Reflections — Pastor’s Blog

Come can be a very friendly verb. “Come in!” welcomes a person who is not sure of how he will be received. “Come with me, we’ll take care of that,” assures someone that a friend is helping her. Come is a crucial concept in Revelation 22:16–21. The conclusion to the last book in the Bible invites, even urges you to come to Jesus. And it calls you to join in a prayer for him to come.

Come to Jesus. Come to the water of life! Revelation 22:17 extends an invitation to anyone who need forgiveness to come. The invitation draws on the one extended in Isaiah 55. Notice the repeated invitation, even command, to come. Buying without money seems contradictory, but the focus in on the rich grace of God. It is totally undeserved, unearned. And it echos and extends the cry of Jesus in John 7:37–39. Water of life here in Revelation is not a substance, but a person. The invitation is to come to Jesus himself, the Savior, the one who, by being slain and rising again in the place of his people, has purchased their redemption. He has not only reconciled us to God, more importantly, he has reconciled God to us. If you have not yet come to Christ, respond to this invitation. Entrust yourself to him. There are no sins so great that the shed blood of Jesus is ineffectual in washing away guilt. No sinful habit or addiction is so strong that it cannot be broken by One who triumphed over death. No suffering or pain is so deep that the Man of Sorrows is unable to meet your need. And if you are in Christ, keep on coming. We do that as we keep coming to him in the Lord’s Supper. Coming to Jesus involves more than just praying a sinner’s prayer. It requires a life of commitment to him. Salvation is based totally on his work in your place, but it also calls you to keep every word that comes from God’s mouth. The warning about not adding to or subtracting from the word of prophecy is placed in this context. You as a congregation will be calling a pastor. Make sure that his focus is not just on dealing with the issues of the day (though that can be a part of the ministry of the Word). Make sure that the next under-shepherd keeps your focus on the Good Shepherd. Jesus Christ is central and his church must continue to recognize that.

“[Revelation] is not a book of riddles but a proclamation of the Great King. The end echoes the beginning. The Great King binds us to His covenantal Word. We live by faith alone, by grace alone, by Scripture alone.”

C. Vanderwaal, Search the Scriptures, Vol. 10, p. 111

As the bride, join in extending the invitation. When you come to Jesus you become part of his bride, the church. It is the Spirit and the bride that issue the invitation. This is essential to the work of the church this side of glory. It is not the most essential part of the work of the church. You have gathered to worship your God, to renew your covenant with him. The task of worshiping and praising God will continue for all eternity, just as it is going on in heaven right now. But, as long as God, in his patience, delays the judgment, as long as there are still sinners to call to repentance, you, the church-bride, join the Spirit in issuing this gracious, urgent invitation. While the church can and should do many good things, crucial to its work this side of glory is making known the good news of Jesus Christ. This text pushes you out of your comfort zone. It makes you look outward, not just at asking how can your needs be met. Some time ago I heard someone who had learned of the shortage of pastors in the OPC and other churches suggest, “Why don’t we just bring our foreign missionaries home to serve churches in this country?” The response I heard, legitimate as far as it went, was to mention logistical difficulties in that. But I wish the response had been broader, pointing to the Great Commission, pointing to the multitude described in Revelation 7, and also reminding the church that her Lord calls her, in Revelation 22, to join with the Holy Spirit in extending the invitation to come to him. You join in extending that invitation as the church preaches the gospel, as you send home and foreign missionaries, as you pray for them, as you support the work of training. You join in that as you quietly talk to a neighbor or friend, as you live a life that motivates people to ask the reason for your being different from them. We live in a dark, troubled world. Notice how John describes both the Spirit and the church as lamps, the Spirit in heaven, the church, through whom he is working, here on earth.

“[I]t is appropriate that the Spirit, symbolized as lamps in heaven (Rev. 4:5), and the church-bride, symbolized as lamps on earth (1:20), now blend their voices to invite this world’s thirsty ones to the water, holding forth the testimony of Jesus for as long as God’s patience delays final judgment.”

