Mark 9:4 Commentary - Dr Peter Masters | Metropolitan Tabernacle

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Mark 9:4

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Now there appears with the Lord on the mountain Elias [Elijah] and Moses, representing the prophets and the law, and in the transfiguration the law and the prophets are seen to be subservient to Christ, and serving him, and pointing forward to him, the risen glorified Christ. We cannot really say that this was a vision, for certainly Christ was literally in front of them, though changed in appearance. Elijah and Moses were somehow made visible to the disciples. How did they recognise Moses and Elijah? There were no pictures of them; they had never seen them. Well, of course, by revelation. They were given this intuition, this realisation – this is Moses, this is Elijah. Moses had died a natural death, while Elijah had been translated at the end of his life that he should not see death, but both now live to God, and their great interest is in what Christ is going to accomplish through his sacrifice on Calvary. Moses and Elijah were not radiant with glory as Christ was but they did appear in glory, Luke tells us. There was something very glorious about them but not in a way so as to compare them with Christ. They were within ear-shot and they could hear what they were talking about. Mark doesn’t record what, but Luke does. That is remarkable. They were not talking about his miracles; they were certainly not talking about his earthly kingdom. They were talking about his decease and in the Greek in Luke’s Gospel, the word used, translated deceased, is of all words ‘exodus.’ They were talking about his exodus. Exodus? the disciples would have thought. They were too awe-struck for this to mean much to them at the time, but they would have reflected upon this. That means he isn’t permanently here. This is just a journey, like the exodus of our forefathers. He is going out of this world; he is going to a better place; a place of glory and honour. He is going through this world, through the valley of death, but it will be his exodus into a place of promise and glory, as he ascends into Heaven. They were talking about his death. This is the pivotal thing, not an earthly kingdom. This is what he has come for. This is all part of his essential journey to ransom men and women. His kingdom is heavenly, not earthly: that was the thing they most needed to know. It does not all dawn on them immediately, but as time goes on, and particularly through Christ's crucifixion and resurrection, it becomes clearer and clearer. It is about the secrets of the kingdom. Furthermore, that they spoke of his exodus, ‘which he should accomplish at Jerusalem.’ What significant words. His exodus would be an accomplishment. His death, his exit road from this world, would actually be not a passive thing, but a great accomplishment, something bringing about the greatest possible gain. Well, of course, we know why: because he suffered and died for an untold number of people, who would be saved. In witnessing this exalted conversation it was impressed upon the minds of the disciples that everything in Moses, all those types and shadows – the temple worship, the priesthood, the sacrifices, all the ceremonial law – and all that happened in the history of the nation – the parting of the Red Sea, the parting of the Jordan, the water flowing from the rock at Horeb – along with the burden of all the prophets, was focused on Christ and pointed to his great work of redemption, and found fulfilment in him.

Application

It would communicate to them that his sufferings were voluntary. He didn’t have to do this. He was God! He had all power. He could deliver himself easily. This would be reinforced in their minds and therefore everything he was about to submit to was voluntary, to save souls. Then they would see (and it would occur to them later on) what dignity and majesty was being invested in the cross of Calvary. They had only seen him in all his holiness, yes, and his perfection of character and his beauty and his power to work miracles and his wonderful speech, they had seen those things, but now they would see radiant divinity and perfection and eternity and they would think later on – what qualities, what infinite Godhead was invested in the work of Calvary for us to take away our sin. What God has invested there.

Questions

There's an idea today among some evangelical preachers that the secrets of the kingdom are the ugly side of Jewish history. The idea is that the Old Testament is all about how God was with Israel, the great things. But there is hidden there an ugly side: their disobedience and idolatry, and the meaning, say, of the parables, which is about the secrets of the kingdom, is to bring out the ugly side. So it infuriates the Jews when they hear it, and they are against it. But that's a very dismal and negative idea of what the secrets of the kingdom are. and it takes away the parables as figures and illustrations of grace and salvation. Besides, the ugly side of Old Testament history is no secret; the Old Testament makes it very plain. It speaks of the blessings and the privileges, and it speaks endlessly of the periods of disobedience and failure and judgment and captivity. No, the secrets of the kingdom, the Old Testament, are the symbolic typical foreshadowed meanings. The Jews stayed with the literal. They said, ‘God is so pleased with us as a nation that he has given us this ancient system of worship: the sacrifices and all the ablutions’, and they never looked the meaning of those things. They never said, ‘This symbolises or depicts Messiah and the great sacrifice that would come. These sacrifices of animals cannot take away sin. They symbolise our dependence upon the great sacrifice that will come. All these washings cannot take away soon; they symbolise the purity and the unreachability of God, and the need of grace and free forgiveness from him.’ Those are the secrets of the kingdom: the meaning. So for instance, when Moses struck the rock for the first time at Horeb, and the water flowed – a provision for the people. The meaning was that by something being struck – stricken, pain, and hurt – grace would flow from that riven rock. That represents Christ, and Paul says so in 1 Corinthians 10. He lists many of the features of the Old Testament and shows how they point of Christ. It's Christ who was smitten, and from him comes – because he atoned for sin – the grace of forgiveness. Toplady has it in his hymn: ‘Rock of ages cleft for me, let me hide myself in thee.’ Of course the faithful and the earnest Jew, of old times got it. They could see the secret, even then. But it didn't come into full view to be proclaimed to all until the New Testament, and the task of the apostles was to bring these mysteries and secrets into the open light of day.

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Mark 9:4 Commentary and Bible Study