“Coming down the mountain” (Mark 9:1-10)

Mark 9:1-10

Listen to Sermon

Pastor Tom Johnson, February 11, 2018

Mt. Tabor, likely location of Transfiguration

Jesus leads Peter, James, and John up a high mountain. Jesus changes before their eyes. He becomes radiant. He and his clothing are brighter than anything they have seen before. Long before this, the eternal Son of God came from his heavenly throne to become human. Jesus’ divine nature was veiled by human flesh. His equality with God was hidden by his humility and willingness to become one of us. You might say that this revealing of Jesus’ glory is a foretaste of heaven. It is a peak into the eternal Kingdom. Today on the Mount of Transfiguration we get a glimpse of who he was, who he will be, and who he truly is. At his side the two great prophets Moses and Elijah are there talking to Jesus. He is the one whom they promised—the Messiah. He is King of kings. He is Lord of lords. “This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him!” Jesus has led them up this high mountain. And Peter, not knowing what to say, offers to pitch three tents—one for each. But it becomes clear that this vision is not meant to last forever. And so the vision ends—Moses and Elijah disappear. Jesus’ appearance returns to its veiled and hidden state. Jesus leads them down the mountain. His instruction is to tell no one what they experienced until after he rises from the dead.

Jesus leads them up the mountain for a life-changing experience. He now leads them down the mountain. He leads them into the lowlands. He will lead them through the valleys of the shadow of death—even to his own death. He will rise again from the dead. And then they will even more clearly see who Jesus was, is, and will be. Peter, James, and John will see him again in his glorified Body. But in the meantime, they will keep the matter to themselves. They will question, ponder, and meditate on what he meant by rising from the dead. They actually do what Jesus instructs them to do. They go back into the world with the death and resurrection weighing heavily on their hearts.

I am always intrigued that Jesus loved the outdoors. He loved to climb mountains. Sometimes he went alone to pray. Here he leads a select three to join him. He leads this expedition. He is an experienced and skilled mountaineer. Hiking mountains is something I also love to do. I do not claim to be an expert by any means. But one thing I have learned is that it is much harder coming down a mountain than going up a mountain. On the way up, you look forward to the beautiful views. Every step you take has the promise that you are closer. Once on top, you enjoy a spectacular view. You gain a unique perspective of this world from a rare vantage point. By the time you reach the peak of the mountain, you have thoroughly worked one set of muscles.

Now is the time to go down. You work a different set of muscles along with the ones that are already exhausted, sore, and spent. Your feet take a greater pounding on the way down. Your shoes or sandals rub against your feet and toes creating blisters. Your toes are numb from absorbing the shock from the hard ground. We return to normalcy. Down into the valleys. It would have been nice to pitch our tent on the mountain and make the experience permanent—at least for as long as we can. But like he did with Peter, so Jesus sends us back into the world.

But he does not just send us. He leads us. He goes ahead of us. Jesus has his own challenges before him. He has another mountain to climb. And that mountain is Calvary. He heads toward Jerusalem, the Roman Cross, his death, and his burial. He will go down into the very depths of death itself. He will bear the weight of the sin of the world. His own life on the cross will be the ransom for our sin. He will overcome all evil. He will rise out of the valley of the shadow of death again. He will rise again triumphant. And so he sets that other mountain before us—Mt. Zion. And it is from the foot of that mountain that he will appear again in all his glory and majesty. Another foreshadowing of our own transfiguration. For we know that once we journey through this life, we too will become as he is when he appears. We will be like him when we see him face to face. This is what Jesus wanted Peter, James, and John to carry down the mountain—the unfolding of God’s plan in the life, death, and resurrection of Christ. He wanted them to question, to ponder, and to strengthen themselves in the Gospel.

The Gospel is the framework of the life of Jesus Christ. The Gospel is also the framework of our life in Christ. We realize that difficult experiences may be ahead of us in the lowlands and valleys of this life. This is what it means for us to live in Christ and to die in Christ—to put our hope and trust in him through all the terrain of our lives. Our confidence and our comfort is in the risen Lord who will safely lead us to the other side. This is also how we begin our journey through Lent—coming down the mountain with a view to the next mountain—Easter Sunday. We are not the first to make this journey. And we are not alone. We have each other like Peter, James, and John had each other. And even more than that, we have the Lord Jesus. “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil. For you are with me. Your rod and staff, they comfort me. …Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever” (Psalm 23:4,6).