February 19th, 2012
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Peter, James, and John Mark 9:1-13
A. What the three disciples saw
1) Jesus' transfiguration
And he said to them, "I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God come with power." 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. (1-3)
2) Moses representing the law and Elijah representing the prophets
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." (He did not know what to say, they were so frightened.) Then a cloud appeared and enveloped 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. (4-8)
B. What Jesus revealed to the three disciples
1) A gospel centered on Jesus' death and resurrection
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. They kept the matter to themselves, discussing what "rising from the dead" meant. (9,10)
2) The prophecy about Elijah was fulfilled in John the Baptist
And they asked him, "Why do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?" 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? But I tell you, Elijah has come, and they have done to him everything they wished, just as it is written about him." (11-13)
Summary
The disciples knew that Jesus was someone special but they didn't understand exactly how. Jesus had spoken of his death and resurrection before this point, but the disciples were unable to understand what he was saying. Jesus had great expectations and roles that he wanted Peter, James, and John to fulfill after his resurrection and return to heaven. He wanted them to understand the truth of his death and resurrection so that they could begin and lead the church in its earliest years. Jesus' disciples were a diverse group of people; these three men were not well educated, they did not have a special social status, nor did they have any experience as leaders or teachers. If those qualifications were necessary, they would not have been chosen. The amount of knowledge we have has little to do with our growth in faith. We grow as we walk with the Lord.
For Discussion
1) Why did Jesus choose these three disciples for this special experience?
2) What is the significance of Moses and Elijah?