Where to Find God's Glory

2 Corinthians 3:18 – "And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory."

Mark 9:2–8 (NIV)

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. His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus. 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." (He did not know what to say, they were so frightened.) Then a cloud appeared and covered them, and a voice came from the cloud: "This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!" Suddenly, when they looked around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus.

• "After six days," the cloud, the voice: Mark wants us to see Moses on Sinai, who asked God, "Show me your glory," and came down with a face that glowed. Moses glowed like the moon catching the sun. He stood near Someone glorious and caught the reflection.

Moses reflected the glory. Jesus produces it. Moses only caught the light; Jesus is the light, and even this much glory was something the disciples could not hold.

• The voice does not say a great teacher. It says, "This is my Son. Listen to him": the One the whole book has been about is standing there, glowing.

The entire life of Jesus is glory coming down. God's brightest moment and his darkest moment are the same moment, because glory was always heading down to reach us.

• There is a second mountain coming: the cross, written like a photo negative of this one.
• Down the mountain, down to a cross, down into a grave. It already came down for you, all the way down.

Ours is not a scheduling problem. It is a worship problem. We wear ourselves out asking created things to do what only God can do, when the change actually comes by looking, not climbing.

• The feeling fades, and something in us starts climbing again: the next win, the next compliment, the next spiritual high. Asking a sunset or a promotion to be God, it buckles under the weight, so we climb again and end up bone tired.

2 Corinthians 3:18 (NIV)

And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

• "Are being transformed" is the same word as "transfigured." You become what you look at, and unlike Moses this glory goes from glory to glory and never fades.

Do not climb. Look. When the feeling fades, the answer is not to grit your teeth and climb harder but to turn your face toward Christ.

• Open Mark tomorrow before you touch your phone, or take one verse and turn it over all day. That is what meditation actually is: filling your head with one true thing until it soaks in.

You do not climb to this table. You cannot earn your way to the table; you open empty hands and receive the glory that already came down. You do not clean yourself up first; you come with empty hands and receive what came down.

Sermon Resources

"We do not want merely to see beauty, though, God knows, even that is bounty enough. We want something else which can hardly be put into words, to be united with the beauty we see, to pass into it, to receive it into ourselves, to bathe in it, to become part of it." —C.S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory

That's how it was on this mountain (which, by the way, was probably Mount Hermon, just north of Caesarea Philippi, though the rival candidate, Mount Tabor in central Galilee, is also possible). What was the inner reality of Jesus' work? He was continuing and completing the tasks of the great prophet Elijah, and, behind him, of the greatest prophet of old, Moses himself. Both of them, interestingly, had disappeared from view rather than died in the ordinary way, surrounded by their families and friends; legends grew up about their being somehow spared proper death. Now they reappear, with the veil of ordinariness drawn back for a moment, and Jesus is with them, shining with a brilliant light. People are often fuzzy about what this means. It isn't a revelation of Jesus' divinity; if it were, that would make Elijah and Moses divine too, which Mark certainly doesn't want us to think. Once again, Mark believes in Jesus' divinity, but hasn't yet told us why. Rather, as the similar experiences of mystics in various ages and cultures would suggest, this is a sign of Jesus being entirely caught up with, bathed in, the love, power and kingdom of God, so that it transforms his whole being with light, in the way that music transforms words that are sung. This is the sign that Jesus is not just indulging in fantasies about God's kingdom, but that he is speaking and doing the truth. It's the sign that he is indeed the true prophet, the true Messiah. —N.T. Wright

5–6 As a hollow mortal in the searing light of the eternal, Peter suggests building shelters. Peter's proposal, especially in light of Mark's editorial comment that "he did not know what to say," is often thought foolish. The suggestion was not foolish in one sense, however, for Judaism held onto the hope that God would once again tabernacle with his people as in the Exodus. "Make a right confession to the Lord and bless the King of the ages, so that once again his dwelling [Gk. skēnē] may be erected with you in joy" (Tob 13:11). Josephus also records the hope of a new and literal tabernacle in the wilderness (Ant. 20.167; War 2.259). In Zech 14:16–19 the Feast of Booths assumes eschatological proportions. In this respect, Peter's proposal of tabernacles on the Mount of Transfiguration was fitting for a pious and knowledgeable Jew. What Peter must come to understand, however, is that God is providing his own tabernacle in which to dwell. Origen remarked that the cloud replaced the tents that Peter proposed. That is close but not correct. Before Peter's very eyes God's dwelling with humanity is present, for Jesus is the new tabernacle of God dwelling with humanity. Peter cannot establish Jesus; rather, it is Jesus who establishes Peter by his call to discipleship (1:17) and fellowship to be with him (3:14). The revelation of Jesus' divine nature before the disciples attests that "the dwelling place of God is with men, and he will live with them" (Rev 21:3). —James Edwards

Who Should Come to the Lord's Table?

Those who are truly sorrowful for their sins, and yet trust that these are forgiven them for the sake of Christ; and that their remaining infirmities are covered by his passion and death; and who also earnestly desire to have their faith more and more strengthened, and their lives more holy; but hypocrites, and such as turn not to God with sincere hearts, eat and drink judgment to themselves. 1 Cor. 10:19-22; 11:26-32, Ps. 50:14-16; Isa. 1:11-17

– Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 81