Luke 9:28–36
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. 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,1 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. 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 Elijah”—not knowing what he said. 34 As he 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;2 listen to him!” 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.
1 Greek exodus 2 Some manuscripts my Beloved
Section Overview
The placement of the transfiguration narrative is instructive. Jesus has just been confessed as Messiah, but he informed the disciples that he would be a suffering Messiah, that he would be put to death. We see in this account that such suffering is a prelude to glory. He will not suffer forever but will return as a glorious King, revealing the fullness of his glory and power. Jesus takes Peter, James, and John up on a mountain to witness the scene. As he is praying he is transformed before them, and the fullness of his glory is unveiled. Moses and Elijah, representing the Law and the Prophets, appear and talk with Jesus, speaking of his exodus in Jerusalem, showing Jesus’ death as the pathway to glory. Peter and his companions are weighed down with sleep, but Peter tries to say something helpful, suggesting three tents for Jesus, Moses, and Elijah. He totally misses the point, and the cloud of divine presence overshadows them, the divine voice indicating that the focus should be exclusively on Jesus. He is God’s Son and the “Chosen One”! They should listen to him in fulfillment of Deuteronomy 18:15. They are left with Jesus alone and tell no one what has happened, but the point of the story is that the Jesus who is destined to suffer is God’s Son, his Chosen One, and death will not be the end of the story. He will return in glory.
Section Outline
III. Jesus Proclaims Salvation in Galilee by the Power of the Spirit (4:14–9:50) . . .
E. The Revelation of Jesus’ Identity and Destiny (8:22–9:50) . . .
3. Jesus’ Destiny Revealed (9:21–50) . . .
b. Jesus’ Transfiguration (9:28–36)
Response
The Christian faith is about Christ; we could describe our lives as magnifying God in Christ by the power of the Spirit. What it means to be a Christian is to be Jesus-centered. All of God’s promises “find their Yes in him” (2 Cor. 1:20). “All the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” are “hidden” in him (Col. 2:3). We are “filled in him” (Col. 2:10). Christ is our life (Col. 3:4), and “To me to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Phil. 1:21). The transfiguration communicates the same truth: the Law and the Prophets point to Christ. Jesus is the new and better Moses. He is the true Israel. He is the new and better David. He is God’s very own Son, the true revelation of God. We need, therefore, to listen to him, to meditate on him, to rejoice in him, and to love him.
Greek exodus
Some manuscripts my Beloved
9:28–29 Luke records that the transfiguration takes place eight days later, while Matthew and Mark say six days later (Matt. 17:1; Mark 9:2), but the difference is probably explained by whether days are counted inclusively or exclusively (eight days via an inclusive counting; six days via exclusive). Jesus takes the three disciples he is closest to—Peter, James, and John—up to the mountain to pray. Mountains were often considered places of revelation, places where one met God (cf. Gen. 22:2; Ex. 3:1, 12; 4:27; 19:12–23; 20:18; 24:4, 12–18; Deut. 32:50; 1 Kings 19:11; 2 Kings 6:17; Pss. 48:1; 68:15–16; 99:9; Isa. 2:2–3; 11:9; 25:6–7; 40:9; Joel 3:17; Obad. 16; Zeph. 3:11; Matt. 4:8; 5:1; 14:23; Luke 6:12; John 6:3, 15; Heb. 12:20; 2 Pet. 1:18; Rev. 21:10), and the reference to prayer here signals, as we have seen elsewhere in Luke, that a significant event is about to transpire. We are not surprised to learn, then, that Jesus is transformed before the disciples while praying. We are not told what he prays for; perhaps that the disciples would discern the significance of what is happening here, which would be fulfilled after his resurrection (cf. 2 Pet. 1:16–18).
Matthew 17:2 and Mark 9:3 provide more detail concerning Jesus’ change in appearance than does Luke, who tells us how Jesus’ face is transformed and his clothing becomes amazingly white. We are reminded of Moses’ coming down from Sinai with his face shining with the glory of God so that the people fear him (Ex. 34:29–30). White and dazzling clothing is typical of heavenly messengers (Mark 16:5; Luke 24:4; Acts 1:10). We see that Jesus is a heavenly being and, given the context and the entire Lukan narrative, one with divine qualities.
