The mountain-top experience is a call to change

 

But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.  --2 Corinthians 3:18

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.  --Romans 12:2

Have you ever had a religious experience that brought you so close to God you felt that you could reach out and touch Him?  People describe these "mountain-top" experiences as moments so precious, they wanted to stay there forever.  Some people describe these experiences as transformative, something that they will take with them forever.

Many times, however, it is in these very mountaintop experiences that God points out our sinful humanity.  Moses had several mountaintop experiences.  The first was when God spoke to him from a burning bush; God asked him to go back to the slavery and oppression he had escaped some forty years earlier, to lead his people out of slavery.  His response? "God, please send someone else."  Later, God met Moses on the mountain to give him the ten commandments, but when he came down from the mountain Moses threw the stone tablets down in disgust at the sin of the people.  Finally Moses was led up a mountain to look over into the Promised Land, but was not allowed to go there himself because of his own sin.

Another Old Testament figure who had a mountaintop experience was the prophet Elijah.  You remember when he called fire down from heaven in front of the false prophets of Ba'al.  Yet when Elijah came down from that mountain, he thought he was running for his life and got so depressed he wanted to die.

In our study today, we see that Jesus led his three closest disciples up to a mountaintop where they had a truly remarkable religious experience, yet they did not appreciate it until much later.

Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John, and led them up a high mountain apart by themselves; and He was transfigured before them.  His clothes became shining, exceedingly white, like snow, such as no launderer on earth can whiten them.  And Elijah appeared to them with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus.  Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, "Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; and let us make three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah"--because he did not know what to say, for they were greatly afraid.  And a cloud came and overshadowed them; and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is My beloved Son.  Hear Him!"  Suddenly, when they had looked around, they saw no one anymore, but only Jesus with themselves.  --Mark 9:2-8

Several things stand out to me here.  The Greek word translated "transfigured" is metamorphóō, literally "metamorphosed".  This same word is translated "transformed" in Romans 12:2 and 2 Corinthians 3:18.  Jesus was literally changed from a physical being into a spiritual being right in front of their eyes.  Paul's use of the same word means that God expects us to undergo that same change, the metamorphosis from a physical creature into a spiritual being.

The Greek word translated "appeared" is optanomai, which to be allowed to be seen, or gazed upon; it also means to see, to gaze upon with wide open eyes, as if seeing something remarkable.  It has the same root word as our English "optical" or "optics".  I do not believe this was a vision or something they saw in a trance--the parallel passage in Luke actually says "they they were fully awake they saw His glory and the two men who stood with Him." (Luke 9:32).  In other words, this was not an optical illusion; it was happening before their very eyes.  1 John 3:2 says, "Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see (optanomai) Him as He is."  Revelation 1:7 says, "Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see (optanomai) Him, even they who pierced Him.  And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him.  Even so, Amen."

Peter recognized the spiritual significance of this event, and wanted to memorialize it.  He asked Jesus if he could build three tabernacles.  This was a reference to the Tent of Meeting that Moses had built, kind of a mobile Temple for use as a worship center while the people of Israel were traveling through the wilderness.  It also references the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles, set by God as a season of commemoration of the temporary structures or tents that they all dwelt in during their wandering in the wilderness.  Peter, at that time, was offering to do something as an act of worship, but it was apparent that God was not finished yet.  The audible voice of God interrupted Peter, and bade him listen. Sometimes that's is all we are asked to do in the moment, for when we hear the voice of God, it becomes a mountaintop experience no matter our physical location.  I think Peter realized later that the event was made special not because of anything he or the other disciples did, but because God spoke and the glory of His Son was revealed.  Peter later wrote these words:

For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty.  For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."  And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain."

John may have been thinking of this experience as he began to pen his Gospel: "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only Begotten of the Father) full of grace and truth." (John 1:14).  And yet as these three disciples came down the mountain, they did not yet fully understand.

Now as they came down from the mountain, He commanded them that they should tell no one the things they had seen, till the Son of Man had risen from the dead.  So they kept this word to themselves, questioning what the rising from the dead meant.  And they asked Him, saying, “Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?"  Then He answered and told them, “Indeed, Elijah is coming first and restores all things. And how is it written concerning the Son of Man, that He must suffer many things and be treated with contempt? But I say to you that Elijah has also come, and they did to him whatever they wished, as it is written of him.” --Mark 9:9-13

Jesus tried to get them to see that even as the glory of God rested upon Him, He would have to be killed as a sacrifice for them.  Not to worry, though, because He would rise from the dead.  This was over the disciples' heads, as they wondered what in the world He was saying to them.  They couldn't begin to understand.  But instead of asking Jesus about this directly, they had a different question.  Since they had just seen Elijah, it reminded them: why did scriptural scholars of the day say that Elijah must come first, before the Messiah?  Jesus answered that Elijah had come, in the form of John the Baptist.  Unlike Elijah, who was caught up into heaven without tasting death, John had been killed; the Son of Man, also, must suffer many things and be treated with contempt.

The disciples did not yet fully realize the significance of the events they had just witnessed.  Coming down from the mountain, they started arguing among themselves, as sinful people do.  It was not until after the resurrection that they understood fully that this mountaintop experience had been truly transformative.  They did not continue as they had been.  How could they?