God’s Glory and My Beloved Son 14-02-2021

14th February 2021
Transfiguration Sunday
Title: God’s Glory & My Beloved Son
(2 Kings 2:1-12; Mark 9:2-9)
By Heeyoung Lim 

There are many connections between Moses and Elijah in the Bible such as the separation of water, fire from heaven, meeting the Lord on Mount Sinai, and so on. The two leaders ended their earthly lives in remarkable ways, and they are associated with each other on the Mount of Jesus’ transfiguration in Mark 9.
Regarding the separation of water, the Red Sea and the Jordan River are different, but God was at His work in the same way. They were wonderful leaders, both had important successors (Joshua and Elisha) who extended the work the Lord had given them to do and experienced amazing moments. God made them leaders and witnesses for God’s work.
During Elijah and Elisha’s walking and talking, a chariot of fire and something else appeared and separated the two of them. Elijah’s departure happened through supernatural intervention.
The history of interpretation for this text focuses on Elijah’s ascension and its relation to his unended life. Elijah’s ascension signifies hope and presence of the spirit’s continuation since he was taken up without dying, (2 Kings 2:12)
Chariots and horses were military symbols, but they represented God himself as the ultimate protection of his people.
There were special words and meaning we need to remember in today’s text. Those were “Stay here” from Elijah & “I will not leave you.” From Elisha. Elijah gave Elisha three opportunities to leave, and each time Elisha said no at a respectful distance. The loss of Elijah did not prevent Elisha from what must be done because it was not a person’s ministry but God’s.
Elisha’s faithfulness provides inspiration in a world of disposable relationships and temporary loyalties. His faithfulness to the process allowed and influenced his transformation. Transfiguring by faithful journey will be connected to transformation.
A dying man would traditionally say a blessing over his successors in those days. The leadership will pass on to Elisha from Elijah as it had been done from Moses to Joshua. When Elijah was asked about the blessing, Elisha replied, let me inherit a double portion of your spirit. (7) It was Elisha’s response after Elijah’s blessing.
Elisha knew that he had been appointed to be Elijah’s successor (1 Kgs. 19:19-21). But he needed Elijah’s God-given empowerment for the task. (2 Kings 2:7)
The departure of Elijah into heaven was filled with divine symbolism, and God had enabled Elisha to witness the departure of his mentor. (7,13)
We need more than God’s appointment for a position; we need to be anointed through His Spirit. That means spiritual condition is more important than our ministry position.
Position without power, is a burden not a blessing. Every single person is precious, and all roles are important in our lives and our service, but our trust and focus need to be on the Lord alone.
When God gives opportunities, our primary concern needs to be integrity and faithfulness to the Lord, not the impression we are making on others. We need to focus on the God of people, not the people of God.
While Elijah may have departed, everything of God remained. Israel’s need was not Elijah but the Lord. Elisha’s focus was on the God of the man, not the man. He had been given not only Elijah’s position but his power as well.
Our need is also not just being appointed by God to a position but being anointed by Him to carry out His missional tasks. In the reign of God, strength comes from weakness, glory from despair. We can invite people to be transformed and transfigured inside out under God’s protection. Today’s text from the Gospel of Mark is about a transfiguration story on the mountain.
What is it like on a mountain top? Some of us may have driven or climbed to a mountain lookout. I have been to the height with 1708 meter of Seorak-San (Mountain), 1947 meter of Halla San (Mountain) and so many mountains, and I had lots of hiking opportunities in South Korea. I can remember sitting on top of a mountain looking at God’s beautiful creations and thinking of God’s love. Those were good chances to spend time with God and others with a thankful heart. Jesus was on the mountain with His disciples.
When people were speculating that Jesus is one of the prophets, Peter confessed that Jesus is the Messiah. (8:29) Crucifixion and resurrection go together in Mark’s Gospel. Crucifixion is in Jesus’ future, but God’s glory and power are his as well. (Mark 9:9) Jesus knew that he would be rejected and killed by people, but he will rise on the third day and return in glory.
Jesus took with him Peter and James and John and led them up a high mountain. He was indeed clothed in the dazzling light of God on the mountain. The Transfiguration gave the disciples the experience of witnessing a most amazing moment that attracts them to want to stay there.
The appearance of Moses and Elijah from the Scriptures represent the Law and the Prophets, but Jesus is higher and greater than the law and the two representatives.
The transfiguration of Jesus reveals his true glory. Jesus on the mountain with Moses and Elijah is not transformed but transfigured before his disciples.
Transformation is more about complete inner change, but transfiguration is more about the change of appearance. One of the differences between transformation and transfiguration is vision.
However, His transfiguration transforms the disciples by witnessing in the text and transforms us by removing our biased and limited vision in our lives.
Jesus’ disciples are confronted with Jesus’ glory three times in the Gospel of Mark: First, the feeding of the 5,000 (6:47–52), then seeing Jesus transfigured (9:2–9), and the resurrection of Jesus. (16:1–8) Peter, James, and John saw the glory of the Lord by Jesus’ transfiguration.
In the transfiguration story, from the cloud there came a voice,
“This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him!” Suddenly when they looked around, they saw no one with them anymore, but only Jesus. (9:7-8)
The voice of God, speaking the same words that were spoken at Jesus’ baptism. (Matt. 3:17)
“You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased” (Mark 1:11)
There was a difference between the two. The voice of God from a cloud confirmed Jesus is God’s beloved Son and let the followers listen to Him. It was directed at the disciples, to the church, rather than to the Son as it was at his baptism. The speaker was God, and the love of God was presented and declared in both baptism and transfiguration.
Jesus’ transfiguration lay in the halfway between Jesus’ baptism and his resurrection on His journey for salvation.
We can hear God’s voice through this text together, “Listen to Him.” Do we try to listen to Him in our lives? We are witnesses on our faith Journey as the three disciples became witnesses in this story. We can say that we experienced suffering and the glory of God in the past, and we are also laying in the road between cross and resurrection in the present.
As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus commanded the disciples to keep silent until after they had witnessed his death and resurrection. We are still in the heavenly mystery and God’s veiled plan on the road as in verse 9.
The Christian life needs to be balanced between mountaintop solitude with God and valley service for others, because we need to respond to the Lord by spending time with Jesus on the mountain and serving for others in the valley. Christians are not called to exhibit a passive love that simply tries to be good and avoid evil. The love of the cross and the hope of resurrection should work in our lives in the power of Christ.
From the transfiguration to the resurrection, we need to walk the way of the cross and the way of suffering. It is the road we walk with Jesus. I hope and pray we can commit ourselves to walk with Jesus on the road. I believe Jesus will lead us the God’s glory and the life of resurrection on the road.
This week on Ash Wednesday 17th February, we begin the walk of the cross as God’s beloved children. When we leave here today, we will also be on our way to the cross by listening to Him, living out the Gospel, praising the Lord, and so on.
Whatever we do or wherever we go, we walk with Jesus, a way that leads to suffering and God’s glory at the same time. I believe we will have a new perspective as we walk the painful way of the cross actively in the love of God, for we know that Jesus is with us on the way!

Thanks be to God! Amen!