Dennis E. Johnson, Triumph of the Lamb, p. 329)

You cannot respond by coming to Jesus, without then also praying for him to come. Come, Lord Jesus. The Son of David assures you that he is coming soon. He is identified as the offspring of David, Revelation 5:5, at the heart of his identity as the Lamb that was slain and is alive. That looks back to Isaiah 11:1, 10. Here, “Offspring” is added. Jesus is the great, messianic king, fulfilling all the prophecies of the Old Testament. He is the light-giving Morning Star (Revelation 2:28 — part of the promise to those in Thyatira who overcome), see Isaiah 60:1–3. The testimony of who he is has been given to you — note that the you in Revelation 22:16 is plural. It is not just to you as an isolated individual, but to you as a church that Jesus speaks his words of assurance.

Say “Amen” to Christ’s coming. Jesus assures you that he is coming. And to that, John adds Amen, indicating certainty. He invites you to join in his prayer for Jesus to come, Revelation 22:21. As you wrestle with sin in your life and see its corrosive effects on those around you — both in the world outside, and even within the church, join in that prayer. As you see pain, sickness, loss, suffering, and death, pray, “Come, Lord Jesus.” But when you pray this prayer as it is found here at the end of the Book of Revelation, it is not a prayer for escape. Rather, it is a prayer for Christ to complete the work that he has been doing throughout his whole work as the Messiah. It is a prayer for him to complete the work he has been doing as the eternal Word. Pray for his kingdom to conquer, for him to bring in the fullness of his kingdom, for him to subdue you totally to himself. The return of Jesus is the inevitable outcome of who he is and what he does. He is the fulfillment of the Father’s plan. He is bringing all things together.

“Because Christ is the savior of the world, he will someday return as its judge…. Because the creation is his work, it cannot and may not remain the booty of Satan. The Son is the head, Lord, and heir of all things. United in the Son, gathered under him as their head, all creatures return to the Father, the fountain of all good. The second coming is therefore required by his first coming.”

Herman Bavinck, Reformed Dogmatics,Vol. 4, p. 685

Because of who Jesus is and what he has done, John can conclude this book that is full of strange symbols and dramatic events, the way that most New Testament letters end: “The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people.”

Have you ever accidentally left out salt when cooking something? Most recipes don’t call for much salt, but you do notice its absence. I n Mark 9:50, Jesus uses the imagery of salt as he summons you to walk in fellowship with him.

You will be salted with fire. Appreciate the imagery of sacrifice. Mark 9:33–50 covers a breadth of topics: Jesus deals with the self-centered conversation of his disciples (verses 33–37), corrects John’s rebuke of a man who had been casting out demons in Jesus’ name (verses 38–41), warns against causing to sin (verses 42–48), and concludes with comments about salt (verses 49 –50). Yet the vocabulary, makes connections among the sayings: “in my name” is repeated, “one of these little ones” in verse 42 looks back to “one of these little children” in verse 37, “it were better for him” links verse 42 with the “it is better for you” repeated in the following verses, and the fire of hell in verse 48 sets the stage for the sacrificial fire of verse 49, and verses 49 and 50 both deal with salt. And, as we will see, not just the vocabulary, but the concepts, are related in a passage which is bookended by the concepts of being at peace with one another. Everyone will be salted with fire, verse 49. Is Jesus talking about the fire of hell in the previous verse, where the worm does not die and the fire is not quenched? But, he says that everyone will be salted with fire, and not everyone endures the judgment of hell. The warning of the preceding verses is strong, but the point is that the person who heeds the warning will not be cast into hell. Rather, Jesus’ words recall the references in the Old Testament to salt as part of sacrifice. It is commanded as part of the grain offerings in Leviticus 2:13, but reference is also made to salt in all your offerings. It is identified as the salt of the covenant, Leviticus 2:13, or as a covenant of salt, Numbers 18:19; 2 Chronicles 13:5. Salt, perhaps representing permanence, is an element in the burnt offerings of the temple in Ezekiel’s vision, 43:24, and in the incense of Exodus 30:35. In the context of summoning his disciples and us to sacrificial obedience, Jesus speaks of everyone being salted with fire, a concept that Paul expands on in Romans 12:1, 2. Just as the Old Testament sacrifices used the fire of judgment, but contained on the altar, rather falling in judgment on the worshiper, so Jesus reminds you that to live as a follower of him involves exposure to, but ultimately deliverance from, the fire of judgment. He is the ultimate sacrifice in your place. He is calling his disciples and you to rest, not on your own efforts, but on him. To follow the Savior, who is on his way to the cross, can involve costly sacrifice. Jesus calls you to more than giving up things–he wants you to consider yourself a sacrificial offering.

