A Greater view of Jesus
Mark 9.1-8
There is a chorus that reads, ‘fix your eyes upon Jesus look full in his wonderful face and the things of earth will go strangely dim in the light of his glory and grace’. To quote another well-known hymn ‘I saw a new vision of Jesus A view I had seen here before, Beholding in glory so wondrous with beauty I had to adore. I stood on the shores of my weakness, and gazed at the brink of such fear, It was then that I saw him in newness regarding him fair and so dear.
For yonder a light shines eternal which spreads through the valley of gloom; Lord Jesus resplendent and regal dives fear far away from the tomb.’ It is only a true sight of him that can take way fear of death and the love of this world.
Of all the needs we have as a church and people in this day and age what we need is a greater vision of Jesus, a new revelation of His being and person. Our view of Him is so small our minds have not been taken up with the awesomness of his being, the majesty and glory of his person and the splendour of the Saviour. Even though you may have been a Christian many years and read the Gospel accounts many times, so often it is like as if we must have read it sleeping - not having taken in what is recorded. Simply browsing over its pages and missing the glory. We can never be told too often to look upon him. It is the most beneficial exercise that one’s mind can undertake. To focus all one’s mental powers upon Him - it is the holiest of tasks.
Turn to one of the most remarkable accounts, if not the most remarkable, of all the happenings that occurred in the earthly life of the Lord Jesus - it shows us His glory - The transfiguration. This great transformation that happened to the very being of the Lord Jesus up on the mountain. There are three disciples who witness this great visible, audible revelation of the person and ministry of Christ. They had been with Him for two and a half years. They had seen the most astonishing miracles. The Jesus who could walk on water, this one would could raise the dead. They knew he was unique and they had come to faith. In chapter eight of Mark, they acknowledged that He was the Christ, the Son of God. Yet they were unable to reconcile this glorious being with the nature of his forthcoming humiliating death. They needed still a greater clearer, even more glorious view of Christ that they had not seen before. This is also what we need.
There is a personal revelation that we need to know of Christ. He is not like other men. He is someone who is far above any of Adam’s race. What happened on the mountain is a very unique event. Something happened to the very being of Jesus. He was changed before their very eyes and they try and describe it in v3, the transfiguration that took place. The very cloths which he wore became shining bright as nothing else on earth. The word transfiguration is taken from the Greek word metamorphous which means to change in form; a metamorphosis takes place in the very bodily being of Jesus. We speak sometimes of people who have been transformed in their appearance - and of people’s lives being transformed. But here is something happening in a far greater nature. It is not easy to explain what takes place at this point in the being of the person of the Lord Jesus Christ, it is easier to explain what is “not”.
It is not that something happened to him from without that changed His appearance. As if a light shining from heaven made His very being shine with the glory and light of God. This is what happened to Moses when the law was given on the mountain and he was with God. When he came down, the people could not look upon him for his face shone with the glory of God that was reflected to him. It was not this that changed the appearance of Christ.
Nor was it that His very bodily from was changed into some other creature than what he was in his earthly ministry. He was born a man and became a man, He took on himself our nature even though He is God. He has become one of us, never to leave aside what He took on in his incarnation.
There are many theories about the nature of Christ’s being, for instance that of His body being only an illusion on reality, only a spiritual phantom. Or that He was human at one moment and God at another. This is not the biblical teaching - He is fully man and fully God in one person. It was not that He changed at this moment from being a man into his real nature of God.
Rather we are being told that these disciples had a glimpse of the transfiguration of His very being.
It is a glimpse of the very inner glory of His human and divine glorious being emanating through Him. Some have said that this is His pure spotless humanity which is shining through at this point. Others, that it is His glorious deity. Vailed in flesh the Godhead see, hail the incarnate deity. But what it is, is the remarkable manifestation of the glorious being of His person shinning through. We speak of a ‘person’s qualities shining through’ well we have here His qualities shinning through. We have all of His perfect humanity and glorious deity that is His glory, light, holiness and splendour, which is of His very being. God dwells in unapproachable light, which no man has seen or can see. For a moment they see Him as He really is, Rays of glory found their way through the garment of decay with which, as a cloak he had his divinest splendour clod. Paul had a glimpse of Him on the Damascus road and the glorious light of His being blinded him.
It was what Paul needed. It was what these chosen disciples needed. It is what we need. These followers of Jesus are in that very special and privileged position. It is not to all that He reveals himself, it certainly is not to the world and it was not even to all of the twelve disciples. There were three Peter, James and John - his closest of companions who received a personal revelation. It is a personal encounter that we need, a close one More about Jesus would I know. He reveals himself personally to his people.
It is this very revelation which these disciples saw on that day which we can see just as plainly this day. The Holy Ghost can take of His word and impresses it upon our minds, the glory of the Son of God. If only our eyes were awake to acknowledge it.
It is, however, only for a few. The more you minister the more you realise this, it is only ever to a few. There may be a great mass of people before one but it is only ever to a few, those who are followers of Him. Those who are prepared to climb up that high mountain to have a glimpse of Him. This is what we need - a greater glimpse of Him.
