September 16-20

For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”... 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.” -
Mark 8:38; 9:1 (ESV)

A GLIMPSE OF GLORY
A prism looks like a simple clear triangle until light is refracted through it and a multicolored rainbow emerges. Although light has all these colors, we can’t see them until we use a special tool to look at them. In the same way, we can often overlook the complexity, beauty, and multifacetedness of God unless we take time to slow down and learn about his many
attributes. (sermonillustrationideas.bible)

Suffering is like a prism that helps us see God’s glory in a different light. The last verse of Mark 8 and the first verse of Mark 9 go together and are part of that prism. In Mark 8:38 the Lord spoke of His coming in the glory of the Father. After the rejection, the suffering, and the death, there would be resurrection and glory. Suffering precedes exaltation. Of course, all Peter
heard back in Mark 8:31 was that his friend, Jesus, was going to suffer and die. Now he is told again that He will rise from the dead. Jesus will give Peter, James, and John a glimpse of His glory to help them understand that He is in fact the God of all Creation!

Reflection
The suffering of Jesus created a lot of confusion about His identity. Suffering still creates confusion about God. How have you seen glimpses of God in the middle of suffering?

Praise/Prayer
Praise God for the glimpses of His glory you have experienced through suffering. Ask God to help you see Him at work today no matter what circumstances you face.

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.” - Mark 9:1 (ESV)

A GLIMPSE OF GLORY: THE PROMISE MADE
General Douglas MacArthur was a man who kept his promises. During World War 2, he was forced to flee the Philippines due to the Axis powers advancing. “Deeply disappointed, he issued a statement to the press in which he promised his men and the people of the Philippines, ‘I shall return.’ The promise would become his mantra during the next two and a
half years, and he would repeat it often in public appearances. On October 20, 1944, a few hours after his troops landed, MacArthur waded ashore onto the Philippine Island of Leyte. That day, he made a radio broadcast in which he declared, ‘People of the Philippines, I have returned!’” (“General MacArthur Leaves Corregidor,” This Day in History, History.com)
Mark 9:1 is a promise that reinforces the statement that the Lord will be glorified and that He will rise from the dead. “Truly” emphasizes the significance of the promise. The promise that they won’t see death before they see the Kingdom was a reference to His transfiguration which they were about to experience. According to Daniel Hill, “Jesus Christ had
declared upon coming to Galilee that the presence of the King meant the presence of the kingdom: Mark 1:15 "And Jesus was saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel." Why is the Kingdom of God at hand? Because Jesus Christ the King is present. And when His Glory is seen by a few who are present, they will get a glimpse at the glory of the divine, the God-man, Jesus Christ as he will be forever.”

Reflection
What is one of God’s promises for the future that you are excited about?

Praise/Prayer
Praise God for proving His promises are true through the resurrection of Jesus. Ask God to give you even greater confidence that His promises about eternity can be trusted.

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. - Mark 9:2-3 (ESV)

A GLIMPSE OF GLORY: THE POWER UNVEILED
The popular song, "I Can Only Imagine," wonders what a person’s reaction to entering the glory of the Lord in heaven would really be like. Surrounded by your glory, what will my heart feel? Will I dance for you, Jesus, or in awe of you be still? Will I stand in your presence or to my knees will I fall? Will I sing hallelujah? Will I be able to speak at all?"

 In Mark 9:2-3, Peter, James, and John got a glimpse of what Jesus’ power looks like in the fullness of His glory. When a caterpillar goes into a cocoon and comes out being a butterfly, this process is called a “metamorphosis” because it is a transformation of a creature into a completely different creature. A similar word is used to explain the “transfiguration” of Christ. The disciples were getting their first peek at who Jesus really, truly was. To this point, even though they’ve seen some amazing things, Jesus has pretty much kept His full glory and His full power hidden. The transfiguration of Jesus confirms that despite having the outward appearance of a mere mortal man, Jesus of Nazareth is in His nature and essence God.

Reflection
Have you ever had a moment with the Lord that left you speechless? There are aspects of God’s glory that leave us grasping for words because He is higher and more glorious than we can imagine.

Praise/Prayer
Praise God for the breathtaking moments you have had with Him. Ask God to help you see glimpses of His glory in Creation today.

And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus. And Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.” For he did not know what to say, for they were terrified. - Mark 9:4-6 (ESV)

A GLIMPSE OF GLORY: THE PURPOSE EXPLAINED
The motion picture Cruella tells the origin story of the iconic cartoon villain Cruella de Vil. Before she took the name Cruella and became the villain that everyone knows, she was known as Estella. Estella grew up as a young orphan in London with dreams of becoming a fashion designer. After catching a big break, Estella begins to work for the narcissistic
fashion legend Baroness von Hellman, contributing innovative ideas and creative sketches to the famous fashionista. The problem is that the Baroness begins to claim these designs as her own, taking credit for Estella’s work.

In Mark 9:5, Peter is full of zeal and fear and doesn’t know what to say but speaks anyway. He makes the mistake of trying to share the glory of Jesus with Elijah and Moses. Undoubtedly, the purpose of the transfiguration of Christ into at least a part of His heavenly glory was so that the “inner circle” of His disciples could gain a greater understanding of who Jesus was.
Symbolically, the appearance of Moses and Elijah represented the Law and the Prophets. But God’s voice from heaven – “Listen to Him!” - clearly showed that the Law and the Prophets must give way to Jesus. The One who is the new and living way is replacing the old – He is the fulfillment of the Law and the countless prophecies in the Old Testament.

Reflection
The disciples never forgot what happened that day on the mountain and no doubt this was intended. John wrote in his gospel, “We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only” (John 1:14) Reflect on a time when you experienced God’s presence that you never want to forget.

Praise/Prayer
Thank God for the gift of His presence in your life. Ask God how He wants to be glorified through you today.

And a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, “This is my beloved Son; listen to him.” - Mark 9:7 (ESV)

A GLIMPSE OF GLORY: JESUS STILL FULFILLS HIS MISSION
A young pastor in Ohio also worked at a feed processing plant in order to make ends meet. Each night when he went home, his boys would look at him and say, “Boy, Dad, you sure are dusty!” He would grumble to himself, but then smile and say, “Yes, I sure am dusty.” One Saturday morning, as he was washing his car, he looked over and saw his oldest son, 4 years
old at that time, begin to pick up small stones from the driveway and rub them onto his pants. The father asked, “What are you doing?” “I want to be dusty like you dad,” came the reply. As the pastor was telling the story he said, “At that time, I realized that if a son would look up to his father for being dusty, he would look up to dad for anything. What a responsibility.”
(Source: More Stories to Touch the Heart, Russ Lawson)

Jesus came to do the will of His Father. In Mark 9:7-8, God the Father affirms His pleasure in His Son. Suddenly a cloud, God’s skekinah glory cloud, overshadows or envelopes them. The word for “overshadows” in the Greek translation of the Old Testament appears in Exodus 40:35 when the glory of God came upon and filled the tabernacle and in 1 Kings 8:10-11
when the glory cloud filled the temple. It was the presence of the living God speaking with words that thundered with authority and were pregnant with meaning. “This is my beloved Son, listen to him.”

Reflection
Believing that Jesus is God is not the same as listening to Him and obeying Him. What’s the last thing you believe God told you to do? Did you do it?

Praise/Prayer
Praise God for revealing what He is like through Jesus. Ask God to show you any area where you are not listening to and obeying Jesus.