It's all happening
- dream Hunch 58
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. 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.
In a Nutshell
In a mysterious way we can never fully grasp, Jesus helped His three closest disciples, Peter, James and John see that He really is the one Elijah and Moses had hoped for so long ago.
Questions
What is
Mark telling us? Did Peter, James and John all have the same dream at the same
moment?
When we try to figure out what happened up the mountain, we can easily miss important bits. Let's look at it in three instalments. This was a very important event - a turning point for Peter, James and John. From this they began to see things differently. Their vision was of Jesus talking to Elijah and Moses. How did Jesus explain it to them? Mark has already told us they couldn't understand Jesus' teaching. So, could they understand what this experience meant?
Jesus had been telling them plainly for some time what following Him would mean. He knew He was coming to the most important part of His 30 years. He also had had to find out what His Father wanted Him to do. Jesus talked a lot about this person called the Son of Man. That is the name He said was given to Him from the Old Testament. He knew what the Bible taught - the Old Testament taught that this person was utterly and totally dependent upon the Father's will. Jesus had come to understand that. Now the disciples would understand it, too.
Moses and Elijah there with them on the mountain. Mark is telling us that Jesus was human and His life was a human event. He was like us in every way, including having strange dreams and visions. And He shared this very special moment when Moses and Elijah confirmed His path, with Peter, James and John as witnesses. This event showed them that Jesus was fully human. But not only that. This event showed them why Jesus had come. Now we can participate fully in God's presence with us.
So much of the New Testament depends upon these three, and upon what Jesus taught them. They then taught us. Jesus cared deeply for them. They were His closest disciples. After this event their lives could never be the same. Jesus had sternly rebuked Peter, but it didn't stop Him taking him up the mountain. Often, it seems, that the ones Jesus rebuked the most became the ones given the most important tasks. So, when Peter, James and John had that glimpse of who He was, it meant they were specially picked to help Him spread the good news of God's kingdom.
Now, you've read what happened, what do you think happened up there? Look carefully at verses 2 to 8 and especially 2 to 4. Write down your ideas:
|
Verse
2 After
six days Jesus took Peter, James and John up a high mountain, where they were
alone and he was transfigured before them. |
transfigured? |
|
Verse
3 His clothes
became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. |
white? |
|
Verse
4 And
there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus. |
talking |
Now when you've filled that out, how about a sketch of what happened:
|
Mark 9:2-8 Jesus' transfigured before Peter, James
and John |
Show your work to mum and dad and let them read and look carefully at what you've done. Then try and explain it. What was going on, here?