Thy Kingdom Come
Scripture Reading: Mark 9:1-13
Chapter nine of Mark begins with Jesus’ declaration that some of the disciples would not die until they saw the Kingdom of God. The next scene has Jesus taking Peter, James, and John up on a mountain where they were witnesses to His transfiguration. They were allowed to see Jesus in His intrinsic glory. Elijah and Moses appeared and spoke with Jesus. The Father spoke from a mysterious cloud that overshadowed the mountain. He said, “This is my beloved Son, listen to Him.”
The literary arrangement of chapter nine suggests that what Jesus promised in verse one was fulfilled in verses 2-13. The three disciples saw the Kingdom in power when they witnessed the transfiguration of Jesus and saw His glory.
This suggests that while there are many glorious aspects to the future kingdom of God, the indispensable and most glorious aspect of the kingdom is the visible glorious presence of Christ. Heaven isn’t heaven without Jesus.
The three disciples were given a foretaste of what is to come. Their response was, “it is good that we are here.” We will say the same kind of thing when that day comes. It will be good to be there.
