A Time to Know

Mark 9:9-10 As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus gave them orders not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. 10 They kept the matter to themselves, discussing what “rising from the dead” meant.
 
PETER, James and John had just experienced Jesus’ glorious Transfiguration. For a brief moment God’s revealed majesty had come to earth. When they saw Moses and Elijah, these Jewish-trained men would have remembered Moses’ (Exodus) and Elijah’s (1 Kings 19) experiences with God on Mt. Sinai. The disciples were, indeed, privileged men. Heaven had come to earth! This is the clear evidence of eternal life. They also heard the evidence Jesus is the Son of God when the Father affirmed the Son. Mark 9:7 Then a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and a voice came from the cloud: “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!” What greater evidence did the world need? Surely this was an event all Israel must hear.
   But with great emphasis Jesus gave them orders not to tell anyone what they had seen. The Commander spoke. His disciples needed to listen.
   And then he said something else. The disciples could later tell the others when the Son of Man had risen from the dead.
   We can’t understand the disciples’ emotions and questions. They became afraid of his holy glory and confused with his orders. What did Jesus mean rising from the dead? How is it possible to match death with this heavenly vision? This is the second time Peter, James and John had heard Jesus refer to his death and resurrection. He will tell them once more. But there is no indication Jesus spent time to teach them what he meant. In fact, Luke tells us Its meaning was hidden from them, and they did not know what he was talking about. (Luke 18:34) So we wonder, “Why the mystery? Why the waiting to tell others?”
    The disciples still had much to know about Jesus. Jusus had recently rebuked them, “You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.” (Mark 8:33) Our Lord reveals as much of himself to us as he wants us to know at a particular time. We can consider possibilities for Jesus’ “Wait.” order. But it is not good to conjecture on things we do not know. What the disciples did know is Jesus told the three to wait.
   And they obeyed. When the disciples saw Jesus alive from the grave, the three could add the evidence of Jesus’ heavenly body with their account of the Transfiguration. This helped the apostles and the church to know Jesus is the risen Son of God. Peter testifies to the certainty of the resurrected Christ in 2 Peter 1:16 We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17 For he received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased." 18 We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain.
   God revealed himself completely to the disciples when they were ready. They suffered and died for the truth because they knew with all their heart the Lord is alive awaiting them in heaven. May God reveal the same truth to you.