WEBVTT 00:00:01.919 --> 00:00:13.439 Transformation is often hidden, slow, and painful, long before it becomes beautiful. 00:00:14.160 --> 00:00:22.000 We see this lesson in creation when a caterpillar disappears into a cocoon. 00:00:22.960 --> 00:00:30.719 What follows looks like silence, stillness, even death. 00:00:31.920 --> 00:00:38.000 But in the darkness, the creator is quietly shaping life. 00:00:39.280 --> 00:00:49.280 A lowly, crawling creature is being remade, cell by cell, into something entirely new. 00:00:50.719 --> 00:01:02.079 And when the time is right, it emerges in glory, once lowly, now radiant, forever changed. 00:01:03.119 --> 00:01:11.040 And that image is more than just a wonder of nature, it's a living picture of the Christian faith. 00:01:12.319 --> 00:01:18.879 When Jesus calls someone to follow him, he's not offering a life of ease. 00:01:19.280 --> 00:01:31.920 He calls us to die, to lay down our pride, to let go of comfort, and to walk the hard road of obedience. 00:01:32.719 --> 00:01:43.439 The path of discipleship isn't paved with convenience, but often with rejection, sacrifice, and suffering. 00:01:44.400 --> 00:01:56.400 It's the same road our Lord walked before us, a road he paved himself, marked by blood and crowned with thorns. 00:01:57.680 --> 00:02:00.159 But that is not the whole story. 00:02:00.640 --> 00:02:04.000 In fact, it's not even the end of the story. 00:02:04.400 --> 00:02:10.080 We suffer with him, that we may also be glorified with him. 00:02:10.800 --> 00:02:15.199 For those in Christ, suffering is never the final word. 00:02:15.840 --> 00:02:17.599 Glory is coming. 00:02:18.319 --> 00:02:31.039 And even now, in the present age, God gives us glimpses, moments that pull back the veil and remind us that following Jesus is not in vain. 00:02:32.000 --> 00:02:41.919 This morning, we come to a passage where that tension between suffering and glory comes to the surface in a powerful way. 00:02:42.800 --> 00:02:51.039 The disciples are learning what it means to follow Jesus, not just to admire him, but to walk his path. 00:02:51.360 --> 00:02:58.639 And that path is far more costly and far more glorious than they could ever imagine. 00:02:59.520 --> 00:03:05.520 Let's open our Bibles to Mark chapter 8, beginning in verse 27. 00:03:08.479 --> 00:03:14.639 As we come to this point in Mark's gospel, it's helpful to remember what we've seen so far. 00:03:15.360 --> 00:03:30.719 From the very beginning, the proclamation of the good news through Jesus' powerful ministry of teaching, miracles, and growing opposition, this question continued to linger. 00:03:31.199 --> 00:03:34.159 Who is this man, Jesus? 00:03:35.599 --> 00:03:41.680 Slowly but surely, we begin to see that Jesus is more than just a man. 00:03:42.479 --> 00:03:45.360 He does what only Yahweh can do. 00:03:45.919 --> 00:03:54.879 And yet, there still seems to be a mystery and some confusion about his full identity and his purpose. 00:03:55.439 --> 00:04:03.439 It's still a bit blurry, like the first part of Jesus' healing, the blind man, in the previous episode. 00:04:04.159 --> 00:04:15.680 Now we enter into what some call act two of Mark's gospel, where the focus begins to shift from Jesus' identity to Jesus' mission. 00:04:16.240 --> 00:04:23.600 And with that in mind, let's prepare our hearts to receive God's word this morning by going to Him in prayer. 00:04:23.839 --> 00:04:25.040 Let's pray. 00:04:26.160 --> 00:04:30.240 Father, we we ask for your help this morning as we open your word. 00:04:30.720 --> 00:04:44.800 We know that it's only your Holy Spirit who gives us eyes to see, ears to hear, to be able to understand, to be able to see your Son Jesus truly for who he is, to understand his mission. 00:04:45.199 --> 00:04:55.600 God, let these not just be words on a page this morning, but would you work in our hearts that we would grow in our love and our worship for you? 00:04:56.480 --> 00:04:58.720 We pray all this in Jesus' name. 00:04:59.040 --> 00:04:59.680 Amen. 00:05:01.360 --> 00:05:05.199 Mark chapter 8, verses 27 through 30. 00:05:05.839 --> 00:05:17.519 And Jesus went out along with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi, and on the way he was asking his disciples, saying to them, Who do people say that I am? 00:05:18.480 --> 00:05:27.519 And they told him, saying, John the Baptist, others say Elijah, but others one of the prophets. 00:05:28.399 --> 00:05:34.000 And he continued asking them, But who do you say that I am? 00:05:35.040 --> 00:05:39.519 Peter answered and said to him, You are the Christ. 00:05:40.639 --> 00:05:44.639 And he warned them to tell no one about him. 00:05:46.399 --> 00:05:53.040 As we've grown accustomed to throughout Mark's gospel, Jesus is constantly on the move. 00:05:53.279 --> 00:06:02.560 It seems like he can't stay in one place very long, and yet wherever he goes, it's with intention and purpose. 