They were put to the test as soon as they came down from where the transfiguration took place. Jesus gave them orders in verse 9 "Not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead." How could you keep such an amazing experience to yourself? The temptation of sharing how special it was to be chosen for such an experience must have been great.

Considering the context of Mark 9 and the rest of the scriptures, there is no indication they shared this until after Jesus was resurrected. Peter mentioned it in 2 Peter 1:16-17, where it says, "We were eye-witnesses of his majesty." When reading these verses in 2 Peter I got help in understanding what Jesus meant when He said in Mark 9:1, "I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God come with power." Peter said, "We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ."

Cross references like these help us to see that the disciples did obey Christ's order following the transfiguration and Christ's promise was fulfilled. We, too, should listen and obey, and worship our risen Lord, and we will see Him fulfill His promises to us.