Luke 09-28-36 Kingdom Preview (1) - The Hope Generator

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KINGDOM PREVIEW (1): THE HOPE GENERATOR

(Luke 9:28-36)

Intro This passage is not easy, but I love it and its message. From our
earthborn perspective, it is almost bizarre. But that is exactly the point. This is
an other-worldly event. This is the kingdom of God in preview.

This event purposely follows what came just before. Note v. 28, Now about
eight days after these sayings he took with him Peter and John and James and
went up on the mountain to pray. After these sayings, refers us back to
Peters confession that Jesus is the Messiah. Jesus commends Peter but then
immediately announces that Hes going to Jerusalem to suffer and die. That
knocked the disciples for a loop. These things were utterly incompatible the
coming of the kingdom and the death of the King. Didnt compute. Its like
someone saying, Hey, Bronco fans. Heres Peyton Manning to lead us to
the Super Bowl, only to have Manning announce he has terminal cancer.
Both cant be true. 2 plus 2 is not adding up to 4. The disciples are stunned.

But it gets worse. Jesus says in v. 23, If anyone would come after me, let him
deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. Hes saying, Guys,
Im going to die, but if you follow me, you must die also -- die to self in favor
of my agenda, my mission, my will and my way. Then in v. 26 He tells them
that one day He will come in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the
holy angels. Then in v. 27 he says there are some standing here who will not
taste death until they see the kingdom of God. In a matter of minutes Jesus
affirms He is a Messiah who will be executed. He calls them to follow Him by
dying to self. Then he talks about coming in glory with the holy angels. By
that time their heads are spinning like a top. Theyre not exactly Phi Beta
Kappa to begin with, but even they know a dead man cant lead a revolution.

Now, a week later, Jesus takes Peter, James and John to a mountain. As Jesus
prays, they snooze, a harbinger of things to come in Gethsemane. But when
they awake, all heaven has broken loose. Theres Jesus in dazzling white
everything His clothing, His face, everything. He is sitting in a blaze of
glory. And Hes not alone. Hes conversing with two men -- Moses and
Elijah and what are they discussing? His coming death. Talk about bizarre.
Must have taken a minute to get their bearings!

They were seeing an amazing demonstration of Gods kingdom the kingdom
in preview. Matt, Mark, and Luke all place this right after the comment in v.
27, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the
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kingdom of God. These privileged men are getting a preview of coming
attractions! But for what purpose? Why this demonstration and why now?
Two reasons: 1) to show God is in charge and 2) to show it will all be worth it.
God is showing the glory at the end will justify the pain to get there. This is a
hope-generator for them and for us as well, to light a fire in their hearts and
ours. Thats our topic for today the Purpose for the Preview. In weeks to
follow, we will look at the Person of the Preview and the Portents of the
Preview. Wonderful passage. Hang on.

I. Purpose for the Preview
A. Encourage Disciples

These guys are mentally rattled. Messiah has just told them He is going to die
and so must they. They are asking, Really? I s this going to be worth it? This
is nothing like we anticipated. Their question is ours. I s the J esus we
worship big enough to overshadow everything in life? I s He big enough to
live for and maybe to die for? I s He? I s J esus bigger than what we are
giving up for Him? How big is our Jesus? Can He be trusted when we dont
understand?

Os Guiness. Brit by birth. American by choice. Author of scintillating books
on Christianity and culture. Observes that Americans are in a stupor of ease
and comfort. Secular to the core even in the church. Were using worldly
methods; appealing to worldly desires. We are the frog in the pot who does
not realize the temperature is rising until it boils us to death. Not long ago he
wrote this, We have too much to live with and too little to live for.
Everything is permitted and nothing is important. When we finally see that
Jesus demands everything, like the disciples we ask, I s it worth it?

So, lets look:
28
Now about eight days after these sayings he took with him
Peter and John and James (truth is confirmed by 2 or 3 witnesses) and went up
on the mountain to pray. What is driving this need to pray with these men? A
big hint comes a few weeks later on the night before His crucifixion. In Matt
26:36: Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said
to his disciples, Sit here, while I go over there and pray.
37
And taking with
him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled.
38
Then he said to them, My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain
here, and watch with me. In His humanity, Jesus is recoiling from the death
that awaits when the iniquity of us all will be laid on Him. No harder task has
ever been asked, and Jesus is seeking help to face the challenge.

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Now, rewind to this event. Jesus public ministry is winding down. Hes just
weeks from the cross. Lu 9:51,
51
When the days drew near for him to be
taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. His coming death haunts Him.
He also knows the confusion of the disciples; He prays for encouragement for
Him and them and what an answer!
29
And as he was praying, the
appearance of his face was altered, and his clothing became dazzling white
30
And behold, two men were talking with him, Moses and Elijah,
31
who
appeared in glory and spoke of his departure, which he was about to
accomplish at Jerusalem.
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. This sets a new standard in amazement!

The disciples are trying to decipher how a dead man can lead to the kingdom.
Yet here are Moses and Elijah talking to Jesus about the death the apostles
could not understand. So they know too?! Moses and Elijah are in on this, too.
Wow! Peter tries to speak, but the Father interrupts: This is my Son, my
Chosen One; listen to him! Peter, shut up and listen! Amazing! They
dont understood it yet, but they knew this The OT saints, J esus and God
the Father all saw Jesus death and the glory of the kingdom as being
somehow compatible with each other, so who were the disciples to argue the
point anymore?! This is hope in bright lights!

In 1952 Florence Chadwick stepped into the Pacific off Catalina Island aiming
to be the first woman to swim the 26 miles to the mainland of CA. It was
foggy and chilly; she could hardly see her support boats, yet she swam for 15
hours. Eventually she begged to be taken in, but her mother urged her on and
she kept going. Finally, however, physically and emotionally spent, she just
stopped and was pulled out. She was devastated to find she was less than half
a mile from her destination. She explained, All I could see was the fog. I
think if I would have seen the shore, I could have made it. Thats exactly
what the Father is doing here showing us to see the shore.

The disciples never forgot this day. John later wrote in John 1:14, And the
Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as
of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. He got the message
and it changed his life. Peter wrote in II Pet 1:17-18: For when he received
honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the
Majestic Glory, This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,
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we
ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on
the holy mountain. Lives, changed forever by seeing the shore. Take
courage, Beloved. Yes, He is worth whatever it costs to follow Him.
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B. Encourage Jesus

But what of Jesus Himself? He was sobered by the human cruelty that awaited
Him. But far worse, He knew He was about to become sin for us. The
anticipation of that fact was becoming a mind-boggling burden. So He did
what He always did. He prayed. And the Father answered with this amazing
display to reassure Jesus He went to His destiny with the Fathers full
approval. We will never understand the cost to Father and Son. But they were
in perfect concurrence about the necessity and urgency of what must be done.
So the Father addresses the Jesus human need for encouragement in 3 ways.

1. Encouraged by the Glory to come
V. 29: And as he was praying, the appearance of his face was altered, and his
clothing became dazzling white. Here is the deity of Christ on display for one
brief shining moment of kingdom preview. And the impact on Jesus was one
of great encouragement. Briefly He experiences the glory He shared with the
Father before time began as a reminder of what awaited the completion of
His mission. How this motivated Him is seen in His prayer in John 17:5,
And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had
with you before the world existed. As He prepares for the cross, He
anticipates the permanent restoration of His glory as God. Heb 12:2 tells us
that Jesus, for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the
shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Jesus knew the
cross wasnt the end. He endured the cross because He knew what was
coming. This foretaste encouraged His heart.

2. Encouraged by those He will save
Jesus shares what is coming with those He loves best and they insist He is
wrong. No one gets it. No one shares His burden or offers comfort. Hes like
Hemingway who wrote, I live in a vacuum that is as lonely as a radio tube
when the batteries are dead and there is no current to plug into. The
difference was, J esus knew where to plug in! He goes to the Father. And not
only is He transfigured, but behold two men were talking with him, Moses
and Elijah (30). Where did they come from? Theyd been dead for centuries!
At least Moses had. Elijah never died. God sent the limo for him chariots of
fire (II Kings 2:11). These men were straight from heaven!

Well talk more about the implications of this later, but note what they were
discussing. V. 31: who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure, which
he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. Departure is death. We even speak
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of the dearly departed. No doubt they discussed that these men were in
heaven on credit. Great as they were they didnt deserve to be there. They
were sinners like all of us. They had offered sacrifices under the system Moses
initiated, but Heb 10:4 reminds, For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and
goats to take away sins. So in sending these 2, the Father is reminding Jesus
This is what it is all about. These men are with me on credit, but now the
bill must be paid. What bulls and goats cant do, you must do. The time is
now. The future of these men and millions like them depends on you.

Heb 2:10 tells us God made the founder of their salvation perfect through
suffering. At the Transfiguration God tells Jesus, Youve done the first part.
You have been made perfect through suffering. You have met every
challenge without sin. You are the lamb who can cover once and for all the
sins of these men. Beloved, if you dont think God loves you; if you are
holding some grudge against Him, you dont get redemption. At infinite cost
to Himself and to His Son, He sent Jesus to the cross. And here He encourages
Jesus This is the reason we must bear what we are going to endure you
the cross, me the unbearable burden of placing on you the punishment that
belongs on every person. You must go so these men can retain heaven and
so can billions to follow. If this doesnt send chills down your spine, youre
not getting it.

At the Transfiguration the Father is reminding Jesus of those He will save by
His obedience that He might, in Pauls words, be the firstborn among many
brothers. Among those brothers are Moses and Elijah. But they and we could
only have heaven if Jesus would go to the cross. He is saying, Im willing.

3. Encouraged by the Fathers Affirmation

V. 34: As he [Peter] was saying these things, a cloud came and
overshadowed them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud.
35
And a
voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen
to him! This is holy ground. They are suddenly enveloped by a cloud. But
this is no ordinary cloud. They all knew it and were scared to death. Moses
recognized it immediately. This is the Shekinah glory of God the visible
representation of Gods presence. This is the cloud that led the Children of
Israel out of Egypt, the cloud that overshadowed Mt. Sinai as God gave the
Law to Moses. This is the cloud that came over the tabernacle and took up
residence above the Mercy Seat. It is the cloud that entered the temple that
Solomon built. This is the cloud that left the temple in Ezekiels time as God
withdrew from His idolatrous people. This is the cloud that had not been
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seen by human eyes for 600 years and now it envelops the whole group.
This is the sovereign God affirming the supremacy of His Son.

