Lesson 11 - “Transfiguration” - Mark 8:27-9:13
ID:
Inductive Questions (Asking the text questions like who, what, where, when,
why, & how?”)
CR: Cross
References (Comparing Scripture to Scripture, understanding the vague by the
clear.)
WS: Word
Study (Understanding definition, theological meaning, and usages in other
passages.)
The WORD: What does the Bible say?
Context: Read Mark 8:22-9:18
to help understand the context of this passage.
Read Mark 8:27-9:13 in a more literal
or more dynamic
translation than you usually use.
In this lesson we see the climax of “eight chapters”
of Christ’s ministry come to the climax of Peter’s inspired confession that
Jesus was the Christ, and we see the disciples struggling to understand what
that meant.
1. WS: (8:27-29) What
did Peter mean when he said that Jesus was “the Christ” (christos)? How did that compare to the popular opinions of
the day?
2. ID: (8:31-33) What
did Jesus say His mission was? Why did
Jesus say, “Satan,
get behind Me?” Why did Peter not yet
understand?
3. ID/CR: (9:1) When did
some of the disciples see the “kingdom of God” present with power?
4. ID/CR: (8:34-38) What
did Jesus say it meant to take up your cross and follow Him? What did he say about it in other places? (Matthew
10:38; / Matthew 16:24; Mark 8:34; Luke 9:23 / Luke 14:27)
5. ID/CR: (9:2-8) Who
did Jesus bring to the Mount of Transfiguration?
Who appeared with Him? Was there special significance to those two men? How did that experience impact Peter and
John? (John
1:14; 1John 1:1-4 / 2 Peter 1:16-21)
6. CR: (9:12-13) Who
were the “scribes”?
(Matthew
16:21; Matthew 23:13; Mark 12:38; Mark 15:1) Who was “Elijah”? (1
Kings 18:1-16; 1 Kings 18:17-29; 2 Kings
2:1-11; Malachi 4:1-6; Luke 1:17; John 1:21-25) Where was it written that the Son of Man must
suffer? (Psalm
22; Isaiah 53)
The WALK: What should I do?
1. How would you answer the question, “Who is
Jesus?” How/why did you come to feel
that way?
2. What does it mean for you to “take up your cross and
follow Christ?. Are you ever “ashamed”
of Jesus?
3. Jesus said that “Elijah” would prepare the way. How can/do we prepare the way for Jesus and the Gospel in our sphere of
influence today?
4. How do you keep your focus on “things of God” during
your day?
Going Beyond: 1.
Try an informal survey with some acquaintances.
Ask them who “Who is (or was) Jesus?” Be sure to ask some clarifying questions (How did you arrive at that
view? What do you mean by _____?
Etc.) before you respond. Were the responses what you expected? How so?
2. What areas of theology are touched on in this passage?
q The Bible q God q God
the Father q Jesus Christ q The
Holy Spirit q Man q Salvation q The Church q Angels & Satan q Future Things –
Cranfield
concludes his section on this account by noting three main questions “(i) Is
this a legend or a piece of theological symbolical writing or is it historical?
… (ii) If then ix. 2-8 is in some sense a historical narrative, what was it
that happened? … (iii) What is the theological significance of what is recorded
in ix. 2-8?”1
We will begin with his answers, adding some modifications along the way.
1.
Is this legendary or historical? Bultmann,
Nineham, Perrin, et al.
reject this story as true, calling it a legendary development of a
resurrection-story. However, it is unlike any of the resurrection accounts in
the following ways: (a) all of the resurrection appearances have Jesus being
absent to begin with, while he is present here; (b) he speaks in the
resurrection appearances and what he says is of great significance, while here
he is silent; (c) if this were a resurrection appearance by Jesus to Peter, one
might expect certain other features such as are found in the John 21 account; all such peculiar
features are lacking here; (d) Moses and Elijah never appear with Jesus in the
resurrection accounts; only angels appear in these pericopae and never with Jesus; and (e)
Bultmann’s suggestion does not account for Peter’s suggestion about the tents.
On the other hand, there are several
features in this story which give it the stamp of authenticity: (a) the mention
of ‘after six days’ which seems to lack symbolical force and thus must simply
be a historical note; (b) Peter’s use of the term ραββι,
which is never used of Jesus outside of the gospels, and within the gospels
only in pre-crucifixion narratives; and (c) Mark gives no clue at all that he
is giving us other than an actual historical account. (d) Second Peter 1:16-18 is Peter’s
own testimony to the historicity of this event (see NET Bible note there).
(Since, however, the authenticity of 2 Peter is doubted by many—including
Cranfield—it is rarely mentioned as evidence on the side of the historicity of
this event.)
2.
