Mark 8 - Transfiguration
February 15th, 2026 “Transfiguration” Rev. Heather Jepsen
Mark 8:27-9:8
This week we continue our deep dive into the gospel of Mark, and we have reached the midpoint of our series. Last week we talked about Jesus’ conflict with the political authorities, and those things will only increase from here on out. We are skipping a few chapters which is a shame. You will have to read on your own to hear about feeding miracles, healing miracles, walking on water, and conflicts with the Pharisees. As the church begins to turn to Lent, so too does the focus of our gospel. Up to this point Mark has been focused on Jesus’ authority and power. From this moment forward the focus shifts to Jesus’ suffering and death.
We begin with Jesus alone with the disciples. “Who do people say that I am?” he asks. Answers vary from John the Baptist to Elijah which reminds us of our reading about Herod last week and his concerns about the movement. Then Jesus gets to the heart of the matter. “Who do you say that I am?” Peter has the correct answer, “You are the Messiah” but Jesus warns him not to tell others about this. Why? Because the disciples don’t yet understand what it means to be the Messiah.
Jesus begins to teach them that the path of God is different than the path of man. The Messiah will be rejected by the church; he will suffer and die and then be raised again. Peter isn’t having it and he takes Jesus aside to rebuke him. Peter thinks he can assume the role of teacher and Jesus won’t have it. Peter is so very wrong. “Get behind me Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.”
Jesus makes it clear that this path of suffering is not just for the Messiah, rather it is for any who would seek to follow the way of the Christ. He invites the crowds to hear the word and tells them that to follow him is to take up their cross and to lose their life. It is an impossibly hard lesson.
As if to underscore the truth of the matter, Mark follows this teaching with the story of the transfiguration. Jesus and the inner circle climb a mountain and experience a divine revelation. In a fleeting perception of divine splendor Jesus appears dazzling white speaking with the prophets of old. His authority can be without question as a voice rings out from the heavens, “This is my son, the beloved, listen to him!” If the disciples were doubting the truth of the message about suffering, then this serves to make things plain. Jesus is God’s own chosen messenger and the words he speaks are the words of God.
We have spent this series focused on the historical context of these texts and so we begin there. We know of course that Jesus will be killed. His teachings run contrary to the religious authorities of the day. Remember that those folks are the ones who claim to speak for God, they are God’s representatives on earth. For Jesus to claim his status as a representative of God and challenge their teaching and authority is threatening. It will lead to nothing less than suffering and death for the Christ.
The same is true of the political authorities. Remember that Cesar claims to be the son of God. Jesus in his claims is going against the teachings of empire. It is a conspiracy for sure as folks like Herod and the religious leaders, Jewish people in power, turn a blind eye to the blasphemies of the emperor so that they can maintain their own status within the corrupt system. Jesus will be killed for challenging such things. The stakes are high.
The stakes are high for Mark’s community too. They continue to experience persecution from the Jewish community and from the Roman empire. To claim to be a Christian, to preach the things that Jesus did, is to go against the social, political, and religious structure of their time. They will take up their crosses to follow Jesus and that’s not just a metaphor.
This reading is as relevant for us today as any other part of our scriptures, and perhaps even more so. If we are going to follow this Jesus who is transfigured, transformed on the mountaintop, who is attested to by the very voice of God. Then we too must be transfigured or transformed. The gospel makes hard demands, and if we aren’t changed by following Jesus then we aren’t following Jesus.
The question Jesus asks of the disciples he could ask of us today. “Who do you say that I am?” Is Jesus a social justice worker, a prophet, a teacher? Is he fully human and fully God? Is he the son of Man, the Messiah, the Christ? Do we recognize his authority and claim upon our lives, or do we only say we follow him when it suits our own needs?
How do we set our minds on divine things and not human things? Jesus offers a clear lesson here. “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” To deny yourself is not asceticism. It doesn’t mean giving up chocolate for Lent or not buying that thing you really want but don’t really need. And to deny yourself isn’t self-hate either. It’s not holding on to all the awful things you’ve done and ruminating in your own suffering. No – to deny yourself is to deny the grasping self. The part of you that wants more and more and more. The part that wants respect and power, authority and wealth. To deny yourself is to deny the part of you that loves empire and not Jesus.
And to take up your cross – that’s to lay down your life. So often we hear folks say “well that’s just my cross to bear.” That is a flippant remark if ever I heard one. Taking up your cross isn’t about dealing with the suffering this life brings like financial hardship and health concerns, emotional pain and family turmoil.
No – remember what the cross is. It is the instrument of torture and oppression of the roman empire. To take up your cross is to take a stand against everything the empire stands for. To take up your cross is to stand with your neighbor in matters of justice. This is painful redemptive action voluntarily taken on behalf of others. It’s to witness to injustice, to call it out, to speak up for humanity, and speak out against the sins of empire. That’s what you must do if you are to follow Jesus. To risk your life to save the life and dignity of your neighbor.
Is this hard work? Heck yeah it is. That’s why Peter says no. And why generations of Christians have said no. Again, we ask, how many claim to follow the Christ and then turn away when they see a neighbor treated unjustly. It’s all well and good if this is about saying a special prayer and getting a heavenly reward. But if this is about earthly suffering then many people say, “I’m out”. And to this Jesus says, “Those who are ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of them the Son of Man will also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father.” Those who want to save themselves must stand before the one who did not.
My friends, this lesson has the same urgency for us as it did for the first readers of the gospel. You only have one life to live, and you get to choose how you will live it. Will you follow Jesus the suffering servant, or will you follow the emperor who claims he is god and can do whatever he wants without consequence?
Like Peter, we are naturally reluctant to accept the truth that suffering is the path that God chooses. Life would be so much easier if the way of the divine was about power and pride. In fact, we often see folks twisting the words of Christ to make it so. I would argue that the majority of churches in America are doing that right now today. But the words of Jesus are clear. “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.”
You have a choice to make today and every day. Following Jesus is not a path to wealth and power. It is not a path to popularity and fame. To follow Jesus is to be transfigured, to be transformed, to set your mind on divine things and not human things. To follow Jesus is to follow the path of love, grace, mercy, and fellowship. It is to stand up against the injustices of empire and to stand with your fellow man. It is to love your neighbor as yourself, even at, no, especially at the cost of your own life and comfort.
Fidelity to Jesus Christ brings persecution for the disciples live in an age that is contrary to God. My friends, we do too. If your life isn’t transformed by the power of the gospel, if you can’t see the injustices in our world and call them out, if you aren’t taking a stand for love in this world of hate, then you need to ask yourself if you are really following Jesus, or if you are following a sham Messiah that was created by empire.
Jesus stands before us and asks, “who do you say that I am?”. Your actions, your words, your life will tell the truth about how you answer that question. As far as I am concerned there is only one answer. If Jesus is the Messiah, then we are called to follow the path of love and justice that he lays before us, up to and including suffering for the sake of others. May we be brave enough to deny ourselves, take up our crosses, stand against empire, and follow our Lord. Amen.
