Jesus the King by Timothy Keller
Week 7: Chapter 6 — The Transfiguration
Read Chapter 6 of Jesus the King. Primary text: Mark 8:22–9:13.
Previewing Week 7 of Jesus the King
Read 3 of 7 discussion questions below. Unlock the complete 14-week guide when you’re ready.
We reach the turning point of Mark's Gospel: Peter's great confession and the Transfiguration — and Keller shows that just when the disciples grasp who Jesus is, Jesus begins to tell them what that means.
Discussion Questions
7 questions1.Jesus heals a blind man in two stages — first partially, then fully — an unusual miracle that stands alone in the Gospels. Keller reads this as a deliberate sign about the disciples' own partial spiritual sight. What does "partial sight" look like spiritually? Where do you recognize that kind of half-seeing in your own faith?
2.At Caesarea Philippi, Jesus asks his disciples the most important question in the book: "Who do you say I am?" Peter answers: "You are the Messiah." Keller calls this the hinge of Mark's Gospel. Why is this question — and Peter's answer — so pivotal? What is at stake in how we answer it?
3.Immediately after Peter's great confession, Jesus begins to explain that he must suffer, be rejected, and be killed. Peter rebukes Jesus — and Jesus responds with the sharpest words in the Gospels: "Get behind me, Satan." What had Peter gotten right, and what had he catastrophically misunderstood? How can someone have correct doctrine about Jesus and still be working against him?