There are 3 recorded instances when the Father voices His approval for Jesus.
Once at His baptism. Here at this point as He is preparing to head to His
planned destiny in Jerusalem. And once more in the last week of His life in
John 12:27, Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? Father, save me
from this hour? But for this purpose I have come to this hour.
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Father,
glorify your name. Then a voice came from heaven: I have glorified it, and I
will glorify it again. How precious and meaningful must these affirmations
have been to Jesus. Just when He needed it most, there was the voice of God
saying, Youre on the right track; youre doing the right thing; youre
focused on saving others rather than yourself, aligning yourself with our
great eternal purpose, and I am delighted in you. At the end of his first day
of school a rowdy 6-year-old came running home and burst excitedly through
the door shouting, Mom, Mom! Guess what? They want me back! This is
what the Father is communicating to Jesus operating in His human nature. I
share the extreme pain of what you must go through next. But I want you to
know, youve done your job to perfection. There is no alternative to the
cross, but then I want you back! It was that affirmation that sent Jesus on
His way to purchase redemption for all who will believe.

Conc My beloved congregation, are you getting that Christianity is not easy
not for the faint of heart not for those who accept Christ and then expect
Him to deliver a life of ease. No, no, no. It is for those who will deny self,
take up their cross daily and follow Him. His is not an easy path. But the
Father encouraged Jesus Himself on His way to the cross as He encouraged
those early disciples and as He encourages us with the hope that lies beyond.
Thats why Paul wrote in Rom 5:2 that we rejoice in the hope of the glory of
God. You have to look way beyond here and now to do that, but this
kingdom preview is intended to help us do exactly that. Paul prayed for the
Ephesians that, The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye
may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of
his inheritance in the saints (Eph 1:18). The Transfiguration is intended to lift
our eyes beyond the sacrifices of today to the riches of tomorrow and say, It
will be worth it all.

George Guthrie in Read the Bible for Life tells of watching a childrens movie
with his daughter when she was young. As the scary part came, the music
changed, everything went wrong and Anna became upset as she snuggled in
close, eyes shut. But he turned to her and explained, Its okay. This is the
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crisis, but things are going to get better! Then he remarks, Knowing the
ending of the story changes everything. Thats what the Transfiguration is
about Gods great hope-generator -- letting us glimpse the end of the story
because that changes everything. Lets pray.

Hope; Crisis; Ending; Victory; We win; Supremacy of Christ; End times;
Adversity; Suffering; I wanted to explore a bit more the idea of tension as central to
a good story. I remember watching children's movies with my daughter when she was
younger. A story would come to a scary part, a crisis. The music changed, and things
seemed to be going wrong. I could tell Anna was getting a bit upset as she snuggled
up close to me, sometimes shutting her eyes. Knowing what was coming, I often
would turn to my sweet little five-year-old and say, "It's OK. This is the crisis, but
things are going to get better!" Knowing the ending of the story really helped.
Read more at location 1023
George Guthrie, Read the Bible for Life
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Xnty not for faint of heart. When the son needed it most the Father was there
to affirm Him, and He will be for us too.

Ace; Appreciation; Affirmation; Parenting; Childrearing; Messages;
Affirmation in parenting; Families; Mothers; While watching the Olympics, my
mother turned to my sister and said, "You just know the athletes mothers are so
proud of them. I'm proud of you girls, and you're nothing."
Reader's Digest, December 2012, page 26.
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Discouragement in parenting; Childrearing; Affirmation; Affirmation in
parenting; Fatherhood; Fathers; Parenting; Discouragements; John S. D.
Eisenhower, writing of himself and his famous father, Dwight D Eisenhower,
recounts: In spite of deep mutual affection, there existed a certain military wall
between us. I was not only his son; I was a young lieutenant who needed on occasion

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McNeff, D. New Illustrations.
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to be straightened out. On practically the first evening I arrived in London, for
example, as Dad and I were walking down the street, I asked him in all earnestness:
"If we should meet an officer who ranks above me but below you, how do we handle
this? Should I salute first, and when he returns my salute, do you return his?" The
question was legitimate to my mind and has never been answered completely to my
satisfaction. Dad, however, exclaimed, "John, there isn't an officer in this Theater
who doesn't rank above you and below me!"
Readers Digest, April 1974, page 144.
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The Father had spoken at the baptism (Luke 3:22) and would speak again
during that final week of the Sons earthly ministry (John 12:2328).

A third, and the chief solace to the heart of Jesus,
was the approving voice of His heavenly Father: This is
my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. That voice,
uttered then, meant: Go on Thy present way, selfdevoted to
death, and shrinking not from the cross. I am pleased with
Thee, because Thou pleasest not Thyself. Pleased with Thee at
all times, I am most emphatically delighted with Thee when, in
a signal manner, as lately in the announcement made to Thy
disciples, Thou dost show it to be Thy fixed purpose to save
others, and not to save Thyself.
Bruce, A. B. (1995). The training of the twelve or, Passages
out of the Gospels, exhibiting the twelve disciples of Jesus
under discipline for the apostleship (192194). Oak Harbor,
WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

That his departure [literally exodus] at Jerusalem refers to
the Lords bitter suffering and death on the cross needs no
proof. But if any is needed, see II Peter 1:15, where one of the
three who witnessed Christs glory on the Mount of
Transfiguration uses the same term with reference to his own
death. Did this term, as used here in Luke 9:31, also include
Christs resurrection? In view of the fact that in all three
predictions of these coming events (a. Luke 9:22, cf. Matt.
16:21, Mark 8:31; b. Matt. 17:22, 23, cf. Mark 9:31 c. Luke
18:3133, cf. Matt. 20:17, Mark 10:3234) humiliation is
followed by exaltation, death by resurrection; and also in view

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of both Luke 9:35 and II Peter 1:16, 17, passages clearly
showing that for Jesus the experience on the Mount of
Transfiguration was one of comfort and strengthening, the
answer must be in the affirmative. Besides, is it even
conceivable that these heavenly messengers should speak with
Jesus about his sufferings and death, but not about the glory
that should follow(I Peter 1:11)?
(Hendriksen, p. 504)

34
As he was saying these things, a cloud came and overshadowed them, and
they were afraid as they entered the cloud.

.

a cloud came and overshadowed them -- While Peter was
speaking, a cloud enveloped them. Grammatically the word
them could refer to the three disciples or to all six people (Jesus,
Moses, Elijah, and the three disciples). But more likely it refers to
Jesus and the heavenly visitors, with the disciples being those who
were afraid. A cloud was often a symbol of Gods divine presence
(Ex. 13:21-22; 40:38). Perhaps the disciples thought Jesus was being
taken away from them, and they would never see Him again.
(BKC)
The cloud was a visible representation of God's presence in
Shekinah glory (Exodus 13:21; 16:10; 24:16; 40:35; Numbers
16:42; I Kings 8:11), it in golf that Jesus, Moses, and Elijah,
leaving the apostles outside since when they heard God's voice
it came out of the cloud. (MacArthur, page 286).
In Scripture the presence of God is often indicated by the
mention of a cloud. In several cases, as also here, it is a bright,
white, or luminous cloud (cf. Exod. 13:21; 16:10; 40:35; I
Kings 8:10, 11; Neh. 9:19; Ps. 78:14; Rev. 14:1416).


As Godet (op. cit., Vol. I, pp. 429, 430) and others have
pointed out, the voice coming out of the cloud (verse 35)
could scarcely be addressed to any but persons who were
themselves outside the cloud. This would mean, therefore, that
Peter, James, and John did not enter the cloud.
It is therefore reasonable to assume that the cloud
served as a kind of chariot to remove Moses and Elijah from
the earthly scene and to carry them back to their heavenly
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abode; for, as verse 36 makes clear, they are no longer present.
Cf. Acts 1:9.

The cloud pictures Gods presence (Bovon 1989: 500 and n. 60
notes that Tg. Neof. 1.3 on Lev. 23:43 speaks of Israels
dwelling in the cloud). It overshadows the disciples, leaving
them afraid. Some suggest that only Jesus and his guests were
overshadowed, since the voice is described as coming out of
the cloud and the disciples appear to be outside observers
(Godet 1875: 1.42930; Plummer 1896: 25253; Creed 1930:
135; Oepke, TDNT 4:908; Marshall 1978: 387). There is no
need to make this suggestion, for the disciples could have been
overshadowed by the cloud and a voice could still have come
from it. In fact, this verse clearly refers to the disciples coming
into the cloud, since it mentions that they were afraid as they
entered the cloud.
The clouds presence seems to be Gods answer to
Peters suggestion: no booths are needed since God has
wrapped the disciples in his glory and presence. Gods very
presence is associated with Jesus, through whom they have
access to full communion and presence with God. The clouds
presence leaves the disciples fearful, a normal response to
Gods action (Luke 1:12; Balz, TDNT 9:20910). With the
departure of the cloud after the voice, the OT saints are no
longer present (9:36). But to argue that the clouds purpose was
to take them into Gods presence is unwarranted, since Jesus
did not depart with the OT saints. Given the imagery denoting
divine presence, the disciples experienced it as well. Thus,
there was no need for a rapture to heaven during the event
(contra Oepke, TDNT 4:908). Both view 2 and view 3 have
merit.
(Bock, p. 873)

It had been 600 years since anyone in Israel had seen the
Shekinah glory. p 352 But While he [Peter] was speaking, a
cloud appeared and enveloped them, and they were afraid as
they entered the cloud (v. 34). The disciples were terrified as
Jesus, Moses, and Elijah were enveloped by a bright cloud
(cf. Matthew 17:5).
It was the Shekinah! It is reasonable to imagine that
from below any who happened to look up that night saw it
the mountain was capped with the divine incandescence. Peter,
James, and John saw up close and personal the cloud that not
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even Moses was allowed to intimately view in Old Testament
times. But now Jesus was with them, and so they could gaze
upon the Shekinah glory.
Think of it! This was the pillar of the Exodus (Exodus
13:21). This was the cloud that passed by Moses as God
covered him in the cleft of the rock with his hand, so that
Moses only saw the afterglow (Exodus 33:1823). This was the
cloud that covered the newly finished Tent of Meeting and so
filled the new tabernacle with Gods glory that Moses could not
enter it (Exodus 40:35). It was the same cloud that filled
Solomons temple on dedication day so that the priests could
not enter (1 Kings 8:10, 11; 2 Chronicles 7:1). It was the same
glory that Ezekiel saw rise from between the cherubim and
move to the threshold of the temple because of Israels
apostasy (Ezekiel 8:4; 9:3) and then slowly, hesitatingly move
over the east gate of the temple where it hovered (Ezekiel 10:4,
18, 19), finally rising to be seen no more from the Mount of
Olives (11:2225).