“And no one in Scripture speaks of it [eternal punishment in hell] more often and at greater length than our Lord Jesus Christ, whose depth of human feeling and compassion no one can deny and who was he meekest and most humble of human beings. It is the greatest love that threatens the most severe punishments. Over and against the blessedness of eternal life that he acquired for his own stands the disaster of eternal ruin that he announces to the wicked. In the Old Testament both were veiled in shadows and presented in imagery. But in the New Testament it is Chrit who opens a vista both into the depths of outer darkness and into the dwellings of eternal light.”

Herman Bavinck, Reformed Dogmatics, Vol. 4, p. 109

As one who follows Jesus, live in fellowship with your God. The concept of the salt of the covenant reminds you both of God’s utter faithfulness to you and of your calling to walk, to live your daily life in fellowship with him. The emphasis on the covenant, rediscovered in the Protestant Reformation, especially in the branch that grew out of Geneva, safeguards salvation as God-centered. We are followers of Christ, not first of all because of who we are or even because of choices we have made, but because God has graciously reached down and has forgiven our sins. Every sacrifice offered on the altar reminded the sinner that the substitute animal on the altar was undergoing the judgment he deserved. Let the Reformation remind you to trust Christ alone, not your own works. The God who redeems you also summons you to walk in fellowship with him. Both formal worship and a life of obedient fellowship are a response to the grace of God in the Messiah. That divides the world into two camps: those who are part of the kingdom, and those who are not. Thus Jesus corrects John’s effort to stop a man from casting out evil spirits, verses 38–40. Apparently this man, though not “one of us” in the sense that he was part of the inner 12, was one who trust in Christ, and acted in his name (in contrast with a superstitious use of Christ’s name). This man seems to have been acting out of stronger faith than what had been displayed by the disciples earlier in the chapter. In contrast with the exclusivisim and guarding of territory by the disciples, Jesus points out that even a small act done in his name and for his sake marks the doer as part of his kingdom.

Because you belong to God’s kingdom, be salt! Do battle with sin. Jesus warns against tolerating sin, verses 42–48. He begins by emphasizing the judgment that God visits on those who harm or lead astray his little ones. He includes children, but also all of those who trust him (and thus are like children, see verses 36, 37). Death would be better than facing God’s judgment (and the graphic description of drowning may reflect judgment carried out by Romans on rebellious Galileans). Jesus continues by dramatically warning against the danger of allowing sin to continue in your life. The hands, feet, and eyes, are concrete representations of the person who uses these members to sin. Although the language of Jesus is hyperbole (he is not advocating self-mutilation–blinding yourself in one eye won’t necessarily prevent using the other for lust), don’t let that detract from the force of what Jesus is saying. Your life, your eternal life, is much more important than your hand, foot, or eye–or any other part of you which you might use for sinful purposes. The wages of sin is still death, and we all need to hear that warning. Jesus uses the stern language of the closing verse of Isaiah (66:24) to warn that God’s eternal punishment falls on the disobedient. Jesus is warning the disciples and us that we must do battle against sin. Toleration of sin, compromise with it, leads to fatal consequences. Several years ago Aron Ralston, then 27, used his pocket knife to amputate his arm when trapped by a falling boulder while climbing in a slit canyon in Utah. He made the grim choice because his life depended on it. You may not, you must not allow your hand to strike out in anger, to reach out to steal or to click on a questionable website. Don’t let your foot take you someplace that causes you to sin. Guard your eyes, lest they lead you into covetousness or lust. And Jesus is concerned, not just about our physical bodies, but also about what goes on in our minds and hearts. Give up, surrender, anything that stands between you and your God, anything that competes for the central place that belongs to the Savior. Stop finding reasons to tolerate just that little bit of compromise in your life. The Reformation was accused of removing the motivation for Christians, who believe in God’s free grace, to lead holy lives. But the God who justifies also works by his Spirit in the lives of those who belong to him. Sanctification, no less than justification, is the result of God’s gracious activity, and is no less part of God’s great saving work. Be salt! In his call to a salty life, Jesus summons you to a life permeated by his grace, lived throughout to his glory. Saltless salt is a contradiction — and so is a believer in whom God’s Spirit is not graciously working.

