Seeing Jesus glory
Context of transfiguration:
Peters confession that Jesus is the Messiah, Mark 8:7-30
Jesus foretells death, resurrection, coming kingdom, 8:31-9:1, 30-22
What kind of man has the authority to call others to carry a cross?
The transfiguration in 9:2-13 makes this clear.
Confirmation of confession :
A. See kingdom beginnings. Peter, James and John are seeing the glory of God radiating from Jesus. They talk about Jesus departure from the earth.
B. See Jesus as the Christ. The way to God is present through Jesus, He is the path and they see that right before their eyes. There are multiple terms used in chapter 9 signaling the Messianic nature of Jesus, His deity. Something new and magnificent is happening here – you are either part of it, or you are not.
C. See divine power over life. God overcomes the impossible. Jesus alone can bring life and restoration to those who have died.
The transfiguration…
⁃ highlights the overwhelming – it is actually indescribable, what it’s like for humans to come into the presence of the divine. They didn’t know what to say, we wouldn’t know what to say. This may be the whole point of the transfiguration. Their metaphor that His clothes are whiter than any launderer can get them, seems insufficient. But the writer is doing the best he can to help us understand the significance of this.
⁃ experience of witnessing divine glory. This is a statement of His true nature. He is God. He is worthy of our devotion.