. . .
The cloud is also a prophecy. In the future, in death,
believers will meet the risen Christ in the incandescent clouds
to be with him forever (1 Thessalonians 4:17, 18). Peter, James,
and John were to put their arms around this blessed experience
and pull it within themselves. So must we! It is our hope. First
Thessalonians 4:17b says that the same Lord is going to return
in a cloud of glory, and that those who die before are going to
rise up and meet him in the air (v. 16), and that the living are
going to meet him in the air too (v. 17)in that great cloud of
glory. Someday we are going to be in that cloud! The Shekinah
glory is going to surround us!
(Hughes, p. 351)

35
And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is my Son, my Chosen
One; listen to him!
, .

This is my Son, my Chosen One -- The reference to sonship is an
allusion to Ps. 2:7, just as the title Son at the baptism was seen as
derived from the psalm (see the exegesis of Luke 3:22). In the earlier
text, the remark was seen as messianic, especially as it is linked to two
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other Lucan texts (4:113, 1630). The messianic thrust of the remark
is confirmed by the second part of the declaration: (ho
eklelegmenos, the Chosen One). This wording is found only in Luke,
probably as an explanatory reference to strengthen the regal character
of the remark, coming as it does after Peters messianic confession of
Jesus. It is Gods amen to that confession. Mark 9:7 = Matt. 17:5 has
(ho agaptos, the beloved), as do all three Synoptics
report of the utterance given at the baptism. The Lucan change serves
to explain Lukes understanding of the wording and seems to derive
from Isa. 42:1, where the reference is to the Servant as Gods chosen
instrument. When one puts the two titles together, Jesus is identified as
the Messiah-Servant, the fundamental christological category that
Luke has presented up to this point. The use of the perfect participle
shows that Jesus has already occupied the position of the elect one;
enthronement is not the point here.
(Bock, p. 873)
Simon Peter interprets this verse for us. He said that he saw the
Kingdom. Where did he see it? Peter was with the Lord on the
holy mount and was an eyewitness of it. He tells us about it in
2 Peter 1:1618 which says, For we have not followed
cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the
power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were
eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received from God the
Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him
from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I
am well pleased. And this voice which came from heaven we
heard, when we were with him in the holy mount. This is the
explanation Simon Peter gives, and that is good enough for me.
I think the man who was there ought to know more about it
than some of these modern scholars who were not present.

(McGee, p. 124)

listen to him -- . -- Those familiar with the Old
Testament, as the disciples were, doubtless immediately recognized the
reference (in the words listen to Him) to Deuteronomy 18:15 with its
messianic prediction of a Prophet greater than Moses. The people were
to listen to (i.e., obey) the Prophet

(BKC)
God informs the apostles that they should listen to Jesus,
especially on the matter of His death (MacArthur, page 286).
The command given to the disciples is: Him be hearing! the
present imperative to express constant hearing, and the genitive
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to indicate the person heard. On this command, which
was transmitted already through Moses, compare Deut. 18:15,
last clause and especially v. 18, 19 with the threat against those
who fail or refuse to hear Christ. Him be hearing! in the
sense of him alone is valid to this day. The Father himself has
placed this seal upon every word of Jesus. This is the
confirmation by God himself of Peters great confession
recorded in v. 20, Gods own attestation of the deity of the Son
who is to die and be raised up again, v. 22. As far as Jesus and
the Father were concerned, they certainly left nothing undone
to prepare the disciples for what was impending.
(Lenski,
p. 535)
Another key feature in the heavenly endorsement is the allusion
to Deut. 18:15. Unlike the Matthean and Marcan parallels,
Lukes word order directly matches the LXX version of
Deuteronomy ( , autou akouete, listen to him),
thus emphasizing slightly the focus of listening to him. The
allusion to Deuteronomy is important, because it marks out
Jesus as a Prophet like Moses (Acts 3:1924). It also
indicates that the disciples need instruction from the one who
leads the way to God. There are things that the disciples do not
yet understand about the one they have confessed. Conzelmann
(1960: 5759) is surely correct to say that the call is to hear
Jesus teaching about his passion and to recognize that Jesus
will be a Messiah who suffers. Jesus has much more to reveal
about himself.
The reference to Deut. 18 is not used in the voices
remark at Jesus baptism. The new reference not only identifies
Jesus, but declares his role as revealer of Gods way through a
confession from heaven. Much of the rest of Luke involves the
Prophet-Messiahs instruction to his disciples. In effect, the
voice says to Peter, Jesus is not equal to Moses or Elijah; he is
greater than they (Fitzmyer 1981: 803). God is saying, Sit at
his feet, so you can learn from him the way to me.
(Bock, p. 874)

Conc --

II. Person of the Preview

A. Supremacy of His Person
14

1. Pre-eminent in His Manhood

30
And behold, two men were talking with him, Moses and Elijah,
, ,

And behold, two men were talking with him -- Even Luke, who is
sparing in the use of interjections, exclaims lo when he notes that
two men were engaged in conversation with Jesus in his transfigured
form. The two verbs are imperfects because they denote continuance,
and the first, , refers only to the talking whereas
refers to the contents of their talk even as this verb also has its object
. The relative seems to say a little more than does
the next relative ; it has qualitative force: who were personages no
less than Moses and Elijah.
(Lenski, p. 529)

Moses and Elijah -- These two men represent the beginning and the
end of Israel, for Moses, as the Lawgiver, founded the nation, and
Elijah is to come back before the great and terrible day of the Lord
(Mal. 4:5-6).
(BKC)

The question is asked as to how the disciples recognized Moses
and Elijah. Certainly not by the correspondence of their
features and their dress to ideas that the disciples and the Jews
had formed concerning their looks. Nor do we hear that the
disciples had to wait until Jesus told them who these glorified
men were. A far better answer is that the saints in heaven need
not to be introduced and named to us but are known at once
through an intuition that is wrought by God. If anything beyond
that is needed, it is that when God makes a revelation he makes
it fully by conveying to the beholder all that he is to know.

(Lenski, p. 532)

That the two were recognizable shows the people in heaven
retain their identities and are not disembodied spirits. The
choice of two men once again was in keeping with the laws
standard for witnesses (MacArthur, page 283).
Moses and Elijah were chosen to appear for at least three
reasons. First, they both had unusual exits from the world.
After Moses his death Michael the Archangel and Satan fought
over his body (Jude 9) and God buried him so that his body
would never be found (Deuteronomy 34:6). Elijah did not die,
15

bad as he and Elisha "were going along and talking, behold,
there appeared a chariot of fire and horses of fire which
separated the two of them. And Elijah went up by a whirlwind
into heaven" (II Kings 2:11).
Further, Moses and Elijah were two witnesses who
would be trusted implicitly by Israel. Moses was the greatest
and most revered leader in the nation's history, the one who led
them out of slavery in Egypt. Elijah was one of the greatest and
most respected of the prophets. He was one of only two men in
the Old Testament, along with Munich (Genesis 5:22-24) not to
experience death but to be taken directly to heaven.
Finally, they represented the two great divisions in the
Old Testament. Moses is identified with the law, which is
commonly referred to as the law of Moses (Joshua 8:31; I
Kings 2:3; II Kings 23:25; Nehemiah 8:1; Daniel 9:11, 13;
Malachi 4:4; Luke 24:44; John 7:23; Acts 13:39; Hebrews
10:28). While Moses gave the law, Elijah guarded. His strong
stand against Israel's idolatrous rejection of the law culminated
in his dramatic victory over hundreds of false prophets on
Mount caramel (I Kings 18:19-40). The question arises as to
why the two men had visible bodies, since the Old Testament
Saints are described in Hebrews 12:23 as "the spirits of the
righteous made perfect" and do not receive their glorified
bodies until after the tribulation (Daniel 12:1-2). Evidently they
either received the bodies they appeared in temporarily for that
occasion, or God gave them their permanent resurrection
bodies early (MacArthur, page 283).
How did the disciples know that the two from the other world
who suddenly appeared upon the scene were Moses and Elijah?
Did these visitors introduce themselves? Did the disciples
know this by intuition? Did they gather this information from
the words spoken by eachMoses, Elijahin his conversation
with Jesus? Had the looks or personal appearance of the two
heavenly visitors been transmitted to the disciples by tradition,
whether oral or written, so that for this reason it was easy to
recognize them and to tell them apart? Had the identification
been divinely revealed to them? Or, last but not the least
fanciful, was Moses carrying in his hand a copy of the law, and
did Elijah descend from heaven to the mount in his fiery
chariot? All we know, and need to know, is that in a manner
16

not revealed to us the three disciples recognized the two
visitors.

Why just these two? Leaving aside all useless speculation, the
simplest and best answer is probably that Moses and Elijah
represented respectively the law and the prophets, both of
which Jesus had come to fulfil (Matt. 5:17; Luke 24:27, 44).


