Question

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The Transfiguration of Jesus

Luke 9:28-36

Key Verse:9:29

1. Read verse 28. Where did Jesus go eight days after Peter confessed Jesus to be the Christ of God? Who did he take with him? Why? What can we learn from Jesus’ prayer life? What might have been his prayer topic?

2. Read verses 29-31. How did Jesus’ appearance change as he prayed? Who appeared to talk with Jesus? What did they talk about? Why? What did Jesus have in common with Moses and Elijah? [personal study: Ex 5-12; 1 Ki18:16-40]

3. Read verses 32-33. With what were Peter, James and John struggling? What did Peter wake up and suggest? What seems to be in his mind?

4. Read verses 34-35. What might be the meaning of the cloud that enveloped them? What was God’s message to the disciples? What did it mean? Why was this message necessary?

5. What did this event mean to the disciples? (2 Pe 1:17; Rev 1:9) What should it mean to you?

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Attachment

• The Transfiguration of Jesus-q.docx

Message

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THE TRANSFIGURATION OF JESUS

Luke 9:28-36

Key Verse: 9:29 “As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning.”

  Last week we learned Peter’s confession of faith that Jesus is the Christ of God. His confession teaches us who Jesus really is that he is the Promised Messiah and the Lord of lords. Peter’s confession should be our own confession. By making the confession of Christ we can restore our relationship with Jesus as Christ and Lord. By making the confession of Christ our sins are forgiven and we are saved. (Ro 10:9,10) By making the confession of Christ our intimate relationship with Christ will become deep, rich, real, and abundant. Amen.

  In today’s passage Jesus is transfigured on a mountain before the eyes of his disciples. Through this transfiguration Jesus shows his glorious image as God the Almighty. While being transfigured, Jesus meets two prominent and great servants of God, Moses and Elijah. After their glorious encounter, Jesus’ disciples hear the voice from heaven. Today we will study about 1) the meaning of Jesus’ transfiguration, 2) his encounter with Moses and Elijah, and 3) the voice from heaven.

First, Jesus was transfigured on a mountain. (28,29) Look at verse 28. “About eight days after Jesus said this, he took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray.” Here the words “about eight days” indicates a week after Peter had confessed that Jesus is the Christ of God. After that Jesus took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray. We don’t know exactly why Jesus took only the three disciples, Peter, John, and James, among the twelve. The Bible shows that Jesus often took the three for special occasions, such as to Jairus’ house for healing his daughter and to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray, and so on (8:51,Mk 14:33) Based on verse 28, Jesus took them to a mountain to pray together.

  What did Jesus suppose to pray? Jesus knew that the day was approaching, the day of passion and the day of crucifixion. Jesus might have prayed that God’s kingdom may come and His will be done on earth as it is in heaven (Lk 11:2) Jesus might have prayed to deny himself and to obey the Father’s will for world salvation. He might have prayed for himself to become the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Jesus also might have prayed for his disciples to deny themselves and to take their crosses daily and follow him.

Here we learn Jesus’ prayer life. Jesus prayed before he did something. He prepared for his upcoming death and resurrection through prayer. Through prayer he listened to God. Through prayer he received God’s strength. Through prayer he restored God’s mission. We must learn Jesus’ prayer life. We must prepare coming summer ministry through prayer. Before we decide whatsoever, we must kneel down and pray. Prayer is our total dependence on God and our complete submission to God’s will.

 What happened when Jesus prayed? Look at verse 29. “As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning.” While Jesus was praying, his appearance changed. According to Matthew, his face shone like the sun and his clothes became as white as the light. (Mt 17:2) From human point of view, there was nothing special about Jesus’ appearance. Isaiah 53:2b says, “He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.” Though Jesus is the Son of God, he looked like an ordinary man. Moreover, as the shepherd of his people, he took upon himself the sufferings and sorrow of God’s children. He was drained from the constant hard work of preaching the kingdom of God and healing the sick. He was pain-stricken and grieved by the sin of the world. As the prophet Isaiah describes, Jesus was ‘a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.” (Isa 53:3)

But when Jesus prayed, the appearance of his face completely changed. His face shone like the sun. The Apostle John described glorious Jesus in Revelation 1:14, which says, “His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire.”  And Revelation 1:16b says, “His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.” In his transfigured face, there was no trace of agony, sorrow, or darkness at all. There were only glory, splendor, brightness and holiness in Jesus.

