Mark 9:1-4 The Transfiguration
Format for Your Devotions
Instructions: Do not read my example devotion until you have completed your own devotional time in the scriptures. Reading my thoughts first may limit your own understanding. Let the Holy Spirit speak to you alone before looking to see what anyone else has to say, whether it is me, a Bible commentary, or a friend. Let God speak to you before you let another person speak to you. I have provided a format, but modify it to fit your needs. For example, I usually combine my application and prayer together talking to God about the application to my own life. You can go through this devotion process mentally, speaking out loud, or in writing as you wish. Don’t worry if you are not following this process exactly. Sometimes, I add extra information and sometimes I emphasize one part more than others. However, you should always think about what you learn about God from this passage.
Step 1: Pray–Ask for the Holy Spirit’s guidance first of all and that God may reveal the lessons that He wants you to have that day. Request that God protect you from Satan’s distractions (and the devil will try to distract you whether it is pinching the baby or putting you to sleep). Ask to see God more clearly as you read and think about the passage.
Step 2: Read the passage–Read to get an overview of the information first. Then start looking at specific parts after the first reading. You may read a larger or smaller section than I have here because you do not have to follow my organization at all.
Step 3: Understand the passage–You can summarize, ask and answer your own questions about the passage, visualize the story, analyze the characters, and relate this passage to other scriptures and personal experiences.
Step 4: What does this reveal about God?–What do you learn about the Father, Son, and/or Holy Spirit from this passage?
Step 5: Apply this to your own life.
Step 6: Prayer
My Example Devotion: February 21, 2018, Mark 9:1-4
Note: In the devotion examples, I leave my questions and thought processes in the text because I am trying to demonstrate that a devotional time is a dialogue with God about what you are reading from His word. As such, any questions or ideas that you have should be explored by talking it out with God. These example devotions are not my attempts to teach you what the meaning of a particular scripture is. They are an attempt to teach you the process of devotions, which is a combination of prayer and Bible study where you explore ideas with God as you read His word.
And he said to them, “Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God after it has come with power.” And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became radiant, intensely white, as no one on earth could bleach them. And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus.
(Understanding the Text) This is one place where it is important to remember that the gospel of Mark is really Peter’s story. Jesus had just finished telling the disciples and the crowd that they had to deny self, take up their cross, and follow Him. Then He tells them that there were some standing here who would not taste death before they saw the kingdom of God after it had come with power. This is just after Jesus had said that they had to be willing to die for Him in order to be with Him when He returned in glory with His angels. Now Jesus says that some would see Him in His glory before they died. He was referring to Peter, James, and John.
(Revelation of God) I think it is significant that Jesus knew about His meeting with Elijah and Moses at least six days before it happened. How did He know? The Father had to have told Him directly through the Holy Spirit. This was a planned meeting. Maybe this plan was why Jesus talked about coming in His glory and the necessary requirements to be with Him. It was on His mind as He thought about the upcoming meeting.
(Understanding the Text) This is a case where using our own context instead of letting the Bible provide the context, of using our own definitions instead of the contextual definitions, causes misinterpretation. If we read Mark 9:1 alone, it sounds like Jesus gave a false prediction since we have a tendency to define kingdom of heaven as a place or at best Jesus’ second coming to take us to a place. We would say that the people standing there have all died, and Jesus has not yet returned. However, the context clearly shows that Peter is trying to say that Jesus told them about the upcoming transfiguration before it happened. These verses should have all been in one chapter instead of divided into two chapters. They are all the same passage: The lead-up to the transfiguration, the transfiguration, and the disciples’ reactions followed by the trip down the mountain.
Why did the transfiguration happen? Did a piece of heaven touch earth in order for the two transformed humans to come to earth again? Was the transfiguration the natural effect of coming into contact with heavenly power? Did the touch of those from outside of earth’s sinful darkness act as a catalyst that sparked Jesus’ divinity to no longer be hidden? Was it like calling to like in a manner so powerful that the calling had to be answered? Maybe the transfiguration was not the main event here. There was a conference meeting between earth and heaven, and Jesus knew that He would not be able to hide His glory while conversing with Moses and Elijah, so He warned the disciples about it beforehand. Maybe, He knew that Peter would probably say or do something stupid without warning. Of course, the warning didn’t stop Peter, but Jesus had to try.
But why was this conference necessary? I need to study this more.
(Application) There is more going on in this life than we know. There are forces we cannot see, and if we did see them, they would stun us. Why doesn’t God reveal them to us? Because it would not help us. Peter saw the transfiguration and still denied Jesus. John saw the transfiguration and was still knocked flat when Jesus revealed Himself again. “When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last,” (Rev 1:17). Thus, seeing these forces is a strain to our sinful system and does not help us in our fight against evil. However, it does help us to know that there is more going on behind the scenes than our senses tell us.
(Prayer) I pray to always remember that You are there working behind the scenes with plans that I barely comprehend even a small part of. Give me patience, faith, and hope even when I cannot see Your presence in the events around me. Most of all, let me see You more clearly every day.