The Preview

One of the best parts of seeing a movie in theaters is watching all the previews before the movie starts. Movie previews are an art form in and of themselves: they take a couple hours of carefully directed content and condense it into a couple minutes of intriguing, captivating art. They tell the beginning of a story in such a compelling way that audiences want to see the whole thing. Mark 9:1 explains previews a coming event. Most scholars believe this verse is referring to the Transfiguration, which is “a heavenly preview of what is to be achieved.” As this entire book offers glimpses into the inbreaking kingdom of God, the Transfiguration gave Peter, James, and John a glimpse into the glory of the kingdom. This moment “reveals the kingdom by unveiling the king” (Witherington, Gospel of Mark, 262), as much of this entire Gospel does.