If you’ve ever wondered how I take what I learn and prepare it to share in a teaching, here is one of my ways to organize my thoughts, applications, illustrations, etc. The goal is to have one main point that the passage is mainly about; then bring applications that will help bring the truth of God’s Word into the “live-it-out” stage. If this goes well, the church gets the Scripture’s main point and leaves with ways that change their lives, and in the process of hearing and worshiping, experiences God’s presence through encouragement, healing, restoration, and most importantly redemption.

Teaching Prep Outline –

1. Declare – Invite God’s Presence to heal, save, set right according to the Kingdom; Worship; Communion
2. Getting There – Main point of the passage, main reason for the message. Appeal. Some background. What I want to end with.
3. Where – The passage for the day.
4. There – Applications to the Main point of the passage and reason for the message. Story. Hermeneutics. Remind of Main point and where I want to end.
5. Now Where – End with story. Prayer. Focus on what God is up to in the moment. One more song. Giving response. Announcements.

(Pastor Rick’s Translation)

Mark 9:1-13 (PRT)

v. 1 And Jesus said to the crowd along with His followers, with all certainty I tell you that there are some among those standing here who will not experience death until they see the kingdom of God come with power.

 v. 2 Then, six days later, Jesus takes Peter, James, and John with him and leads them into a high mountain alone and isolated; and he was transfigured in front of them,

v. 3 And his clothes became dazzling white beyond the ability of any launderer’s bleach.

v. 4 Then, Elijah along with Moses, appeared right in front of them, and they were speaking together with Jesus.

v. 5-6 And not knowing what to say, for they were terrified, Peter began to speak and said to Jesus, “Teacher, it’s good that we are here; we can construct three shelters – one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”

v. 7 Then a cloud appeared and covered them in its shadow, and a voice spoke out of the cloud: “This is my son, the one beloved and chosen; listen to him.”

v. 8 Then suddenly, they looked around and saw no one with them any longer, only Jesus.

 v. 9 And as they were coming down from the mountain, he compelled them to tell no one what they had seen, at least not until the son of Man had risen from the dead.

v. 10 And that account they kept to themselves but discussed what “risen from the dead” means.

v. 11 And the disciples said, “Why is it that the religious scribes teach that Elijah must come first?”

v. 12 And he answered them, “Elijah indeed appears first and restores everything just in the way it is written that the Son of Man should suffer many things and be utterly despised.”

v. 13 But I tell you this, also, that Elijah has appeared, and they did to him whatever they desired just as it has been written about him.

Pastor Rick’s Study Notes:

Mark 9:1-13 v. 1 And Jesus said to the crowd along with His followers, with all certainty I tell you that there are some among those standing here who will not experience death until they see the kingdom of God come with power.

Some commentators indicate the “kingdom” coming with power to the next verses and the transfiguration – this is the first application that God changed the lives forever of three disciples as Jesus’ glory broke through. Others point to the resurrection. The pouring out of the “promise of the Father at Pentecost is my choice as it is where all three disciples were present, the power of the Kingdom through the pouring out of the “promise of the Father” came, and everyone who said yes to Jesus was transformed.

If 8:38 points to the warning to step out of the world’s rule and into a cross-centered life, 9:1ff points to the encouragement of the certainty that Jesus will come into His rightful glory.

The kingdom coming and the presence of Jesus are entwined throughout Mark.

v. 2 Then, six days later, Jesus takes Peter, James, and John with him and leads them into a high mountain alone and isolated; and he was transfigured in front of them,

Luke’s account is “about eight days later” – that would include the day of v. 1 and the day of the trek up the mountain.

One commentator indicates Peter as the disciple who loves Jesus so much, John as the disciple whom Jesus loved so much, and James, the first to give his life in love for the savior in martyrdom.

The six days corresponds with the six days of preparation to receive God’s revelation or presence.

Jesus leads them up to a place where he wanted them. When we cross a valley or face a chasm or tackle a mountain because it is part of our journey with Jesus, he is taking us to a place he wants to take us.

Jesus went away alone often; this time, he invited the Three.

v. 3 And his clothes became dazzling white beyond the ability of any launderer’s bleach.

Jesus was transfigured, transformed while he was praying. The brilliance of glory broke through the plainness of flesh. What he is in heaven became visible. White light, dazzling. The closest Mark could write and Peter could describe when he was able to bear looking at Jesus was the bright white of the most bleached of robes.  Even his face was changed.

Luke reminds us that the three were likely asleep when this process began and they were awakened by and to the Lord’s brilliance and light and saw the two men with Jesus.

v. 4 Then, Elijah along with Moses, appeared right in front of them, and they were speaking together with Jesus.

