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.”                                                                                    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, and his clothes became radiant, intensely white, as no one on earth could bleach them. And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus. 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.” For he did not know what to say, for they were  terrified. And a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, “This is my beloved Son; listen to him.” And suddenly , looking around, they no longer saw anyone with them but Jesus only. 

For a few moments Yeshu is seen to be Who he really is.

Those three disciples never forgot that day. John would write, “We have seen his glory.” And Peter wrote, “We ourselves heard this very voice from heaven.” As for James, later on he was killed because the Jews were frightened by the powerful growth of the kingdom of God.

Mark 8:34-38

And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them,”If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what does it profit to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? For what can a man give in return for his soul? For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father and the holy angels.” 

‘Come with me,’ said Yeshu,’ and take the short path into the glory of my Father’s presence. Be rid of all this life’s desires, openly serve me and you will find that life which is unfading.’

Mark 8:31-33

And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again. And he said this plainly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”

Yeshu addresses his most eager disciple with some of the sternest words that he ever spoke, but at the same time he turns to all of them because they too dream, as Peter does, that he will be a glorious earthly Messiah King.

No. He must take onto himself the negative karma of many by dying – in their stead – a bitter and shameful death.

He could do it. He had no sin, he had only unlimited merit – enough merit to cancel all the sin of believers and be their Saviour.  He could say to the king of hell (gshin rje chos rgyal), “You have no power over me”; and – rising from death and hell after three days – break out of the prison of samsara (‘khor ba).