“Either sin must die, or we must die. If… we be ruled by sin, we shall inevitably be ruined by it; if we must keep our two hands, and two eyes, and two feet, we must with them be cast into hell.”

Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible, at Mark 9:42–48

Live in peace. This section begins with Jesus questioning his disciples about their conversation, verse 33. Jesus had again spoken of his death and resurrection, and the disciples dared not ask him about it. Picture Jesus leading the group, and none daring to walk beside him and ask for elaboration. Instead they are in a pack behind, probably whispering. Peter, you were just up there on the mountain with him, you ask him what he meant. Me, don’t you remember that he called me Satan last time I raised the topic — no, one of you ask him. That kind of conversation morphed into a discussion (to which the disciples kept being drawn back) as to which of them was the greatest. In that context Jesus takes a very young child in his arms, a child without influence or standing, and reminds his disciples that the welcome they give to the weak and helpless like this child is the welcome they give to both him — and to the one who sent him. The Suffering Servant summons you to be a servant if you are following him. Ask yourself, if how you receive those with no visible importance or standing is the measure of your discipleship, what kind of disciple are you? Jesus returns to that topic as he concludes this section in verse 50. To be salty is not to use rough language, but is something that is visible in living at peace with one another. That’s genuine, excellent salt that flavors your whole life.

The Lord who is the ultimate sacrifice of the covenant summons you to be the salt of the covenant, offering yourself in obedient, peaceful service to him.

The trouble with mountain top experiences is that you have to descend from the mountain. The situation into which Jesus descended contrasts sharply with what he had experienced on the Mount of Transfiguration, as Mark 9:14–32 records.

You need faith! Jesus grieves over an unbelieving generation. Jesus descends into conflict. A crowd surrounds the remaining disciples and a group of teachers of the law are arguing with them. And at the center of the commotion is a man who has come to the disciples for healing for his son, who was possessed by an evil spirit, but they had been unable to do so. Jesus points out unbelief: The characterization as “unbelieving” and the rhetorical questions of verse 19 are directed towards the crowd, eager to see Jesus work a miracle, even welcoming him, but failing to recognize who he really is, and failing to trust him as the Messiah. To the extent that our society is religious, much of it might well be described similarly by Jesus. We want religion, but we want it on our own terms. We want a God on whom we can depend in times of crisis and need, but trust and commitment are a different matter. The characterization certainly is directed to the teachers of the law, who appear to be present for the purpose of disputing with the disciples. They had criticized Jesus for casting out evil spirits, and were hardly looking at the activity of the disciples in a more favorable light. The words of Jesus describe the skepticism of the desperate father, “If you can do anything….” And the anguished questions are addressed to the disciples. No they were not utterly devoid of faith, they are still followers of Jesus. But their faith is too weak to handle the challenges of the teachers of the law and the unbelief around them. Though they had been given the authority to cast out evil spirits, and had used it (Mark 6:7, 13), their efforts were futile this time. It is as though the disciples can hardly be distinguished from the unbelieving world around them. Similarly we, the people of God, can find ourselves frustrated and seemingly helpless in face of a world in opposition to God. Jesus’ words, especially the contrasting “I” and “you,” recall the Lord’s conflict with his people, their distress becoming his, Isaiah 63:8–10. His cry is one of anguish, while not regretting his messianic work, he does express frustration with the people he has come to redeem. Jesus does not soft-pedal his disappointment. Nor does he allow excuse (such as, after all, we’re only human and we’re dealing with something bigger than we are). The problem that Jesus identifies with his disciples, and often with us, is unbelief.

