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T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
March, 1938
There appeared with Christ both Moses, the founder and giver o f the law, and Elijah, the vindicator and reformer of the age of the law. Hence, the revelation speaks of the righteous, just, and law-abid ing character of the kingdom when it shall be set up upon earth. Righteousness and then peace must ever be the order. It is interesting to note that both Moses and Elijah had been with God on Mount Horeb (Ex. 3:1; 1 Ki. 19:8); both had fasted forty days (Ex. 34:28; 1 Ki. 19:8); both had divided the waters (Ex. 14:21; 2 Ki. 2: 8); and both had been sent as mes sengers to kings (Ex. 3:10; 1 Ki. 18:1). The literal character of the kingdom is indicated by the two “men,T . Moses and Elijah, who were talking with Jesus (v. 4 ). They had no intercourse with the disciples, though the latter knew who they were. The conversation of these two “men” was concerned with our Lord’s decease to be accomplished at Jerusalem (cf. Lk. 9:31). The possession of the kingdom would come by way of the cross. Without dying, Christ could have returned to heaven on the right of His absolute perfection; but if He had done so, it would have had to be alone— without the people, and without the king dom. In this picture, we see Moses represent ing those who “ sleep,” waiting to be raised and caught up to meet the Lord in the air; Elijah representing those who will be changed and caught up with the. former group; Peter, James, and John, represent ing the Jewish remnant upon the earth; and the company in the valley represent ing the Gentiles to be blessed in the com ing day— and all gathered about one central Figure, the Lord Jesus Christ. II. T he R evelation (5-8) The need of this revelation was found in the ignorance of the disciples. Peter, as the spokesman, proposed building three tab ernacles, one for Jesus, one for Moses, and one for Elijah, suggesting their thought that all were on the same plane (v. 5). They were really saying, perhaps uncon sciously, “We can do” as Moses required, “We can know” as the prophets said, and “W e can be” even as Thou art. But if this were so, the law would lose its majes tic perfection, the prophets would lose their divine inspiration, and our Lord would lose His absolute sinlessness, and there would be no need of His saying, “ Ye must be born again” (John 3:7). Being impatient, not able to bear the silence and inactivity, and their “ fear” of the supernatural, the dis ciples thought they had to speak, though silence would have been better (v. 6). In the revelation there was a portrayal of God’s thought of Jesus (vs. 7, 8). Cen turies before, God had spoken to this One saying, “Thou art” ; and now, before the disciples, He announced, “This is” My be loved Son, so •giving substance to the prophet’s word (cf. Psa. 2:7). In Mat thew’s account, the prophet’s message was alluded to in the words: “In whom I am well pleased” (cf. Isa. 42:1). This was followed by the words: “ Hear him” (cf. Deut. 18:15-18). Thus the
law, the prophets, and the Psalms are united in declaring who Jesus is. At length, from the scene of the transfiguration, Moses and Elijah were withdrawn. Now we are to “ hear him,” the Lord Jesus Christ. We are to “ hear him,” to believe and obey. III. T he I nstruction (9, 10) Again, the reason for the instruction was found in the ignorance of the disciples. The King had been fully presented to the na tion, and had been as fully rejected; any further testimony would be fruitless. Hence, the witnesses were to say nothing of what they had seen “ until” after His resurrec tion (v. 9), which was the sign He had promised the nation in substantiation of His claims (cf. John 2:18, 19). The dis ciples, as all Jews, knew of a resurrection of the dead, but nothing of a resurrection from among the dead, and it was of this that they reasoned among themselves; it was something entirely new to their under standing. But it should not now be a mat ter new to present-day Christians. It is the hope of all the saints who have died that they shall come to the out-resurrection, and rise “first” before the rest of the dead rise (cf. 1 Thess. 4:16). Since Jesus rose from among the dead, this has been the hope to be fulfilled to all those who die as believers in Him. Points and Problems 1. The immediate context of any Scrip ture passage is always important, but it is doubly so in this lesson (Mk. 9:2-10). No better introduction to it can be had than to read once more the material of the lesson for April 10. Our Lord had begun sud denly to teach “openly” the necessity of His sufferings and death (8:31). Peter pro tested, and was rebuked severely (v. 33). In the face of this sudden reversal of teaching, the disciples doubtless were won dering about the long-expected kingdom which their Lord had been preaching as “ at hand.” Is this now to be abandoned? W ill His death mean the end of this glori ous hope? The answer of Christ to all such questions is, I am coming back (8:38). Not only does He affirm the fact of His coming “ in . . . glory,” but also He graci ously gives to three chosen disciples a pre vision of His glorious return to establish the kingdom of God “ with power” (9:1). This is the meaning of the transfiguration in its particular context. 2. The lesson has been given a very appropriate title— "Receiving Vision for Service.” We should not forget, therefore, that the vision given for this purpose was not of Christ in His humiliation, but rather a vision of Him in His glory as He comes to establish His kingdom in power. There is nothing that so powerfully stimulates true Christian living and service as the knowledge and expectation of the return of Christ in glory. He that “hath this hope” has something that turns weakness into strength, failure into victory. 3. " And after six days” (9:2). Critics looking for things to pick at have flaunted Luke’s “ eight days after” as clear evi dence of a Biblical contradiction (Lk. 9:28).
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