His clothes were also changed as bright as a flash of lightning. As the radiant glory of God blazed forth from within Jesus, even his clothes were transformed to be like a flash of lightning. Lightning is one of the most powerful and brilliant natural phenomenon which we human beings can refer to. However, in fact, the shining of glory of God in Jesus surpasses any natural display that we are familiar with. The very essence of the Holy God Almighty blazed forth in Jesus. This essence was not electrical power, but the holiness of God. Jesus is truly glorious. Jesus is in very nature God. Jesus is the holy God Almighty. Through his transfiguration on the mountain, Jesus revealed to his three top disciples his glorious image as God.

It was very important for Jesus’ disciples to see his transfigured image as the holy God Almighty before going to Jerusalem.  Soon after this event, in Jerusalem Jesus would suffer many things, be rejected by the religious leaders, and be crucified. To human eyes, Jesus looked like a victim and a loser. But Jesus’ disciples must know that Jesus willingly laid down his life to save men from their sins. Jesus was not a victim of the evil people or a loser of Satan. He is the victor and the conqueror over the power of Satan through his willing obedience to God’s will on the cross.  Jesus wanted them to know that he is the holy God Almighty so that they might stand firm in faith during the time of his suffering and death. Jesus also wanted to teach them that the way of cross is not the way of misery, but the way of glory.

Likewise, it is very important for each of us to see Jesus as the holy God Almighty while living in this fallen world. Otherwise, we suffer from disfigured and evil images. To see Jesus in his glory gives us clear life direction and hope to be transformed into his glorious image. The Apostle Peter suffered much in following Jesus as the shepherd of God’s flock of sheep. Later he was crucified upside down for the sake of Jesus’ name. However, he never forgot this glorious image of Jesus in his heart throughout his life time. The glorious image of Jesus as the holy God Almighty enlightened his soul and remained in his heart like a bright morning star in the dark world.(2 Pe 3:13) By holding this image, Peter was gradually changed in his inner man to be a shepherd for God’s people in the image of Jesus.

What kind of images do you have? The holy and glorious image of Jesus or the weary and disfigured image of fallen man?  It is very significant for us to have what kind of image while we live on this earth. Those who have the glorious image of Jesus can grow into his glorious image even though they suffer much for Jesus’ name sake. They are happy indeed to participate in the remaining sufferings of Christ. They never lose their joy and hope in doing the work of God because they believe that their present sufferings are not worthy of comparing to the glory that will be revealed and that their labor for the Lord will be not in vain (Ro 8:18, 1 Cor 15:58). On the other hand, those who have disfigured image of sinful men always look sorrowful, anxious, and grumpy even in the time of God’s blessing. They have no joy in serving God or no idea of their sufferings on this earth. To them the way of cross is not the way of glory but the way of misery. Therefore, we should have the glorious image of Jesus in our hearts. We must erase negative and pessimistic images of ourselves and imprint the glorious image of Jesus in our hearts. Some have the image of good shepherd while others have the image of royal priesthood. What kind of image do you have? What is your image to your children, to your co-workers and to your neighbor?  

Second, Jesus talks with Moses and Elijah (30-31) Look at verses 30-31. “Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus. They spoke his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem.” The appearance of Moses and Elijah is very significant and symbolic in many ways. Why not Abraham, the ancestor of faith, or King David, the role model as a good shepherd, but Moses and Elijah? We find several common factors in Jesus, Moses and Elijah. Three of them went up to Mountains to encounter with God. Moses went up to the Mount Sinai to receive God’s covenant. (Ex 24:13). Elijah went up to the Mount Camel to confront Baal worshipers. Jesus went up to a mountain to be transfigured.  When they were in the mountains, the glory of God was revealed in the clouds.