Elijah left the earth without dying; Moses died, but his body was taken by an angel into glory. They were the pre-eminent figures of the Law and the Prophets.

What were they talking about? Luke tells us that it was the plan. Jesus was finding assurances about the plan – the kerygma – the suffering, crucifixion, death, resurrection, and ascension.

Peter wanted to capture the moment in time as proof of the Messianic arrival attested to by Moses and Elijah, the last whom represented the forerunner.

Moses delivers God’s people from bondage and into the place of promise; Jesus brings deliverance from our bondage to sin and separation from fellowship with the Father and takes us to a place of restoration and blessing.

v. 5-6 And not knowing what to say, for they were terrified, Peter began to speak and said to Jesus, “Teacher, it’s good that we are here; we can construct three shelters – one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”

That’s why Peter blurted out, let’s set up the tabernacles to show people that your arrival is attested to by the great ones who had gone before – Moses and Elijah. This would clearly prove that the New Covenant, the New way of knowing Yahweh, had come in Jesus.

The” booths”, or tabernacles, reference is not so pointing to the Feast of Tabernacles as it is to the new “Sinai” or mountain experience that supplants Moses’ experience with the commandments.

v. 7 Then a cloud appeared and covered them in its shadow, and a voice spoke out of the cloud: “This is my son, the one beloved and chosen; listen to him.”

Matthew notes it was a bright cloud filled with light, not a dark, brooding, cloud. The light was so bright as to obscure with its own presence, like a shadow, what they had seen a moment before. The cloud appeared, covered them with the shadow, and the Father spoke.

This experience totally changed the disciples, so much so that, Peter would write later about being an eyewitness to the glory and majesty of the Son of God, and John would write about Jesus’ glory visible.

2 Peter 1:16-18. This experience was with Peter the rest of his life.

This cloud became both the revelation and the concealer of Jesus’ glory. God’s voice is heard here as Jesus moves from ministry and demonstrations of power to misery and demonstrations of humility.

“Listen to Him” is important since Jesus leans into sharing the hard truths of the plan the Father has put into place through Him. They need to hear “listen to him.”

v. 8 Then suddenly, they looked around and saw no one with them any longer, only Jesus.

After recovering from the awe and fear of the experience (Matthew says they fell down) they looked around as the cloud cleared and saw only Jesus. There are times when the Father speaks or makes His presence know so powerfully that we are shaken and changed. Those experiences are “Kairos” moments in our lives; we look back on them, but we remember that Jesus remains near even as we move from those powerful moments. And he is more than enough.

Jesus remains as the sole bearer of Kingdom presence and revelation. “His words and deeds transcend all past revelation.” W. Lane.

v. 9 And as they were coming down from the mountain, he compelled them to tell no one what they had seen, at least not until the son of Man had risen from the dead.

They were to say nothing to their fellow followers until after Jesus conquered death.

The resurrection is seen only in the full context of the brutal treatment, death, and burial of Jesus.

The disciples got it that Jesus is Messiah and current Lord and Savior. And they understood that in the final “Parousia” Jesus would be enthroned. They just couldn’t get the whole suffer, die, bury him, but raise again part.

Jesus exaltation, glory, enthronement are only understood in the context of the Cross and empty tomb.

v. 10 And that account they kept to themselves but discussed what “risen from the dead” means.

The three disciples would frequently discuss this event among themselves. But what most didn’t fit was why Jesus would need to rise from the dead, especially since Elijah had come and ushered in the Messianic age. Sure resurrection from the dead was in the mix, but much later at the end of the age. Why would Jesus need to rise from the dead while they were still around? Perplexed.

v. 11 And the disciples said, “Why is it that the religious scribes teach that Elijah must come first?”

So many things had been written by the scribes of what Elijah would do when he came back.

v. 12 And he answered them, “Elijah indeed appears first and restores everything just in the way it is written that the Son of Man should suffer many things and be utterly despised.”

Jesus doesn’t hedge this truth from Malachi. But he does point to an even more important and frequently ignored truth: The Messiah’s pinnacle of love and glory will be in the suffering.

v. 13 But I tell you this, also, that Elijah has appeared, and they did to him whatever they desired just as it has been written about him.

And in this conversation, Jesus explains that John came in the same vein as Elijah as the greatest of the prophets and restored the reviving work of holiness and repentance that had been missing from the scene for 400 years. And in his prophetic ministry, the religious leaders would ridicule him and the political leaders executed him. He got whatever they gave him. John, like Elijah, led God’s people into repentance and forgiveness (restoration.) His was a ministry of restoration and renewal (of all things, if you respond.)