"A Glimpse of Greatness"

Mark 9:2-9

Pastor Tom Johnson, February 15, 2015

We all love to see greatness. Just turn on your television and you’ll see the best athletes. Or turn on the radio and listen to greatness—the best compositions and the best musicians spanning hundreds of years. Or climb thousands of steps up a European cathedral. You will see and feel greatness in its architecture. Or go to a museum and look at the paintings on the wall. You will see the greatness of master painters. But the television, radio, cathedral, or museum may will tell you the whole story. They reveal greatness but not necessarily the cost. They may not tell you that the musician has been practicing for 30 years, that the cathedral took 500 years to build, and that the painter had painted even through decades of poverty and war.

In the opening celebration of the Olympic in the 2006 Olympic winter games in Italy, they had a special surprise—there behind the curtain was a large man in a tuxedo—Luciano Pavarotti. Luciano Pavarotti is one the greatest singers who ever lived. The song he sang, Puccini’s Nessun Dorma is one of the greatest songs ever composed. Of course, the Italians chose to put their best on display for the whole world to see. There is a story of a man who went to a concert and spoke with Pavarotti face to face. He wanted to compliment the greatness of his voice. He said, “I would give my life to sing like you!” Pavarotti said, “I did give my life to sing like me!” What this man saw and heard was greatness. What he did not necessarily know was the cost. And that is the often untold story of the greatness around us. We may not know that the cost for greatness is often enormous.

Peter, James, and John finally have a glimpse of greatness in our Gospel text—the greatness of Jesus. Jesus leads them up a high mountain. “And,” our text says, “He was transfigured before them, and His clothes became radiant, intensely white, as no one on earth could bleach them.” They finally saw the curtain lifted and opened. The true glory and divine nature of our Lord was made visible. He appeared as He truly was, and is, and will be forever—God’s beloved Son, true God and now true Man. Scripture tells us that heaven will have no need for a sun; because Jesus will be our eternal light. Nighttime will never come again. He will be our eternal morning star—He will bring His light and the warmth of His love to us for all eternity. And Jesus appearance is not the only thing pointing out His greatness. Two of the greatest prophets in biblical history are there: Moses and Elijah. There they are—two spiritual giants consulting with Jesus their King. Their being there points to Jesus as the One and greater Prophet.

Peter, James and John don’t yet know that the cost for Jesus’ greatness will be enormous. And so, as Peter often does, he speaks before he thinks. He says to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.”  “Let’s make this deal permanent! No more valleys—only mountaintops. No more valley of the shadow of death—only the mount of transfiguration.” Sorry Peter, things are not going to be that easy. You cannot pitch your tent on this mountain. You have to go back into the valley. You are on one mountaintop. But Jesus will show you another mountaintop. Now is the time between those two peaks—now is the time to trudge through the valley—this is the time of the cross. You have seen greatness, Peter; now you will see the cost. For the greatness of eternal life can only come by the cross.

And so here we are on Transfiguration—just three days before we go down the mountain—down to the dust and ashes of Ash Wednesday. We will spend 40 days of Lent in the valley—with one week in the sufferings and passion of our Savior. And then we will reach the other mountaintop—Easter—Resurrection Sunday. He ascends and descends mountains so that we will have our own transfiguration. He lived, He died, and He rose again so that we will also be transformed. We will be raised up in greatness. But that greatness is only possible because of the greatness of Jesus—the greatness of Him who lived, died, and rose again. And then, and only then, will it be time for us to pitch our tent with Peter, James, John, Moses, Elijah, angels, archangels, the whole company of heaven and Jesus. We will finally get to make our home on the mountaintop. And there we will live in the light of His glory forever.