Jesus’ cry pushes you to ask, on what does my faith depend? The disciples, perhaps because of their earlier success, may have been looking at their own strength and abilities. Jesus was not with the body of disciples when the father came for help — they felt it was up to them, and tried to act in their own strength. They failed to recognize that the authority they had exercised was Christ’s not their own. You and I face different situations (probably none of us are going to be asked to cast out an evil spirit who is causing epileptic-like symptoms), but we face similar temptations to go it alone, to act in our own strength and wisdom. How do you respond when you tensions in your family life? What is your first reaction when a difficult situation comes up at work? What do you do when you face a challenging situation in school? Do you draw first on your experience, on the resources of the world around you? When Jesus challenged the father’s doubt (“if you can”), he recognized his own lack of faith, and asked for Christ’s help in overcoming his unbelief. At the heart of faith is looking outside of yourself to another. That is what Abram does in Genesis 15:6. Though his faith is not flawless (here he is considering making Eliezer his heir, later he and Sarai try to provide the promised child via the relationship with Hagar), ultimately he rests on God’s promise. He believes God, and that placing your trust, not in yourself, but in God, lies at the heart of your Christian faith.

“Faith is man in his weakness trusting God’s promise in his word. Only through such weakness is the strength of God seen…. Jesus’ actions pointed forward to the time when he would conquer all the powers of darkness — in the weakness of the cross and the triumph of his own resurrection.”

Sinclair B. Ferguson, Let’s Study Mark, p. 145

Turn to your faithful Savior for help. Jesus is ultimately the one who believes. In Mark 9:23 Jesus reproves the father’s skeptical “if you can.” He tells him (and us) that all things are possible for him who believes. Faith is sometimes misconstrued as something that we crank up, and when we work it up to a certain level, we receive what we pray for. I have seen the pastorally crippling effect of a faith healer blaming failed healings on lack of faith on the part of the sufferer. Notice the ambiguity in Jesus’ response. He is calling the father to greater faith, to overcome his doubt — and the father responds appropriately. Certainly Jesus is calling each of us to more faithful trust in him. But in speaking of the one who believes, Jesus appears to be speaking ultimately of himself. You and I trust in Christ for the forgiveness of our sins. He never sinned, and does not need faith in that way. Yet, he is the believing One, entrusting himself to his Father in heaven, as he walks the road to Jerusalem to suffer and die. He is the believing one, who contrasts himself with the unbelieving generation. He is the sin-bearer, and he is trusting his Father in heaven to vindicate him as he faithfully does his work. Jesus is not just encouraging the father and the disciples to fan the embers of faith a bit, to raise the level of their faith thermometer a little. Rather, he is inviting, he is commanding his audience there, and you and me, to entrust ourselves to him. He is the One who believes. Nor is he simply holding out his faith as an example to motivate us. Rather, he, by faith, is providing himself as the sin-bearer, undergoing the curse for his people. Notice that God strengthens Abram’s faith in Genesis 15 by that strange vision of the burning torch passing between the cut animals. As Jeremiah 34:18 indicates, that is God taking the curse of the covenant upon himself. As Jesus goes to the cross (this incident is bracketed by references to the death and resurrection) he is the reality of what Abram was given in a vision. In his own trust in the Father, Jesus has the authority to cast out the evil spirit (notice his claim to absolute authority), commanding it never to return. The convulsing attack as the spirit departs leaves the boy appearing (though not really) dead. And in actions and words that recall his raising the daughter of Jairus, Jesus takes his hand and commands him to rise. The resurrection power of the Lord is brought to bear in this situation that anticipates his own passage through death into new power. As you entrust yourself to your faithful Savior, be assured that his power and grace are with you in whatever you face this week. Our prayers may not always be answered in exactly the way we expect and hope, but the Lord will be with you, giving you the grace and the strength to face each of those situations (family tensions, problems at work, difficulty in school).

“True faith, in short, is the great benefit of the covenant of grace by which we are incorporated into Christ and accept him with all his benefits. Just as the offer of the grace of God in Christ must be preached to all, so it may be accepted by all with a childlike faith.”

“This certainty, which relates both to the objective grace of God in Christ, and to the believer’s subjective participation in it, is not an external additive to faith but is in principle integral to it from the start. It is not obtained by looking at ourselves but by looking away from ourselves to Christ. It is grounded in the promises of God, not in changing experiences or imperfect good works. Doubts and fears do certainly arise from time to time in the believer’s heart (Matt. 8:25; 14:30; Mark 9:24), and believers must fight against them throughout their lives. However, they can only wage that struggle and only prevail in that struggle by the power of the faith that holds on to God’s promise, rests in the completed work of Christ, and is thus by nature, certain.”

