B Transfiguration - Mark 9:1-8 "Our White King"

Text Mark 9:1-8

1 Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see [that]* the kingdom of God [has]* come with power.” 2 After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them. 3 His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. 4 And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus. 5 Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” 6 (He did not know what to say, they were so frightened.) 7 Then a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and a voice came from the cloud: “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!” 8 Suddenly, when they looked around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus.

*[verse one can be translated in the perfect tense; as already having happened]

Sermon

Jesus is the Son of God – that is for sure! We know this because during the Epiphany season, Jesus is revealed to us as the Son of God; through what happened to him, through what he taught, through the witness of the disciples, through the confession of the demons and the thoughts of the teachers of the Law at the healing of the paralytic, who thought, “Jesus is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” But more importantly we know Jesus is the Son of God because God the Father proclaims this himself.

The great Epiphany brackets belong to God. Jesus is first revealed to us as the Son of God at his baptism when God says, “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”(Mark 1:11) Now the final Epiphany season revelation is found here in the Transfiguration of Jesus, as God once again confirms, “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!” (Mark 9:7) We don’t hear such a confession again until the centurion, standing on the mountain of Calvary, looks up at Jesus breathless broken body and says, “Surely this man was the Son of God!” (Mark 15:39) So in Jesus’ epiphany it is God the Father who first reveals Jesus as his Son and then on this mountain he reveals the Son of God again.

However, Jesus’ dazzling brilliant white appearance on the mountain is a different revelation to that as at his baptism and death. At Jesus’ Transfiguration the disciples were shown something very special and extraordinary. And we too are called to see and receive something very special today and every Sunday as we traverse to and from the mountain of God as he is revealed and given to us in his Word and in the Sacrament.

Jesus says: “I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see that the kingdom of God has come with power.” (Mark 9:1) To see in our age is everything. Where would television or computers be if we couldn’t see? There is no doubt that we live in a visual age! We live in an age where newspapers, television, and our computers are full of advertisements. Even on the radio they seek to paint pictures with words. And here in the text for today it is no different, a picture is painted, we are given a glimpse of something extraordinary. God is advertising a reality only seen with the eyes of faith! Some of you here will not taste death before you see that the kingdom of God has come with power!

So what are we called to see? What is God advertising as Jesus stands in glorious splendour on the mountain with the disciples, and here with us today? It seems that we get a glimpse into the future like the ads on television which show the before and after pictures encouraging us to see ourselves before and after we use their product. Surely the three disciples had but a brief look into the reality of the unseen realm; a before and after glimpse of the man from Nazareth shining in glory as he would after his death and resurrection. They saw the glory of God the Son which, to this point had been hidden in the flesh of the man – Jesus of Nazareth. Surely they saw that the kingdom of God had come with power! They saw the King of creation, glowing like never before! A White King perhaps! His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. (Mark 9:3)

His clothes became whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them!!!!!!?

Ironically there is a bottle of bleach that claims to be White King – Australia’s number one bleach. Its makers want us to believe it is premium bleach. They want us to see its power: it whitens, removes stains, kills germs, is safe to use on fabrics wash after wash and leaves a fresh lemon scent. It even has a toll free consumer number on the side so we can find out more information about the product. There use to be ads on TV where women testified to its amazing power by showing us the before and after affects on clothes. White King’s advertising calls us to listen to it, and believe its claim of being the one and only whitening king.

However, Jesus is our White King! He is bleached in glory; his being is holy bleach, the only true premium bleach! He whitens and brightens us, he removes the strains of sin from our physical and spiritual bodies, he kills the germ of sin from the core of our being, he gives us a fresh scent and makes us a pleasing aroma to our Father in heaven. His cleansing holiness is safe to use on all people, it won’t destroy the fabric of the person, but it will get rid of the unwanted muck from our bodies. And if we want to find out more about the product, we can dial our way through the pages of the bible. This is the White King we are called to see transfigured before us every Sunday.

But how do we use our White King, how is he applied? Well on the back of the bottle we are given directions in which how to wash. But hang on! We already have been washed in our White King at our baptism. Should we drink the stuff? The bottle says no! But our White King says yes! Now let me be clear, don’t go home and drink bleach, come to the altar and eat and drink the White King, transfigured and given for you for the forgiveness of sins!

At the altar know that you are in fellowship with the whole glorified realm of God. Know that when we eat and drink the White King in faith, we feast in the holy presence of God the Father, the angels, our ancestors, Elijah, Moses, Peter, James and John. Take a glimpse at the bright dazzling holiness, and perfection of your transfigured beings, hidden now but one day made visible after your resurrection from the dead. I tell you the truth, some who are sitting here will taste the White King and see that the kingdom of God has come with power. And they will continue to taste him after death in eternity. In fact all of us are called to see with the eyes of faith — the angels and archangels and the whole company of heaven, the Kingdom of God, as we kneel together around Christ and partake in the holy meal of his body and blood.

So come to the altar with hope that our Great Redeemer, our White King, has led us to the Father’s presence, the holy mountain of Zion. See the bread, taste the power of Christ within. See the fountain of salvation poured out for you in the cup. Cast all your fears on him, your lack of understanding, doubts, the confused Peter within all of us. Hear and trust the word of our transfigured Lord, listen to him!

See that: you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the judge of all people, to the spirits of righteous made perfect, to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel. (Hebrews 12:22-24)

See the bright dazzling nail marked hands of Jesus holding and leading you, and making you a dazzling glorious eternal person along with the heavenly eternal people bleached with holiness sitting around you.

Repent and believe the good news, the Kingdom of God is here, the time has come to listen to Jesus — the Son of God, as he says, “this is my body, this is my blood. I am with you always to the very end of the age”, Amen.