Then also there is a prophetical hope of Christ that we need to have. There is a second purpose in the account of the transfiguration. It is a prophetic type of revelation. It was a taste of things to come. We know because when Peter wrote to the New Testament Christians who were being troubled by false teachers and those who denied the fact of His coming and the end of the age. He tells them that they do not follow cunningly devised fables 2Pter 1.16- 18 it was glimpse of His glory that was to come. When he was on the earth there was the concealing of His glory that marked His days but when He returns we will see Him as He is.
It was a prophetical insight to His very nature - of what it was then and what it was to be. There is a transition in the very humanity of Christ that took place in the resurrection of His body from the grave. It was sown in weakness it was raised in power it is sown in corruption it is raised in glory, sown a natural body raised a spiritual body. We read of this then when He arose again from the dead, He arose; He was able to ascend to His Father - the laws of gravity, matter and physics had no hold on Him. His risen body was transformed and able to do what His earthly body was unable to do. We read of the Apostle John on the Isle of Patmos at the end of his life. (Revelation chapter 1. 13-17.) I understand the teaching of the man in glory but it is the glorified Lord Jesus Christ. The hope we have as Christians ‘eagerly waiting for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body;’ Philippians 3.20-21. It is a glimpse then of our future hope .
It is not only our bodily condition but of our exulted position with the Lord Jesus Christ that we see here. There is communion - Moses is there and Elijah These were two great characters of the OT. We have these two representatives of the Old Testament saints and we have these three representatives of the New Testament saints and the glorified Lord in their presence. It will be sweet communion with Him. This is the prayer of Jesus - that we may be with Him - where I am they may behold my glory which you have given me.
I was reading an article in one of the celebrity magazines about the lives of the rich and famous. It showed breathtaking pictures of their fabulous homes in the most exotic of locations – paradise on earth. It highlighted a particular interview and profile of one of Britain’s best known celebrities who lived in such a place.
Think, if only for a moment, that you were transported to one of these Paradise Island homes for just one week. Then you go back to live on the farm or your street, and back to the stress of every day life. What a difference it would be in your everyday life if you knew there is such a place for you to go to. It is so good to have a glimpse of what is to be. Peter had no idea what to do - this is not for the now but for the then. (V5). It is then we will be with Him, not just with Him but like Him. It is the hope that we have of our own bodies and salvation that we are here this day and it is in weakness, then it will be in strength, we know of shame but then it is honour. It is the vision of the gloried Christ and a sight of Him that is our hope for our future. What hope he gives by looking to him.
Then thirdly there is a powerful lesson of Christ we need to learn.
It is not by chance that this event is recorded here. It is for a purpose, six days after He had made the statement that He must die and suffer to which Peter protested. He had confessed Him to be the Christ, however, it was inconceivable that the Son of God should suffer so. The Lord had to rebuke Peter so by saying get behind me Satan. Jesus has to teach them that he must suffer. He spoke about suffering a cross and glory. The law and the prophets testified to this fact that the one to come was to be the suffering servant. On this mountain we have these two great representatives testifying to this very fact. We read in Luke’s chapter 9. 30 of what they talked about - it was about His death and His departure which He would accomplish.
These disciples did not understand that the way to glory was by suffering and death. For you and I to know of glory Christ had to suffer.
And this is a powerful revelation of this very fact. F.B Meyer comments on this portion - that the door through which Moses and Elijah had come stood open and by it the Lord might have returned. All He had to do on this mountain was step into once again the realms of glory but if He did He could never have been the Saviour from the world.
This is a powerful revelation of this truth - it is suffering then glory. (V7). This account is speaking to us of this glory, the cloud of the presence of God comes over them and now also it is not just by sight but the voice. This is My Son hear Him listen to Him what He has to say the one who the whole scriptures speak about. This is what God says and they saw only Him.
It is a lesson to us of the way of the kingdom. (V9) they came down the mountain, back down into this world of sin and sorrow and death and the cross. There is a way that God has appointed for glory, it is suffering and then glory.
One of the sports, the only sport that we had in school was rugby. I was never very good at it but like all children my age we had to play it. It is a rough game and in those days it was an armature game with no sight of the money and professional rewards that of this day. You would have had to play the game for the love of it. So when the hard knocks came the rewards and the suffering were in no comparison. But here we find that there is glory but there is the road of suffering.
It is the lesson that we need to learn, of the way and the path of salvation and glory - it is by the cross. We must acknowledge it in the drama of Jesus and come to learn that there is no other way ‘back to God from the dark paths of sin’. It is Calvary’s cross. Whatever you may think of the cross this day, perhaps as unnecessary, it can be by passed by, yet if one wants glory you must take up the cross - there is no crown without. the cross.
Hear him listen to the Son of God what he has taught. Listen not to man what others would say. Many say things about Him and the theories of their way to glory. But you are to listen to Him; he is the only one to follow. Have eyes only for him look only to him. It is an audible and visual revealing of the person, purpose and prophetic nature of the person of Christ. This is what we need – to take up one’s cross and follow Him with the sight of the cross and glory beyond.
We say with the psalmist Oh send out your light and truth, Let them lead me; Let them bring me to your holy hill and to your tabernacle.