David Bahn – Reflections

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Today’s readings are Mark 9-10; Psalm 5. I hope you will join me in reading these passages.

Mark 9:1-8

And he said to them, “Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God after it has come with power.”

² And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, ³ and his clothes became radiant, intensely white, as no one on earth could bleach them. ⁴ And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus. ⁵ And Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.” ⁶ For he did not know what to say, for they were terrified. ⁷ And a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, “This is my beloved Son; listen to him.” ⁸ And suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone with them but Jesus only.

My son is an officer in the United States Navy. When I think of power, I think of the aircraft carrier he served on a few years ago — a massive ship with immense resources to move through the seas and project strength where needed. Or I think of a powerful locomotive pulling tons of freight across the nation. Or the engines of a widebody jet, producing nearly 200,000 pounds of thrust.

When I think of spiritual power, my mind goes to the walls of Jericho falling as Joshua led Israel around the city. Or to Jesus calming the storm, commanding wind and waves to be still. Or to Jesus ordering the demons out of the man possessed by a legion.

But Jesus gives us a different picture of the kingdom of God coming with power. Mark makes clear that the Transfiguration fulfills Jesus’ promise: “There are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God after it has come with power.”

We might expect a bolt of lightning or another Red Sea moment. And in a way, that is exactly what the disciples are given — Moses, the witness to God’s saving power at the Red Sea, and Elijah, who once saw fire fall from heaven on Mount Carmel. They appear with Jesus before Peter, James, and John on the mountain.

So what does it mean to see the kingdom of God come with power? It means seeing Jesus for who he truly is. He is the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets. He is God’s beloved Son, to whom we must listen. For a time, he hid his glory as he walked among us — but here, for a brief moment, that glory shines through.

And this is where the power of the kingdom still meets us today: not in displays that impress the strong, but in the Son who goes on from the mountain to the cross. There, in weakness and suffering, God’s true power is revealed — power to forgive sinners, to defeat death, and to give life that will never end.