WebBut Luke is careful to report them, because Luke's emphasis is upon the humanity of Jesus. And he endured human suffering just like we did. At the top of the mountain, they found themselves in the presence of God, who testified to the divine status of his son, Jesus. When he returns down the mountain, his face literally shined for a time since he had been in Gods presence. Anybody who manages to radiate the energy and light of a lightning bolt is mighty powerful and mighty bright. Peter will deny Jesus (22:54-62). We do not want to meet him still in our sinful state. He saw and heard ancient leaders of Israel Moses and Elijah. More importantly, it marked a renewal of Gods covenant with Israel. Later, however, they succeeded in healing everywhere (9:6). At the base of the mountain, they find themselves confronted by a great crowd and a distraught father who pleads for his son, who is possessed by a demon. What is some significance for us today from these words here in Luke 9?? 17:19; Mark 9:210. To me, it matches the magnitude of the stories of Christs birth (which weve looked at in the past couple of weeks) and the resurrection. Perishable means it has an expiration date. The can of beans in our kitchen cabinet has an expiration date on it. The accounts in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke are drawn from Marks, but there are some significant differences among them. There may be another connection with Moses at this point. He is beyond us and greater than us in every way imaginable. They cannot encourage Jesus to stick with what they dont understand (and would resist if they did understand it). That is a natural reaction. Luke places Johns name ahead of James here and in the story of Jairus daughter, perhaps because Peter and John will be so closely linked later in Lukes writings (22:8; Acts 3:1-10; 4:1-22; 8:14-25) (Culpepper, 205). . What was his response? So his need for prayer may not have been that much different than ours. This event was unprecedented. 29 And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glistering. It also reveals a quality we tend to overlook, that those whove walked with God glow with the radiance of Gods presence. So whats up with that? They are happy to see Jesus glorified. However, I think they must go together. At a time when anyone else would sit in stunned silence, Peter says, Lets make three tents! None of the Gospels tells us why he wants to build three tents: Perhaps he wants to prolong the mountaintop experienceto keep Jesus safe on the mountain rather than seeing him exposed to suffering, rejection, and death (v. 22). Test of true discipleship (Matthew 16:24-28; Mark 8:34-1; Luke 9:23-27) Immediately after telling his disciples of his coming suffering and death, Jesus told them they had to be prepared for similar treatment. And there is more to it than simply an unforgettable moment. Jesus reproach says that the disciples failure is due to their own faithlessness and perversityimplying lack of faith. We see that yet today. 28-36 Christ's transfiguration was a specimen of that glory in which he will come to judge the world; and was an encouragement to his disciples to suffer for him. But there is something glorious, something heavenly that awaits them. Then He called His twelve disciples together 43They were all astonished at the majesty of God. Representing the Israel of old, they disappear, leaving Jesus alone (Fitzmyer, 795). They have been on mountains to receive revelation; they are expected to appear at the coming of the messianic age (see Deuteronomy 18:15 concerning Moses; Malachi 4:5 concerning Elijah); and both had been taken into heaven and thereby were privileged to know God face-to-face and to know his will. Luke 9:28-36. The voice from the clouds echoes the voice from heaven at Jesus baptismYou are my beloved Son. This cloud came over them and they heard a voice, God himself, speaking to them. In an excellent book called The Incomparable Christ, author Oswald Sanders said, The presence of Moses and Elijah would be to them the pledge of their own immortality. The disciples kept this to themselves and did not tell anyone at that time what they had seen. A bolt of lightning is one of the most powerful forces on planet earth, discharging 1,000,000,000,000,000 watts of electricity (thats 1 trillion if you dont want to count up all the zeroes) at a temperature of 20,000 degrees centigrade (which is considerably hotter than even the surface of the sun). Though sinless, Jesus experienced pressures and grief and sorrow. The glory of the Lord was revealed at his birth (Luke 2:9). Luke 9:26 ESV For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. They dont tell anyone what they have seen, and that is all right. But theres more to it than this. Several members of the congregation, unbeknownst to each other, mentioned this to me on more than one occasion. Certainly, their faith has waned more often than it has waxed. The booths recall the Feast of Booths, one of the three major festivals of the Jewish faith. Perhaps because Israel is the people of the Law and the Prophets, and Moses was the great lawgiver, and Elijah the great prophet. WebJesus Heals a Centurions Servant. The cloud was gone, Moses and Elijah vanished, and Jesus was left alone with his disciples. Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, for he is my only child (v. 38). This moment gave great assurance to all that the apostles spoke and lived for. Behold, a spirit takes him, he suddenly cries out, and it convulses him so that he foams, and it hardly departs from him, bruising him severely (v. 39). Check out these helpful resources To be glorified here on the mountain, and to talk about his coming suffering in Jerusalem may have given the Lord Jesus strength for his days ahead strength facing this unimaginable human suffering. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijahnot knowing what he said. Moses came to set the people of Israel free from slavery in Egypt. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. 35A voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son. Prayer is a But other times he swings at the pitch, completely whiffs, and strikes out. And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, and James, and John his brother, and leadeth them to a high mountain apart; 2. To be amazed, even to tremble. Prayer is a transfiguring, transforming duty, which makes the face to shine. Now, heres Jesus on Mount Herman. 29 And as he was praying, the appearance of his face was galtered, and hhis clothing became dazzling white. You fall to the ground trembling, your hair standing straight up. After hearing such hard, perhaps even shocking, words a week earlier, now on the mountain the three disciples would have found great strength by seeing a glimpse of the coming glory in the resurrection, ascension, and second coming of Christ. 19-20). The prophet Elijah challenged the priests of Baal on Mount Carmel (1 Kings 18). Moreover, the disciples of Jesus are to listen to him. Along its mighty forest-avenues, until the grass grew fair with the mountain lilies, his feet dashed in the dew of Hermon, he must have gone to pray his first recorded prayer about death, and from the steep of it, before he knelt, could see to the south all the dwelling-place of the people that had sat in darkness, and seen the great light - the land of Zabulon and of Naphtali, Galilee of the nations; could see, even with his human sight, the gleam of that lake by Capernaum and Chorazin, and many a place loved by him and vainly ministered to, whose house was now left unto them desolate; and, chief of all, far in the utmost blue, the hills above Nazareth, sloping down to his old home: hills on which the stones yet lay loose that had been taken up to cast at him, when he left them forever" (Ruskin, "Modern Painters," iv., 374). Luke 9:28-36 The Transfiguration: The Coming Glory, Acts: The Holy Spirit and His Unstoppable Church, 2 Corinthians - Ministers of a New Covenant, Work and Worship: Connecting Sunday to Monday. But when we are resurrected, we will be imperishable we will never again have an expiration date! He says that Moses and Elijah were speaking of his departure, which he was about to accomplish in Jerusalem (9:31). Scared out of their minds. In the Gospels, he is bold and outspoken. These three disciples were present at the healing of Jairus daughter (8:51). This is my Son, my Chosen One. Luke 9:2223 ESV The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. And he said to all, If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.. Undoubtedly, they spoke with Jesus of the events in the next few months of Jesus death, resurrection, and probably his ascension into heaven. (6) So that his disciples do not stumble at his debasing himself in his flesh, he teaches them that it is voluntary, showing in addition for a moment the brightness of his glory. What we are about to read is an unusual story. when, however, they had thoroughly awakened, And it came to pass about an eight days after these sayings, he took Peter and John and James, and went up into a mountain to pray, Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers. They speak then of Jesus exodus from this world through his suffering, death, and resurrection into heaven, the place where they dwell with God. Peter, James, and John already believed in life after death, but surely this moment dramatically increased their convictions that everything they had been taught about life after death was absolutely true. Frederick Buechner once mused that maybe the oddness of the Transfiguration is not so odd after all. Dayspring from on high, be near; In the Incarnation, the Son of God takes on human form and resides with us mortals on earth. To twenty-first century ears, the symptoms sound like epilepsy. A week earlier, Jesus spoke of his Second Coming when he returns to earth in glory. Go on and at least try to establish an earthly kingdom. 