Sermon – Mark 9: 2-9 – The Son of God

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard

Sermon – Mark 9: 2-9 – The Son of God

Pitts Creek and Beaver Dam Churches

Transfiguration Sunday

February 19, 2012

Since the beginning of January we have been looking at the identity of God. We heard that God is the creator, God is all powerful, God hears our prayers and knows our names, God is always present with us, God can be recognized in the pages of scripture and in the world around us, and God blesses us richly. From the Book of Psalms we have learned all of this about God. But there is much more that can be learned of God's identity in his Word and in the World he created. God is so much more than we can ever imagine. And therefore we are always finding new things about God. Our understanding of who God is, God's identity, is always growing.

Today we will shift gears a bit and turn to the New Testament. We will look at the Gospel of Mark and join in with some of the disciples to try to figure out who Jesus is. What is Jesus' identity? Can we recognize Jesus in the pages of scripture and in the world God created? Who is this Jesus, was the question on the minds of Peter, James and John. And today they will get an answer of sorts. But before we get to all of this let's pray.

“Grant unto us, O Lord, to be occupied in the mysteries of thy heavenly wisdom, with true progress in piety, to thy glory and our own edification. Amen.” (John Calvin)

When I lived in DC, the first question I asked whenever I met someone new was, “Where do you work?” This question permeates the culture of Washington DC. Since most people work either for government or government contractors this question is really a question about proximity to power. The closer you are to governmental power the more prestigious is your job. And so everyone wants to know how close to power you are. So if you were to attend a party or church function in DC just about everyone would ask you what you do.

When I moved to California to attend seminary, I found that the introductory question had changed. No longer were people concerned about what I did for a living. On the west coast, people are more concerned with how you have fun. People want to know what you did over the weekend. Did you ski on Big Bear Mountain, or surf off Laguna Beach, or both? Did you see the latest movie? What restaurant did you visi?. Questions about what you do for a living are way down the line out west, if you ever get there.

Here on the Eastern Shore I have noticed that the introductory question usually defines whether you are someone who is born here or came here. The people who are born here have memories of growing up on small farms. They are defined, in large part, by this agricultural history. Even if they no longer do farming they still see themselves as rooted in agriculture. Most of those who come here, like me, do not have this history and these roots. And so we lack this particular frame of reference when we interact with those of you who were born here.

Identity is how we know someone. It can be as simple as knowing someone's name. I am often praying for people I know only from their names and a few details about their diseases. But identity is often far more than that. You may know people as friends, relatives, spouses and the like. You may have deep, intimate knowledge of someone else. So there are degrees with which we can know someone's identity.

The disciples knew Jesus Christ. And it can be argued that Peter, James and John knew him the best. But it took time for them to know who Jesus really was because Jesus did not reveal his identity to them right away. At first, they thought that Jesus was a teacher. After all he was teaching in synagogues all over Galilee. In fact Jesus was a great teacher, so much so that people were amazed. Like other first century teachers Jesus gathered disciples, cast out demons, and healed the sick.

But then something happened that caused the disciples and others to think that Jesus' identity was more than just a teacher. What Jesus did was to give his disciples the authority to preach and cast out demons. The disciples experienced this power for themselves and began to think that Jesus was far more that just a teacher. They thought that he must be like a prophet, maybe even Elijah returned. And so the disciples began to realize that Jesus was not just a teacher, but he was a prophet with extraordinary powers.

But then the disciples saw Jesus do something not even the prophets could do. They saw him feed five thousand people with just five loaves of bread and two fish. And that night they watched him walk on water. They were there when Jesus made a mute man speak and a blind man see. They knew that Jesus was far more than a teacher and a prophet. And it was Peter who said the Jesus must be the Christ, the Messiah, the anointed one, the Son of David everyone was expecting.  It was then that Jesus took them up a mountain and here's what happened.

Mark 9:2-9 ² After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them. ³ His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. ⁴ And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus. ⁵ Peter said to Jesus, "Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters-- one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah." ⁶ (He did not know what to say, they were so frightened.) ⁷ Then a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and a voice came from the cloud: "This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!" ⁸ Suddenly, when they looked around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus. ⁹ As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus gave them orders not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead.

As they climbed the mountain they probably were thinking about Moses. Moses and his companions climbed Mt. Horeb to come into the presence of God. Maybe Jesus was doing the same thing. Maybe they were climbing the mountain to see God. When they arrived at the top Jesus began to change. His clothes glowed like a light bulb. Peter, James and John must have been thinking about Moses and how his face shined after coming into the presence of God. They must have wondered if God was near.

Then they saw an incredible sight. Jesus was talking with Elijah and Moses. The people of God expected Elijah and Moses to return at the end of time. Remember from the earlier reading today Elijah never died, he simply went to heaven in a whirlwind. And Moses was buried by God who told no one where the grave was. So it was expected that both would return on the Day of Lord when everything was to come to fulfillment. Peter knew that this was to happen at the Festival of Booths when all of Israel came to Jerusalem each year and lived in tents. Peter was so excited at seeing Elijah and Moses that he was ready to make tents for them.

But then a cloud cover the mountain. The fog was so thick you couldn't see your hand in front of your face. Peter, James and John had to be scared to death. Maybe they remembered that Moses had encountered God in the midst of smoke and fire on the top of an active volcano. Maybe God himself was about to make an entrance. And then in booming thunder God spoke and called Jesus his son and commanded the disciples to listen to him.

And then everything was back to normal and the four of them walked back down the mountain.

As they were coming down the mountain Jesus explained to them that he must die, but in three days he would rise from the dead, proving once and for all that he truly was the Son of God.

So who is Jesus? Is Jesus a teacher? Yes. Is Jesus an exorcist and healer? Yes. Is Jesus a prophet? Yes. Is Jesus the Messiah, the new David? Yes. But as the disciples found out on that mountaintop Jesus is far more than all of these. Jesus is unique. No one has ever been like Jesus and no one ever will. Jesus is God's son.

The disciples were told to keep this a secret until after Jesus' death and resurrection. Then they were to proclaim it to the world. This is exactly what they did and what we are call to do. We are to proclaim to our world, here in Pocomoke, that Jesus is the Son of God. Jesus is the creator we praise. Jesus is the all powerful one we worship. Jesus hears our prayers and knows our names. Jesus is always with us. We can recognize the presence of Jesus in the world today because we study and meditated on the Word of God. We proclaim that Jesus is our Lord.

But we have to be careful, when talking to nonbelievers, not to say more about Jesus than they can handle. Just as Jesus carefully revealed himself to his disciples over time so too must we reveal the Jesus we know and follow carefully. When talking with nonbelievers start by saying that Jesus is a teacher and talk with them about Jesus teachings. Then as they begin to experience Jesus' power show them that Jesus is a great prophet like Moses and Elijah. And when they finally can accept the reality of Jesus' resurrection from the dead, then point out the this could only happen if Jesus is the Son of God.

So now we know Jesus' identity. And we know how to bring others to faith. We are disciples of Jesus Christ the Son of God. This is our identity. This is who we are.

Lord Jesus we thank you for taking us to the mountaintop this morning. We thank you for revealing your true identity to us through the scripture. We ask that you allow us to follow you as your disciples, to preach the good news, to heal the sick, to cast out demons, and bring others to faith in you, the Son of God. Amen.