One suggest is that Moses represents the Law and Elijah the
Prophets (Plummer 1896: 251; Schrmann 1969: 55758;
Wiefel 1988: 180; Bovon 1989: 496). The problem here is not
the Mosaic connection, but Elijahs tie to the prophets: why is
he considered the representative of the prophets (Danker 1988:
199)? Samuel or one of the major prophets is normally seen in
this light (Acts 3:24; Matt. 16:14).
The best suggestion is that Moses typifies the prophetic
office that Jesus will occupy (as the later allusion to Deut.
18:15 suggests), while Elijah pictures the hope of the eschaton.
Jesus will function as a Moses-like formative figure for the
people he draws round himself, much as Moses drew together
the nation of Israel. With Jesus comes a new period, a new
configuration of Gods people, a fresh way of relating to God.
Thus, Elijah is present as the hope of the eschaton (Mal. 4:56
[3:2324 MT]). Luke makes the Mosaic connection explicit in
Acts 3:1822 and 7:3537. When the NT mentions Elijah with
Jesus, it has in view either the coming of the eschaton or the
preparing of the way, the latter concept also appearing in the
John the Baptist image of Luke 1:1617 and Mark 9:12.
Perhaps part of the background to this image is the idea that
Elijah will rescue the righteous sufferer, as the taunting
associated with Jesus death suggests in Mark 15:36, though
this connection is less clear (Danker 1988: 199). Thus, Moses
looks back to the exodus and Elijah looks forward to the
fulfillment of promise in the eschaton. [5 highlights] It is also
suggested that these figures function as OT witnesses to Jesus,
which is certainly the impression created by their presence
(Marshall 1978: 384, though he accepts view 3). Such a witness
function for Elijah caused the Jew Trypho to challenge the
Christian Justins claims about Jesus, since for Trypho Elijah
had not appeared but was still expected.
(Bock, p. 868)

17

As Jesus stood radiating light, Two men, Moses and Elijah,
appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus. They spoke
about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfillment
at Jerusalem (vv. 30, 31). Why Elijah and Moses? Why not
Isaiah and Jeremiah, or Daniel and Joseph? There are several
reasons. Both these men had previously conversed with God on
mountaintopsMoses on Mount Sinai (Exodus 31:18) and
Elijah on Mount Horeb, another name for Sinai (1 Kings
19:8ff.). They both had been shown Gods glory. Both also had
famous departures from this earth. Moses died on Mount Nebo,
after which God buried him in a grave known only to himself.
Elijah was taken up alive in a chariot of fire. Both were
expected to return again at the end of the age (concerning
Elijah, cf. 1:17; 9:8, 19; concerning Moses cf. Deuteronomy
18:15, 18). Moses was the great lawgiver, and Elijah was the
great prophet. Moses was the founder of Israels religious
economy, and Elijah was the restorer of it. Together they were
a powerful summary of the entire Old Testament economy.

(Hughes, p. 350)

The purpose of the Transfiguration was to strengthen the heart
of Jesus as he was praying long about his approaching death
and to give these chosen three disciples a glimpse of his glory
for the hour of darkness coming. No one on earth understood
the heart of Jesus and so Moses and Elijah came. The poor
disciples utterly failed to grasp the significance of it all.
(ATR)

But look at what theyre doing. Theyre talking with Jesus and
theyre talking about what Hes going to do. There were two
men talking with Him, Moses and Elijah, and they spoke of His
departure which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.
This is not the scene of Jesus in Jerusalem at the feet of the
elders asking them questions. Hes not saying, Oh Moses,
would you tell Me about the glory days? Tell me about the days
when you led the people of Israel out of bondage, out of the
house of Egypt and across the Red Sea and through the
18

wilderness and almost to the Promised Land. This is not Jesus
talking about their accomplishments. Hes not talking about
Elijahs accomplishments. Theyre talking with Him about His
accomplishments. Its clear whos the greatest here.
J. C. Ryle says it something like this Moses and
Elijah were the Kings servants, but Jesus was the Kings Son.
Moses and Elijah were planets, but Jesus is the sun. They were
witnesses, but He is the truth. This is Lukes way of drawing
your attention to the glory of who Jesus is even Moses and
Elijah are transfixed by His glory and focused on His ministry
and speaking with Him not of their accomplishments but of His
accomplishments. (Lig)

What an amazing conversation that must have been! Peter,
James, and John probably missed much of it due to their
drowsiness and ignorance. But it must have become apparent
that death and resurrection were part of the divine plan as Jesus
had early explained (cf. v. 22). Jesus was the fulfillment of
everything toward which the Law pointed. He fulfilled what the
sacrificial system had taught and promised. He fulfilled the
Decalogue (cf. Matthew 5:17ff.). He fulfilled every messianic
prophecyeverything toward which their religion and history
had been moving.
What an amazing sight! Luminous, dazzling Jesus is
talking to Moses who had been dead over 1,400 years and to
Elijah who had been gone for about 900. And they are talking
about his exodushis imminent death for our sins.
(Hughes, p. 351)

That exit, so different from their own in its circumstances and
consequences, was the theme of their talk. They had appeared
to Jesus to converse with Him thereon; and when they ceased
speaking concerning it, they took their departure for the abodes
of the blessed. How long the conference lasted we know not,
but the subject was sufficiently suggestive of interesting topics
of conversation. There was, e.g, the surprising contrast between
the death of Moses, immediate and painless, while his eye was
not dim nor his natural force abated, and the painful and
ignominious death to be endured by Jesus. Then there was the
not less remarkable contrast between the manner of Elijahs
19

departure from the earthtranslated to heaven without tasting
death at all, making a triumphant exit out of the world in a
chariot of fire, and the way by which Jesus should enter into
glorythe via dolorosa of the cross. [5 highlights] Whence this
privilege of exemption from death, or from its p 192 bitterness,
granted to the representatives of the law and the prophets, and
wherefore denied to Him who was the end both of law and of
prophecy? On these points, and others of kindred nature, the
two celestial messengers, enlightened by the clear light of
heaven, may have held intelligent and sympathetic converse
with the Son of man, to the refreshment of His weary,
saddened, solitary soul.
(A.
B. Bruce)

36
And when the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept
silent and told no one in those days anything of what they had seen.
.
.

And when the voice had spoken -- When the voice came (
[en toi genesthai tn phnn]). Another example
of Lukes idiom, this time with the second aorist middle infinitive.
Literally, on the coming as to the voice (accusative of general
reference). It does not mean that it was after the voice was past that
Jesus was found alone, but simultaneously with it (ingressive aorist
tense).
(ATR)

Jesus was found alone -- Gods voice came out of the cloud that
enveloped them, acknowledging Jesus as His beloved Son, and telling
them to hear or obey Him. As soon as the voice was past, Moses and
Elijah had disappeared. Jesus alone was standing there. It will be like
this in the kingdom; He will have the pre-eminence in all things. He
will not share His glory.
(McDonald)

With the coming of the voice, says Luke, Jesus was found
alone. The lawgiver and the prophet had gone. For all their
eminence they were but men. Their role in history had been
preparatory to the incarnation, death and resurrection of Christ.
Now that he had come, they retired. The actual redemption of
the world would depend on Christ and on Christ alone
(Gooding, page 170).

20

And they kept silent and told no one in those days anything of
what they had seen -- Matthew reveals the reason for their silence:
"As they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus commanded
them saying, 'Tell the vision to know one until the Son of Man has
risen from the dead'" (Matthew 17:9). The Lord had brought them
there to be witnesses; why then would P command him not to reveal
what they had seen? There were several features to Christ's
prohibition. First, but they had witnessed was so far removed from
everyday reality that most people probably would not have believed
the apostles report. They would have been casting this precious pearl
before swine (Matthew 7:6). Further, speaking openly of the kingdom
might have caused the Romans, ever on guard against the possibility of
insurrection, to prematurely execute Jesus and the apostles.
Additionally, news of the vision could easily have incited the Jews to
try again to make Jesus the leader of a revolt against Rome (John 6:14-
15). The most important, they could not preach a glorified Christ
without the truth of His death and resurrection. Only after the
resurrection would Peter (II Peter 1:16-18), John (John 1:14), and
James testify to the glorious preview of the second coming they had
seen, in its proper relation to the cross and the empty grave
(MacArthur, page 286).

2. Per-eminent in His Make-up

V. 29: And as he was praying, the appearance of his face was altered, and his
clothing became dazzling white. Well explore this in more detail next time
but the logical question is, what in the world is going on here? This is about as
other-worldly as it gets, right? Both Matt 17:2 and Mark 9:2 use the word
transfigured to describe this explosion of glory in the person of Jesus. It is
the Greek word from which we get metamorphosis. You will
recall that describes the change of a caterpillar into a butterfly. The word
literally means a change in outward appearance reflecting an inward
condition. That would be true in the case of the butterfly. The outward change
is a reflection of a change in the whole being. In Jesus case, it was not a
change in inward being that was reflected, but a full revelation of what had
been there all along. He has always been the God-man. But anyone looking at
Him would have visibly seen only His humanness. And even that was not in
any way unusual. Isa 53:2: he had no form or majesty that we should look at
21

him, and no beauty that we should desire him. Keep in mind that He lived for
30 years in relative obscurity.

But that was not at all reflective of who He really was. What is happening on
this mountain is that the glory of His divine nature is being allowed briefly to
show through. Without reviewing all of them, we know that Gods presence is
inevitably indicated in the Bible by an overwhelming display of light. And
here, Jesus is being transfigured in the sense that the veil of His humanity,
which has hidden His deity all this time, is removed to allow the God-nature
to shine through. This is just what John understood when he wrote, and we
have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and
truth (1:14). What an unbelievable manifestation these men were privileged
to see!

As far as the Gospel record is concerned, the Transfiguration was the only
occasion during Christs earthly ministry when He revealed the glory of His
person. Luke did not use the word transfigure but he described the same scene
(Matt. 17:2; Mark 9:2). The word means a change in appearance that comes
from within, and it gives us the English word metamorphosis.
What were the reasons behind this event? For one thing, it was Gods seal of
approval to Peters confession of faith that Jesus is the Son of God (John
1:14).

29
And as he was praying, the appearance of his face was altered, and his
clothing became dazzling white.

.

the appearance of his face was altered -- Jesus face and clothes
became as bright as a flash of lightning. This would have
immediately reminded those present of Moses face shining with a
bright light when he received the tablets of the Law (Ex. 34:29-35).

