32 Now Peter and those who were with him were heavy with sleep, but when they became fully awake they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. Jesus is Gods beloved Son. In the Bible, when a story takes us up to a mountaintop, its a fair bet that something dramatic is going to happenindeed, its a fair bet that something deeply revelatory is going to happen. He says that Moses and Elijah were speaking of his departure, which he was about to accomplish in Jerusalem (9:31). If we do not know Jesus, we should turn to him. The voice from the cloud speaks only of Jesusnot of Moses or Elijahand does so only after Moses and Elijah depart. (See on [1610]Mt 16:13). In the Transfiguration, the earthly Jesus shares for a moment the company of two great and worthy residents of heaven, Moses and Elijah. What we are about to read is an unusual story. May we meditate on the reality of this passage. That is a natural reaction. This moment had a huge impact on his faith, strengthening his confidence that Jesus truly was the Christ sent from heaven. This is at the heart of our Christian faith. Listen to him! (v. 35). Jesus went up the mountain to pray (9:29), perhaps to commune with God concerning his destiny. It is also referred to in 2 Peter 1:18. It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. There the new exodus takes place, the new event of redemption for all the world. One you try to capture with a camera. They will fail to heal a boy with a demon (9:37-43). At this Transfiguration, God confirms that the new Moses-like prophet is Jesus, saying, This is my beloved Son. On one side of the bookshelf Now he selects an inner circle of disciples to go with him, thus signaling the importance of the journey up the mountain. Each of the Synoptic Gospels contains an account of the Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-9//Mark 9:2-10 //Luke 9:28-36). There may be another connection with Moses at this point. "Hermon, which is indeed the centre of all the Promised Land, from the entering in of Hamath unto the river of Egypt; the mount of fruitfulness, from which the springs of Jordan descended to the valleys of Israel. It happened about eight days after these sayings (v. 28a). Luke 9:28-36. Where others failed, Jesus prevails. In the Bible, mountains are synonymous with the majesty and dominion of God. The second feature is that the disciples are said to have dozed off during that conversation, but saw the glorified Jesus and the two men with him (9:32). Perhaps someone in this room. Prayer is a transfiguring, transforming duty, which makes the face to shine. All that Peter taught and wrote about for more than 3 decades was founded upon eyewitness experiences he and the other apostles had. When we see God in all his glory, we will be shaken to the core. But other times he swings at the pitch, completely whiffs, and strikes out. Like in Star Wars when Yoda appears as a ghost before Luke Skywalker. And it speaks to us what Christ did a few months later in his death, resurrection, and ascension into heaven. In his prayerful agony, as he felt the weight of his impending suffering on the Cross, Jesus sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground. He was the second As we might expect, the glory of Yahweh filled the tabernacle and the temple (Exodus 40:34; 1 Kings 8:11). Peter, James, and Johnpartners before in secular business; now sole witnesses of the resurrection of Jairus' daughter (Mr 5:37), the transfiguration, and the agony in the garden (Mr 14:33). (1-2) Jesus calls them and sends them forth. 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). 7-9. 39Behold, 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. Prayer is a transfiguring, transforming duty, which makes the face to shine. 1. 35B (Dallas: Word Books, 1993), Pervo, Richard I., and Carl, William J. III, Proclamation 2, Epiphany, Series C (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1979), Ringe, Sharon H., Westminster Bible Companion, Luke (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press), Rohr, Richard, The Good News According to Luke: Spiritual Reflections (New York: The Crossroad Publishing Company, 1997), Stein, Robert H., The New American Commentary: Luke (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1992), Tannehill, Robert C., Abingdon New Testament Commentaries: Luke (Nashville: Abingdon, 1996), Copyright 2007, 2010, Richard Niell Donovan, The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and the third day be raised up, be killed, and on the third day be raised up, suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and the third day be raised up, Faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you and bear with you? It has two features that are of interest for Lukes rendition. Web28 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. 30 And behold, two men were talking with him, Moses and Elijah. If the moment wasnt already astonishing, now two great men of God from centuries before appear with Jesus, right in front of the 3 disciples. That chapter is all about the resurrection. First Reading Commentary on Exodus 34:29-35 Moses countenance glows Bring your son here., All Rights Reserved | 1997-2023 Richard Niell Donovan. Ive read this many times and wondered, Why did this happen? What was the purpose? Yet we are told that for a time during this epiphany of glory, the disciples were sleepy! Abraham offered his son, Isaac, as a sacrifice to God on Mount Moriah (Gen. 22). But that is horrible, and now for at least a moment it appears that all that can be bypassed. The committee interviewed several candidates, and each made a positive impression. God promises that the day will come when his glory will fill all the earth (Numbers 14:21). My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment . The truth is that Jesus did not need visibly to glow to display glory. This passage is traditionally know as the Transfiguration, from the Greek term used by both Mark and Matthew to describe what happened to Jesus (metemorphotha, Mk 9:2-8, Mt 17:1-8).Since this term as adopted into English often carries connotations of a permanent and radical alteration, as in the WebThe Transfiguration. 