“He did not know what to answer” Mark 9:2-13
About a week after Peter’s declaration that Jesus was the Christ, Jesus took him and James and John up into a high mountain by themselves. What happened there both astounded and terrified them.
Jesus was “transfigured” or “transformed” before their very eyes. What does that mean? We don’t really know. The words mean “changed”, but does that really help? What ever the change was, it defied description. The impression left on the disciples was that of light and brightness, that the clothing of Jesus became radiant and whiter than any soap could make them. We might think in terms of movie special effects: his clothing glowed with such an intense whiteness that it could not be captured on film.
Added to this sight was the appearance of two famous men from Israel’s past – Elijah and Moses. How did they know who they were? What were they saying to Jesus?
Peter responds “It is good for us to be here.” He suggests building three structures, one for each of them. Did he think they would be staying awhile? Did he want to memorialize the event, or perhaps induce them to remain? It may be hard to say what he thought, since Mark tells us Peter had no clue. His first impulse was to open his mouth as terror gripped him and the others.
Then a cloud formed around them, obscuring their view. A voice spoke to them, saying, “This is My beloved Son. Listen to Him!” Suddenly all was as it was before and they were alone with Jesus on the mountain.
As they worked their way down the slopes, Jesus warned them not to reveal what they had seen until after he had risen from the dead. Mark writes much later than that and is still at a loss to adequately explain it. Even later John would experience a revelation of Jesus and be told to write about and share what he has seen and heard. While much of what he wrote is bewildering to us today, at least what he saw and heard could be put into words. We can trust that time will reveal their intended meaning.
Yet even after some years of thought, the transfiguration is still a mystery. If the disciples could not grasp what happened on that mountain, how can we expect to comprehend all that God is and does? Modern men and women seem to think given enough time, brain power and resources, knowledge can be gained about anything. But some things will always be unknowable. We are finite beings, meaning we have limits. God is infinite and without limits. How can we possibly expect that the infinite could be contained within a finite box?
The answer is given by the Voice. What we need to know is that Jesus is God’s beloved Son. What we need to do is to listen to him.
Copyright 2020 David J. Cooley