More than these, Moses, Elijah and Jesus were all deliverers of their people. Moses delivered his people from bondage in Egypt. Elijah delivered his people from Baal worship. Jesus came to this world to deliver men from their sins through his death and resurrection. Jesus is the deliverer who delivered us from the empty way of life and brought us into the holiness of God. Jesus delivered me from darkness of sin into his wonderful light. People expect a deliverer who can deliver them from poverty, political oppression, social injustice, economical depression and so on. But, Jesus came to this world to deliver his people from their sins and death. In order to deliver his people from their sins, Jesus became a ransom sacrifice. He shed his precious blood on the cross and rose again from the dead. Praise Jesus who delivered us from death to life. Amen.

  The appearance of Moses and Elijah confirms that Jesus is the Promised Messiah. Moses is the representative of the Law. Elijah is the prominent figure among the prophets in the Old Testament. Jesus is the fulfillment of the Law and God’s prophecy. Jesus is the Promised Messiah who came to fulfill all things which were recorded and prophesied in the Old Testament. Verse 31 says that they spoke about Jesus’ departure, which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem.  Moses and Elijah must have encouraged Jesus to go to Jerusalem to die on the cross as God had planned.

Third, listen to him. (32-36) What were his disciples doing while Jesus was transfigured? They were sleeping or dozing. Look at verse 32. “Peter and his companions were very sleepy, but when they became fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him.” The disciples almost missed the moment of Jesus’ transfiguration and his encounter with Moses and Elijah. However, the radiant glory of God and thunderous conversations of God’s servants made them awake, fully awake. Watch out! When we are sleepy or drowsy spiritually, we will miss the moment of Jesus’ glorious second coming! (Mt 25:5)

  As Moses and Elijah were leaving Jesus, Peter were frightened and hurriedly asked Jesus saying, “Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters-one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” (33) Luke said that Peter did not know what he was saying. When Peter was awake, he saw the glory of God. He saw the eternity in their fellowship.  Peter felt if he was in heaven. Suddenly he hated going down from the mountain and desired to live forever with his master Jesus and the great servants of God. So he asked to build three shelters for them, if possible, one for himself, too, even though he didn’t say. He did not know what he was talking about.

  Look at verse 34. “While he was speaking, a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud.” Here the cloud symbolizes the presence of God.(Ex 19:16) When Moses went up to a mountain, the cloud covered the mountain. (Ex 24:16) When Elijah prayed to God, God revealed himself with his power in the clouds. (1Ki 18:45,46) Our Lord Jesus will come again in the clouds to bring his chosen people (1Thes 4:17).  Peter had the fear of God when the cloud enveloped him. Look at verse 35. “A voice came from the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him.” As thunder follows right after lightning, a thunderous voice came from the cloud. “This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him.” This is God’s confirmative declaration of Jesus to be his beloved Son. God delivered the same message when Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist. (Mk 1:11,Lk 3:22) “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” After glorifying his Son, God himself declared Jesus to be his beloved Son. God also called Jesus as his chosen servant. The prophet Isaiah described Jesus as a ‘suffering servant’ in Isaiah 52:13-53:12. Indeed Jesus is the Promised Messiah, the Chosen Servant, and the Son of God.

  The voice continued, ‘Listen to him”. Peter and his disciples had many thoughts and ideas. But, they should listen to Jesus. They should deny themselves, take up their cross daily and follow Jesus. The words “Listen to him” implies “Obey his words.” As the followers of Christ Jesus today, we must listen to Jesus. We must deny ourselves, our own ideas, our own selfish purpose and desires in order to obey the will of God. Those who listen to Jesus will be blessed and fruitful. When the voice had spoken, they found that Jesus was alone. The disciples kept this to themselves, and told no one at that time what they had seen. (36) The disciples were speechless. However, this incident remained in Peter’s heart as a bright morning star that guided his life and gave him hope. The memory of Jesus’ glorious transfiguration became the momentum of his shepherd life throughout his life time. Let us erase evil and negative images and imprint the glorious image of Jesus in our hearts. Let us deny ourselves and listen to Jesus. May God bless us when we do so. May God bless America a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. Amen

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Attachment

• THE TRANSFIGURATION OF JESUS-message.doc