Herman Bavinck, Reformed Dogmatics, Vol. 4, pages 130–132

Ask God to help your unbelief. The father of the boy gets it right in his cry to Jesus, “I do believe, help me overcome my unbelief.” He knows he is speaking to the right person. Like the Psalms, which sometimes bang on the gates of heaven, crying out for God to hear and answer, the focus is on God. Keep this father’s prayer in mind as you come to the Lord’s Table today (and other days). Self-examination is something we need to do — but it is not primarily making sure that our faith is up to a certain level at which we may safely come to the Lord’s Table. It’s not that we check things off (I haven’t gossiped all week, so I can partake). Rather, it is a matter of recognizing the body of Christ, first in the most basic sense (am I trusting in Christ, am I baptized into him, am I part of Christ’s body?), and then in the related sense, where the Corinthians seemed to fall so short (do I recognize that God’s people are his body and am I living as part of that body?). As you repent of your sins, including the sin of unbelief, as you cry, I believe, help my unbelief, Christ invites you as a repentant sinner to come to him and be fed. The disciples took advantage of the privacy of a house to ask Jesus why they had failed in casting out this evil spirit. Jesus points them to the need for prayer. (“Fasting” is missing from some of the older manuscripts, and may not have been something Jesus said here. If it is original, he means fasting as it is part of a life of prayer — not as the Pharisees made it, an effort at self-righteousness.) Prayer at its heart involves faith, turning from trusting yourself to the power and faithfulness of your Savior. Prayer is crucial to walking by faith, not by sight, 2 Corinthians 5:7.

Believing in Christ is not only a mountain-top experience of coming to trust him for the first time. It is also living your daily life, not only your quiet time and prayer life, but also the big and little decisions you make, not in your own strength and wisdom, but recognizing your own weakness and resting on the faithfulness and power of your Savior.

Jesus has just spoken to his disciples about some grim realities involved in following him. They include taking up your cross and giving up your life. But, in Mark 9:2–10, Jesus also shows representatives of his disciples an anticipation of his triumph.

Hear Jesus because he is the well-loved Son. The glory of God envelops the mountain of transfiguration. The setting — a mountain covered with cloud — evokes images of theophanies in the Old Testament — see Exodus 19; 24; 34; 1 Kings 19:9–18. The presence here of Elijah and Moses speaking with Jesus recalls their involvement in those theophanies, even though the mountain is different. And, like the Old Testament events, this is marked by the voice of God. The cloud, like the Shekinah glory, speaks of the very presence of God. The glory of the Lord and the sound of his voice in the Exodus created dread in the Israelites. Correspondingly, here intense fear is given in verse 6 for impetuous Peter blurting out the suggestion of making three shelters (totally missing the role of Elijah and Moses as servants of the Messiah). In an interesting parallel to the fear mentioned here just after the “hinge” is the note of fear at the close of the book in the context of the news of the resurrection.

The Father affirms his love for his Son. The voice of God is a crucial element in the transfiguration. The message here parallels the voice which Jesus heard at his baptism, Mark 1:11. In that case it was addressed directly to Jesus, in the second person. Here, with the three disciples as witnesses, it is third person. In both cases the Father’s voice (it is the Son who is addressed or spoken of) affirms his love or approval of the Son. This is particularly significant here, as Jesus has just spoken of his suffering and shameful death on the cross. Instead of being proof of God’s displeasure, the path of obedience is affirmed by the voice of the Father. And this time the emphasis is on listening to the Son.

“At the transfiguration mount, too, where the divine voice intimates that the divine favor continues to rest upon the Son as he goes to the cross, Jesus himself speaks of the new era which is in prospect through the approaching resurrection of the Son of Man (Mt. 17:9; cf. Mk. 9:9). The glory which belongs to the Son of Man will not wait to appear unto his return on the clouds of heaven; it will be manifested likewise through another stupendous supernatural event, the resurrection of the crucified one from the dead. It is through this exaltation of the Son of Man that he will first enter upon a full exercise of his sovereignty in the establishment of his rule and realm.”