9:30–31 Suddenly Moses and Elijah join the company, and they probably signify the Law and the Prophets. They are also glorious, speaking to Jesus about his exodus (Gk. exodon), his “departure.” In other words, they speak about Jesus’ death, resurrection, and ascension, which will be fulfilled (plēroun) in Jerusalem (cf. Luke 9:22). The glory of Jesus does not contradict the suffering that will occur in Jerusalem; in fact, his suffering in Jerusalem will be the means by which he will be glorified. Luke is telling us that the Law and Prophets wrote about these matters, which are all being fulfilled in Jesus (1:1; 4:21; 18:31; 24:26–27, 44; Acts 3:18; 17:3; 26:22–23). Furthermore, we see here that the great events will take place in Jerusalem, the city of the great King (Luke 9:51, 53; 13:22, 33; 17:11; 19:11, 28; 24:47, 52; cf. Ps. 48:1).
9:32–33 Peter and James and John are overcome with weariness and fall asleep (cf. Mark 14:40). When they wake up they see the “glory” of Jesus, which represents Luke’s interpretation of the transfiguration and confirms that it represents the appearance of Jesus as the risen and ascended one (Luke 9:26; 21:27; 24:26; cf. 2 Pet. 1:16). They also see Elijah and Moses, who began to leave; at this point Peter wants to memorialize what has happened. He suggests they make three tents: one for Moses, one for Elijah, and one for Jesus (cf. Lev. 23:42). Luke remarks that Peter does not understand the import of what he is saying, for he is suggesting that Moses, Elijah, and Jesus are equally important. Thus he completely misses the significance of what is happening: God is present with his people in Jesus!
9:34 Peter’s words, which are unthinking and uncomprehending and therefore unnecessary, fade into insignificance, as the cloud representing God’s glorious presence overshadows them (Ex. 16:10; 24:15–18). This is a clear allusion to Exodus 40:35, in which, after the tabernacle is built and erected, “Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud settled on it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.” “Settled” in the LXX of Exodus 40:35 is the same verb translated “overshadowed” (Gk. epeskiazen) here. We can see why Peter, James, and John feared to enter the cloud, since Moses could not enter the tent of meeting when the cloud overshadowed it (cf. 1 Kings 8:10–11; 2 Chron. 5:14; 7:2). Peter’s inane words are followed by a manifestation of God’s wondrous and fearsome glory.
9:35–36 God not only manifests his visible presence but speaks from the cloud, as at Jesus’ baptism (Luke 3:22)—and with similar words. God declares that Jesus is his Son, which means that he is the true Israel, the true Son of God (Ex. 4:22–23). At the same time, this also means that Jesus is the true King, the Messiah, the Anointed One, the son of David (2 Sam. 7:14; Ps. 2:7; Isa. 9:6; cf. Ps. 89:26–27). But we cannot stop there, for Jesus is also the unique Son of God, one who shares the very identity and nature of God (Luke 1:32, 35; 3:38). The Devil and demons recognize his sonship (4:3, 9, 41), and at the end of the day Jesus is put to death as the Son of God (22:70). Jesus is not only the Son of God but also the “Chosen One.” Here Luke picks up Isaiah 42:1 LXX, where the chosen one is the servant of the Lord, the true Israel, on whom God has placed his Spirit, and we have seen in Luke that Jesus is the bearer of the Spirit. A messianic sense is also present, for in Psalm 89, a psalm about Davidic kingship, the Davidic king is designated as the chosen one (Ps. 88:20 LXX). We see the same thought in Luke 23:35, where “the Christ” is described as the “Chosen One.”
Finally the last three words of the verse are “listen to him.” This is a clear allusion to Deuteronomy 18:15, where Moses promises that the Lord “will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers—it is to him you shall listen.” The import of God’s manifestation and his words is clear. There are not to be three tents, as if Moses, Elijah, and Jesus were to be equally venerated. Jesus is the last and true Prophet (cf. Acts 3:22). He is the true Israel, the Messiah, and God’s own Son. The focus should be on him and him alone. The transfiguration shows that he is God’s Son, sharing God’s own nature.
When the voice stops and the cloud departs, Jesus is found alone, reminding the readers again that it is Jesus alone who deserves all the glory. Luke does not mention how Jesus tells Peter, James, and John not to tell anyone what they have seen (cf. Mark 9:9), but he informs us of the result: they do not relay to the others what they have seen and heard.