Transfigured
Mark 9:4, “And there appeared unto them Elias with Moses: and they were talking with Jesus.” [1]
I. Afraid
A. Delighted
B. Defeated
II. Ashamed
A. Dejected
B. Directed
III. Almighty
A. Deity
B. Deliverer
Introduction: There is a lot of talk now about people making decisions to change themselves from what God made them to be into something they themselves think they would rather be. The longer this goes on the angrier those who are rebellious over how they were created get.
Once it was taught that to be different was not something to be ashamed of. In fact we were taught not to bully those who were different. Now it seems that the minority has taken over and anyone who conforms to Biblical principles are openly rejected and pushed away.
The title of today’s message is “Transfigured.” When we accept Jesus we are changed. The change happens here in this lifetime on the inside. Though our physical appearance is not noticeably changed, our personality transfiguration is very visible. We have a different approach to worry and people readily see that we have a new found trust and faith in the future that we didn’t have before. We lose our need to rebel against whom and what we are and instead we rely on the One who created us perfectly to be His.
Many people who knew us before don’t know what to do with that. They remember how we were before and that is the still photo that is imprinted in their memory. They only see what they remember from the past. Until God calls out to them who Jesus is they wonder what to do and often react in ways that even they don’t understand.
The narrative of the Mount of Transfiguration found in Mark Nine has been preached and discussed in many ways with consideration emphasized towards the on-looking disciples, especially Peter. Today will be a character study on the transfiguration of the three transfigured ones. It is important as we consider that we have already started our transfiguration. One day we too will have bodies which are glorified and we will walk with Jesus and see His power.
Mark 9:1-2, “And he said unto them, “Verily I say unto you, That there be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come awith power. bAnd after six days Jesus taketh with him Peter, and James, and John, and leadeth them up into an high mountain apart by themselves: and he was transfigured before them.” [2]
Where are we in our six day period? When will we see Jesus’ power? Today we will look away from what others see so that we can see how Jesus sees us as we are now. We will consider how we will appear when we are transfigured with Him.
What a day that will be…
Scripture: Today’s focal text is Mark 9:4.
Prayer: Let us pray. Be seated.
Message: There are three people in this narrative that represent the world. They are Peter the outspoken one, James the first of the apostles to die as a martyr, and John the one who famously called himself the one whom Jesus loved.
There are three others who represent those who have taken on transfigured bodies. Elijah left this life riding a chariot in a whirlwind of fire. Moses left this life on top of another mountain where God presided over his burial. Both Elijah and Moses started life as created earthly beings. They were created from the dust and ashes of this world and they didn’t take their earthly bodies with them. Elijah went up in a whirlwind of fire and Moses went down into the earth where he started. Jesus went to heaven where He started. He was at home in His glorified body. The other two took on their glorified bodies. What we know as the mount of transfiguration was not to take Jesus from an earthly form to a form He had not known before as the other two. Jesus took on a transfiguration to come to us.
Peter didn’t know what to do with that. He blurted that he felt he must do something instead of relishing the moment with awe and wonder. Peter got called out for his obscenest outburst. He knew Jesus. Peter knew who Jesus was. But until God makes clear who Jesus really is we still don’t understand as humans how we are to respond to Him. We must be told by The Father.
Elijah is the first transfigured one mentioned in this verse. We know his story. God told him to tell King Ahab that there was going to be a great drought and it happened. God commanded the widow woman to provide for him and Elijah saw the woman and her son delivered from the drought. The widow’s son died and God used Elijah to raise him from the dead and she believed that God was God. Later God told Elijah to return to King Ahab and tell him that it was going to rain and did it ever rain. Before the rain came God used Elijah to show Ahab that God was God and Baal was not. God showed His might when He accepted the sacrifice at the altar and rejected those offered to Baal. The Baal prophets were killed and then the rain came.
Elijah was delighted! 1 Kings 18:46, “And othe hand of the Lord was on Elijah; and he pgirded up his loins, and ran before Ahab †to the entrance of nJezreel.” [3] In the very next verse Ahab told his wife what happened and she sent word to Elijah that she was going to have him killed. She didn’t even speak to Elijah directly. Elijah left and hid himself. He was defeated and he allowed the defeat himself. He was afraid for his life even after all that God had allowed to be accomplished through him.
God wasn’t finished with Elijah. He made him eat and drink and in that cave He finally heard and recognized that still small voice. Elijah would anoint Jehu as the new king over Israel and would name Elisha as Elijah’s successor. When Elijah left this life he did not go to the grave. He went up in that chariot of fire and now he is there with Jesus in his glorified body.
The next one with his glorified body was Moses. We know his story too. Orphaned shortly after his birth he was sent down the river to be saved by an Egyptian princess. Her father had decided that all the Hebrew baby boys must be killed. Moses’ sister was watching as the princess saved Moses from certain drowning. She suggested a Hebrew midwife to raise the child and the princess agreed. It just happened that the midwife was Moses’ own mother.
