Greetings dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
Today, let us take a look at a conversation Jesus has with His disciples after the Transfiguration:
And as they were coming down from the mountain, He gave them orders not to recount to anyone what they had seen, until the Son of Man rose from the dead.
— Mark 9:9
After the voice from heaven commanded the disciples to listen to Jesus—establishing His ultimate authority over the Law and the Prophets—we see a conversation continue as Jesus came down from the mountain with Peter, James, and John.
Jesus commanded the disciples not to share what they had witnessed on the mountain with anyone.
This instruction was quite contrary to human expectation. One would think that after witnessing something so extraordinary, it would be necessary to tell everyone. But this was not the case—not yet.
In most of the other narratives, when Jesus commanded people not to spread news about His miracles or identity, He did not provide a specific reason or timeline.
For example, when Peter identified Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the Living God, Jesus simply told them not to share this truth with anyone:
And He warned them to tell no one about Him.
— Mark 8:30
A similar situation occurred when Jesus raised a young girl from the dead:
And He gave them strict orders that no one should know about this, and He said that some food should be given to her to eat.
— Mark 5:43
But in this instance, Mark makes it clear that when Jesus prohibited the disciples from speaking about the Transfiguration, He gave them additional information: a timeline. They were to remain silent until after He had risen from the dead.
This statement would have been puzzling for the disciples. As devout Jews, they believed in a general resurrection at the end of days, but they had no concept of an individual resurrection such as the one Jesus was referring to.
This helps us understand why Jesus told them to keep this event secret for the time being. The work of salvation was not yet complete. It required not only His sinless life, but also His death, burial, and resurrection. Each part of this mission was essential.
The Apostle Paul, writing to the Philippians, explains both Jesus’ humiliation and His exaltation after His sacrifice:
Therefore, God also highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
— Philippians 2:9-11
To have the complete gospel, we must not only consider Jesus’ suffering, but also His triumph in the resurrection.
We might ask: If Jesus came to save sinners, why did He need to live 33 years on earth? Why did He have to suffer? Why didn’t He simply come and go straight to the cross?
The answer is found in His words to John the Baptist when John hesitated to baptize Him:
But John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I have need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me?” But Jesus answered and said to him, “Permit it at this time; for in this way it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he permitted Him.
— Matthew 3:14-15
Jesus had to live a sinless life, endure temptation, and fulfill all the requirements of God’s law. Only then could He be the qualified substitute for the sins of the world. After His death, His sacrifice was validated by the Father through His bodily resurrection by the power of the Holy Spirit. This proved that His sacrifice was accepted.
This is why Jesus had to live His full life, die, and then rise again.
In other words, the reason Jesus prohibited His disciples from spreading news of His miracles and identity before His death was because His mission was not yet complete. The timeline Mark records makes this clear. Only after His death and resurrection was the gospel ready to be proclaimed to the world.
And indeed, after the resurrection, Jesus gave His disciples this commission:
And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.”
— Mark 16:15
Dear friends, Jesus lived the perfect life, died the sinner’s death, and rose again on the third day. His mission is complete. It is now our responsibility to proclaim the good news of the gospel to all creation.
Let us not grow slack in this glorious task. Our Lord is alive, and He has triumphed over death. This is news worth sharing.
His life, death, and resurrection are the only way by which humanity can be set free from the bondage of sin and death. Whoever places their faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, will be saved.
Let’s preach the gospel to the nations.
Grace and peace.
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