29 And while he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white. 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. You fall to the ground trembling, your hair standing straight up. His face was altered. As such the booths also symbolize a time of rest, which could be interpreted allegorically as the messianic rest. Jesus prayed to God, and as he prayed, his appearance was changed, his raiment became dazzling white. And then he was joined by none other than Moses and Elijah representing, of course, the Law and the Prophets of the Jewish faith. 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. The event happens on a mountain, a place of special revelation. WebCommentary on the Texts Luke 9:28-36. With a thirst to know God. Hebrews 10:31 ESV It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. 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). Worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness; tremble before him, all the earth! Hed come to Sunday School and church every Sunday with his wife and kids, then, without warning, hed be gone. If weve taken any biology class, weve heard of this word. The appearance of his face was alteredHis clothing became dazzling white.. They speak then of Jesus exodus from this world through his suffering, death, and resurrection into heaven, the place where they dwell with God. Bring your son here (v. 41). One example: Moses on Mt. And the way that God has chosen to carry out his redemptive purpose is to send his Son, Jesus, to bear our sins upon himself at the cross. A cloud covered the mountaintop, and from the cloud came a voice saying, This is my beloved Son. Some commentators even say that the preacher needs to choose one or the other. Jesus answers that in the next verse. His brilliance and majesty is so beyond us that we wont know what to do when confronted with him, and we will fall apart. It is absolutely overwhelming to us mere mortals on earth. A rather literal translation would be that the disciples were weighed down with sleep, but when they were fully awake, they saw his glory.. Dayspring from on high, be near; As persons who have been privy to the company and mind of God, they are able to provide Jesus with divine revelation. We do not want to meet him still in our sinful state. Jesus was fully divine yet fully human. Scared out of their minds. The Transfiguration is a Christological festival in the church year, which means that the story of the Transfiguration deserves attention on its own. Yet in the Bible events like these sometimes play out rather differently than we think. Rev., the mountain. They are actually real. They promise us health, wealth, and happiness, but seldom live up to their promises and often lead people toward ruin. They are happy to see Jesus glorified. This was a real and astonishing moment in history. Ancient leaders of Israel appearing before their very eyes. This Voice from the cloud seems to be articulating these very words, making the point that this long-awaited Prophetthe Messiah is here. The Great Prophet. The voice from the cloud interrupts so that Jesus never responds directly to Peters suggestion to build booths. Luke 9:28-36 - Matthew Henry's Whole Bible Commentary Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary. and went up onto the mountain to pray (9:28). You shall listen to him (Deuteronomy 18:15). The Greek word that Matthew and Mark use is basically our word, metamorphosis. It means to be transformed. As inner prayer, you pray a simple, repeated If we have any skepticism in us, this story is so unusual I can understand how we might be skeptical and wonder, Did that really happen?. This answers the question, Who is this?not by giving Jesus a title but by describing the process by which he will accomplish his work. Having both of them appear on the Mount of Transfiguration seems to be a neat way of coalescing the whole Old Testament into Jesus ministry. 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). That Jesus perhaps needed this boost is testament to his true humanity. I am come unto Mine own and Mine own receive Me not; I am become a stranger unto My brethren, an alien to My mother's children: Consider Mine enemies, for they are many, and they hate Me with cruel hatred. (and) a cloud came and overshadowed them One creature is nothing like the other. The ASV, which is also in the public domain due to expired copyrights, was a very good translation, but included many archaic words (hast, shineth, etc. 40I begged your disciples to cast it out, and they couldnt.. That he will eventually be raised again bodily gets at both and assures us that the salvation about which Moses and Elijah showed up to discuss with Jesus is just the truest and grandest thing you could ever imagine! This mountain is not named, but its name is not important. I am Yahweh your God (Leviticus 23:43). Hymn Lists. Strange. Its the kind of thing a loving Father does for his beloved Son. What is some significance for us today from these words here in Luke 9?? The Gospel accounts call it, The Transfiguration. Our Bible passage this morning is in Luke 9. Herod's terror at the growing greatness of our Lord Jesus, ver. Listen, and not Look? WebLuke 9 The Feeding of the Five Thousand A. 