00:06:02.800 --> 00:06:08.720 So when our gospel author tells us a particular location, it must be important. 00:06:09.839 --> 00:06:20.639 Just before this, in verses 22 through 26, Jesus and his disciples were in Beth Seda, which is at the northern edge of the Sea of Galilee. 00:06:21.439 --> 00:06:26.800 Now they've traveled even further north to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. 00:06:28.079 --> 00:06:33.920 Now, this place carries deep historical and spiritual significance. 00:06:34.800 --> 00:06:38.639 It was only a couple centuries earlier that it wasn't called that. 00:06:38.800 --> 00:06:47.279 It was known as Panion, named after the Greek god Pan, who was worshipped in a cave there. 00:06:48.240 --> 00:07:02.560 The area was also the site of a major military victory for the Seleucid king Antiochus III over Egypt, and later became part of Herod the Great's territory under Roman rule. 00:07:03.439 --> 00:07:08.319 Herod built a stunning marble temple here to honor Caesar. 00:07:08.560 --> 00:07:19.920 And after his death, his son Philip rebuilt and renamed the city Caesarea Philippi in honor of both Caesar and himself. 00:07:20.720 --> 00:07:35.279 So here we have a city steeped in pagan worship, imperial power, and political ambition, a fitting place for Jesus to ask the most important question: Who do you say that I am? 00:07:36.079 --> 00:07:42.160 Jesus begins by first asking his disciples, Who do people say that I am? 00:07:43.120 --> 00:07:49.360 And it's no surprise by now that the disciples have heard people talking about Jesus. 00:07:49.759 --> 00:08:04.399 And while many things could be said of Jesus, both positive and negative, depending on who was asked, it was clear that many of the people considered him to be at the very least a prophet of some kind. 00:08:04.959 --> 00:08:12.399 After all, how else would he have been able to perform the mighty miracles that they all witnessed? 00:08:13.199 --> 00:08:18.800 Comparisons to John the Baptist and Elijah are interesting to note. 00:08:19.360 --> 00:08:30.800 One, if you remember just a few chapters earlier, was recently martyred and also a contemporary of Jesus, while the other has been long dead. 00:08:31.439 --> 00:08:34.240 So how could he be either of these people? 00:08:35.039 --> 00:08:40.480 Perhaps it has to do with the Jewish expectations of Jesus' day. 00:08:41.120 --> 00:08:52.399 Suffering under the rule of Rome, they longed for their Messiah, who they believed would liberate them politically from Rome. 00:08:53.279 --> 00:09:00.559 There were expectations that Elijah must come first before the Messiah is ushered in. 00:09:00.960 --> 00:09:07.120 In fact, we'll see this expressed later in our passage today by the disciples themselves. 00:09:08.240 --> 00:09:14.879 And Jesus confirms that Elijah did come first, alluding to the life and ministry of John the Baptist. 00:09:15.840 --> 00:09:32.960 And so, as they witnessed the mighty works of Jesus, the prophetic ministry of John the Baptist, and Jesus' preaching of the kingdom, they can't help but to wonder if all of this was pointing to their coming Messiah. 00:09:34.399 --> 00:09:39.039 But people only saw Jesus as among these prophets. 00:09:39.360 --> 00:09:41.440 At this point, nothing more. 00:09:42.159 --> 00:09:48.000 It's revealing in the disciples' response to Jesus' question of who do people say that I am? 00:09:48.399 --> 00:09:56.399 They are right to identify him as a prophet, yet this label still falls short of his full identity. 00:09:56.799 --> 00:09:58.399 It's incomplete. 00:09:59.200 --> 00:10:03.440 Yes, he is a prophet, but he's so much more. 00:10:04.240 --> 00:10:10.000 The question really then becomes who says that I am more than a prophet? 00:10:10.720 --> 00:10:16.000 And so Jesus directs his initial question towards his own disciples. 00:10:16.399 --> 00:10:19.600 But who do you say that I am? 00:10:21.120 --> 00:10:23.120 This is a critical question. 00:10:23.360 --> 00:10:29.200 Perhaps the single most important question a person must answer about Jesus. 00:10:29.440 --> 00:10:37.759 It's as if Jesus is saying, okay, that might be what others say about me, but what do you have to say? 00:10:38.000 --> 00:10:40.240 Who do you say that I am? 00:10:41.440 --> 00:10:49.759 And of course, Peter, taking the lead among the disciples, he's the first one to say to him, You are the Christ. 00:10:51.120 --> 00:10:56.399 In this moment, Peter declares that Jesus is the Messiah. 