The Transfiguration | Mark 9:2-13 | Good, Good News
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The Transfiguration | Mark 9:2-13

The Transfiguration | Mark 9:2-13
By Krista Vaughn

Mark 9:2-13
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,
and his clothes became radiant, intensely white, as no one[a] on earth could bleach them. And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus. And Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi,[b] it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.” For he did not know what to say, for they were terrified. And a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, “This is my beloved Son;[c] listen to him.” And suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone with them but Jesus only. 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.”

This encounter with Jesus’ inner circle of friends takes place a few days after Jesus proclaims His death. If we look back, that discussion also tells the struggle Peter had in digesting the information Jesus said about His soon-to-be departure. They were in a place of disbelief and probably hopelessness. Now, they experienced another event that threw them for a loop, as the scripture says, they were terrified…

How many times have you expressed something silly because you were afraid or awestruck?

I feel sympathy for Peter for that reason. In those events, we try to normalize or downplay the situation onto a level we can better understand. In Peter’s case, he saw Jesus transform from whom was within while seeing the human representation of the Law (Moses) and the human representation of the Prophets (Elijah) having a discussion with each other. With Peter’s normalization of wanting to celebrate this encounter, he wanted to create tents (tabernacles) for them to potentially stay in that state for a time. In saying this, he ended up equalizing their authority, but God disproves that in the following statement:
“This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him!” (Luke 9:35) “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” (Matthew 17:5)
Jesus is above the Law and the Prophets, not on an equal plain.

“This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him!”


After this confrontation, they were given a better understanding of Who to believe in and have hope in, in the coming days of the cross and the resurrection.

I believe that some encounters we experience cannot always be justified to our terms of understanding the situation. It is in those moments we need to stop and listen to the main authority in our lives: Jesus. Then, the hope we have in Him will guide us through our journey.

(Further reading:
Grace Communion International; Enduring Word; Through The Word)