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. And while this looks a little one-dimensional compared to the computer-generated graphics were so accustomed to, its meant to represent their holiness. They told no one of this astonishing moment. "Complete Commentary on Luke 9:36". This recalls the story of Moses, who encountered God on Sinai as a devouring fire on the top of the mountain (Exodus 24:17) and whose face shone brightly by reason of his speaking with Yahweh (34:29). It increases our motivation to work for Jesus, for everything we do matters. This is my beloved Son. The face of the man walking with his child in the park, of a woman baking bread, of sometimes even the most unlikely person listen to a concert or standing barefoot in the sand watching the waves roll in, or just have a beer at a Saturday baseball game in July. This was a moment they would never forget. An event like this has only a few parallels. Bring your son here. 42While he was still coming, the demon threw him down and convulsed him violently. WebChrist shares Gods glory. Lets make three tents: The voice from the clouds echoes the voice from heaven at Jesus baptismYou are my beloved Son. The Bible has a more remarkable story of a metamorphosis. ), The Lectionary Commentary: Theological Exegesis for Sundays Text. Check out these helpful resources The reading was from the Gospel according to Luke: The Transfiguration. For THAT your friends will follow you to the bitter end!. The demon makes a desperate last attempt to control the boy. The longer text tends to diminish the significance of the Transfiguration. At this point in Lukes story, Jesus and the disciples are on the way into the abyss of Jesus passion. 29 And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glistering. 33It happened, as they were parting from him, that Peter said to Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here. Listen to him! There is a sermon in these words. On this mountain the subject (has been) death (Craddock, Interpretation, 135). At least 9 times that I could find in this Gospel. Luke 9:28-36 The Radiance of God (McLarty), Then the righteous will shine forth like the sun in the Kingdom of their Father, All Rights Reserved | 1997-2023 Richard Niell Donovan. As a young believer, I would think, Well, Jesus was the Son of God. pierce the gloom of sin and grief; They still exist. His disciples, Peter, James and John, were privileged to see Christs glory on the Mount of When you get a moment, take a close look in the mirror. Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible (WEB), a public domain (no copyright) modern English translation of the Holy Bible. Why go through all this razzle-dazzle, bright-as-lightning stuff if the whole incident ends up being more about ears than eyes? A SUBSCRIBER SAYS: Dear Dick, I would just like to say how much I appreciate your ministry. Now, lets think about that for just a moment. Probably, he just wants to do something. It is useful. 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). Its not like Moses had gotten his face onto the $1 bill or that Elijah had had his visage plastered all over the place in Israel the way we Americans do with Abraham Lincolns face. Seize the day! 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. 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. In religious art, saints are often depicted with a circle behind their faces sort of like a disk or pie plate. Changed into another form. 34 As he was saying these things, a cloud came and overshadowed them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. 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. Methinks, as I steal by His side, I hear from Him these plaintive sounds, "Lord, who hath believed Our report? They went up onto the mountain to pray, and great things happened. 28. This cloud came over them and they heard a voice, God himself, speaking to them. Dont disregard him. Fill me, radiancy divine; What were Peter, John, and James thinking about this stunning scene before them? Commentators have long pointed out that Moses represented the Sinai Covenant/Law (as well as the Exodus) and that Elijah represented the prophetic voice of the Old Testament as well as Gods covenant faithfulness in sending servants to continue speaking to and ministering to even a wayward Israel. Luke 9 is no exception. For though he is glorious and transcendent, he is tender and merciful, and he longs to save our souls through his Son, Jesus. Scott Hoezee. For Moses died 1400 years earlier, and Elijah was taken into heaven 800 years earlier, and here they are now in front of Peter, James, and John alive and in glory. Its still there today in the church if only we dont just sleep through it. 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And grief ; they still exist that Moses and Elijah depart so accustomed to, its to. Are on the way into the abyss of Jesus passion of a metamorphosis, we will be to! You fall to the computer-generated graphics were so accustomed to, its meant to represent holiness... A place of special revelation glows Bring your Son here., all Reserved... My feet with ointment new event of redemption for all the world the booths also symbolize a time rest... Fall into the hands of the Transfiguration a ghost before Luke Skywalker say how I! It is absolutely overwhelming to us what Christ did a few months later his! Him ( Deuteronomy 18:15 ), Interpretation, 135 ) the mountain pray. Basically our word, metamorphosis convulsed him violently shall listen to him at least 9 times that I could in... Real and astonishing moment in history other times he swings at the heart our. The other were sleepy way into the abyss of Jesus passion leaders of Israel appearing before their very eyes and... 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