00:10:56.799 --> 00:11:05.279 The word Christ means anointed one, a title uniquely reserved for God's promised King. 00:11:05.759 --> 00:11:21.120 And aside from Mark's opening verse, where the narrator identifies Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God, this is the first time that anyone within the story recognizes and confesses him as the Christ. 00:11:22.240 --> 00:11:23.679 But there's a problem. 00:11:24.480 --> 00:11:30.879 Like many others, Peter has the wrong understanding and expectations of the Messiah. 00:11:31.120 --> 00:11:40.159 And whenever Jesus knows that someone has an improper understanding of his identity and his purpose, he orders them to silence. 00:11:41.360 --> 00:11:54.559 Jesus doesn't deny that he is the Christ, but he won't have Peter going around telling everyone that he is the Christ because Peter doesn't yet have a proper understanding of Jesus' mission. 00:11:56.240 --> 00:12:12.480 Since many Jews at the time expected the Messiah to be a political figure, their expectations would also include the Messiah throwing off the oppressive regime of Rome and to re-establish Israel as an independent kingdom. 00:12:13.360 --> 00:12:19.840 So if they found out about Jesus' identity, they might attempt to make him king to try and bring this about. 00:12:22.159 --> 00:12:27.039 This would no doubt gain the unneeded attention from Rome. 00:12:29.279 --> 00:12:30.399 Think about that. 00:12:30.639 --> 00:12:32.639 How do you think Rome would respond? 00:12:33.679 --> 00:12:43.200 It's likely they would respond pretty violently if they heard about someone claiming to be a competing king, this Jewish Messiah. 00:12:45.120 --> 00:12:47.600 It's a threat directly to Rome. 00:12:47.919 --> 00:12:55.919 And it would interfere with Jesus being able to freely preach and do what he was sent to do. 00:12:56.639 --> 00:13:06.320 And so as a result, if that were to happen, it would cut short his ministry during a time when he had much work to do. 00:13:07.200 --> 00:13:20.960 And so it becomes imperative that Peter and the disciples tell no one about him, since no one seems to understand Jesus' true mission that comes with a proper understanding of the Messiah. 00:13:21.919 --> 00:13:30.080 That's why Jesus' identity had to remain hidden as part of, if you can remember, this messianic secret. 00:14:13.519 --> 00:14:19.360 This is the first time that Jesus explains what must happen to him. 00:14:20.159 --> 00:14:38.000 He, as the Son of Man, must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders, and the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. 00:14:39.279 --> 00:14:44.320 Jesus states this very openly, very plainly to his disciples. 00:14:44.559 --> 00:14:47.679 In other words, Jesus didn't hold back. 00:15:03.759 --> 00:15:08.480 This goes against everything they believed and expected from the Messiah. 00:15:08.879 --> 00:15:12.000 How can he reign if he's dead? 00:15:12.559 --> 00:15:17.759 How will Israel be fully delivered from the oppressive rule of Rome? 00:15:18.159 --> 00:15:20.399 No, this can't happen. 00:15:20.639 --> 00:15:22.000 It won't happen. 00:15:22.240 --> 00:15:24.320 At least not on Peter's watch. 00:15:24.639 --> 00:15:30.879 Peter grows so concerned about it, he pulls Jesus aside and tries to talk some sense into him. 00:15:31.120 --> 00:15:36.240 He treats Jesus as though this mission is an obstacle to God's rule. 00:15:37.279 --> 00:15:44.720 Peter seems to think that he knows more about what needs to happen to secure God's reign than the king himself. 00:15:45.600 --> 00:15:52.000 Peter, no doubt, felt that it was his duty as a leader of the twelve to speak up. 00:15:53.039 --> 00:16:00.879 It's even possible that the others shared Peter's views and were watching to see how Jesus would respond. 00:16:02.080 --> 00:16:15.360 And so Jesus rebukes Peter in the full presence of the other disciples for thinking according to the ways of the world and not setting his mind on the interests of God. 00:16:16.399 --> 00:16:24.720 It was a rebuke for Peter, but in some ways it was a rebuke for all who shared in this mindset. 00:16:26.879 --> 00:16:32.639 How often are we like Peter in this type of thinking? 00:16:34.000 --> 00:16:42.159 Even when we confess Jesus as Lord, we still try to fit him into our own expectations. 00:16:43.600 --> 00:16:56.320 We want a Messiah who aligns with our desires, one who blesses our plans, secures our comfort, and spares us from suffering. 00:16:57.519 --> 00:17:04.079 And this self-centered view of discipleship shows up in real ways. 00:17:05.359 --> 00:17:07.440 It shows up in how we pray. 00:17:08.000 --> 00:17:12.720 It's not your will be done, but here's what I want. 00:17:13.440 --> 00:17:21.599 It shows up in how we spend our time and money prioritizing convenience over obedience. 