Ned B. Stonehouse, The Witness of Matthew and Mark to Christ, pages 237–238

Listen to Jesus because of his messianic office. Listen to the great King. He appears in his kingdom, with power and glory, Mark 9:1. Although the coming may point to a number of events (the resurrection, Pentecost, the establishment of the church, the destruction of Jerusalem) as well as the final coming in the last day, the time indicator in Mark 9:2 takes you to the closest fulfillment. The term, Son of Man (Mark 9:1, 9, 12), points to the kingly power of the Lord. The transfiguration is a foretaste of the glory and power in which the Son would be confirmed upon his resurrection. (His thoughts are clearly on the resurrection, as verse 9 indicates.) The transfiguration assures the Savior that in selecting the path of obedient suffering he has indeed chosen the path that leads to glory. The transfiguration reminds the disciples and you that Christ’s suffering is something that he willingly and consciously undertakes. The Lord who was so spectacularly transfigured did not have to suffer and die — at least not from any outward compulsion. He laid down his life, and he rose again. Because you are united with the glorious King, the dominion of sin is broken in your life. The Lord in whom you trust, the Lord to whom you are united by faith, is victorious–and that impacts your life and the lives of all God’s people.

Hear Jesus because of his priestly work. Appearing with Jesus on the mountain were Elijah and Moses, representing the prophets and the law. Jesus is the fulfillment of both. Their presence reminds you that Jesus comes to fulfill all the Old Testament prophecies and pictures. He is the Passover lamb as well as the priest offering the sacrifice. (Luke tells you that they discussed with Jesus his “exodus.”) Jesus is reassured that his work as priest will be acceptable. Your life is acceptable to God because Christ’s priestly work is being accepted. The glory of Christ on that transfiguration day is a glory in which you share–just as you share in his sufferings.

Listen to the prophet greater than Moses. He is the beloved Son–because of that listen to him, especially as reveals the Father. He is the prophet like Moses, and even greater than Moses, Deuteronomy 18. He is the final, the definitive revelation of God. In a world that picks and chooses whom to listen to, his is the voice you must hear. His words about cross-bearing are for you to listen to — and to obey. His comforting assurance of the resurrection speaks to your conscience as it wrestles with guilt. It would have been wonderful to have been able to follow Peter, James, and John up that mountain and to hear the voice of the Father. But Peter, after reflecting on that experience (2 Peter 1:16–18), points you to the inscripturated Word of God, 2 Peter 1:19–21. Pay attention to Jesus as he comes to you clothed in the gospel.

Jesus is your Prophet, Priest, and King. Heed God’s voice, listen to Jesus, and obey his command to follow him. Listen with the assurance that the glory which Christ tasted briefly in the Transfiguration is a glory which you share with the risen Lord.

Have you heard someone say: “We’re going out. Are you coming?” In Mark 8:34 Jesus challenges you to follow him — and outlines the cost of doing so.

Come after Jesus. Follow Jesus as he travels to Jerusalem. Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem. Although the destination is not explicitly named until Mark 10:32–34, Mark seems to be describing a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Deuteronomy 16 describes the three major feasts at which the Israelites were to gather at the place the Lord would choose: Passover, Weeks, Tabernacles. The feast to which Jesus is described as traveling to is the Feast of Passover. Don’t overlook the corporate aspect of the trip. The Passover was a feast looking back at God delivering his people. And it was observed by the people going up. God’s people are consistently described as going up to Jerusalem. The mountain is where God meets with his people: Eden Ezekiel 28:13–14, Ararat, Sinai, Jerusalem. Don’t overlook the corporate aspect of your life as a Christian. You need the rest of the body of Christ as you follow Jesus. Follow the Savior on this journey. He begins it with an invitation.

What makes this journey unique is that you are called to follow Jesus, the Christ. This is the Savior whom Peter has just confessed to be the Christ. Jesus is on his way to the cross. This is a Passover observance, but not just any Passover. This is the Passover to end all Passovers, the one at which the Messiah will be offered as the great Passover lamb. The speaker is the glorious Son of Man. Jesus’ self-designation looks back to the clouds of Daniel 7. You do not repeat Christ’s work, but you are united with him in his sufferings and death as well as in the glory to which he has ascended.

