Mark 9:1-8 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. 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.
We know God's kingdom came in full measure at Pentecost. Ordinary men, full of the Holy Spirit, proclaimed the glory and power of God to everyone present in their own language. Under divine unction, believers heralded a new age where God would indwell his people with the Holy Spirit to do his work in this world. The kingdom of God was nigh, even at their mouths. When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. (Acts 2:1-4) Later when Peter was brought before the elders and spiritual leaders for healing a crippled man, he announced a message that shook them to the core. No longer would the kingdom of men reign with God directing them through prophets from time to time, but God himself through his blessed Son, Jesus, would reign over mankind's souls, living within them through the Spirit. Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: “Rulers and elders of the people! If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a cripple and are asked how he was healed, then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. He (Jesus) is ‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the capstone.’ Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:8-12) Peter told them every person must make a decision regarding the resurrected Jesus. If they chose for him, the kingdom of God would come to them; if they rejected the risen Lord, they would be rejected by God himself on the day of judgment; for Jesus said, The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him. (John 3:35-36)
On the Mountain of Transfiguration, Peter saw again that Jesus is Lord. On that day, when God miraculously allowed Elijah and Moses to appear before Peter, James, and John and converse with the transfigured Jesus, God did not perform this deed to have the disciples set up a memorial to three important spiritual figures as Peter first supposed. No, the Father affirmed Jesus as his Son: “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!” The Son's voice is the one to heed: no other voice leads us into truth and brings us into victory over sin and death. In other words, men and women should no longer look back to the patriarchs or the prophets for the pathway to God. Neither should they seek another great leader such as Moses or another Messiah to lead them. God the Father once again pointed clearly to the Son, revealing on that mountain that Jesus is the cornerstone of salvation for all people. He is the way; He is the gate. There are no other gates to eternal life, to heaven. Therefore Jesus said again, “I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. (John 10:7-10) Any lifestyle other than one committed wholeheartedly to God through faith in Jesus Christ is a counterfeit existence, unacceptable to a holy and righteous God. God accepts no other name under heaven for the propitiation of our sins. Christ alone has purchased our salvation through his sacrifice. He has paid the price for sin. Jesus said, I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:6) The three disciples learned this reality on that mountain. After Pentecost, this revelation became a reality in the apostles' lives as the Holy Spirit taught them and brought Jesus' words back to their remembrance. Through the Spirit's work in their lives, they understood why Jesus had to go to the cross when they saw sicknesses healed and people delivered from demon oppression by the power of Jesus' name.
Sometimes we react as Peter did on the mountain top. God does something great in our lives or we have something difficult happen, and we are not quite sure what to do about it. Instead of asking him about next steps, we decide we will build a monument to mark that day. We are overly excited or sorrow creeps into the depths of our being. What can we do with these strong emotions? We make a memory of the event and camp there for a while. The markers are important to us: places to go back to and remember what happened, whether positive or negative. We know the Lord was with us because He promised never to leave us or to forsake us. Yes, He was there, and we are sure He likes the memorial we have raised to honor that day. We spend a lot of time remembering how great or how awful that day was, and we have told our friends and relatives all the details and how it makes us feel to think about what happened. Soon we find ourselves going back again and again, and we do not find a sense of release or peace--there's an emptiness. We need to stop to ask the Lord what comes next? Is it time to move forward? Did we fail to give Jesus an active role at the memorial service and the days following? Did we let him rejoice with us or sorrow with us? Have we asked him to tell us how He wants us to use what we have learned from our experiences? Have we stopped to think since Jesus was really there with us, then God would certainly have said to us in a time of great joy or sorrow: This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him. Yet we have not had an ear to hear. After telling about the seed and the sower and ending with the seed that fell on good ground, producing 100, 60, and 30 times what was sown, Jesus said, He who has ears, let him hear. (Matthew 13:9) Whatever happens in our lives, God is intimately involved: a physical healing, a new job, a marriage, a gift of money, a death, a rejection, work problems, strife in the home, financial distress, the list goes on. God has a plan for every situation. He does not want to be a silent observer, the one we call after our plans fail. He is with us to help us through the power of the Holy Spirit. He loves us with an everlasting love. We must not erect memorials and then do our own thing. We should ask Jesus to be Lord of all: He will guide us and move us forward. If we put our faith in him, the events of life, good or bad, will be opportunities to grow by faith in the Lord. He is faithful to the uttermost!
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