00:17:22.720 --> 00:17:37.680 It shows up in how we choose comfort over sacrifice, ease over faithfulness, and safety over boldness for the kingdom of God. 00:17:40.400 --> 00:17:49.039 We need this reminder to set our minds upon the interests of God above our own. 00:17:50.480 --> 00:17:53.759 Continuing with verses thirty-four through thirty-eight. 00:17:55.039 --> 00:18:06.160 And he summoned the crowd with his disciples and said to them, If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 00:18:06.799 --> 00:18:10.640 For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it. 00:18:10.880 --> 00:18:16.720 But whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospels will save it. 00:18:17.200 --> 00:18:23.839 For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? 00:18:24.799 --> 00:18:28.799 For what will a man give in exchange for his soul? 00:18:30.000 --> 00:18:44.079 For whoever is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels. 00:18:46.880 --> 00:18:52.480 What we see here is that true discipleship comes at a cost. 00:18:53.519 --> 00:18:57.920 Jesus doesn't invite us to follow him on our own terms. 00:19:08.799 --> 00:19:11.119 This isn't poetic language. 00:19:11.359 --> 00:19:22.319 It's the language of death, of sacrifice, of walking willingly into suffering for the sake of God's kingdom interests. 00:19:23.680 --> 00:19:28.319 And this isn't something he asks of us without doing it himself. 00:19:29.039 --> 00:19:32.720 Jesus doesn't send us down a road he hasn't walked. 00:19:33.039 --> 00:19:36.160 He leads the way to Calvary. 00:19:37.119 --> 00:19:52.240 A disciple imitates Jesus best by doing as he did, to welcome suffering when it was in the interest of God, and to deny oneself of human ambitions. 00:19:54.000 --> 00:19:58.160 Now it's not to say that we can't be ambitious for God. 00:19:58.960 --> 00:20:08.160 It just comes with the caveat that God's business is our business, and we work for Him, not the other way around. 00:20:08.799 --> 00:20:14.799 This language of taking up the cross has lost a bit of its effect to modern readers. 00:20:15.440 --> 00:20:31.920 At the time when Mark's gospel was written and in the early church, it was common for Christians to be tortured, burned at the stake, and even crucified just as Jesus was crucified. 00:20:32.880 --> 00:20:37.920 In fact, that was the fate of many of the disciples. 00:20:38.400 --> 00:20:42.400 Peter himself would go on to be crucified. 00:20:42.640 --> 00:20:49.440 So Jesus' words here carry significant weight as he addresses his disciples. 00:20:50.240 --> 00:21:08.480 And for those who were condemned to crucifixion under the harsh capital punishment of Rome, they were made to literally carry their own cross, just as Jesus did when he would go on to be crucified. 00:21:09.359 --> 00:21:15.119 At the very minimum, they were expected to at least carry the crossbeam. 00:21:17.759 --> 00:21:19.920 Jesus doesn't soften the truth. 00:21:20.240 --> 00:21:25.119 He tells his disciples plainly, following him means suffering. 00:21:25.759 --> 00:21:28.240 It may even mean death. 00:21:29.200 --> 00:21:35.599 Faithfulness to Christ could lead to public shame, scorn, and martyrdom. 00:21:36.400 --> 00:21:39.839 This wasn't a metaphor, it was a warning. 00:21:48.640 --> 00:21:51.119 It would lead to a cross. 00:21:51.599 --> 00:21:53.680 And Jesus isn't vague. 00:21:54.000 --> 00:21:58.319 He is dismantling their expectations piece by piece. 00:21:58.640 --> 00:21:59.759 They had hoped for power. 00:22:00.799 --> 00:22:12.480 For restoration, for a kingdom of glory now, but instead they hear words of loss, rejection, and sacrifice. 00:22:13.200 --> 00:22:16.079 You can almost feel their hearts sink. 00:22:16.799 --> 00:22:18.720 This was not what they imagined. 00:22:18.960 --> 00:22:26.640 This was not what they thought they were giving their lives to, and yet it's the only path that leads to life. 00:22:28.480 --> 00:22:34.000 Perhaps some of you are wondering what the Christian life is really all about. 00:22:34.960 --> 00:22:43.440 You've heard the voices on TV, in books, on the radio, podcasts, offering all kinds of promises. 00:22:44.079 --> 00:22:47.200 Some say it's about living your best life now. 00:22:48.000 --> 00:22:52.480 Others talk about constant victory, health, and blessing. 00:22:52.880 --> 00:22:58.240 As if following Jesus means nothing but upward momentum and personal success. 00:22:59.200 --> 00:23:04.400 And maybe somewhere along the way, you started to believe it. 00:23:04.880 --> 00:23:09.200 Maybe you thought Christianity was supposed to make life easier. 00:23:09.599 --> 00:23:21.680 But now you're hurting, you're disappointed, you're confused, and you're wondering if you've missed something, if this is really what you signed up for. 00:23:22.480 --> 00:23:26.880 If that's you this morning, hear the words of Jesus. 