(BKC)
First of all he draws our attention to who Jesus is. And he
draws our attention to the matter of who Jesus is in a quite
amazing way. Look how he compounds this testimony to the
identity of Jesus beginning in verse 29. The first thing that he
22

does in this passage is he draws attention to Jesus as he is
praying and he says this The appearance of His face was
altered and His clothing became dazzling white. Now in this
passage Luke is about to introduce you to two people you
couldnt have found someone more important than in the whole
history of Israel. Theyre about to show up in the next verse.
But Luke is telling you the focus of this passage is not
going to be those two people. The focus of this passage is
Jesus. Its Jesus whose facial appearance is altered and whose
clothing becomes dazzling white. The other gospel writers say
that His face shown like the sun. Its very clear who the
focus of this passage is. However great these two personages
are who are going to show up in a few moments, theyre not the
focus of this passage. The great focus of the passage is Jesus.
(Lig)

Both Luke and Matthew record that the face of Jesus shone
very brightly. Matthew compares the face of Jesus to the
brightness of the sun; Luke says the appearance of his face
changed. What the disciples saw in the face of Jesus was the
same kind of light that blinded Paul on the road to Damascus.

(Sproul, p. 204)

Matthew says, His face did shine as the sun (Mt 17:2), and
Mark says (Mk 9:3), His raiment became shining, exceeding
white as snow, so as no fuller on earth can white them (Mk
9:3). The light, then, it would seem, shone not upon Him from
without, but out of Him from within; He was all irradiated, was
in one blaze of celestial glory. What a contrast to that visage
more marred than men, and His form than the sons of men! (Is
52:14).
(JFB)

Matthew tells us that he was transfigured (metamorphosed)
before them and His face shine like the sun (Matthew 17:2). He
who had been "found in appearance as a man" (Philippians 2:8)
you pull back the veil of his flesh to reveal a brief glimpse of
His divine glory the Shekinah glory of God that was
manifested repeatedly in the Old Testament. The glory of
Christ's divine nature radiated through his body so that His
clothing became quite and gleaming. The Greek word
translated gleaming means "emitting light," and describes a
brilliant, flashing light like lightning. Jesus will manifest the
23

same blazing glory in his fullness that His second coming
(Matthew 16:27; 25:31). It was Christ's divine glory that the
three apostles would see when they woke up along with two
other glorious beings (MacArthur, page 282).

He was metamorphosed. A metamorphosis is a complete
change of form and of appearance. When the chrysalis becomes
a butterfly, that is a metamorphosis; the same essential life was
in the chrysalis, and the butterfly the form is changed. Mark the
significance. He was metamorphosed. The thing that happened
was not that a light fell on Him out of heaven, radiating Him.
Neither is it correct to say that on that mountain there shone
forth His Deity. Deity has no earthly spectacular form of
manifestation. What, then, did happen? He came to the
completion of His human life on the level of the earthly, and
the beginning of it on the level of the heavenly. The change
took place in Him it's prepared him to leave the world, and pass
out into the infinite wonder of the life that lies beyond he was
God's second man. (Morgan).

One explanation is that as Jesus prayed in Gods presence, he
reflected Gods glory [NIGTC]. Another explanation is that it
was different from Moses glory which came from the outside
and here it refers to Jesus own future glory being revealed
[NAC, WBC]. Perhaps Jesus whole body shone with the light
and splendor of his heavenly divinity, as in Revelation 1:1315
[Lns]. Jesus inward glory transformed his natural body into
brilliant light [MGC].
(Blight, p. 411)

But there is also a practical lesson here, for we can have a
spiritual transfiguration experience each day as we walk with
the Lord. Romans 12:12 and 2 Corinthians 3:18 tell us how.
As we surrender body, mind, and will, the Lord transforms us
from within so that we are not conformed to the world. As we
behold Him in the Word (the mirror), we are transfigured by
the Spirit from glory to glory. The theological name for this
experience is sanctification, the process by which we become
more like the Lord Jesus Christ, which is the Fathers goal for
each of His children (Rom. 8:19; 1 John 3:2). Note that our
24

Lord was once again praying, which suggests that prayer is one
of the keys to a transformed life.
(Wiersbe)

his clothing became dazzling white -- The appearance of his
countenance became different, (R. 748), it shone like the
sun (Matthew). All the aorists used in Matthew, Mark, and Luke
() report facts, actual changes that occurred in Jesus himself
and not something that was merely subjective, only in the eyes and the
minds of the disciples. The natural explanations of rationalists that the
rays of the sun lit up the face and the clothes of Jesus while he was
standing on a higher elevation than the disciples are efforts to avoid
accepting another miracle. When the disciples looked at the
countenance of Jesus they looked at a refulgence that was as brilliant
and dazzling as the sun itself. This extended to his entire form, for his
very apparel (, the word for sumptuous attire, which is
chosen to express its new appearance) was white, dazzling (no
connective: dazzling white), the participle describing it
as flashing out (the simple verb is used with reference to the flashing
of lightning). Mark says of the whiteness: such as a fuller on earth is
not able to whiten, a whiteness that was altogether superearthly.
Instead of thinking of the radiance on the face of Moses (Exod. 34:29;
2 Cor. 3:13), as some do, we have far more reason to think of Johns
vision of Jesus in Rev. 1:1315.
(Lenski, p. 528)
By virtue of this union the human nature shared in the divine
attributes but during the days of the humiliation used these
attributes only on exceptional occasions as in the case of the
performance of miracles. One of these occasions was the
transfiguration when the whole body of Jesus was allowed to
shine with the light and the splendor of its heavenly divinity.
Jesus now shines thus in heaven forever. Of the holy city
(heaven) it is said: The Lamb is the light thereof, Rev. 21:23.
The glory was thus not extraneous, glowing for a while and
then being removed. It was the possession of Jesus when it
shone out as well as when it was hidden.
(Lenski, p. 529)

Further, his clothes became very white. Matthew says they
were white as the light (17:2). Mark says dazzling white,
whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them (9:3). Luke
says as bright as a ash of lightning (9:29). The source of the
25

light that shone through Jesus clothes was not external, it came
from within himself, for he is truly God.
(Sproul, p. 205)

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.

.

Now Peter and those who were with him were heavy with sleep -
- They were not uninterested, indifferent, or apathetic; the perfect
passive participle translated "over," implies that they're falling asleep
was involuntary. And they had been asleep before the Lord's glory was
revealed. Deeply saddened by Jesus's prediction of His rejection and
death, the three apostles were sound asleep as they would be later in
Gethsemane (Luke 22:45). (MacArthur, page 284).

but when they became fully awake -- --
Perhaps having roused themselves up [OLSHAUSEN] may come near
enough to the literal sense; but from the word used we can gather no
more than that they shook off their drowsiness. It was night, and the
Lord seems to have spent the whole night on the mountain (Lu 9:37).

(JFB)

they saw his glory -- And then again Luke draws attention to the
person of Jesus in verse 32 when he says Peter and James and John,
theyre sleeping. Jesus is praying; theyre sleeping does that sound
familiar to you? But when they wake up dont you love that phrase?
they saw His glory. Theres a wonderful book about the revivals
of religion that occurred in Scotland called, They Saw His Glory.
When Peter and James and John wake up they see the glory of the
Lord.
Now you know that in the Old Testament one of the phrases,
one of the euphemisms for God is, The glory, because no man can
see God and live. Very often you hear Moses asking this hes on a
mountain in the Old Testament and what does he say to the Lord?
Show me Your glory. Now here we are and Luke knows youre
good Bible students and Hes got Moses here who once on a mountain
asked to see Gods glory and heres Moses and heres Jesus and heres
Peter and James and John waking up and what do they see? Glory.
26

Whos glory? His glory. Whos His? Jesus. Its Lukes way of
drawing attention to the person of Jesus Christ.
And then heres the climax. You see it in verse 35 a cloud
comes and overshadows them. And in the Old Testament what is a
cloud so often a symbol of? The presence of God; the presence of God
with Israel. Protecting and guiding them in the wilderness was a pillar
of cloud and a pillar of fire. When God spoke to His people He often
spoke out of the cloud with thunder and lightening and Jesus pictures
His coming again on clouds. Its a symbol of the powerful presence of
God and this cloud overshadows the mountain and these men tremble
and then a voice speaks. And the voice speaks and says, This is My
Son, My Chosen One. Herod had asked, Who is He? The disciples
had said, They say this about You. And then in response to Jesus
question they had said, You are the Christ. Now God Himself says,
This is My Son. This is the Chosen One.
You see what Luke is saying? Hes saying this One is worth
living and dying for. This One is worth losing everything for. This
One is worth denying yourself for because there is no one like Him
and there is no one equal to Him and theres no one greater than Him
and He is greater than everyone else. This One, this Jesus, is the
Chosen Messiah. Gods own lips have spoken it. He is the Son of
God. He is more important than anything. He is more important than
everything. Hes big enough, Hes important enough to overshadow
everything in your life.
I was talking to a friend not long ago who had made a choice
earlier in life for which he now has profound regret because he thinks
he made the wrong decision. And he really tried to make the right
decision, but he thinks he made the wrong decision. And he thinks he
made that wrong decision because there was something that was so
important to him then that he didnt choose to do what he ought to
have chosen. And he said to me, What could have been so important
to me that I made that decision? Thats a searching question, isnt it?
And Im sure there are some of you with regrets like that here today.
But let me flip that question around. Luke is saying to you,
What could possibly be so important to you that its more important
than anything in life? What could possibly be so important to you that
it overshadows everything else? What could possibly be so important
to you that youd be willing to deny yourself anything? And Luke is
saying there is only one answer to that question Jesus. Theres only
one equal to that kind of self-denial. Theres only one worth living for
27

and dying for. Theres only one whos big enough to overshadow
everything in life. Luke is saying that its Jesus. (Lig)
In the Old Testament, God displayed his glory in typical, visual
form as an awe-inspiring expanse of bright light (the shekinah,
as later Judaism called it). This was the sign of his beneficent
presence in both the tabernacle and the temple (Exodus 40:34;
1 Kings 8:10ff.). The essential and abiding revelation of Gods
glory, however, was given by his great acts of merited
judgment and unmerited love, and in his namewhich was
no mere label, as our names are, but a disclosure of Gods
nature and character. Jehovah (Yahweh, as modern scholars
render it) means I am (and will be) what I am (and will be)
(see Exodus 3:1315), and the full statement of Gods name
declares precisely what he is and will be. This statement was
made to Moses; when Moses asked God, show me thy glory,
God responded not only by a visual manifestation, but also by
declaring my name the LORD (Yahweh) a God merciful
and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love
and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands,
forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no
means clear the guilty (Exodus 33:1834:7). This moral
character is the essential glory of God.
So, when the Word was made flesh in lowliness, having
emptied himself of the glory he shared with the Father before
creation, the breathtaking brilliance of the shekinah was
hidden, save for the one isolated moment of transfiguration; yet
Jesus disciples could testify, we beheld his glory, the glory
of personal deity full of grace and truth (John 1:14; cf. 17:5;
Philippians 2:7). Great as is the physical glory of shekinah
light, the moral glory of Gods redeeming love is greater.
Those today whom God enlightens to understand the gospel
never see the shekinah, but they behold the glory of God in the
face of Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 4:6).
(Packer, Growing in Christ, p.
210)

3. Pre-eminent in His Message
34
As he was saying these things, a cloud came and overshadowed them, and
they were afraid as they entered the cloud.