30 Suddenly they saw two men, Moses and Elijah, talking to him. and those who turn many to righteousness Moses received the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai (Exodus 20:1-17). Bring your son here (v. 41). 29 And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glistering. The other gospels suggest that this took place six days later. Achtemeier, Paul J. and Elizabeth R., Proclamation, Epiphany, Series C (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1973), Barclay, William, The Daily Study Bible, The Gospel of Luke (Edinburgh: Saint Andrew Press, 1953), Bock, Darrell L., The IVP New Testament Commentary Series: Luke, Vol. On one side of the bookshelf weve got Moses going up on Mount Sinai to receive the Ten Commandments. (10-17) Peter's testimony to Christ, Self-denial enjoined. That word, TRANSFIGURED, is obviously why we call this the Transfiguration. The glory was there. Hymn Lists. Probably there is something to all that, but it does not appear that Moses and Elijah spent their time with Jesus reflecting on the ins and outs of the Law and Prophets. You can turn there. pierce the gloom of sin and grief; It is not what you would expect. The Transfiguration is a Christological festival in the church year, which means that the story of the Transfiguration deserves attention on its own. as the stars forever and ever (Daniel 12:3). But how could anyone be drowsy, even briefly, when such a spectacle was right in front of them? A beautiful, delicate butterfly. The Third Readings: The Gospels (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2001), Fitzmyer, Joseph A., S.J., The Anchor Bible: The Gospel According to Luke I-IX (New York: Doubleday, 1970), Gilmour, S. MacLean & Knox, John, The Interpreters Bible, Volume 8. But that is horrible, and now for at least a moment it appears that all that can be bypassed. Second, Moses and Elijah are present. When Jesus commanded them to feed a great crowd, they responded, We have no more than five loaves and two fish, unless we should go and buy food for all these people (9:13). It is not in vain. Peters hasty and ill-conceived words provoke a divine response, from God the Father Himself. They speak of Jesus forthcoming exodus or departure, his forthcoming death and resurrection, which Jesus had spoken of before going up the mountain (9:22). With no human or earthly voices available to encourage Jesus, his Father steps in to provide new voices in the conversation. She laughed and said, Oh, he just needs a little time every once in a while to be alone with God. She said hed go backpacking on horseback in the mountains of New Mexico. And was transfigured before them: and his face shone as the sun, and his garments became white as the light.3. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and healed the boy, and gave him back to his father (v. 42b). But the drama up there on that mountain seems to have been only partly intended to make an impression on the disciples. It commemorates Gods protection during the wilderness wanderings (Leviticus 23:39-43). For this section, compare Matt. The transfiguration of Jesus offers a glimpse of the Trinity, as well as a wild display of Gods glory and confirmation of who Christ is. Rev., the mountain. No sooner than he got down off the mountain, Jesus was met by a woman with a sick child, who begged for his mercy and healing kindness. From some frightening experience, we said or did something and we later wondered, Why did I do that?. Childrens Sermons LUKE 9:28-31. From the very beginning there has been nothing about the appearance of Jesus that would cause you to think that he was anything more than just another boy, the son of a carpenter. It is useful. WebLuke 9:28-36, (37-43) Good Morning Our God Pause thought for this Transfiguration Sunday is Transformation we spend a moment contemplating what this word means in our lives how Lukes account tells of the radical revelation of a mountaintop experience which is interrupted by reality. Sown in weakness ; it is not what you would expect he is my beloved Son hasty and ill-conceived provoke. Jesus to stick with what they dont tell anyone at that time what they seen... 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