00:23:27.440 --> 00:23:31.119 Whoever wishes to save his life will lose it. 00:23:31.839 --> 00:23:36.880 But whoever loses his life for my sake in the gospels will save it. 00:23:38.160 --> 00:23:50.799 When our desires and ambitions are focused on ourselves and what we can get from this life, we are set up for disappointment and eventually despair. 00:23:51.839 --> 00:23:59.440 This world may have a lot to offer when it comes to our entertainment and pleasure, but it doesn't last. 00:24:01.200 --> 00:24:12.720 Eventually, you find yourself feeling empty after receiving what you thought would bring you peace and joy, but yet you still find yourself wanting more. 00:24:13.759 --> 00:24:18.640 There is a craving that nothing in this world can satisfy. 00:24:19.440 --> 00:24:23.759 Some call it a Jesus-shaped hole in our hearts. 00:24:24.240 --> 00:24:31.440 We chase and chase and chase for that which never brings us lasting satisfaction. 00:24:31.920 --> 00:24:58.880 We make every effort to secure what we think will bring us lasting happiness, whether that be through a stockpile of money, a romantic relationship, a family, a clean bill of health, you name it, all these things will eventually fail you, or at least fail to meet your expectations, leaving you feeling empty again. 00:25:00.640 --> 00:25:03.599 We have a way of doing this in the Christian life. 00:25:04.000 --> 00:25:11.839 We set up these expectations that because we have made a decision to follow Jesus, that somehow all will go well with us. 00:25:12.640 --> 00:25:19.279 We expect bad things to only happen to so-called bad people, that is, those who don't follow Jesus. 00:25:19.519 --> 00:25:25.519 But what happens when you have been obedient to God and something bad happens to you? 00:25:26.640 --> 00:25:40.720 Someone you love gets sick or even dies, you lose your job, or even your house, or maybe you find yourself in a season where it seems like nothing can go right. 00:25:41.839 --> 00:25:44.160 You can't seem to catch a break. 00:25:44.799 --> 00:25:49.119 Does that make you question God's love for you? 00:25:50.799 --> 00:25:59.200 You might even look back at a time when you didn't follow Jesus and think, wow, my life was actually better then. 00:25:59.519 --> 00:26:01.920 I didn't have half the problems I have now. 00:26:02.160 --> 00:26:03.440 I was happier. 00:26:04.079 --> 00:26:05.599 What happened? 00:26:07.359 --> 00:26:13.039 Jesus doesn't promise us the good life as we tend to define it. 00:26:13.359 --> 00:26:18.880 He doesn't offer us worldly success, comfort, or ease as we'd like to have it. 00:26:19.119 --> 00:26:29.039 But what he does promise is far greater eternal life, real life, to all who trust in him. 00:26:55.839 --> 00:27:00.640 What can anyone possibly give in exchange for their soul? 00:27:01.680 --> 00:27:08.640 The heartbreaking truth is that our sinful hearts try to make this exchange every day. 00:27:09.039 --> 00:27:19.920 We chase after money, approval, status, pleasure, power, hoping these things will fill the emptiness. 00:27:20.880 --> 00:27:22.240 But they never do. 00:27:23.279 --> 00:27:25.759 Because the world is passing away. 00:27:26.240 --> 00:27:31.119 It can only offer what will fade, break, or die. 00:27:32.000 --> 00:27:34.880 And in the end, the trade is always a lie. 00:27:35.519 --> 00:27:39.759 It's always a loss, always too high a price. 00:27:41.119 --> 00:27:50.720 And that's why I'm always struck by the words of Jim Elliott, the missionary who was martyred while bringing the gospel to an unreached tribe in Ecuador. 00:27:51.440 --> 00:27:55.279 Long before he gave his life, he understood what Jesus was saying here. 00:27:55.599 --> 00:28:03.680 He once wrote, He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose. 00:28:05.599 --> 00:28:13.200 Those who place themselves first instead of the gospel will be unsuccessful in their self-preservation goals. 00:28:13.839 --> 00:28:26.000 But following Jesus and making his mission our first priority leads to eternal life, the never-ending peace and joy that we were looking for all along. 00:28:26.880 --> 00:28:33.200 And following Jesus means being opposed to the sinful interests of this world. 00:28:33.759 --> 00:28:43.200 That requires us to stand for biblical truth, righteousness, and justice, especially when the world stands against these things. 00:28:43.680 --> 00:28:53.279 That also requires us to stand for the authority and reign of King Jesus above every rule and authority on this earth. 00:28:54.480 --> 00:29:06.240 In the context of Jesus' disciples in this passage, that meant preparing to stand against the Roman Empire's authority when it conflicted with the interests of God's kingdom. 