Mark 9

Boy, sometimes when I am reading
I have question
after question
after question....

Mar 9:1 And He said to them,
Truly I say to you that there are some of those who stand here
who shall not taste of death until they see the kingdom of God
come with power.

So did the Kingdom of God come and we missed it?
Or are some of those people still alive today?
Or maybe he meant when you die you haven't really tasted death?
Or maybe he is saying when the Kingdom of God comes, some people will die?

I've been told to keep an eye out for the word "until" in the text,
because it will be significant.
This reads like a prophecy, doesn't it?

They shall not taste of death until they see the kingdom of God come?
meaning that when they see the kingdom of God come,
they will see death?

Am I reading too much into this?
Being too analytical with a hardened heart?

ok, moving on....

Mar 9:2 And after six days Jesus took Peter and James and John
and led them up into a high mountain, apart by themselves.
And He was transfigured before them.

Six days after what?
After that "until" prophecy?
Who was counting, and why?
Looking back, Matthew said the same thing.
Why bother to mention it?
Did nothing happen after that speech until now?

Or is this event the kingdom of God come with power?

If he hand-picked the twelve,
why does he leave some of them out of this glorious experience?
Are some disciples preferred over others?

Is this kind of like my own experience at work?
Although all the workers at my company contribute to its success,
only a portion of them are given profit-sharing bonuses?
I wouldn't think Jesus would be like that.

Should I set the bible aside until I am more in the spirit
of receiving what it has to offer?
Or should I wade through no matter how I am feeling,
because "something is better than nothing"?

ok, I am "wading through" today....

Mar 9:4 And Elijah with Moses was seen by them,
and they were talking with Jesus.
Mar 9:5 And Peter answered and said to Jesus,
Rabbi, it is good for us to be here.
And let us make three tabernacles,
one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah.
Mar 9:6 For he did not know what to say,
for they were very much afraid.
Mar 9:7 And there was a cloud that overshadowed them.
And a voice came out of the cloud, saying,
This is My beloved Son. Hear Him.
Mar 9:8 And suddenly, looking around,
they did not see anyone any more,
except Jesus alone with themselves.

My Life Application notes remind me
that
God appeared to Elijah on a mountain,
and
God appeared to Moses on a mountain.

I guess back then
before airplanes and helicopters or hot air balloons,
climbing a mountain was the only way
to rise above the normal everyday rabble.
and now that I think about it,
it still remains a very good way to get away from it all.

I can picture myself on a mountain right now
alone and breathing fresh air,
feeling just a little closer to God,
even though he is available to us anytime everywhere.
Sometimes it just doesn't feel like it.

But I think the point of this event,
Is that the disciples would easily make the mistake
of saying something like
"Jesus is as great as Moses"
or "He is as great as Elijah"
and the point had to be made that those men were men,
but Jesus was the Son of God.
a crucial distinction.
He immediately commanded them to tell no one.

Mar 9:9 And as they came down from the mountain,
He commanded them that they should tell no one
the things that they had seen
until the Son of Man had risen from the dead.

So for some reason it was important for these three people to witness this,
but to save the knowledge of it until after the resurrection.
I am curious to know what they did or said later, but I'll resist the urge to read ahead.