Luke 9:28-36 Jesus Transfigured on the Mount
Now it came to pass, about eight days after these sayings, that He took Peter, John, and James and went up on the mountain to pray. As He prayed, the appearance of His face was altered, and His robe became white and glistening. And behold, two men talked with Him, who were Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of His decease which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. But Peter and those with him were heavy with sleep; and when they were fully awake, they saw His glory and the two men who stood with Him. Then it happened, as they were parting from Him, that Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good for us to be here; and let us make three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah”—not knowing what he said.
While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were fearful as they entered the cloud. And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!” When the voice had ceased, Jesus was found alone. But they kept quiet, and told no one in those days any of the things they had seen.’”
You would think that by now, the disciples would realize just how magnificent Jesus is and that Jesus is really the Son of God. And you would be wrong! Even though Peter has just avowed the Jesus is the Christ, the disciples still don’t really understand what that means. But Peter, James, and John are about to receive an amazing revelation.
“Now it came to pass, about eight days after these sayings, that He took Peter, John, and James and went up on the mountain to pray. As He prayed, the appearance of His face was altered, and His robe became white and glistening. And behold, two men talked with Him, who were Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of His decease which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.” Peter, James, and John think they’re just accompanying Jesus up another mountain to pray. But as Jesus is praying, suddenly his face begins glowing and his robe becomes blindingly white and glistening. As if this isn’t enough, Moses and Elijah suddenly appear and begin discussing Jesus’ upcoming death and resurrection in Jerusalem.
Overcome by the glory of God, the three disciples lie stunned while Jesus, Elijah, and Moses continue to converse. Just as Elijah and Moses are about to leave, Peter comes to. Peter is a man of action so his immediate response is to offer to build three booths, one for Jesus, one for Moses, and one for Elijah, even though this is a ridiculous suggestion. God the Father delivers Peter from his embarrassment by shrouding the mountaintop with a cloud and announcing, “This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!” When the cloud clears, Moses and Elijah are gone, and Jesus has assumed his normal appearance. Peter, James, and John are so awe-struck by this experience that they don’t even tell anybody else about it for a long time. The three men might also fear that if they say anything to the other disciples, it will appear as if Jesus is playing favorites.
Why does Jesus allow these three men to have a brief glimpse of his heavenly glory? All three of these men will become fathers of the early church. Peter will write major epistles. James will be the first Christian martyr, slaughtered by Herod. John will write his gospel, three epistles, and the Book of Revelation. God is revealing Jesus as His Son to these men because they will soon need the assurance this vision will give them. Later, when Jesus prays in the Garden of Gethsemane, these three men will also accompany him while the other disciples wait at a distance. When Jesus is crucified, only John will steadfastly remain at the foot of the cross along with the women who have followed Jesus. Jesus will delegate John as the one to care for Jesus’ mother Mary. Eventually, all of these men will play pivotal roles in establishing the early church.
How is it that Luke knows this story? Luke was a physician and delighted in conducting extensive research. Prior to writing his gospel, Luke interviewed several eye witnesses and also drew much of his material from the Gospel of Mark. Mark, in turn, got most of his information from Peter while Peter was in Rome.
Why do Elijah and Moses appear on the Mount of Transfiguration? Elijah fearlessly confronted wicked King Ahab and Queen Jezebel and performed miracles of faith. Moses gave the Law and the Ten Commandments and led the Israelites out of Egypt. During their earthly ministries, each of these men faced overwhelming odds and risked their lives to follow God’s will. Undoubtedly, these men know what Jesus is about to face and are encouraging him to remain strong and resolute in the face of betrayal and death. The appearance of these two men on the Mount of Transfiguration also graphically demonstrates that there IS life after death, and that Jesus’ death will not be the end of the story.
What can we learn from this passage? Sadly, much of the time, many of us might have bought into the “my pal Jesus” thinking to such an extent that we have forgotten who Jesus really is. We refuse to remember that Jesus Christ is the Son of the Heavenly Father, one member of the Trinity, and has been given all power in heaven and on earth. We have lost our sense of awe and respect, a serious mistake. Let us ask God to reveal Himself to us in such a way that we gain new visions of His power and might.
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, please forgive us for failing to grasp how magnificent You are. Help us to truly worship You, realizing that You are all-powerful, all-knowing, all-loving, and all-forgiving. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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