What do you do to accompany Jesus on this journey? Deny, take up, and follow. Deny yourself. This is not denying yourself certain things. People may give up something for Lent. Some Christians treat certain substances as evil — as though sin lies in things, rather than in our hearts. Too often this kind of denial turns into an effort at self-righteousness. Rather, Jesus calls you to deny yourself. Lose your life by saving it. Behind Jesus words lie Psalm 49, a wisdom Psalm, parallel to the Book of Proverbs. The later part of the Psalm reflects on the one who is rich — but without wisdom. (Wisdom in this kind of setting involves a right understanding of God and of your relationship with him.) Trust in self and in riches leads to destruction. The Psalm also points out the impossibility of giving a payment or a ransom for a life. Save your life by losing it! Autosoterism, efforts to save yourself, fail. Jesus invites, even commands you to surrender yourself to him. Replace the centrality of self with a willingness to submit, regardless of the cost, to God. Only in that surrender is the ultimate deliverance. Fight the tendency to serve God–with qualifications.

Jesus sharpens the point — Take up your cross! Your cross is not the trials of life, or tiresome people. You are united with Christ in his suffering and death. Grasp the powerful language Jesus uses. (Think of a noose tied to a tree or hung from a pickup truck.) But Jesus is not just using the image for shock value. And he is certainly not using it as a means of intimidation or an expression of hatred. Being subject to crucifixion in the first century meant that you were less than. Roman citizens were not subject to that form of punishment — it was reserved for barbarians and slaves. Jesus, the God-man, was willing to be less than in order to bear the penalty for your sin and be your Savior. Though the Passover journey is a corporate one, notice that here Jesus addresses the individual. There is no just coming along for the ride on this. Everyone is summoned to take up his cross. Jesus is speaking to you. You are summoned to die to sin and to self. You are involved in a radical commitment, and Jesus tells you to count the cost. In some corners of American Christianity, even some Reformed circles, that concept gets lost in the idea of the church achieving earthly dominion, sometimes regardless of the cost to biblical standards.

“Jesus announces as an absolutely requisite, ‘life-saving’ condition of discipleship: ‘If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me’ (Luke 9:23–24; cf. Matt.10 :38; 16:24; Mark 8:34; Luke 14:27). Cross-bearing is a comprehensive description of kingdom-discipleship, as the qualification ‘daily’ makes explicit. In response to the disciples’ request for prominent kingdom status — kingdom ‘dominion,’ if you will — the only promise Jesus has for them (and us), this side of his return, is the ‘fellowship of sharing in his sufferings’ (cf. Phil. 3:10): ‘You will drink the cup I drink and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with’ (Mark 10:37, 39). John has got it just right: until Jesus comes again, the presence of the kingdom is bracketed by the realities of ‘suffering’ and ‘endurance’ (Rev. 1:9; cf. 3:11; 22:7, 12. 20).”

Richard B. Gaffin Jr, Word and Spirit, page 716

Follow Jesus. Follow Jesus in this sinful generation. You live in a world that is fallen, a world that has rebelled against its rightful Lord. And consistent following of Jesus can be very unpopular. You may met scorn from teachers, ridicule from classmates and “friends.” You may dismissed as sel-righteous or hypocritical. But be willing to confess Jesus’ name. Be willing to follow him. Follow Jesus in glory. Jesus puts the consequences in the negative. Denying him today means that he will deny you when he returns in glory. He paints the picture, not only mentioning his coming, but the presence of a heavenly army of glorious angels. In that day the saddest words will be, “I never knew you, depart from me.” But the implication, made explicit in Matthew, is that Jesus will confess, openly and publicly, before his Father in that glorious day, that we sinners belong to him. We are those for whom he died, whose forgiveness he purchased, whom he has enabled to glorify and serve him in this wicked generation. That glory was anticipated in the Transfiguration, it became true of Christ in his resurrection, but it still looks forward to its fullness in the last day.

Jesus invites you on a journey. Yes, it leads to Jerusalem, and you are called to take up your cross. But it also leads beyond the cross to glory. And the choice you make today can have implications for all eternity. Jesus summons you to trust him and to follow him.