Gospel of Mark Bible Part 50: The Transfiguration [Bible Study]

Bible Study Title: The Transfiguration

Scripture Focus

Mark 9:1–9

“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.’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 can whiten them. And Elijah appeared to them along with Moses, and they were conversing with Jesus. And Peter answered and said to Jesus, ‘Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; let us make three tabernacles, one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah.’ For he did not know what to answer; for they became terrified. Then a cloud formed, overshadowing them, and a voice came out of the cloud, ‘This is My beloved Son, listen to Him!’ And all at once when they looked around, they saw no one with them anymore, except Jesus alone.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.”

Opening Question

What does it mean to truly see Christ for who He is, not merely as Teacher or Prophet, but as the glorious King of God’s Kingdom?

Introduction

Immediately prior to the Transfiguration, Jesus speaks soberly about discipleship, the value of the soul, and the cost of following Him. He closes that warning with a sobering promise of judgment.

Mark 8:38

“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.”

Jesus is clearly referring to His future coming in judgment, an event elsewhere described as the Day of the Son of Man.

Matthew 16:27

“For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and will then repay each one according to his deeds.”

Matthew 25:31–32

“But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. And all the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.”

To support the certainty of that coming judgment, Jesus then makes a striking statement.

Mark 9:1

“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.”

What does Jesus mean by this?

Background: What Does “Seeing the Kingdom Come in Power” Mean?

Several interpretations have been proposed.

Some suggest this refers to the Transfiguration.Others point to the resurrection and ascension.Some argue for Pentecost and the birth of the church.Others believe it refers to the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70.A few claim it refers to the Second Coming itself.

However, careful attention to the Gospel narratives resolves the issue. Both Matthew and Mark record that the Transfiguration occurred “after six days,” while Luke writes “about eight days,” a common Jewish way of saying about a week later.

Luke 9:28

“And it happened that about eight days after these words, He took along Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray.”

Luke also explicitly connects the event to what Jesus had just said by adding the phrase “after these words.” The promise and the event are inseparably linked.

What follows is not the full arrival of the Kingdom in its final form, but a visible manifestation, a preview, of the Kingdom’s power and glory centered in the person of Christ. It is a local unveiling of a glory that will later be exercised universally.

Peter himself later identifies this event as a preview of royal authority.

2 Peter 1:16

“For we did not follow cleverly devised tales when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty.”

Key Truth: The Transfiguration and the Kingdom Promise

The Transfiguration fulfills Old Testament expectations that the Kingdom would be revealed through the Messiah in glory.

Daniel 7:14

“And to Him was given dominion, glory, and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations, and men of every language might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion which will not pass away, and His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed.”

On the mountain, that dominion is momentarily unveiled. After the resurrection, it will be formally declared.

Matthew 28:18

“And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.’”

I. The Transfiguration Was Evidence of Christ’s Divine Glory

A. Jesus Was Transfigured

Mark 9:2

“And He was transfigured before them.”

The Greek term metamorphoō means to be changed in form, not by illusion, but by revealing what was already present.

This transformation affected both His appearance and His clothing.

Matthew 17:2

“And His face shone like the sun, and His garments became as white as light.”

Luke 9:29

“And while He was praying, the appearance of His face became different, and His clothing became white and gleaming.”

Peter later describes this as witnessing Christ’s majesty, a visible radiance that testified to His deity.

This aligns with the testimony of Hebrews.

Hebrews 1:1–3

“God, having spoken long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days spoke to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds, who is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power; who, having accomplished cleansing for sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.”

B. Moses and Elijah Appeared with Him

Mark 9:4

“And Elijah appeared to them along with Moses, and they were conversing with Jesus.”

Some imagine Moses and Elijah speaking from different points in history simultaneously. While imaginative, the text does not support this.

In their earthly encounters, both Moses and Elijah met Yahweh the Father, not the incarnate Son.

Exodus 33:20

“But He said, ‘You cannot see My face, for no man can see Me and live!’”

1 Kings 19:12–13

“And after the earthquake a fire, but Yahweh was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of a thin gentle whisper. Now it happened that when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle.”

Yet on the mountain of Transfiguration, Moses and Elijah appear in glory and speak face to face with Jesus about His coming death.

Luke 9:31

“Who, appearing in glory, were speaking of His departure which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.”

Peter immediately understands their representative role.

Moses represents the Law.Elijah represents the Prophets.

In his fear, Peter proposes three tabernacles, unintentionally placing Jesus alongside them.

II. They Beheld the Majesty of the Coming Kingdom

As Peter speaks, God Himself interrupts.

Mark 9:7

“Then a cloud formed, overshadowing them, and a voice came out of the cloud, ‘This is My beloved Son, listen to Him!’”

This declaration establishes final authority. God does not say listen to Moses. He does not say listen to Elijah. He says listen to His Son.

The implication is unmistakable. God now speaks definitively through Christ.

Luke 24:26

“Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory?”

Only after suffering, death, resurrection, and ascension would Christ exercise His authority fully. That is why Jesus commands silence until after the resurrection.

Mark 9:9

“He gave them orders not to recount to anyone what they had seen, until the Son of Man rose from the dead.”

When the voice ceases, Moses and Elijah are gone. Jesus alone remains.

Conclusion and Application

The Transfiguration fulfills Jesus’ promise that some would see the Kingdom of God come in power before they died. It was not the final arrival of the Kingdom, but a foretaste of its glory.

In the same way, believers today are given a pledge of what is to come.

Ephesians 1:13–14

“In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation, having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.”

What does this mean for us?

We do not build tabernacles.We do not preserve relics.We honor Christ by listening to Him.

And we listen to Him by faithfully reading, believing, and obeying the Word of God.

Discussion Questions

1. Why was the Transfiguration necessary for the disciples at this point in Jesus’ ministry?

2. What does the disappearance of Moses and Elijah teach us about authority and revelation?

3. How does the Transfiguration shape our understanding of Christ’s present reign?

4. In practical terms, what does it mean for you to “listen to Him” this week?

Memory Verse

Mark 9:7“This is My beloved Son, listen to Him!”

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