Mark 9:1-13 Seeing the Glory of Christ: The Transfiguration

Seeing the Glory of Christ: The Transfiguration

Mark 9:1–13

Introduction

Have you ever been told something that didn’t make sense until much later? Maybe a parent gave you advice about life—about marriage, work, or responsibility—but you didn’t truly understand it until you experienced it yourself. Or perhaps you heard someone’s personal story and, while you grasped the words, you couldn’t fully appreciate the weight of their experience.

That’s exactly how the disciples felt when they witnessed the Transfiguration of Jesus. It was a moment of great revelation, yet they didn’t fully understand what they were seeing. This passage shows Jesus revealing His divine glory, confirming His identity as the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets, and preparing His disciples for His suffering.

A Promise of Glory

Before the Transfiguration, Jesus made a bold promise:

“Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God after it has come with power.” (Mark 9:1)

This statement followed Peter’s confession that Jesus was the Christ and Jesus’ teaching that following Him required self-denial. Now, Jesus assured them that some of them would witness a powerful glimpse of God’s kingdom before they died. This was not just a metaphor—Jesus was about to show them something extraordinary.

A Glimpse of the Kingdom

Six days later, Jesus took Peter, James, and John up a high mountain (Mark 9:2). These three were chosen not because they were better, but because of their ministry assignment. Just like how Moses could go up the mountain, Aaron could speak on behalf of the people, and only the high priest could enter the Holy of Holies, these three were invited to see something few others would.

There, Jesus was transfigured before them. His clothes became dazzling white—whiter than anyone could bleach them. Then, Moses and Elijah appeared, talking with Him (Mark 9:3–4).

This moment was packed with meaning. Moses represented the Law, and Elijah represented the Prophets. Together, they symbolized all of God’s revealed Word up to that point. Jesus wasn’t rejecting them—He was fulfilling them. He was what the Law and the Prophets pointed toward (Deuteronomy 18:15–18; Matthew 17:2).

When Moses met with God on Mount Sinai, his face shone from being in God's presence (Exodus 34:29–35), but he had to wear a veil. Jesus didn’t reflect God's glory—He radiated it. The source of the glory was in Him. His divine nature wasn’t borrowed or concealed any longer. It was revealed.

The Father’s Confirmation

Overwhelmed and terrified, Peter suggested building three tents—one for Jesus, one for Moses, and one for Elijah (Mark 9:5–6). He meant well, but his mistake was trying to place Jesus on the same level as Moses and Elijah. That’s when the Father intervened:

“This is my beloved Son; listen to Him.” (Mark 9:7)

The voice of God clarified everything. Jesus wasn’t just another prophet or holy man. He was the Son. The Law and the Prophets were good and right, but now they served the one they had always been pointing toward. When the disciples looked up again, they saw no one but Jesus alone (Mark 9:8).

The author of Hebrews would later explain this exact reality—that while God had spoken through the prophets, He had now spoken to us through His Son, the radiance of His glory (Hebrews 1:1–4).

Understanding Comes Later: The Glory Was Always Meant to Pass Through Suffering

As they came down the mountain, Jesus instructed them not to share what they had seen until after His resurrection (Mark 9:9). The disciples obeyed, but they were confused. They didn’t understand what “rising from the dead” meant. How could someone like Jesus, who radiated the very glory of God, possibly suffer and die?

But that was the key. What was always present in Scripture—but not fully understood until after the work of Christ was completed—is that the Messiah would atone for sin through His own death.

It had always been there. God sacrificed an animal to clothe Adam and Eve after their sin (Genesis 3:21). Abraham was asked to offer up Isaac, his beloved son of promise (Genesis 22:2), foreshadowing the Father offering His own Son. Isaiah spoke of a Servant who would be pierced and crushed for our sins (Isaiah 53:5). Zechariah prophesied of a Shepherd who would be struck, and the sheep scattered (Zechariah 13:7).

The glory of the Messiah was never separate from His suffering. The disciples didn’t see yet that death would secure the kingdom. But that was the plan from the beginning—atonement through the cross before the crown.

Elijah Has Come

Still puzzled, the disciples asked Jesus why the scribes said Elijah must come first (Mark 9:11). Jesus confirmed that Elijah had already come in the person of John the Baptist, and just as John suffered and was rejected, so too would the Son of Man (Mark 9:12–13).

It wasn’t that Scripture was wrong—it was that their understanding was still veiled. Paul would later write that only in Christ is the veil removed (2 Corinthians 3:14–18).

Conclusion

The Transfiguration revealed Jesus as the radiant Son of God, the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets. His glory wasn’t given to Him later—it was always there. The disciples saw it unveiled, but they didn’t yet grasp the necessity of His suffering.

This moment points us to the truth that Jesus is not just someone we admire—He is the one we worship. He is the image of the invisible God, full of grace and truth (John 1:14–18). Only through Him do we understand the plan of redemption. Only in Him is the veil lifted.

Scripture References

• Deuteronomy 18:15–18 – Moses prophesied that God would raise up a prophet like him, whom the people must listen to.
• Exodus 34:29–35 – Moses' face shone after meeting with God, but Jesus’ glory came from within.
• Matthew 17:2 – Jesus’ face shone like the sun during the Transfiguration.
• Hebrews 1:1–4 – God spoke through prophets before, but now through His Son, the radiance of His glory.
• 2 Corinthians 3:14–18 – The veil remains over those who don’t recognize Christ; only He removes it.
• Genesis 3:21 – God provided a covering for Adam and Eve by shedding innocent blood.
• Genesis 22:2 – Abraham was told to offer up his son, a foreshadow of the gospel.
• Isaiah 53:5 – The Messiah would be crushed for our iniquities.
• Zechariah 13:7 – The Shepherd would be struck and the sheep scattered.
• John 1:14–18 – Jesus, the Word made flesh, has made God fully known to us.