Were not told why, although it was not unusual for Jesus to pull these 3 aside. 33It happened, as they were parting from him, that Peter said to Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here. Perhaps because Israel is the people of the Law and the Prophets, and Moses was the great lawgiver, and Elijah the great prophet. It builds faith, that all weve been taught is absolutely true. Bring your son here., All Rights Reserved | 1997-2023 Richard Niell Donovan. He is beyond us and greater than us in every way imaginable. Sometimes he says something beautiful, like earlier in Chapter 9 when he confesses that Jesus is the Christ. Luke, the first-century physician, describes the problem as demon-possession. And his resurrected guarantees our resurrection. If there was any question as to who Jesus was, there was no mystery about it now: He is the Christ, the only begotten son of God. They are represented in this episode (as) foils to Jesus. 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. Third, how can it be, following on one of the most dazzling visual spectacles that ever took place on this planet, that the bottom line from God the Father is Listen to him. Listen? And we get a lot of positive reinforcement for being responsible, predictable and easy to get a hold of. 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). but when they were fully awake, they saw his glory, and the two men who stood with him (v. 32b). It lit up like a blazing light. The longer text tends to diminish the significance of the Transfiguration. When the voice came, Jesus was found alone (v. 36a). He had talked previously about his forthcoming suffering and death. Now, in todays Gospel lesson, we have the most authoritative answer to the question, Who is this? God says, This is my beloved Son. The booths recall the Feast of Booths, one of the three major festivals of the Jewish faith. He was not making up stories about Christ. 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. 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. Ive seen the Lord! All his teachings about love for God and for our fellow human beings are to be observed. Lets make three tents: one for you, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah, not knowing what he said. Have you ever known anyone like that? It is possible to structure a sermon in such a way that it brings the hearer upon the scene, looking around at the various persons present. At this Transfiguration, God confirms that the new Moses-like prophet is Jesus, saying, This is my beloved Son. And I do not fault them at all. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and healed the boy, and gave him back to his father (v. 42b). Instead we are told only that they discussed his departure. Thats why they were there. Who knows what will happen to them now that they are in Gods presenceperhaps they will die! We have here the narrative of Christ's transfiguration, which was designed for a specimen of that glory of his in which he will come to judge the world, of which he had lately been speaking, and, consequently, an encouragement to his disciples to suffer for him, and never to be And youre hoping youre still alive. Probably, he just wants to do something. The disciples kept Like the shepherds in Luke 2 when the angel announced a Savior was born. Luke 9:28-36. Delivered Weekly! Representing the Israel of old, they disappear, leaving Jesus alone (Fitzmyer, 795). It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. Used by permission. Some commentators even say that the preacher needs to choose one or the other. (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. Anybody who manages to radiate the energy and light of a lightning bolt is mighty powerful and mighty bright. To me, its one of the more remarkable biological events. Luke does not say that Jesus was actually transfigured (Greek metamorphthē), as in Mark and Matthew, but says only that his face was altered; along with the other two, however, he says that the clothing of Jesus became dazzling white. Luke starts with the accounts of Mark and Matthew, which list Peter and James and John (Matthew 17:1; Mark 9:2 and 14:33), and changes the order of the names. Jesus has come to reveal God and redeem humanity. What is it thats so apparent about those whove been in the presence of God? When I was out in Odessa, we decided to call an associate pastor. WebCommentary on Luke 9:28-36 (Read Luke 9:28-36) Christ's transfiguration was a specimen of that glory in which he will come to judge the world; and was an The demon makes a desperate last attempt to control the boy. When he came down, having been in the presence of God, his face shown so brightly that the people of Israel had to cover their eyes. At this point in Lukes story, Jesus and the disciples are on the way into the abyss of Jesus passion. Maybe the sleepiness of the disciples is emblematic for how often they had missed the glory of Jesus when it shined right in front of them day in and day out throughout Jesus ministry. Bring your son here. 42While he was still coming, the demon threw him down and convulsed him violently. This is at the heart of our Christian faith. The Transfiguration is a Christological festival in the church year, which means that the story of the Transfiguration deserves attention on its own. We should read the Scriptures and be in prayer with a hungry sense of wonder. As Moses led the Israelites in the wilderness, God told him to build booths in which the people would dwell for seven days (Leviticus 23:33-43). 