00:29:07.279 --> 00:29:17.680 Every true disciple of Jesus is called to follow him with boldness and faithfulness, even when it costs everything. 00:29:18.640 --> 00:29:33.359 Jesus himself warns that those who are ashamed of him in this life, who reject, who deny him, they will find themselves denied before the Father when Jesus comes in glory. 00:29:34.240 --> 00:29:36.640 And that is a sobering reality. 00:29:38.079 --> 00:29:44.400 To reject Christ is to face the eternal judgment of God. 00:29:47.039 --> 00:29:54.079 But the good news is this Jesus came not to condemn, but to save. 00:29:54.400 --> 00:30:07.440 He bore the wrath of God in our place, suffering and dying on the cross, so that sinners like us could be forgiven, made new, and reconciled to God. 00:30:08.640 --> 00:30:23.519 And he calls us to repent, to believe, and to follow him, not just with our lips, but with our lives, to lose your life for his sake, in the end, to truly find it. 00:30:23.920 --> 00:30:28.160 In this way, suffering leads to glory. 00:30:29.279 --> 00:30:33.359 Let's continue with Mark chapter 9, verses 1 through 13. 00:30:34.960 --> 00:30:45.759 And Jesus was saying to them, Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God having come in power. 00:30:46.160 --> 00:31:05.839 And six days later Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and brought them up on a high mountain, alone by themselves, and he was transfigured before them, and his garments were shining intensely white, as no launderer on earth could whiten them. 00:31:06.079 --> 00:31:11.920 And Elijah appeared to them along with Moses, and they were conversing with Jesus. 00:31:12.240 --> 00:31:17.279 And Peter answered and said to Jesus, Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. 00:31:17.440 --> 00:31:23.680 Let us make three booths, one for you, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah. 00:31:24.240 --> 00:31:28.319 For he did not know what to answer, for they became terrified. 00:31:28.960 --> 00:31:34.240 Then a cloud formed, overshadowing them, and a voice came out of the cloud. 00:31:37.599 --> 00:31:38.880 Listen to him. 00:31:40.000 --> 00:31:47.359 And all at once, when they looked around, they saw no one with them any more, except Jesus alone. 00:31:48.240 --> 00:31:57.519 And as they were coming down from the mountain, he gave them orders not to recount to anyone what they had seen until the Son of Man rose from the dead. 00:31:58.079 --> 00:32:04.400 And they seized upon that statement, arguing with one another what rising from the dead meant. 00:32:04.880 --> 00:32:10.880 And they began asking him, saying, Why is it that the scribes say that Elijah must come first? 00:32:11.680 --> 00:32:17.119 And he said to them, Elijah does come first, and restore all things. 00:32:17.680 --> 00:32:25.759 And yet, how is it written of the Son of Man that he will suffer many things, and be treated with contempt? 00:32:26.400 --> 00:32:35.119 But I say to you that Elijah has indeed come, and they did to him whatever they wished, just as it is written of him. 00:32:37.519 --> 00:32:44.000 As we see in verse one, Jesus promises that some will see the kingdom of God coming with power. 00:32:44.799 --> 00:32:52.720 Now there's several different ways to interpret this verse, whether it points to some eschatological event, the resurrection, or something else. 00:32:52.960 --> 00:33:01.440 But in the context of what follows, the statement is true for the three disciples who witness the transfiguration of Jesus. 00:33:02.079 --> 00:33:10.559 Jesus brings Peter, James, and John with him, who begin to emerge as some sort of inner circle amongst the disciples. 00:33:10.720 --> 00:33:15.119 And he brings them to the top of a high mountain, all by themselves. 00:33:24.559 --> 00:33:28.880 That is, if this part of Mark's gospel is to be taken chronologically. 00:33:29.839 --> 00:33:47.680 Mount Hermon is also by far the tallest mountain in ancient Israel, standing at a whopping 9,230 feet, which towers over its neighboring peaks and can be seen from dozens of miles away on a clear day. 00:33:48.799 --> 00:33:55.279 Just as a reference, consider that Mount Washington is 6,288 feet tall. 00:33:55.519 --> 00:34:00.720 And so Jesus and the three disciples climbed to the top of this high mountain. 00:34:02.079 --> 00:34:08.079 We often like to climb high mountains for what we see when we get to the top. 00:34:08.320 --> 00:34:17.679 But I don't think anything could have compared to what the three disciples saw when they got to the top of this mountain. 00:34:18.000 --> 00:34:34.559 Verse 2 says that Jesus transfigured before them, and his garments were shining intensely white, as no launderer on earth can whiten them, and Elijah appeared to them along with Moses, and they were conversing with Jesus. 