith in Him would be tested to the limit in the days and years to come. Without the conviction of His identity and with it His authority, their faith would be hollow. 

They were to learn that Moses and Elijah, though real and alive in glory, were not the source of their confidence. They were only cogs in God’s great wheel of history, pointing to the one who would come, as God promised. Jesus was the one who must take centre stage. 

These three disciples, representing Jesus’ band of closest associates, had to move on beyond everything they knew about God and the covenant relationship they had with Him. All the rules and rituals they knew were types and shadows, pictures of the real thing that could never produce what God wanted most…sons and daughters who would be like Jesus and would live together in harmony as His divine family. 

So, the Father Himself, real and present in this other-worldly scene, interrupted Peter’s foolishness with a powerful affirmation of His Son and a clear directive of His will…

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“This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!” 

Never again could Peter, James, and John forget who Jesus was, or His place as supreme over every person and detail of the Old Covenant. They must begin again,  not rejecting but building on what they knew and believed, to a new and fresh understanding of God’s dealings with them as His covenant nation. 

As confusing as it is was to them at that moment, they were in a season  of transition. What was a mystery to them then would become crystal clear after the event…the cross, the resurrection, Pentecost…high drama that would reset the history of their own people and of the world. 

So it is with us now! In the confusion of unfolding revelation in our own experience, we need patience… to wait until Jesus has finished what He started…and faith to give Him credit for His good intentions. Love undergirds all His ways with us. He is still working on the clay. The past will explain itself as we move on. Life is lived forwards but understood backwards. 

Like Peter in later years, with clarified understand, we will testify as he did…

“For we did not follow cleverly devised stories when we told you about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in power, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. He received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain.”

‭‭2 Peter‬ ‭1‬:‭16‬-‭18‬ ‭NIV‬‬

…and, with Peter, we will build unshakeable faith in Him for who He is. 

IN IT OVER THEIR HEADS

Christian Life, ,

Matthew 17:1-9 NLT‬
[1] “Six days later Jesus took Peter and the two brothers, James and John, and led them up a high mountain to be alone. [2] As the men watched, Jesus’ appearance was transformed so that his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as light. [3] Suddenly, Moses and Elijah appeared and began talking with Jesus. [4] Peter exclaimed, “Lord, it’s wonderful for us to be here! If you want, I’ll make three shelters as memorials—one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” [5] But even as he spoke, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy. Listen to him.” [6] The disciples were terrified and fell face down on the ground. [7] Then Jesus came over and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don’t be afraid.” [8] And when they looked up, Moses and Elijah were gone, and they saw only Jesus. [9] As they went back down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, “Don’t tell anyone what you have seen until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”

Have you ever pondered the significance of this incident? Jesus takes three of His disciples up the mountain, reveals His glory to them in a shockingly physical manifestation, and then tells them not to talk about it to anyone. What was the point?

Paul found himself in a similar situation. He was given an out-of-body experience of the glories of heaven that could have set him apart from all other humans…someone so special that he had privileges no other could enjoy but…

‭2 Corinthians 12:2-7 NLT‬
[2] “I was caught up to the third heaven fourteen years ago. Whether I was in my body or out of my body, I don’t know—only God knows. [3] Yes, only God knows whether I was in my body or outside my body. But I do know [4] that I was caught up to paradise and heard things so astounding that they cannot be expressed in words, things no human is allowed to tell….

[5]…That experience is worth boasting about, but I’m not going to do it. I will boast only about my weaknesses. [6] If I wanted to boast, I would be no fool in doing so, because I would be telling the truth. But I won’t do it, because I don’t want anyone to give me credit beyond what they can see in my life or hear in my message, [7] even though I have received such wonderful revelations from God. So to keep me from becoming proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from becoming proud.”

What was the purpose of these excursions into the spiritual realm that sent them reeling? The natural inclination would be to run around telling everyone about what they had seen instead of keeping quiet as they were instructed to do.

Why would God show these things to them if they were not to share their experiences with others? I have learned that sharing my high moments with someone else often gets the wrong response. Instead of focusing on God, the attention shifted to me and I became the object of admiration and even jealousy.

I think that Peter, as spokesperson for his fellow disciples, and Paul give us the answer.

