Read Luke 9:27–36
Questions from the Scripture text: About whom does Jesus speak in Luke 9:27? What does he say some of them will not do before what? How long after verse 27 does Luke 9:28 take place? Whom does He take? Where? To do what? What two things change in Luke 9:29? What happens to His robe? Who appear in Luke 9:30? What do they do with Him? How do they appear (Luke 9:31)? What do they speak about? How does it describe His departure happening? Where? What had been the condition of Peter and those with him (Luke 9:32)? When this changes, what do they see about Him? Whom else do they say? What were they about to do in Luke 9:33? Who speaks to Whom? What does he say about being there? What does he suggest they make? For whom? Why is he speaking this way? What is Peter still doing in Luke 9:34? What comes? What does it do? How do they feel? What comes out of the cloud (Luke 9:35)? Whom does the voice say Jesus is? What does the voice tell them to do to Jesus? When the voice ceases, who is there (Luke 9:36)? What do the disciples do now? Whom do they tell, when, about what?
Often we think of the Transfiguration as a glorious vision. But the point of the event isn’t so much Jesus’s appearance as it is Jesus’s words.
In Luke 9:26, He had warned of being ashamed of His words. Now, He says that there are some standing there who will not taste death until they see the kingdom (Luke 9:27), eight days after which statement, He takes Peter, John, and James up the mountain to pray (Luke 9:28).
But the message that they ultimately receive when they “see the kingdom of God” is actually, “This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!” The very words of Christ in Scripture are more sure, more glorious than even His transfigured appearance on the mountain (cf. 2 Peter 1:18–19, which literally say that the prophetic word is “more sure”).
Peter, as he often does, plays the part of our representative saint. With Jesus, Moses, and Elijah there, for some reason he thinks it’s his place to speak up in order to keep them from parting (Luke 9:33). The text even notes that he didn’t know what he was doing.
We’re like Peter—not humble enough about ourselves and our well-intended but misguided ideas, and nowhere nearly enough impressed by our Lord Jesus. Moses was a great prophet. Elijah was a great prophet. But Jesus is infinitely above both. Of Him God says, “This is My beloved Son.”
To us, as to Peter, God says, “hear Him!” Though we ought to be grateful for God’s servants, let us be sure that it is the Lord Jesus Himself Whom we hear and revere. And let none of us ever be preoccupied that “our voice” would be heard but rather earnest that Christ’s voice would be heard. Let us not desire that others would be impressed with us, or fall into being overly impressed with others, but let us all desire the glory of Christ and be impressed with Him!
With whom are you too impressed? What activities need to take a back seat to private reading of Scripture, family reading/teaching of Scripture, and the hearing of Scripture preached in public worship?
Suggested songs: ARP1 “How Blessed the Man” or TPH172 “Speak, O Lord”
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