.
28

a cloud came and overshadowed them -- While Peter was
speaking, a cloud enveloped them. Grammatically the word
them could refer to the three disciples or to all six people (Jesus,
Moses, Elijah, and the three disciples). But more likely it refers to
Jesus and the heavenly visitors, with the disciples being those who
were afraid. A cloud was often a symbol of Gods divine presence
(Ex. 13:21-22; 40:38). Perhaps the disciples thought Jesus was being
taken away from them, and they would never see Him again.
(BKC)
The cloud was a visible representation of God's presence in
Shekinah glory (Exodus 13:21; 16:10; 24:16; 40:35; Numbers
16:42; I Kings 8:11), it in golf that Jesus, Moses, and Elijah,
leaving the apostles outside since when they heard God's voice
it came out of the cloud. (MacArthur, page 286).
In Scripture the presence of God is often indicated by the
mention of a cloud. In several cases, as also here, it is a bright,
white, or luminous cloud (cf. Exod. 13:21; 16:10; 40:35; I
Kings 8:10, 11; Neh. 9:19; Ps. 78:14; Rev. 14:1416).


As Godet (op. cit., Vol. I, pp. 429, 430) and others have
pointed out, the voice coming out of the cloud (verse 35)
could scarcely be addressed to any but persons who were
themselves outside the cloud. This would mean, therefore, that
Peter, James, and John did not enter the cloud.
It is therefore reasonable to assume that the cloud
served as a kind of chariot to remove Moses and Elijah from
the earthly scene and to carry them back to their heavenly
abode; for, as verse 36 makes clear, they are no longer present.
Cf. Acts 1:9.

The cloud pictures Gods presence (Bovon 1989: 500 and n. 60
notes that Tg. Neof. 1.3 on Lev. 23:43 speaks of Israels
dwelling in the cloud). It overshadows the disciples, leaving
them afraid. Some suggest that only Jesus and his guests were
overshadowed, since the voice is described as coming out of
the cloud and the disciples appear to be outside observers
(Godet 1875: 1.42930; Plummer 1896: 25253; Creed 1930:
135; Oepke, TDNT 4:908; Marshall 1978: 387). There is no
need to make this suggestion, for the disciples could have been
overshadowed by the cloud and a voice could still have come
from it. In fact, this verse clearly refers to the disciples coming
29

into the cloud, since it mentions that they were afraid as they
entered the cloud.
The clouds presence seems to be Gods answer to
Peters suggestion: no booths are needed since God has
wrapped the disciples in his glory and presence. Gods very
presence is associated with Jesus, through whom they have
access to full communion and presence with God. The clouds
presence leaves the disciples fearful, a normal response to
Gods action (Luke 1:12; Balz, TDNT 9:20910). With the
departure of the cloud after the voice, the OT saints are no
longer present (9:36). But to argue that the clouds purpose was
to take them into Gods presence is unwarranted, since Jesus
did not depart with the OT saints. Given the imagery denoting
divine presence, the disciples experienced it as well. Thus,
there was no need for a rapture to heaven during the event
(contra Oepke, TDNT 4:908). Both view 2 and view 3 have
merit.
(Bock, p. 873)

It had been 600 years since anyone in Israel had seen the
Shekinah glory. p 352 But While he [Peter] was speaking, a
cloud appeared and enveloped them, and they were afraid as
they entered the cloud (v. 34). The disciples were terrified as
Jesus, Moses, and Elijah were enveloped by a bright cloud
(cf. Matthew 17:5).
It was the Shekinah! It is reasonable to imagine that
from below any who happened to look up that night saw it
the mountain was capped with the divine incandescence. Peter,
James, and John saw up close and personal the cloud that not
even Moses was allowed to intimately view in Old Testament
times. But now Jesus was with them, and so they could gaze
upon the Shekinah glory.
Think of it! This was the pillar of the Exodus (Exodus
13:21). This was the cloud that passed by Moses as God
covered him in the cleft of the rock with his hand, so that
Moses only saw the afterglow (Exodus 33:1823). This was the
cloud that covered the newly finished Tent of Meeting and so
filled the new tabernacle with Gods glory that Moses could not
enter it (Exodus 40:35). It was the same cloud that filled
Solomons temple on dedication day so that the priests could
not enter (1 Kings 8:10, 11; 2 Chronicles 7:1). It was the same
glory that Ezekiel saw rise from between the cherubim and
move to the threshold of the temple because of Israels
30

apostasy (Ezekiel 8:4; 9:3) and then slowly, hesitatingly move
over the east gate of the temple where it hovered (Ezekiel 10:4,
18, 19), finally rising to be seen no more from the Mount of
Olives (11:2225).

. . .
The cloud is also a prophecy. In the future, in death,
believers will meet the risen Christ in the incandescent clouds
to be with him forever (1 Thessalonians 4:17, 18). Peter, James,
and John were to put their arms around this blessed experience
and pull it within themselves. So must we! It is our hope. First
Thessalonians 4:17b says that the same Lord is going to return
in a cloud of glory, and that those who die before are going to
rise up and meet him in the air (v. 16), and that the living are
going to meet him in the air too (v. 17)in that great cloud of
glory. Someday we are going to be in that cloud! The Shekinah
glory is going to surround us!
(Hughes, p. 351)

35
And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is my Son, my Chosen
One; listen to him!
, .

This is my Son, my Chosen One -- The reference to sonship is an
allusion to Ps. 2:7, just as the title Son at the baptism was seen as
derived from the psalm (see the exegesis of Luke 3:22). In the earlier
text, the remark was seen as messianic, especially as it is linked to two
other Lucan texts (4:113, 1630). The messianic thrust of the remark
is confirmed by the second part of the declaration: (ho
eklelegmenos, the Chosen One). This wording is found only in Luke,
probably as an explanatory reference to strengthen the regal character
of the remark, coming as it does after Peters messianic confession of
Jesus. It is Gods amen to that confession. Mark 9:7 = Matt. 17:5 has
(ho agaptos, the beloved), as do all three Synoptics
report of the utterance given at the baptism. The Lucan change serves
to explain Lukes understanding of the wording and seems to derive
from Isa. 42:1, where the reference is to the Servant as Gods chosen
instrument. When one puts the two titles together, Jesus is identified as
the Messiah-Servant, the fundamental christological category that
Luke has presented up to this point. The use of the perfect participle
31

shows that Jesus has already occupied the position of the elect one;
enthronement is not the point here.
(Bock, p. 873)
Simon Peter interprets this verse for us. He said that he saw the
Kingdom. Where did he see it? Peter was with the Lord on the
holy mount and was an eyewitness of it. He tells us about it in
2 Peter 1:1618 which says, For we have not followed
cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the
power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were
eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received from God the
Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him
from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I
am well pleased. And this voice which came from heaven we
heard, when we were with him in the holy mount. This is the
explanation Simon Peter gives, and that is good enough for me.
I think the man who was there ought to know more about it
than some of these modern scholars who were not present.

(McGee, p. 124)

listen to him -- . -- Those familiar with the Old
Testament, as the disciples were, doubtless immediately recognized the
reference (in the words listen to Him) to Deuteronomy 18:15 with its
messianic prediction of a Prophet greater than Moses. The people were
to listen to (i.e., obey) the Prophet

(BKC)
God informs the apostles that they should listen to Jesus,
especially on the matter of His death (MacArthur, page 286).
The command given to the disciples is: Him be hearing! the
present imperative to express constant hearing, and the genitive
to indicate the person heard. On this command, which
was transmitted already through Moses, compare Deut. 18:15,
last clause and especially v. 18, 19 with the threat against those
who fail or refuse to hear Christ. Him be hearing! in the
sense of him alone is valid to this day. The Father himself has
placed this seal upon every word of Jesus. This is the
confirmation by God himself of Peters great confession
recorded in v. 20, Gods own attestation of the deity of the Son
who is to die and be raised up again, v. 22. As far as Jesus and
the Father were concerned, they certainly left nothing undone
to prepare the disciples for what was impending.
(Lenski,
p. 535)
Another key feature in the heavenly endorsement is the allusion
to Deut. 18:15. Unlike the Matthean and Marcan parallels,
32

Lukes word order directly matches the LXX version of
Deuteronomy ( , autou akouete, listen to him),
thus emphasizing slightly the focus of listening to him. The
allusion to Deuteronomy is important, because it marks out
Jesus as a Prophet like Moses (Acts 3:1924). It also
indicates that the disciples need instruction from the one who
leads the way to God. There are things that the disciples do not
yet understand about the one they have confessed. Conzelmann
(1960: 5759) is surely correct to say that the call is to hear
Jesus teaching about his passion and to recognize that Jesus
will be a Messiah who suffers. Jesus has much more to reveal
about himself.
The reference to Deut. 18 is not used in the voices
remark at Jesus baptism. The new reference not only identifies
Jesus, but declares his role as revealer of Gods way through a
confession from heaven. Much of the rest of Luke involves the
Prophet-Messiahs instruction to his disciples. In effect, the
voice says to Peter, Jesus is not equal to Moses or Elijah; he is
greater than they (Fitzmyer 1981: 803). God is saying, Sit at
his feet, so you can learn from him the way to me.
(Bock, p. 874)

36
.
.

tense).
(ATR)

33

(McDonald)



Conc --

B. Sufficiency of His Passion

34

33
And as the men were parting from him, Peter said to Jesus, Master, it is
good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses
and one for Elijahnot knowing what he said.
,
, ,
, .

And as the men were parting from him, Peter said to Jesus --

-- On plus a finite verb and on with an
infinitive see 1:8. It is Luke who tells us that Peter spoke up as Moses
and Elijah were in the act of taking their departure from Jesus. Note
that the disciples were there only as witnesses, and no one had thus far
spoken to them. Peters word sounds like an effort to keep Moses and
Elijah from leaving although he dares to address only Jesus. What he
says is valuable in one respect. He feels that it is to be here, and
the simple positive excellent is more expressive than the
comparative or superlative would be. The positive represents the
highest absolute idea of a quality and cannot therefore be increased,
quoted by R. 661. Peter felt as if he and his fellow disciples were very
near to heaven. Although they were filled with deep awe they knew
themselves to be in the presence of heavenly glory in which Jesus was
so unspeakably glorified in divine majesty (2 Pet. 1:16) and two
dwellers of heaven were also in glory. It was Peters desire to
prolong this experience. He practically asks that Moses and Elijah
should remain. Hence we have his suggestion about the booths, one for
each glorious person. The volitive subjunctive is hortative
(read R. 930, etc.), which asks the consent of Jesus and in the subject
we includes Jesus in so far as he would be giving his assent. When
Matthew writes the singular , I will make, etc., he shows
what Peter meant, namely that he would manage the work
(Lenski, p. 533)

Master, it is good that we are here -- This comment indicates that
the revelation of the kingdom is exactly what Peter had been waiting
for. His suggestion to make three Tabernacles reflects his desire to
bypass the cross and make the current situation permanent. A number
of things prompted Peter's hope that he was witnessing the
inauguration of the kingdom. First, the Feast of Tabernacles was being
celebrated at that time. Since that feast celebrated Israel's exodus from
Egypt, what better time could there be for Jesus's Exodus from the
world? Further, Peter knew from Zechariah 14:16-19 that the Feast of
35

Tabernacles was to be celebrated in the millennial kingdom. He also
knew the according to Malachi 3:1 and 4:5-6 that Elijah was associated
with the coming of the kingdom. Peter's brash suggestion shows
astounding self-confidence. He was out of his element, the normal
world of time and space, and in the supernatural realm of the divine.
Yet he did not hesitate to offer suggestions to the Lord about what
should be done. He was still trying to divert Jesus from his suffering
and toward setting up His reign at that time (acts 1:6). Of course he did
not really realize what he was saying. This was not the beginning of
the kingdom; God's plan of redemption could not be short-circuited.
Before the crown comes the cross; the path to the kingdom lies through
Calvary. Before Jesus rules as King, he must suffer as the suffering
servant of Isaiah 53. But the glorious vision experienced that day
would stay with the three apostles for the rest of their lives (II Peter
1:16-18), reassuring them of the reality of the coming kingdom
It might be said in Peters favor that he at least submits the
suggestion to the Lord, so that the latter may decide. On the
other hand, this apostles very desire to prolong the glory-scene
(how good it is for us to be here!) shows that he had not yet
fully taken to heart what Jesus had taught him (see on 9:22).
From suffering, from the cross, whether for Jesus or for
himself, he wishes to stay far removed.

Let us make three tents -- They realized they were in a kingdom
setting which triggered Peters idea that they build three shelters.
Peter may have been thinking of the Feast of Booths, a feast of
ingathering long associated with the coming kingdom (cf. Zech. 14:16-
21). Peter seemed to have assumed that the kingdom had arrived.
(BKC)
9:33 One disciple reacts. With the impending departure of the
OT saints, Peter tries to prolong the moment with a suggestion
that they celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles on the mountain.
This key festival in Judaism looked back at Gods provision in
the wilderness and was regarded as anticipating Gods ultimate
deliverance.
17
Apparently, Peter understood Moses and
Elijahs presence to have eschatological overtones.
The Feast of Tabernacles was a major event in the
Jewish calendar. The festivals main activity involved
constructing booths to live in for a week. The rules for the size
of the booth were very specific (m.Suk. 1). Only men and boys
36

old enough not to need a mother were required to live in the
booth, which was to be the main abode for that week, with
ones house being the chance abode (m.Suk. 2.9). This time
of great joy looked back at Gods initial faithful provision of
food in the wilderness and at his current provision of harvest
(the American Thanksgiving holiday and the German
Erntedank are loose equivalents). As well, the feast looked
forward to Gods total provision later. It is this mood of
expectation that Peter wants to retain. His remark that the
experience is a good thing to share shows his positive frame of
mind (Marshall 1978: 386).
What is not clear is whether Peter had in mind
reproducing the feast or whether he wanted the booths for
something else. Though they recall the imagery of the Feast of
Tabernacles, the booths (, sknas) were most likely a
way for the visitors to prolong their stay (Marshall 1978: 386
cites Luke 16:9 and John 14:2 as conceptual equivalents tied to
heaven). Peter probably wanted to continue the mountaintop
experience. It is clear that he had some feel for the special
nature of the moment, and his desire to celebrate the occasion
and extend it is understandable. Only Luke mentions that
Peters remark came as Moses and Elijah were leaving. Luce
(1933: 189) argues that a statement by Peter here is out of place
and suggests that Peter raised questions instead (Is it good for
us to be here? Should we build three booths?). However,
such interjections by Peter are not unusual (Luke 5:8; 22:33).

(Bock, p. 870)

Peter suggests they build three tabernacles, which puts Moses
and Elijah on a par with Jesus Christ, although he puts the Lord
at the head of the list. Many anthologies of religion list
Buddha, Mohammed, Moses, and Christ as founders of
religion. It may seem strange to you, but Jesus Christ is not the
founder of any religion. He did not found a religion; He died on
a cross for the sins of the world. He is the Savior, and that is
why we are not saved by religion; we are saved by Christ. I
remember Dr. Carrol said many times, When I came to Christ,
I lost my religion. A great many people need to lose their
religion and find Christ.
(McGee, p. 126)

not knowing what he said -- Luke editorially inserted that Peter
did not know what he was saying. The thought is not that Peter
37

misunderstood the significance of the kingdom settinghe was correct
in that. The problem was that he forgot Jesus prediction that He would
suffer (Luke 9:23-24).
(BKC)
Not knowing what he said ( is retained from the direct
discourse, R. 1030) explains that Peter was really talking
foolishly, just babbling as it were. Forward Peter had to say
something, and he was not in a condition to say anything and
should have been silent like James and John. The foolishness
lies in the idea that men who were in the glorified state would
remain here on this unglorified earth and would need shelters
for the night as ordinary men do. Mark explains further that the
disciples were , upset with fear, and that Peter thus
babbled as he did. Therefore Jesus, too, gave him no answer at
all, perhaps never even looked at himother more important
things were transpiring.
(Lenski, p. 534)

and spoke of his departure -- Moses and Elijah talked with Jesus
about His decease (lit., exodus) which He was about to accomplish
at Jerusalem. Note that His death is here spoken of as an
accomplishment. Also note that death is simply an exodus not
cessation of existence but departure from one place to another one.

(McDonald)
And theres another thing I want you to see about His death
here because this departure is spoken of in the most interesting
way. Its a death listen which He was about to
accomplish at Jerusalem. We do not often speak about
accomplishing something in our deaths. I mean, death is
something that happens to us, right? We dont happen to death.
We dont accomplish something by our death but He did,
because no one, He said, no one takes My life from Me. I
lay it down. He was no mere victim, friends. He chose to
die. He accomplished something in His death.
It was by His death that He accomplished
redemption. Isnt that interesting language? They spoke of
His departure which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.
Jesus death was the stratagem of the love and the grace of God
planned for us in eternity past whereby our sins would be
38

pardoned and He chose to die for us and He accomplished
something in His death the salvation of men and women and
boys and girls from every tribe and tongue and people and
nation, all who trust in Him alone for salvation as He is offered
in the Gospel. A multitude that no man can number and He
accomplished that in His death. (Lig)
But theres still a play on words for you not to miss here
because the word behind departure is the Greek phrase, ten
exodon and you dont have to know Greek to recognize the
word that I just said. Ten exodon they were talking about the
exodus that He was about to accomplish in Jerusalem. Now
think about this friends Moses is on this mountain and hes
talking with Jesus and theyre talking about the exodus that
Jesus is about to accomplish in Jerusalem.
In other words, though Moses led a great exodus of the
children of Israel out of sin and bondage out of the house of
slavery in Egypt, Jesus led a greater exodus in Jerusalem in His
death. This is what Moses and Elijah are talking with Him
about, the exodus that He is going to lead, the exodus that
liberates us from sin and misery. And do you see what Luke
is saying? Hes saying this Jesus is big enough to overshadow
all of life. Hes big enough to matter more than everything.
Hes big enough for you to give up anything, anyone for,
because of who He is and what Hes done. (Lig)
And they heard also, that they spake of His Exodus
outgoingwhich He was about to fulfil at Jerusalem.
Although the term Exodus, outgoing, occurs otherwise for
death,
2
we must bear in mind its meaning as contrasted with
that in which the same Evangelic writer designates the Birth of
Christ, as His incoming. In truth, it implies not only His
Decease, but its manner, and even His Resurrection and
Ascension. In that sense we can understand the better, as on the
lips of Moses and Elijah, this about His fulfilling that Exodus:
accomplishing it in all its fulness, and so completing Law and
Prophecy, type and prediction.
(
Edersheim, A. (1896). Vol. 2:
The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah (97). Bellingham,
WA: Logos Bible Software.)
Luke alone records the subject of the conversation with Jesus:
his departure which he was about to accomplish in
Jerusalem. The word , which is used also with
39

reference to Peters departure (2 Pet. 1:15), means more than
the decease or death of Jesus (our versions), especially in this
connection after the prophecy of both the death and the
resurrection of Jesus (v. 22, plus the implications in v. 2327).
It denotes the entire exodus (Ausgang) by which Jesus left
this earth, the sacrificial death plus the resurrection and the
glorification. This was not an incidental subject of conversation
but the supreme topic of even these exalted heavenly
personages. They were now in glory like all the saints in
heaven on the strength of this departure that Jesus was about
to accomplish in Jerusalem (the imperfect of with an
infinitive to express something that will occur in the near
future). All the saints in heaven looked forward to this
accomplishment of Jesus. Redemption was intended for the
universe of men, for the dead as well as for the living and those
yet to live. What was said in the conversation is not stated. But
we may take it that Jesus and these prophets spoke of it as
being something that they knew fully in detail and in effect.

(Lenski,
p. 531)
The topic of their conversation was Christ's departure which He
was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. This shows that His
death was the fulfillment of God's eternal plan, not a breach of
it. What was hard for the apostles to accept, Jesus's death, was
the divine plan and these Old Testament representatives
understood that fact in their perfect knowledge. Moses and
Elijah had been in the presence of God since their departures
from this world, where they had known and worshiped Jesus
and understood the plan of redemption (MacArthur, page 283).
Their conversation was about Christ's Exodus. In this world
Moses had superintended the offering of the Passover sacrifice
to save Israel from the wrath of God is the first step towards
their liberation from bondage and their exodus from Egypt. In
that world, if not before, he would long since have discovered
that his Passover sacrifice and Exodus had another dimension:
they were a prototype and prophecy of the sacrifice of Messiah,
a pledge which one day would have to be "fulfilled in the
kingdom of God" (Luke 22:16). And he would further have
learned that his own Passover in Egypt was not simply a useful
analogy that fortunately happened to lie to hand when God
decided the Messiah must die: the sacrifice of Messiah to save
40

Israel and all who will from the wrath of God and the
domination of Satan had been decided upon ages before
Mosess Passover (Gooding, page 167).
Elijah, two, when in this world, had offered the sacrifice (I
Kings 18). Its purpose had been to win back Israel from her
pain idolatries to serve the true and living God. This method
was simple: the God who could show by fire from heaven, his
acceptance of the sacrifice offered on Israel's behalf, was to be
acknowledged as the true God. In that world Elijah to would
have learned that his sacrifice was also a prototype of the way
by which God had already purposed to bring back Israel and all
mankind from their false gods: the sacrifice of Messiah offered
on behalf of all men and its acceptance demonstrated by the
resurrection of Christ in the coming of the Holy Spirit from
heaven (Gooding, page 168).
A few days before, news of the coming death of Christ had
appeared to the apostles as a sudden unexpected shock, an
obstacle in the way of their hopes put there by the perversity of
the religious leaders of their nation. Now on the mount of
Transfiguration they were beginning to discover that the death
of Christ was the sacrifice foreknown before the foundation of
the world, spoken of and foretold by both the law and the
prophets, and now about to be is deliberately fulfilled as it had
been deliberately planned (Gooding, page 168).
Moreover, with the apostles saw on the mount of
Transfiguration was not merely a site of the past in the near
future as it appeared to persons in glory: it was also evidence of
the utter certainty of Christ's second coming. This is not
something which we are left to deduce from the narrative: Peter
himself, as we have earlier observed, tells us (II Peter 1:12-18)
that this among other things as what the Transfiguration
convinced them of. The evidence which he cites is the evidence
of both sight and hearing: they were, he says, eyewitnesses of
Christ's majesty, and the herd the voice from the majestic
glory. Let us notice therefore what exactly it was, and all that
happened on the holy Mount which led Peter on subsequent
reflection to be so certain of the crucified Jesus would one day
come again in glory. Peter was not referring simply to the fact
that on the holy mountain Christ's face was transfigured in his
clothes transformed. He is observing that at a certain point in
41

the proceedings, Jesus received from God the Father a
tremendous accolade of honor and glory. With Peter as our
guide, we had better look back at Luke's narrative to see
exactly what points this accolade of glory was given to him.
The conversation between Christ, Moses and Elijah, as
we have noticed, was about Christ's Exodus at Jerusalem, about
the fact that he must leave the glory of the Transfiguration
mount, go down to the squalid sinful world below, on to
Jerusalem and death: the Son of man had to go even as it had
been ordained (Luke 22:22). Moses and Elijah therefore were
now already beginning to depart when Peter suggested that it
would be good if they did not go, but all stayed where they
were on the mountain. He proposed in fact to make 3 tents,
one each for Christ, Moses and Elijah, to facilitate their stay.
He like the other two disciples had been asleep did not realize
what he was saying. It was nevertheless a most unfortunate
suggestion. Not only did imply putting Moses and Elijah on a
level with Christ, they would have impeded and delayed the
very going which had been planned from eternity and for which
the time had now come. It was at that point in the proceedings,
when having discussed is Exodus Moses and Elijah were
departing in Christ was turning to go down the mountain on to
his Exodus, that the cloud came and Jesus received from the
majestic glory himself the tremendous accolade of honor and
glory, "This is my son, my chosen one, hear him." Not only at
the Exodus been planned by the Father: Christ's willingness to
fulfill it filled the Father are with delight and moved him thus
to honor his son.
As Peter reflected on this glorious event later in life that
convinced him of two things. First, the death of Christ was no
tragic accident: it was foreknown, that is foreordained, before
the foundation of the world (I Peter 1:20). Secondly, the shame
and death of the cross were no obstacle in the way of Christ
setting up of the kingdom. His willingness to suffer was the
reason for the Fathers delight, the grounds for his bestowing
on Jesus the supreme glory. Not only had he already raised him
from the dead and given him glory: one day he would do before
the whole universe what he had done on the mount of
Transfiguration. He would glorify and vindicate his Son: Christ
would come again (II Peter 1:16) not only in his personal glory
but in the glory of the Father himself and of the holy Angels.
42

No glory would be too great for the Father to bestow on the
One crucified (Gooding, page 169).
The best option, not listed by Marshall, is that the image refers
to the entire death-parousia career of Jesus. [5 highlights] This is
suggested in Luke 9:22, 26 (Bock 1987: 116, 324 n. 99), as
well as by the journey image of a lord gone for a while to
return in certain parables (12:3537; 19:1113). Jesus
glorious condition at the time of this discussion also suggests
this more comprehensive allusion. Moses and Elijah anticipate
what Jesus will fulfill, starting in Jerusalem. Clearly the stress
is on his death, resurrection, and ascension [5 highlights]all of
which happen in Jerusalem. It is these events as inaugurating a
larger program that is the point of the journey motif.
(Bock, p. 870)

Conc --

III. Portents of the Preview

Our Lords own words in Luke 9:27 indicate that the event was a
demonstration (or illustration) of the promised kingdom of God. This seems
logical, for the disciples were confused about the kingdom because of Jesus
words about the cross. (We must not be too hard on them because the prophets
were also confused1 Peter 1:1012.) Jesus was reassuring them that the Old
Testament prophecies would be fulfilled, but first He had to suffer before He
could enter into His glory (note especially 2 Peter 1:1221).
(Wiersbe)

Professor W. H. Rogers puts it well:
In the transfiguration, we have in miniature form all salient features of the
future kingdom in manifestation. We see the Lord clothed in glory and not in
the rags of humiliation. We behold Moses in a glorified state, the
representative of the regenerated who have passed through death into the
kingdom. We observe Elijah shrouded in glory, the representative of the
redeemed who have entered the kingdom by translation. There are three
disciples, Peter, James and John, who are not glorified, the representatives of
Israel in the flesh during the millennium. Then there is the multitude at the
foot of the mountain, representative of the nations who will be brought into
the kingdom after it has been inaugurated.
(MCcDonald)

43

V. 29
[Many implications about heaven in this paragraph ] --The
first effect of the transfiguration on the apostles was doubtless
to convince them beyond any shadow of doubt of the real
existence of the other world, the eternal kingdom. Our world is
not the only one: there is another. Next they were given to see
that the other world is not just future to our world, but con
current with that, though also before it and beyond it. They
further see that though that world is normally invisible two
hours, Christ had contact with both worlds simultaneously;
what is more, though he was still on earth, his person and
clothes could and did take on a radiance suited to the glory of
the other world. Moreover, there talked with him to man,
Moses and Elijah who appeared in glory. This is very
interesting, because in our world these two men were separated
by time, since they lived in two completely different centuries;
in that world they were together. Clearly time and change do
not affect that world as they do hours. And yet it would be false
to jump to the conclusion that in that world there is no past or
future, but only one eternal present, for we are told that Moses
and Elijah were talking with Jesus about an event that
apparently was future to all three of them: Christ's death and
resurrection (literally, his "Exodus") which he was about to
accomplish at Jerusalem. He had not yet died: he knew it, of
course; but they also knew it (Gooding, page 167.)

and spoke of his departure -- Moses and Elijah talked with Jesus
about His decease (lit., exodus) which He was about to accomplish
at Jerusalem. Note that His death is here spoken of as an
accomplishment. Also note that death is simply an exodus not
cessation of existence but departure from one place to another one.

(McDonald)

36
.
.

44

tense).
(ATR)

(McDonald)


45


Conc --

And you want to know something amazing? These men were intended to
witness this and report on it for all of us. Peter says in I Pet 1:7 to all who will
persevere in their faith in Christ, in their life of self-denial and cross-bearing,
so that the tested genuineness of your faithmore precious than gold that
perishes though it is tested by firemay be found to result in praise and glory
and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
8
Though you have not seen him,
you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice
with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory,
9
obtaining the outcome of
your faith, the salvation of your souls. Peter is saying, Its not just for me,
friends. All who choose to follow him will share in the glory of His coming
just exactly like He said. Take courage, Beloved. Yes, He is worth whatever it
costs to follow Him.

Luke 09-28-36 Kingdom Preview (1) - The Hope Generator

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KINGDOM PREVIEW (1): THE HOPE GENERATOR

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