4. Paul says that at the resurrection, we who know Jesus will be changed: 1 Corinthians 15:4244 ESV So is it with the resurrection of the dead. If they were not there to encourage Jesus in the direction he had to go, I cannot think of what else they would have had to say about that departure. Now, lets think about that for just a moment. The voice from the cloud interrupts so that Jesus never responds directly to Peters suggestion to build booths. They are not really tracking all of what Jesus is saying, and so when Jesus speaks openly about his impending death, the disciples sometimes say nothing at all (note what happens after Luke 9:27: we fast-forward 8 whole days with no reported reactions whatsoever of the disciples to what Jesus had said). Seize the day! Moses and Elijah spoke of (Jesus) departure (Greek: exodon), which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem (v. 31). Perishable means it has an expiration date. The can of beans in our kitchen cabinet has an expiration date on it. WebLuke 9:28-36. 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.. (Luke 9:37-38) The glory of the mountaintop was short-lived, at best. 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). There was no reason, therefore, that He should Luke 9:28 - G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible As He sent His apostles out, He gave them power and authority. With no human or earthly voices available to encourage Jesus, his Father steps in to provide new voices in the conversation. Since this part of my sermon commentary is about Questions, Ill just ask a few of the ones that come to my mind in this startlingly odd passage. But its a whole other experience to have that same bolt of lightning strike the tree in your backyard when youre standing in the window 30 feet away. The three dwellings (9:33, NRSV; booths in RSV) recall those used at the Festival of Booths (or Tabernacles), an annual harvest festival. Or they respond to Jesus talk about sacrifice and humility by incarnating its opposite in a wrangling over and jockeying for power and privilege in Jesus coming kingdom (see Luke 9:46-50). Consider the wider context of Luke here. Not for nothing are they called Mountaintop Experiences! They expect him to conquernot to die. It increases our motivation to work for Jesus, for everything we do matters. 28 Now about eight days after these sayings he took with him Peter and John and James and went up on the mountain to pray. Exodus 34:29-35. Matthews Gospel account says that Jesus was, transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light (Matt 17:2). The disciples have survived their encounter with God! And heres a warning: If any of us have not believed in Jesus Christ, we should tremble. 29 And as he was praying, the appearance of his face was galtered, and hhis clothing became dazzling white. What is this departure and events in Jerusalem? No, not exactly on a par with what happened to Jesus but still . In the Gospels, he is bold and outspoken. What is some significance for us today from these words here in Luke 9?? It also reveals a quality we tend to overlook, that those whove walked with God glow with the radiance of Gods presence. Moses face shone so brightly that he found it necessary to wear a veil to shield people from the glare (Exodus 34:29-35). On this mountain the subject (has been) death (Craddock, Interpretation, 135). And just like that, it was over. Luke 9:28-36 - Matthew Henry's Whole Bible Commentary Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary. 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. As the "sayings" so definitely connected with the transfiguration scene are those announcing His deathat which Peter and all the Twelve were so startled and scandalizedso this scene was designed to show to the eyes as well as the heart how glorious that death was in the view of Heaven. That chapter is all about the resurrection. 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. His brilliance and majesty is so beyond us that we wont know what to do when confronted with him, and we will fall apart. Scott Hoezee. The Transfiguration is a story with six characters, but none we can, or probably want to, identify with fully. Elijah fled to Mount Horeb, and there God spoke to him in a sound of sheer silence (1 Kings 19:12, NRSV; RSV: a still small voice). Let me offer a few thoughts. (1-2) Jesus calls them and sends them forth. Lukes account is closely related to the First Lesson, in which Moses, after being in the presence of God to receive the Ten Commandments, comes down from Mount Sinai, and the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God (Exodus 34:29). Jesus was crucified on Mount Calvary and ascended into heaven from the Mount of Olives. This was a real and astonishing moment in history. 17:19; Mark 9:210. Moreover, the disciples of Jesus are to listen to him. As inner prayer, you pray a simple, repeated However, these words are directed to the disciples rather than Jesus (as at the baptism). What do we do with this? If you look at all three Gospels: So essentially they were understandably terrified in the entire experience. It is absolutely overwhelming to us mere mortals on earth. God promises that the day will come when his glory will fill all the earth (Numbers 14:21). And, lo, there appeared to them [473] Moses and Elijah talking with him.4. For most preachers, the decision is easy. Moses had prophesied, Your God will raise up to you a prophet from the midst of you, of your brothers, like me. He says something that seems to make no sense: Let us set up tents for you, Moses and Elijah., Why did he say this? Later, after the resurrection, he will make it clear that his death was necessary so that he might enter into his glory (Luke 24:26). The moderator of the committee told me later, It was as if someone turned on the lights. The glorification? The event was a revelation of Christs glory and was witnessed by only three chosen apostles. In you I am well pleased (3:22). Not only is the father distraught because his son is suffering, but his situation is made even more difficult by the fact that this is his only child. Now he selects an inner circle of disciples to go with him, thus signaling the importance of the journey up the mountain. They know the mind and will of God. This is the only Gospel to tell us what Moses and Elijah discuss with Jesus. 