MARK 9:2-13 LIGHT FROM WITHIN There was probably a lot of uncertainty and a certain amount of sadness for six silent days. The disciples had been told of the immediate future and of the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. No doubt they truly believed He was the Messiah of Israel who had been promised. The restoration of the kingdom and the thunder of His power was what they had been anticipating. Perhaps the Lord knew they needed those six days to consider the "bomb-shell" He had dropped and the challenge that immediately followed. Then on the seventh day the Lord took Peter, James and John with Him up the mountain to reveal more of the future to them.
Being transfigured wasn't having a brilliant light shine on the Savior. There wasn't a light ray from heaven that singled out the Lord Jesus from all the others. He who is "the Light" was brilliantly lit up before the eyes of the watchers from within Himself. It was a metamorphosis that took place. Even the clothes He was wearing could not hide the light of glory that was coming from within Him. The inherent glory of His nature was unveiled for a time as two representatives of Jewish history, Moses - the giver of the law, and Elijah - the great prophet stepped into human view. That seemed to be a glimpse of what it is like to live in an "eternal now;" when time is not measured. They knew about, and talked about, the death, burial and resurrection of Christ, with Christ before it happened. According to Luke's account the conversation also included the fulfillment, or the accomplishments, of the cross-death.
The impression made on those disciples never left them. When John saw Him in the "Revelation," he saw Him among the churches "like the Son of Man." Peter remembered the scene in later years as an "eyewitness of His majesty." They saw the remarkable evidence of the inherent glory of the Lord and the realization that it was not some strange vision of the mind. This is the reality of the One we call "Lord." Those brief moments of the life of the Lord on earth never left them. The impact of that scene recorded by Mark on us today is that we can see future evidence of the One we represent and serve in our day. The three disciples were not to speak of that incident until after Christ rose from the dead. Now we are able to tell people in our time - of the life, death, burial, resurrection, ascension and coming again of our glorified Lord.
We have to face the fact that most people in our day will not believe what they cannot physically see themselves. They pride themselves on being thinkers who must compare evidence before they will accept a thing as being true. Faith is a stranger to most people. It was to those disciples but as the evidence mounted, they realized that what the prophets foretold actually happens. Now we respond in faith to the written Word of God, not only telling of prophecies to be fulfilled, but of incidents in the life of the Lord given by eyewitnesses who have given us assurance of what we most assuredly believe by faith.
I never saw the radiant light that came from in His Person. But what I learned and believe with my heart is this important lesson- The One I know as my Savior, is the embodiment of light - And His holiness doesn't keep me away from Him who is my life.
Instead He tells me and all who believe on Him, we are light as well. It is our privilege and responsibility to those around us tell Of His grace that saves the soul and of the need of faith to receive The One who is Light and died for our sins, is the One in whom we believe.
There are around me on every hand multitudes who do not know Why they are here, what life is about, and where after death they go. For some reason they find it hard to believe that spiritual things are real. They want their so-called Christianity to be something they see and feel.
God's way of dealing with this problem is for believers to be transfigured. When a believer in Christ is not conformed to the world, his faith is thus invigorated To be a living faith that works in the trials and events of life. People watching one who reflects God's light from within, seems to have it right.
By observing a person of faith moving through normal life each day - Those who know me may pay attention to the words I have to say About the Lord Jesus, and the light He gives within us to live life to the full. When inner darkness gives way to light, a person can find rest to their soul.
"Father, thanks so much for the visible and audible testimony given to those men on that mountain. I don't think I would have had a problem believing on the Lord Jesus Christ if that event wasn't recorded, but I get great joy in reading and meditating on it. That mountain-top experience assures me the mountain-top experiences I have are not just the dreaming of a fertile mind, but are experiences of faith with Thee. I praise Thee for this great blessing. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen."