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In this lesson:
The Transfiguration. (It's been eight months since Jesus fed 5,000 in lesson 124) Transfiguration is a Greek word meaning "to change in form" or "to be transformed." During Jesus' transfiguration, Peter, James, and John saw the Messiah's glory (9:32) and divine nature shine through His human form (9:19). Moses and Elias (Elijah) appeared with Jesus. Moses represented the Mosaic Law and Elias the Old Testament prophets. This told Peter, James, and John that Jesus is above Moses, the Jewish Mosaic Law, Elias, and all the prophets. Jesus being Transfigured plus God announcing that Jesus is His son (9:35) proves He is the Messiah, the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies (Matthew 5:17) and not just another prophet. This passage is a turning point in Christ's ministry. The rest of Luke will concentrate on Jesus preparing His disciples for when He's gone. Study Tip: As you read the Bible make two lists. 1) Things you should do. 2) Things God promises to do. |
Jesus transfigured.
By the Danish artist Carl Heinrich Bloch (1834-1890) |
The Gospel According to St. Luke
The King James Bible
The King James Bible
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Luke 9:18-36
Jesus predicts His death 18 And it came to pass, as he was alone praying, his disciples were with him: and he asked them, saying, Whom say the people that I am? 19 They answering said, John the Baptist; but some say, Elias; and others say, that one of the old prophets is risen again. 20 He said unto them, But whom say ye that I am? Peter answering said, The Christ of God. 21 And he straitly charged them, and commanded them to tell no man that thing; 22 Saying, The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day. 23 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. 24 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. 25 For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away? 26 For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father's, and of the holy angels. 27 But I tell you of a truth, there be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the kingdom of God. 28 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. 29 And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glistering. 30 And, behold, there talked with him two men, which were Moses and Elias: 31 Who appeared in glory, and spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem. 32 But Peter and they that were with him were heavy with sleep: and when they were awake, they saw his glory, and the two men that stood with him. 33 And it came to pass, as they departed from him, Peter said unto Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias: not knowing what he said. 34 While he thus spake, there came a cloud, and overshadowed them: and they feared as they entered into the cloud. 35 And there came a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him. 36 And when the voice was past, Jesus was found alone. And they kept it close, and told no man in those days any of those things which they had seen. |
Margin notes:
"They answering said, John the Baptist; but some say, Elias; and others say, that one of the old prophets is risen again." (9:19) - As you can see, people were confused about who Jesus was (Luke 9:7-9). "Peter answering said, The Christ of God." (9:20) - Peter also confirmed his faith when he told Jesus he believed He was the Son of God in John 6:67-69. "He straitly charged them." (9:21) - Means, "He strictly warned them." "Tell no man that thing." (9:21) - Many had the wrong idea of who the promised Messiah would be. They believed He would be a great military/political leader. Jesus hushed His disciples because He wanted more time to teach before revealing His divine nature. Even His disciples won't fully understand Jesus' true nature and mission until after the resurrection. "Son of Man must suffer many things." (9:22) - "The Son of Man" is another name for Jesus. See Daniel 7:13-14 for an Old Testament description of Jesus and His kingdom. This is the first time that Jesus predicts His death. The second time can be found in Luke 9:43-45, the third in Luke 18:31-34. "If any man will come after me." (9:23) - "If anyone wants to follow me." "Whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it." (9:24) - Jesus repeatedly reinforced this message. It is His second most repeated phrase in the four Gospels (Matthew 10:39; 16:25; Mark 8:35; Luke 17:33; and John 12:25). Jesus' most repeated phrase is "follow me." "Went up into a mountain to pray." (9:28) - Many Bible scholars believe the Transfiguration took place on Mt. Hermon thirty miles south-west of Damascus and forty miles north of the Sea of Galilee. It is the most prominent mountain in Palestine and Syria, rising 9,200 feet above the Mediterranean Sea. "The view from perpetually snow-clad Hermon is magnificent. From the torrid Dead Sea region its cooling snows can be seen 120 miles distant. Its melting glaciers form the main source of the turbulent Jordan. The Psalmist speaks (Psalms 133:3) of the "dew of Hermon." The snow on the mountain condenses the vapors during the summer so that abundant dews descend upon it while the surrounding country is parched." ("Unger's Bible Dictionary" by Merrill F. Unger, published by Moody Press, Chicago, Illinois; page 470). Mount Hermon is called Mount Sion in Deuteronomy 4:48, Mount Baal-Hermon in Judges 3:3, and the "Hermonites" in Psalm 42:6. "His raiment was white and glistering." (9:29) - "His clothes were white and glistering." "Moses and Elias." (9:30) - Two iconic Old Testament Jewish leaders. During the Transfiguration, Elias (Elijah) represented the prophets while Moses symbolized the Mosaic Law. "Spake of his decease." (9:31) - "Spoke of His death." "Tabernacles." (9:33) - "Shelters." "There came a cloud." (9:34) - God appeared in a cloud, just as He did when He spoke with Moses centuries earlier (Exodus 24:15-18). "Hear him." (9:35) - "Listen to Him." "They kept it close." (9:36) - "They kept it to themselves." |
You can read more about the transfiguration in Matthew 17:1-8 (lesson 33) and Mark 9:2-8 (lesson 80).
New Living Translation
Luke 9:18-36
Peter's Declaration about Jesus
18 One day Jesus left the crowds to pray alone. Only his disciples were with him, and he asked them, "Who do people say I am?"
19 "Well," they replied, "some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say you are one of the other ancient prophets risen from the dead."
20 Then he asked them, "But who do you say I am?"
Peter replied, "You are the Messiah sent from God!"
Jesus Predicts His Death
21 Jesus warned his disciples not to tell anyone who he was.
22 "The Son of Man must suffer many terrible things," he said. "He will be rejected by the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He will be killed, but on the third day he will be raised from the dead."
23 Then he said to the crowd, "If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow me.
24 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.
25 And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but are yourself lost or destroyed?
26 If anyone is ashamed of me and my message, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when he returns in his glory and in the glory of the Father and the holy angels.
27 I tell you the truth, some standing here right now will not die before they see the Kingdom of God."
The Transfiguration
28 About eight days later Jesus took Peter, John, and James up on a mountain to pray.
29 And as he was praying, the appearance of his face was transformed, and his clothes became dazzling white.
30 Suddenly, two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared and began talking with Jesus.
31 They were glorious to see. And they were speaking about his exodus from this world, which was about to be fulfilled in Jerusalem.
32 Peter and the others had fallen asleep. When they woke up, they saw Jesus' glory and the two men standing with him.
33 As Moses and Elijah were starting to leave, Peter, not even knowing what he was saying, blurted out, "Master, it's wonderful for us to be here! Let's make three shelters as memorials-one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah."
34 But even as he was saying this, a cloud overshadowed them, and terror gripped them as the cloud covered them.
35 Then a voice from the cloud said, "This is my Son, my Chosen One. Listen to him."
36 When the voice finished, Jesus was there alone. They didn't tell anyone at that time what they had seen.
This second Bible text from the "New Living Translation" (Tyndale House, Publishers, Wheaton, Illinois) is a paraphrase and not an accurate word for word translation of the Bible. However, it is a helpful tool when read with the "King James Version."
Peter's Declaration about Jesus
18 One day Jesus left the crowds to pray alone. Only his disciples were with him, and he asked them, "Who do people say I am?"
19 "Well," they replied, "some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say you are one of the other ancient prophets risen from the dead."
20 Then he asked them, "But who do you say I am?"
Peter replied, "You are the Messiah sent from God!"
Jesus Predicts His Death
21 Jesus warned his disciples not to tell anyone who he was.
22 "The Son of Man must suffer many terrible things," he said. "He will be rejected by the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He will be killed, but on the third day he will be raised from the dead."
23 Then he said to the crowd, "If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow me.
24 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.
25 And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but are yourself lost or destroyed?
26 If anyone is ashamed of me and my message, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when he returns in his glory and in the glory of the Father and the holy angels.
27 I tell you the truth, some standing here right now will not die before they see the Kingdom of God."
The Transfiguration
28 About eight days later Jesus took Peter, John, and James up on a mountain to pray.
29 And as he was praying, the appearance of his face was transformed, and his clothes became dazzling white.
30 Suddenly, two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared and began talking with Jesus.
31 They were glorious to see. And they were speaking about his exodus from this world, which was about to be fulfilled in Jerusalem.
32 Peter and the others had fallen asleep. When they woke up, they saw Jesus' glory and the two men standing with him.
33 As Moses and Elijah were starting to leave, Peter, not even knowing what he was saying, blurted out, "Master, it's wonderful for us to be here! Let's make three shelters as memorials-one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah."
34 But even as he was saying this, a cloud overshadowed them, and terror gripped them as the cloud covered them.
35 Then a voice from the cloud said, "This is my Son, my Chosen One. Listen to him."
36 When the voice finished, Jesus was there alone. They didn't tell anyone at that time what they had seen.
This second Bible text from the "New Living Translation" (Tyndale House, Publishers, Wheaton, Illinois) is a paraphrase and not an accurate word for word translation of the Bible. However, it is a helpful tool when read with the "King James Version."
Key verses from this passage
"Saying, The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day." (9:22)
"And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glistering. And, behold, there talked with him two men, which were Moses and Elias: Who appeared in glory, and spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem." (9:29-31)
"And there came a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him." (9:35)
"And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glistering. And, behold, there talked with him two men, which were Moses and Elias: Who appeared in glory, and spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem." (9:29-31)
"And there came a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him." (9:35)
Today's Question:
1. What did Jesus mean when he said, "there be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the kingdom of God?" (9:27)
"The more you read the Bible, the more you'll love its Author. Visit many good books but live in the Bible."
English pastor and author Charles Spurgeon (1834-1892)
1. What did Jesus mean when he said, "there be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the kingdom of God?" (9:27)
"The more you read the Bible, the more you'll love its Author. Visit many good books but live in the Bible."
English pastor and author Charles Spurgeon (1834-1892)
Answer: (Do you agree?)
1. The people Jesus was referring to were Peter, James, and John. A few days later, Jesus took them to the top of MT. Hermon to pray and get a glimpse of the kingdom of God (during The Transfiguration). They saw Moses and Elijah standing with the Messiah and heard God announce that Jesus is His "beloved Son" (9:35). Still, Peter, James, and John couldn't grasp the full magnitude of what they experienced until they saw Jesus resurrected from the dead.
Application thought for the day:
What can you do to show your faith each day (9:23)?
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Thanks to the writings and commentary of John Wesley and Adam Clarke. Also, "The Layman's Bible Study Notebook" by Irving Jensen published by Harvest House Publishing, Irvine, California; the "Life Change Series" published by NavPress Books, Colorado Springs, Colorado; the "Life Application Study Bible" published by Tyndale House Publishing, Carol Stream, Illinois; "The Quest Study Bible" published by The Zondervan Corporation, Grand Rapids, Michigan; "Robertson's New Testament Word Studies"; "The MacArthur Bible Commentary" by John MacArthur published by Thomas Nelson, Nashville, Tennessee; "Wisdom of the Bible" CD by Topics Entertainment, Inc., Renton, Washington for their inspiring pictures; "My utmost for His Highest" by Oswald Chambers published by Barbour publishing, Inc., Uhrichsville, Ohio; The "Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge" by Reuben Archer Torrey; "Hope For Each Day" by Billy Graham published by J. Countryman, a division of Thomas Nelson, Inc., Nashville, Tennessee; "Easton's Bible Dictionary" by Matthew George Easton; "Unger's Bible Dictionary" by Merrill F. Unger, published by Moody Press, Chicago, Illinois; "Halley's Bible Handbook" by Henry H. Halley, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Michigan; "The Living New Testament" published by Tyndale house; "The New Living Translation" published by Tyndale House; BibleGateway.com for all their wonderful links; and of course the "King James Bible." All were critical in putting these lessons together.
© 2026 evolke
© 2026 evolke