Three Tabernacles or One?

In the recent Sundays, we have been learning a lot about discipleship from Mark’s Gospel. 

 

When Jesus healed a blind man, we learned that salvation and spiritual maturity and discipleship is a process, and we learned that obedience is the key to that process.

 

When Peter made his great confession that Jesus was the Christ, we learned that the first step in the discipleship process is being saved.  Disciples must declare that Jesus is the Christ.

Last week, we learned that disciples of Christ should not think like the devil.  Instead, they should deny self and demonstrate their submission to God and let Jesus be on display in their attitudes, thinking, and actions. 

 

Today, I want you to understand what you bring to the table in this discipleship process.  In other words, how can we help Jesus. 

 

 

Exposition

In verse 1, Jesus offered for His disciples a sneak peek into heaven.  He assured them that some of them would not taste death or physically die before they saw the kingdom of God present with power. 

 

What was Jesus talking about?  What was the kingdom of God present with power?  First, some have thought to be Jesus’ resurrection and ascension.  Second, others have said this is the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.  Third, others have said this is the second coming of Christ. 

 

However, the immediate context tells us that this sneak peek would be accomplished in the Transfiguration and would be a foreshadowing of His future earthly and heavenly kingdoms. 

 

Beginning in verse 2, this Transfiguration event begins to unfold.  Now six days later, Jesus took His inner circle with Him up to a high mountain.  John was Jesus’ closest disciple, and Peter, James, and John were the inner circle. 

 

Some say this mountain was Mt. Tabor.  Others say it was Mt. Hermon.  Regardless, it was a place where they would receive special revelation from God.

 

The word “transfigured” literally means the figure is transformed.  Our English word is metamorphosis.  Jesus was changed from the inside out into a heavenly state.  It was such that He became shining and exceedingly white.  His clothes were so white that a launderer on earth couldn’t get them any whiter. 

 

With Jesus appeared Elijah and Moses.  By the way, God spoke to Elijah and Moses on Mt. Sinai in the OT just like we are going to with Jesus here. 

 

See Exodus 24:12-18 and 1 Kings 19:8-18.

 

 

We believe that Moses symbolized the OT Law and was the great lawgiver, and Elijah symbolized the OT prophets and was the restorer of Israel.  Luke 9:30-31 tells us that they were talking about to Jesus about His departure. 

 

Luke 9:30-31, 30 And behold, two men talked with Him, who were Moses and Elijah, 31 who appeared in glory and spoke of His decease which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.

 

In 9:5, Peter offered to make three tabernacles or tents, one for each man: Elijah, Moses, and Jesus, but his plans were interrupted as 9:6 tells us that he and James and John were overcome with fear.

 

Verse 7 says a cloud from heaven came forth along with a heavenly voice making a bold declaration.  In the OT, clouds were a symbol of God’s presence.  In the NT, they are associated with Christ’s return. 

 

Then a voice from the cloud said, “This is My beloved Son, listen to Him!”  Obviously, this was God the Father saying to obey Jesus, and then all of a sudden, the transfiguration was over, and the only one left was who?  Jesus!  The prophets weren’t left.  The law wasn’t left.  Only Jesus alone was left standing.

 

By the way, if the Transfiguration was a picture of Christ in heaven, could it also be a picture of who will be in heaven?  Some have thought that Moses represented the OT Saints or those who died before Christ.  Peter, James, and John would be representative of the NT Saints or those who die after Christ.  Then Elijah would represent those Saints who would never taste death but, like Elijah, will be raptured to heaven.  Perhaps. 

 

On their way down from the mountain in verse 9, Jesus gave Peter, James, and John strict orders.  His order was not to tell what they had seen until after the resurrection.  This is the first time that Jesus told the disciples to keep quiet for a specific period of time.  Why?

 

Peter, James, and John still didn’t fully understand all of what Jesus was about and was going to do.  We know that because Peter wanted to build three tabernacles instead of one, but they would all get it after He was crucified and resurrected, and they did.  Dense disciples became powerful and passionate preachers on the pages of the Acts of the Apostles because eventually, they got it.

 

We see again in 9:10 that they hadn’t yet got it as they were confused about Jesus’ comments regarding the resurrection because they still didn’t understand that their Messiah was going to have to suffer and die.

 

In 9:11, with Elijah fresh on their minds, the Big Three made reference to Malachi 4:4-6 which talks about Elijah coming before the Second Coming of Christ.  In 9:12, Jesus affirmed that truth.  Indeed, Elijah will come and restore all things. 

 

Furthermore, not only will Elijah come, but Elijah or a type of Elijah had already come.  Most certainly, the Lord Jesus had John the Baptist in mind. 

 

Now the question comes, “Was John the Baptist a type of Elijah coming in the spirit of Elijah or was he Elijah reincarnate?”  Regardless, at the very least, he was a type of Elijah, if not Elijah himself, and he did do some, but not all, of the work of Elijah.

 

 

Conclusion

So there is one big idea, one main point of this story about Jesus and its application to Christian discipleship.  How can we help Jesus?  In absolutely no way.

 

We are prone to think very highly of ourselves.  However, when it comes to the act of salvation and the process of salvation, Jesus stands alone by Himself. 

 

We think He needs our help.  We think we can add something to Him like works or baptism or performance.  Jesus doesn’t need one single thing from you to save you, and He doesn’t need one single thing from you to keep you saved. 

 

Therefore, just build one tabernacle because only one deserves it.  His name is Jesus.