Mark 9:10 And they kept that saying with themselves, questioning one with another what the rising from the dead should mean.
Last Sunday, I delivered a sermon to my congregation from Mark 8:27-38, “What does Jesus mean to you?”
And from that portion of Scripture, we naturally move to the next chapter and ask, “What does Christ’s Resurrection mean to you?” (Mark 9:1-10)
Although we often overlook the spiritual implication for the Transfiguration, yet Christ’s glorification in the presence of His disciples was God’s “evidence” for the Resurrection before the “reality” of the Resurrection actually occurred. (Remember this thought for later.)
St. Paul said of faith, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1
God is good in that He is always faithful!
Time and time and time again, God provides evidence of His divine plan long before the supernatural reality ever occurs. This is why God told the prophet Isaiah to say to King Ahaz, “Ask thee a sign of the LORD thy God; ask it either in the depth, or in the height above.” Isaiah 7:10-11 Long before the birth of Jesus Christ became a reality, the Father Almighty was determined to provide early “evidence” for what was coming. (Isaiah 7:14) Why? When God’s promise finally materialized, there would be absolutely NO QUESTION about God’s initial intent.
Now, back to the Mount of Transfiguration. Immediately before, Jesus took Peter, James, and John with Him up into the mountain, our Lord said this, “Verily I say unto you, That there be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seen THE KINGDOM OF GOD COME WITH POWER.” Mark 9:1
When Jesus spoke of the “kingdom of God coming with power,” we assume he referred to His Second Coming at the End of Time. No! That was not the case in this instance. Instead, Christ was talking about His Resurrection! By “evidently” destroying death in His own body, the “reality” of the power of the Kingdom of God was made manifest on that first Easter morning. But before the “REALITY” appeared, God first provided “evidence” of that same assurance.
What was the early evidence of the pending reality of the kingdom of God coming with power by way of Christ’s Resurrection? God’s initial proof was the Transfiguration of Jesus’ natural form to a glorified heavenly body, as witnessed by Peter, James, and John on the mountain. The Transfiguration was meant to be a “sneak peek” of better things to come! We know this to be true simply by the disciples’ private conversation upon leaving the mountain with Jesus, “And they kept that saying with themselves, questioning one with another what the rising from the dead should mean.” Mark 9:10
So, how does this all tie in to the original question, “What does Christ’s Resurrection mean to you?” (Mark 9:1-10)
What we must understand is, “There was MUCH MORE to Jesus’ Resurrection than just… the Resurrection! Christ’s Resurrection was not an end in itself… but a brand new beginning as previously noted, “Verily I say unto you, That there be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seen THE KINGDOM OF GOD COME WITH POWER! Mark 9:1
The answer regarding the significance of Jesus’ resurrection is this: Just as the Transfiguration was the early evidence of the reality of Christ’s Resurrection… Christ’s Resurrection was the “early evidence” for the “reality”of YOUR RESURRECTION, best stated by Isaiah, “And he will destroy in this mountain the face of the covering cast over all people, and the vail that is spread over all nations. (DEATH) 8 He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the LORD hath spoken it.” Isaiah 25:7-8
Put very simply, “The resurrection of Jesus was not about Jesus as much as it was about YOU!” God revealed (through the resurrection of His Son) the GLORIOUS HOPE OF ETERNAL LIFE for all those who put their faith in Jesus Christ. Happy Easter!
Edwin Woolsey’s family has lived in Shannon, Texas, and Howell counties since 1860. He taught 31 years at Missouri public schools and is currently the pastor of a small country congregation at Pilgrim Rest Community Church. Follow him on Twitter at @edwinwoolsey.
