The Transfiguration of Jesus in Mark 9 VS The Transformation of Christ as the Sown Seed in Mark 4

 

The Transfiguration of Jesus in Mark 9 VS The Transformation of Christ as the Sown Seed in Mark 4

 

Mark 9: 2-3 "After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them. His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them."

Matthew 16:28 "Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom."

Mark 4:26-27 "This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how."

 

Aspect	The Transfiguration of Jesus in Mark 9	The Transformation of Christ as the Sown Seed in Mark 4
Distinction	External, visible transformation	Internal, gradual transformation
Explanation	1. Jesus transfigured on the mountain 2. His humanity saturated by His divinity 3. His glorification, equivalent to His coming in His kingdom 4. Realization of who He is	1. Christ as a seed sown in believers' hearts 2. The seed grows and develops within believers 3. Eventually blossoms and manifests in glory 4. Process of inner life growth in believers
Application	1. Reveals the coming of God's kingdom with power 2. Reveals Christ's glory 3. Manifests the kingdom of God	1. Growth of believers' life 2. Formation of Christ in believers 3. Realization of God's kingdom in believers' lives
Example	Jesus transfigured on the high mountain, His clothes becoming radiant	Christ growing within believers, eventually manifested in their lives
Related Scriptures	Luke 9:27 "Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God." Revelation 22:4-5 "They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever."	Colossians 3:3-4 "For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory." Colossians 1:27 "To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory."

 

This table compares two concepts of "transformation": one is the external, visible transformation of Jesus, and the other is the gradual, internal transformation of Christ within believers. Both point to the realization of God's kingdom, but in different ways and processes. Jesus' transfiguration was a one-time event that demonstrated His glory and the power of God's kingdom. The transformation of Christ as the sown seed, on the other hand, is an ongoing process that emphasizes the growth of the inner life of believers and the realization of God's kingdom in daily life.

 

*Please refer to the 2024 Summer On-Site Training - Experiencing, Enjoying, and Expressing Christ (1) Message Four: The Kingdom is the Conquering of Rebellion and the Transfiguration of the Lord Jesus