Jesus on the Mount; Jesus off the Mount

Mark 9:2–29

The story of Jesus’ transfiguration is well-known, but it has deep meanings that we should often remind ourselves about. It helps us understand three important things: what it teaches us, why those teachings are important, and how we can apply them in our lives.

1. What does the transfiguration teach us?

The transfiguration shows us that Jesus is more than just a teacher. He’s the center of our lives and the link between us and God. He’s not just reflecting God’s glory like Moses did, but he is the source of it. Because of this, worship is more than just a routine—it’s a powerful experience of God’s love and presence with Jesus at the center.

2. Why is it important to understand this?

Throughout life, we have big moments of spiritual highs, like the transfiguration. But these moments are short-lived and make way for times of difficulty. The disciples didn’t fully understand the significance of the transfiguration until after Jesus’ resurrection. They learned that suffering is a part of life, but through worship – remembering what Jesus has done – we can grow stronger, wiser, and more loving from these experiences.

3. How can we experience God’s presence through Jesus?

Experiencing God’s presence isn’t about being perfect or doing good deeds to earn God’s favor. It’s about realizing that we can’t do it on our own, and we need Jesus. Christianity is about receiving God’s love and grace, giving up what’s most important to us, and finding our worth in His love. When we truly encounter Jesus’ love through worship and accept God’s love for us, we can have a deeper spiritual relationship with God.