‭2 Peter 1:16-19 NLT‬
[16] “For we were not making up clever stories when we told you about the powerful coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. We saw his majestic splendor with our own eyes [17] when he received honor and glory from God the Father. The voice from the majestic glory of God said to him, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy.” [18] We ourselves heard that voice from heaven when we were with him on the holy mountain. [19] Because of that experience, we have even greater confidence in the message proclaimed by the prophets. You must pay close attention to what they wrote, for their words are like a lamp shining in a dark place—until the Day dawns, and Christ the Morning Star shines in your hearts.”

This was not a ‘holy moment’ to boost the disciples’ ego but to convince them that Jesus is the Son of God and to confirm their confidence in the message foretold by the prophets. How they needed the imprint of this vision to steady them in times of great trial and testing!

For Paul, his out-of-this-world experience had a different purpose. His upbringing, training, and religious fervour put him in a dangerous position. Only after his conversion did he realise how much pride in who he was had become his spiritual `war zone’.

Paul was a Pharisee, the ones with whom Jesus battled the most. They were unteachable bigots and hypocrites, to the extent that they had Jesus executed to protect their interests. Paul was one of them, so confirmed by his persecution of the early church.

All his standing as a revered religious leader came to nothing when Paul came face-to-face with Jesus. However, in his position as the spiritual father of many, he still had authority. How would he use it in his leadership role? On top of this, he has visions of glory that set him apart from all other believers! What an opportunity to get the attention and admiration of the church!

So, God intervened with a knockout blow….suffering! Paul pleaded with him to get this burden of his back so that he could get on with his ministry unhindered.

And God said, “NO!” Suffering was the perfect way to keep Paul where He wanted him, on his knees in utter dependence on Him for grace. Paul’s danger zone was pride…that attitude that says, “I can do this on my own.” it’s the way he had lived before his conversion, self-righteous and self-sufficient. Now he had a new reality to face and overcome, two natures locked in mortal combat, and he had no power to win the fight.

‭Galatians 5:17 NLT‬
[17] “The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions.”

So, much about what Paul wrote came out of his own spiritual journey. The whole of Romans 7 is auto biographical. Imagine how his fleshly nature would rise up in anger, indignation, and thoughts of retaliation at the treatment he was receiving for preaching the truth about faith in Jesus alone.

‭Galatians 5:11 NLT‬
[11] “Dear brothers and sisters, if I were still preaching that you must be circumcised—as some say I do—why am I still being persecuted? If I were no longer preaching salvation through the cross of Christ, no one would be offended.“

The Jews hated him for preaching a message that took away their self-righteous works for salvation upon which they so fervently depended. Circumcision was their passport to God’s favour but Paul’s preaching negated circumcision.

So, you see, God will use the most effective means in our lives to deal with our pride. Since pride killed Lucifer and Adam, and kills all humanity, pride will destroy our fellowship with God and separate us from Him, if He does not intervene to destroy our pernicious and arrogant self-sufficency.

Jesus said, “Apart from me, you can do nothing!” and He meant it.

Let’s not despise suffering. Let’s welcome and rejoice in God’s goodness because He uses our struggles to hold us close to His heart.

THE GOSPEL OF MARK – JUST GIVE THEM TIME!

Bible Study, ,

CHAPTER 9

JUST GIVE THEM TIME!

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.
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 9:2-8

Why only Peter, James and John? What impact did this event have on these three disciples that affected them for the rest of their lives?

Jesus must have taken them up the mountain because He knew what was about to happen. Was this a part of what He referred to six days before – the kingdom of God coming in power, or was He referring to His death on the cross? John was the only one of these three who encountered this same Jesus in His glory, before he, John, died – on the island of Patmos. He referred to this experience in his gospel (1:14).

Peter also testified to the same experience in his second letter (1:16-18). He writes of this event with a deep sense of awe. After Jesus’ resurrection and ascension, all these things came together into a complete whole which finally made sense to him and he could write with deep conviction about his confidence in the identity of Jesus as the Son of God. When we watch and listen to Peter’s reactions, we realise that it was quite okay not to understand until the picture was complete. Although Jesus was exasperated with His disciples at times, He was also gentle with them because He knew that they would finally get it when they had the full revelation.

The fact that they stuck with Him through thick and thin, even when they didn’t understand, when they were offended by Him or even hurt by His rebukes, meant that they were aware of something about Him that held them in spite of their soulish reactions. It was moments like these that validated their loyalty and perseverance.

Luke tells us that Jesus was transfigured while He was praying. Why is this significant? Moses’ face glowed with the glory of God when he spent extended time with God in prayer. Jesus lived His entire life in the awareness of God’s presence. This doesn’t just happen. The glow of God’s glory increases with the consciousness of His nearness.