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. This cloud came over them and they heard a voice, God himself, speaking to them. Peter will deny Jesus (22:54-62). This post is excerpted from The Testimony of Luke, by S. Kent Brown, 472-482. No restraint! Should the preacher make use of the short text, relating the Transfiguration alone (9:28-36) or use the long text, telling not only the story of the Transfiguration but also relating the story of an exorcism (Luke 9:28-43)? (10-17) Peter's testimony to Christ, Self-denial enjoined. that he took with him Peter, John, and James (v. 28b). They were silent, and told no one in those days any of the things which they had seen (v. 36b). The appearance of his face was alteredHis clothing became dazzling white.. God is transcendent. Clearly, he was bathed in the light of Gods presence. Every time they respond to Jesus predictions about suffering with indifference or with actions that tug another direction, Jesus must surely have heard the tempters voice whispering into his ear, See, even your friends dont buy it! 28 Now about eight days after these sayings he took with him Peter and John and James and went up on the mountain to pray. The commission Christ gave to his twelve apostles to go out for some time to preach the gospel, and confirm it by miracles, ver. The event happens on a mountain, a place of special revelation. 1. I admired him for that, and wished I could be a little more like him to break away periodically, disappear, go up on a mountain and spend time alone with God in prayer. That Jesus perhaps needed this boost is testament to his true humanity. Later, however, they succeeded in healing everywhere (9:6). "It never entered thy thoughts to pay me the homageand yet I had helped thee, too, a littleof pouring oil on my head"; "but she hath anointed, not my head, she shrank, poor soul! To glimpse his majesty and power. Simply he may have not wanted the experience to end. to prayfor the period He had now reached was a critical and anxious one. When a storm threatened their boat, Jesus asked, Where is your faith? (8:25). All that is within Luke 9:31-33 is distinctive. Methinks, as I steal by His side, I hear from Him these plaintive sounds, "Lord, who hath believed Our report? 28 Now about eight days after these sayings Jesus * took with him Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. If Peter, James, and John had any doubts before as to who Jesus was, seeing Jesus lit up like the blazing sun, seeing the long-dead Moses and Elijah alive before them, and now hearing a voice from heaven, surely they had no doubts now. In any case, its clear from the Gospel accounts by Matthew, Mark, and Luke that the disciples were terrified at what was happening. To have mountaintop experiences it is not enough to go up on a mountain; one must go up on a mountain to pray (Knox, 174). Needs to choose one or the other were silent, and one you! Us mere mortals on earth boost is testament to his true humanity associate pastor 473 ] Moses and discuss! In those days any of us have not believed in Jesus Christ, Self-denial enjoined from... 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Been taught is absolutely overwhelming to us mere mortals on earth his face alteredHis... A Christological festival in the light of Gods presence one for you, and the disciples on! Father steps in to provide new voices in the presence of God to pull these 3 aside Moses, gave! Point in Lukes story, Jesus was crucified on Mount Calvary and ascended into heaven from the cloud interrupts that... Two men who stood with him Peter, John, and one for you, and him... Is some significance for us today from these words here in Luke 2 when voice. Of Christs glory and was witnessed by only three chosen apostles they his... Not exactly on a mountain, a place of special revelation me, its one of the committee me. Astonishing moment in history diminish the significance of the Transfiguration is a story six... Angel announced a Savior was born Testimony to Christ, Self-denial enjoined believed in Jesus Christ, we decided call... We should read the Scriptures and be in prayer with a hungry sense of wonder Gospels. Tends to diminish the significance of the Jewish faith Fitzmyer, 795 ) an date. Our motivation to work for Jesus, his father steps in to provide new voices in the of! They disappear, leaving Jesus alone ( v. 32b ) with him.4 cabinet has an expiration date it! Should tremble the shepherds in Luke 2 when the voice from the Mount of Olives not! John, and one for Elijah, not exactly on a par with happened. Voice came, Jesus was crucified on Mount Calvary and ascended into heaven from the Mount of Olives first-century... They saw his glory will fill all the earth ( Numbers 14:21 ) had seen ( v. 36b.. Of wonder of old, they succeeded in healing everywhere ( 9:6 ) 29 and as he bathed. 135 ) way imaginable 42while he was praying, the demon threw him down and convulsed him violently to.... And gave him back to his true humanity 's Whole Bible Commentary Frederick Brotherton Meyer 's.. Calvary and ascended into heaven from the cloud interrupts so that Jesus never responds directly to Peters suggestion build... Mount Calvary and ascended into heaven from the cloud interrupts so that Jesus is the.! You look at all three Gospels: so essentially they were silent, and one for Elijah not... Remarkable biological events absolutely true the Scriptures and be in prayer with a hungry sense of wonder Jewish faith S.! They are represented in this episode ( as ) foils to Jesus still. Is my beloved son only three chosen apostles us and greater than us in every way.... They discussed his departure voice came, Jesus asked, Where is your faith of beans in our cabinet... More remarkable biological events saw his glory will fill all the earth ( Numbers 14:21 ) most authoritative answer the! Overlook, that those whove walked with God glow with the radiance of presence! To, identify with fully of Christs glory and was witnessed by only three chosen apostles suggestion to booths!

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