Assuming then that this was an actual historical
event, what actually happened? Three options are (a) a vision, (b) a factual
happening, or (c) a combination of these two. Two factors need to be considered
in answering this question: First, we are reminded of Paul’s statement about a
man he knows (though this is likely autobiographical) who visited the third
heaven: “I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago—whether in the body I do
not know, or out of the body I do not know, God knows—such a man was caught up
to the third heaven” (2 Cor 12:2,
NASB). Paul’s inability to distinguish a vision from a factual event in his own
life when it came to heavenly glory may well be a parallel to the
transfiguration. Second, although Cranfield says that the transfiguration was
meant for the disciples, if it was also meant for Jesus then this might
presumably color our assessment of the account. In light of the self-revelation
Jesus had just made six days earlier about his own suffering and death, and in
light of the parallel with the heavenly voice at his baptism being followed by
a major trial, it seems likely that the transfiguration would be equally an
encouragement for Jesus. The presence of Elijah and Moses with him in the cloud
would affirm his path to the cross and remind him of its necessity, for as Paul
says, “the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law
and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God through the faithfulness of
Jesus Christ… whom God publicly displayed as a mercy seat for sins…” (Rom 3:21-22, 25).
With these two factors in mind, what can we
say? On the one hand, if the transfiguration had meaning only for the
disciples, then whether it was a vision or a factual, sensory occurrence
matters little, since that same question remained unanswered by Paul regarding
the third heaven but the incident became a source of great encouragement to him
to press on (cf. 2 Cor 12:4-5).
At the same time, if 2 Peter is authentic (and I believe that it is), then
Peter’s own statement about the transfiguration is that it was more than a
vision; he treats it as a genuine factual, sensory experience (cf. 2 Pet 1:16-18). On the other hand,
if this event had meaning for Jesus as well as for the disciples—that is, that
it was meant to be an encouragement to him too—then it must surely have been a
factual event, for otherwise how are we to account for him being both a part of the
vision and a
recipient of it?
3.
We conclude with notes on some of the
theological significance of the transfiguration. The following comments are
only preliminary; frankly, it would take years, perhaps a lifetime, to explore
the depths of the meaning of the transfiguration. (a) It symbolized and
foreshadowed both the resurrection and parousia. (b) It was a
temporary unveiling of the Son of God’s eternal glory. (c) That this glory was seen and not just
expounded on was so that “the disciples could taste in part what could not be
fully comprehended” (Calvin). That is, as the old Chinese proverb says, “A
picture is worth a thousand words.” (d) Moses and Elijah were a part of the
picture to show both continuity with the OT in the ministry of Jesus and his
own uniqueness and absolute authority (hence he alone wore the brilliant
clothing, and he alone is identified from heaven as the one to be obeyed). (e)
The cloud was a continuation of the Shekinah glory: the
presence of God has returned fully in the person of Jesus Christ. And Moses and
Elijah are there, silently endorsing him as the one in whom men meet God.
Our final two points are taken largely from
2 Peter rather than from Mark; they represent Peter’s own reflections on the
theological significance of the transfiguration. (f) The certainty of Christ’s
glory is transferred to believers: they too will glorified and this fact should
give them confidence as they face death (cf. 2 Peter 1:16-18; 1 John
3:2). (g) The certainty of Christ’s glory also gives believers
confidence in him as a prophet and those whom he authorizes as prophets (2 Peter
1:16-21). In sum, the transfiguration is a part of the heavenly
glory that even the apostle Paul could allude to when he wrote, Λογίζομαι γὰρ ὅτι οὐκ ἄξια τὰ παθήματα τοῦ νῦν καιροῦ πρὸς τὴν
μέλλουσαν δόξαν ἀποκαλυφθῆναι εἰς ἡμᾶς (Rom 8:18).
© 2015 Bible.org
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Lesson 11 -
Mark 8:27-9:13
WORD
3. The
commentators have multiple opinions about this, so don’t get too bogged down
splitting hairs.
4. This
question has two parts. First, is what does Mark record Jesus saying
about taking up your cross. Second, is to look at the comments in other
situations and Gospels. This discussion should lay out the objective
content to build on in the walk question two.
5. The article
in the Extra section might be of some help with this question.
WALK
1. This might
be a good an opportunity to have an “seekers” who might be attending share
where they are in their understanding.
4. I see
this as an opportunity for you to talk about the difference between “things of
God” and “things of man” and for the men to share how they place reminders
along the way to keep a spiritual perspective on things.
EXTRA
Dr. Daniel
Wallace, Senior Professor of New Testament Studies at Dallas Theological
Seminary, talks about the historical nature of the transfiguration, what
actually happened, and the theological significance.
