JESUS is Transfigured Jesus took Peter, James, and John and led them up a high mountain apart by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no fuller on earth could bleach them. Then Elijah appeared to them along with Moses, and they were conversing with Jesus. Then Peter said to Jesus in reply, “Rabbi, it is good that we are here! Let us make three tents: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” He hardly knew what to say, they were so terrified. Then a cloud
WEEK B - L2 MARK 9: 2-10
came, casting a shadow over them; from the cloud came a voice, “This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.” Suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone but Jesus alone with them. As they were coming down from the mountain, he charged them not to relate what they had seen to anyone, except when the Son of Man had risen from the dead. So they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what rising from the dead meant.
1. Explore It! As we read the story of the Transfiguration of Jesus from Mark, we see that Jesus leads three disciples to the mountaintop to witness Jesus as He would be in the Kingdom of Heaven. These three disciples are given a glimpse of Jesus in His most Glorious state as He is talking to Moses, who represents the Law, and Elijah, who represents the prophets. The disciples are given the message that Jesus fulfils the promises of God’s Law and God’s promises to the prophets. However, the disciples do not fully understand this message right away, that is, until after Jesus’ Resurrection.
2. Connect It! The story of the Transfiguration of Jesus we just read actually takes place after Jesus tells His disciples about His coming Passion (Mark 8). The disciples become confused and question what Jesus means, not understanding the full message of the Old Testament. The disciples need their spirits lifted after hearing of Jesus’ coming suffering and death, so Jesus takes three of His disciples up the mountain be given a vision of Jesus’ glory to come. Many times in our own lives we have struggles and bad days - in school, family life, relationships, work. Rest assured, God has something glorious in store for you
3. Reflect It! Our lives can be like a rollercoaster, having many ups and downs. We often question God, asking “Why did this happen to me?” or “How come this has to happen?” We may not always understand God’s plan for us right away, but sometimes God allows us a glimpse of better things to come. Even though we encounter struggles or bad news in our lives, we also have mountaintop experiences now and then that can help strengthen our faith in Christ even more.
5. Remember It! 4. Live It!
[visionary] A person thinking about the future with wisdom
If God could take you up the mountaintop and show you a vision of better things to come, what would you want to see? Life can be confusing at times and it can be very easy to question why negative things happen in our lives. If we allow God to transfigure our lives– that is, to transform our lives into something more beautiful—we too can see a glimpse of greater things to come!
“This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.” (Mark 9:7)
6. Pray It! Lord Jesus, thank you for blessing us with wonderful parents who shelter us and guide us. Although sometimes we don’t always agree with them, we know that they love us always. Teach us to listen to them and be open to honoring them in all we do! Amen.