After Moses was grown and living in opulence as the son of an Egyptian princess, he saw an Egyptian beating one of the Hebrews. Moses could not let that happen. He went to the aid of the Hebrew and killed the Egyptian.
Later he saw two Hebrew men fighting and he tried to stop them. Surely Moses thought that he had found favor with his own people. Instead the one spoke up and rejected him. We have the account of what happened next in Exodus 2:14-15, “And he said, Who made thee †a prince and a judge over us? intendest thou to kill me, as thou killedst the Egyptian? And Moses feared, and said, Surely this thing is known. 15 Now when Pharaoh heard this thing, he sought to slay Moses. But lMoses fled from the face of Pharaoh, and dwelt in the land of Midian: and he sat down by ma well.” [4]
Moses thought sure that the Hebrew people would see him as one who was there to save them but when he attempted to intervene into their own relationships, they rejected him. When Pharaoh heard what Moses had done he ejected him. Moses felt dejected. Even after all that God did to preserve Moses and set him higher, Moses was dejected and he did that to himself.
Moses’ story is too much to tell in one sermon. God delivered him, gave him a wife and family, spoke with him through a burning bush and used him to deliver God’s chosen people from their captivity. God grew tired of the Hebrew people and threatened to make Moses’ offspring His chosen people but Moses intervened again when he reminded God of His promise. God used Moses to intervene in those people’s lives to bring those rebellious people to the land where God promised they would live forever as long as they followed Him.
As long as Moses led where God directed him to take the people everything was delivered to him and the people that he led. He was growing weary though. Once he was told to strike the rock that would provide water. Later Moses was to take his staff and pass it over the rock so that God’s glory would be seen when the water came. Instead Moses lost his temper with the people and he took the staff and hit the rock with it. Everybody saw that outburst. Moses had and outburst and so did the water as it burst out from the rock.
God was not pleased. Moses was again directed by God. This time Moses went up the mountain and he didn’t come back down. God buried him on that mountain after he got a glimpse of the Promised Land. Moses didn’t get to walk across the Jordan to lead his people. Joshua, the deliverer, would get that honor.
Today with Jesus in His glorified body; there is Moses with his glorified body with the Almighty Deity. When God took Moses to be buried on that mountain it was not to die there. It was to be delivered from this temporary earthly existence. Now we see Elijah and Moses with the Almighty Deity, our Deliverer our Savior.
Moses and Elijah heard God speak again that day as did Peter, James and John. Listen! Do you hear Him. He speaks with a still small voice that will transfigure you. Listen…
Prayer:
Invitation: We don’t have to wait to get to heaven to be transfigured. Jesus delivered Peter James and John that day to witness the transfiguration that they one day would have. We are here today to witness. We are here today to be transfigured. We are not here in this place to stay how we are! What do you see? What do you hear? What do you feel?
It might be that you are not ready and that is OK. You will be when it is God’s time. God really is the only Sovereign One.
Elijah wanted to leave because he was scared. God was not ready to take Elijah. Moses was so upset that he wanted to be away from those people. God wasn’t ready to take Moses. Even Jesus; when he came down from that mountain that day said, “O faithless and zperverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I asuffer you?” [5] God wasn’t ready to bring Jesus home. Are you ready to hear Him in the meantime? This is the mean time. This is the meanest time to Christians that I have ever seen. Can you, will you hear Him? That is your free will by the way.
We are here! Why! What are we still doing here? What does God still have for us to do here? I can tell you this. He is not leaving you here to be scared and aggravated! Hush! Listen… Let God transfigure you. Consider as we sing…
[1] The Holy Bible: King James Version (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Mk 9:4). (2009). Logos Research Systems, Inc.
a So Matt. 24:30. & 26:64. ch. 13:26. & 14:62. Luke 21:27. & 22:69.
[2] The Holy Bible: King James Version (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Mk 9:1-2). (2009). Logos Research Systems, Inc.
b To ver. 8, Matt. 17:1–8. Luke 9:28–36.
o See 2 Kin. 3:15.
p So 2 Kin. 4:29. & 9:1. So Job 38:3. & 40:7. Isai. 11:5. Jer. 1:17. Luke 12:35. Ephes. 6:14. 1 Pet. 1:13. Comp. Ex. 12:11.
† Heb. till thou come to Jezreel.
n See Josh. 17:16.
[3] The Holy Bible: King James Version (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., 1 Ki 18:46). (2009). Logos Research Systems, Inc.
† Heb. a man a prince. So Gen. 13:8 marg.
l Acts 7:29. Heb. 11:27.
m Gen. 24:11. & 29. 2.
[4] The Holy Bible: King James Version (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Ex 2:14–15). (2009). Logos Research Systems, Inc.
z Luke 9:41. Acts 20:30. Phil. 2:15. Comp. Deut. 32:20.
a Acts 18:14. 2 Cor. 11:1. Ephes. 4:2 in the Gk.
[5] The Holy Bible: King James Version (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Mt 17:17). (2009). Logos Research Systems, Inc.