00:34:41.519 --> 00:34:46.320 It means a dramatic change of form, not a change of identity. 00:34:46.960 --> 00:34:50.239 Jesus doesn't become someone else on the mountain. 00:34:50.480 --> 00:34:58.239 He is revealed in the radiant glory that has always belonged to him as the eternal Son. 00:34:59.280 --> 00:35:05.920 What the disciples see is a physical, physical, visible glimpse of heavenly glory. 00:35:06.159 --> 00:35:09.360 It's a foreshadowing of the resurrection. 00:35:10.159 --> 00:35:21.280 One thing is changed into another thing, yet remains the same in its essence, like a caterpillar becoming a butterfly. 00:35:22.719 --> 00:35:27.920 The form is gloriously altered, but the life is continuous. 00:35:28.239 --> 00:35:40.159 Jesus' transfiguration points to when he will rise in glory, and to the promise that we too who are in him will be gloriously transformed in the resurrection. 00:35:41.440 --> 00:35:54.239 Our lowly bodies will be made like his glorious body, hidden temporarily in death, but one day unveiled in splendor. 00:35:55.440 --> 00:36:02.000 And just like we've seen elsewhere in Mark, there are no shortages of Old Testament references in this passage. 00:36:02.480 --> 00:36:06.320 Jesus waits six days before ascending the mountain. 00:36:06.559 --> 00:36:13.599 This recalls Moses waiting six days before ascending Mount Sinai, where he would go to encounter God. 00:36:14.239 --> 00:36:22.480 Even the radiant clothing of Jesus during the Transfiguration echoes Moses' appearance when he descended from Mount Sinai. 00:36:23.280 --> 00:36:39.360 And the reunion of Jesus with Moses and Elijah recount previous encounters on mountaintops, as Moses encountered God at Sinai in Exodus 24, and Elijah encountered God at Horeb in 1 Kings 19. 00:36:40.400 --> 00:36:56.719 As we've already established previously in our sermon series on Mark, the preincarnate Jesus is the same Yahweh who appeared throughout the Old Testament in visible form to people like Abraham, Moses, and Elijah. 00:36:56.960 --> 00:37:05.840 The transfiguration is truly a reunion, as Moses and Elijah would have already been familiar with Jesus. 00:37:06.559 --> 00:37:16.159 Adding to this, we hear the voice of God the Father coming from a cloud, declaring, This is my beloved Son, listen to him. 00:37:17.039 --> 00:37:31.440 As you might recall from the very beginning of Mark, during Jesus' baptism, the voice of God the Father spoke from the heavens to declare that Jesus is his beloved Son with whom he is well pleased. 00:37:31.840 --> 00:37:34.960 This repetition echoes Psalm 2, verse 7. 00:37:35.199 --> 00:37:38.079 I will surely tell of the decree of Yahweh. 00:37:38.320 --> 00:37:42.960 He said to me, You are my son, today I have begotten you. 00:37:44.079 --> 00:37:52.079 As you can imagine, all of this must have been terrifying for the three disciples witnessing this event. 00:37:52.480 --> 00:38:10.960 Some might say that this was some sort of hallucination or a really bad trip, but there's no denying the significance of the transfiguration in light of Jesus' resurrection and what it means for life after death for all of God's people. 00:38:12.000 --> 00:38:17.679 Somehow the three disciples were able to recognize Moses and Elijah. 00:38:17.920 --> 00:38:24.639 We know this because Peter awkwardly offers to build tents for them to stay in along with Jesus. 00:38:25.119 --> 00:38:29.760 But this also reveals that Peter didn't understand what he was witnessing. 00:38:29.920 --> 00:38:31.920 They weren't there to camp out. 00:38:32.719 --> 00:38:38.400 We know this because it didn't take long before Moses and Elijah disappeared. 00:38:38.639 --> 00:38:43.679 And in short order, Jesus and the three begin to make their descent. 00:38:44.960 --> 00:38:47.679 Imagine that conversation on the way down. 00:38:49.360 --> 00:39:04.559 Jesus strictly orders them to remain silent about what they saw until the Son of Man rose from the dead, which once again affirms that Jesus must die and be raised again as part of his mission. 00:39:05.039 --> 00:39:20.400 To think that the three were able to witness something as incredible as the transfiguration and ordered to say nothing to anyone until after Jesus dies and rises again. 00:39:21.679 --> 00:39:24.639 That must have been a tough secret to keep. 00:39:25.199 --> 00:39:34.079 And once again, whenever there is misunderstanding that could jeopardize Jesus' mission, he orders them to remain silent. 00:39:35.679 --> 00:39:49.840 Now it's not like the three understood the significance of the transfiguration, but all of this will eventually make sense in light of Jesus' resurrection, which comes later. 00:39:51.360 --> 00:40:01.519 For the disciples and for us, the transfiguration is a glimpse of what lies beyond the cross. 00:40:02.239 --> 00:40:09.599 It reassures us that the suffering we endure on the path of discipleship is not in vain. 00:40:10.559 --> 00:40:14.159 It leads somewhere, it leads to glory. 00:40:14.960 --> 00:40:26.079 Jesus didn't just predict his suffering, he revealed his glory, and in doing so, he gave his followers a reason to endure. 00:40:26.960 --> 00:40:30.800 That's just as true for you and me today. 00:40:31.199 --> 00:40:38.639 The road of discipleship is not easy, it's narrow, it's hard, it hurts. 00:40:39.679 --> 00:40:41.679 Many of you know this firsthand. 00:40:42.719 --> 00:40:53.039 And some of you are walking through seasons of deep sorrow, sickness, loss, or spiritual wariness, even now. 00:40:54.320 --> 00:40:57.039 You don't need a reminder of suffering. 00:40:57.760 --> 00:41:00.639 You carry it with you every day. 00:41:01.119 --> 00:41:04.400 The cross you bear feels heavy. 00:41:04.800 --> 00:41:13.599 At times, it feels like it's digging deep into your soul, and you're not sure how much farther you can go. 00:41:14.719 --> 00:41:17.119 But be encouraged today. 00:41:17.679 --> 00:41:19.280 You are not alone. 00:41:19.599 --> 00:41:24.400 The Lord of the mountaintops is the same Lord of the valleys. 00:41:25.199 --> 00:41:29.039 We have a Savior who knows what it is to suffer. 00:41:29.360 --> 00:41:39.440 He walked the path before us, he endured the cross, despising the shame for the joy set before him. 00:41:40.480 --> 00:41:51.199 Even he, in his moment of greatest weakness, was helped by another, Simon of Cyrene, who carried the cross with him. 00:41:51.679 --> 00:41:57.519 And so too, in our weakness, God meets us with strength. 00:41:58.159 --> 00:42:04.000 My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. 00:42:05.119 --> 00:42:08.159 We don't have to be ashamed of our weakness. 00:42:08.480 --> 00:42:13.039 It's the very place where Christ's power is most clearly seen. 00:42:14.639 --> 00:42:17.599 And we don't walk this path alone. 00:42:18.239 --> 00:42:20.320 We walk it together. 00:42:20.880 --> 00:42:26.800 The church is called to help one another bear the burden of the cross. 00:42:27.119 --> 00:42:30.559 Sometimes we need help carrying it. 00:42:30.800 --> 00:42:34.239 And that's not a failure, that's a gift. 00:42:35.440 --> 00:42:39.920 Remember the image that we began with, the caterpillar in the cocoon. 00:42:40.239 --> 00:42:45.199 It disappears into darkness, silence, stillness. 00:42:45.920 --> 00:42:47.599 It looks like death. 00:42:48.079 --> 00:42:53.360 But within that hidden place, the creator is doing a miracle. 00:42:53.920 --> 00:42:56.559 Transformation is happening. 00:42:56.800 --> 00:43:01.360 The creature that went in crawling comes out flying. 00:43:02.000 --> 00:43:06.639 Once lowly, now radiant, forever changed. 00:43:07.119 --> 00:43:09.599 That's the promise of the gospel. 00:43:09.920 --> 00:43:12.320 That's the path of discipleship. 00:43:12.639 --> 00:43:16.559 For those who are in Christ, the cross is not the end. 00:43:16.800 --> 00:43:19.199 It's the beginning of glory. 00:43:19.920 --> 00:43:33.119 Therefore, we must endure and help each other along the way, lifting our eyes to Jesus, the suffering King, now risen and reigning in glory. 00:43:34.480 --> 00:43:45.840 Paul writes in Romans 8 18, for I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 00:43:46.239 --> 00:43:47.519 Let's pray. 00:43:49.920 --> 00:43:51.119 Oh Lord. 00:43:56.480 --> 00:43:57.760 We praise you this morning. 00:43:57.840 --> 00:44:04.960 We thank you that you were willing to suffer. 00:44:05.760 --> 00:44:22.960 You could have stayed in your place, in the heavens, and yet you came down and took on flesh to walk among us, to live as we live, and to suffer as we suffer. 00:44:24.000 --> 00:44:29.679 And you suffered in the most horrific way imaginable. 00:44:32.079 --> 00:44:37.119 And so you can sympathize with us when we suffer. 00:44:39.199 --> 00:44:42.320 You suffered so that we would not suffer eternally. 00:44:44.159 --> 00:44:54.800 That all who place their faith and hope in you will not ultimately perish, but to have eternal life. 00:44:57.440 --> 00:45:05.840 And just as you revealed your glory in the transfiguration, you revealed your glory in the resurrection. 00:45:07.920 --> 00:45:19.039 And so we can look at that and have hope that we too will be raised, that we too will be given bodies made in glory. 00:45:21.840 --> 00:45:25.199 And it can help us to endure suffering even now. 00:45:25.760 --> 00:45:28.079 So would you help us this morning? 00:45:30.159 --> 00:45:38.239 As we struggle, let us be reminded that we are not called to bear our burdens alone. 00:45:39.760 --> 00:45:46.000 We thank you for your church and that we can bear these burdens together. 00:45:49.039 --> 00:45:49.679 Amen.