In this study we will see one of the most amazing events that reveals who Jesus is to 3 of His disciples. These 3 who we know as Peter, James and John are often talked about more than the other disciples throughout the Gospels and even in the early chapters of Acts. It seems that these 3 men were what we would call the inner circle of Jesus. We have already seen these 3 picked to go along with Jesus while everyone else stayed outside when Jesus raised Jairus’ daughter. Later in Jesus’ ministry we know that these 3 go with Jesus to pray in the Garden of Gethsemane even though Luke does not mention them by name, Matthew and Mark both do. I’m not going to speculate to much on the why Jesus took only these 3 but I can only assume it is for a purpose beyond our understanding. Of course we know it was for a purpose and maybe it had to do with them being the leaders going into the church age but we can not be certain of that.
So as we look at this study I hope that we can get into the setting and the amazement of what happens here. As always we will dive into the other Gospel accounts to see anything that will help us understand this more clearly. Also we will notice that Peter does mention this event in 2 Peter. This too will be something we will look at as we move along in this text. Let’s look now at this text as we look at our first point.
1.Jesus is transfigured.
Look with me at Luke 9:28-31 Now it happened some eight days after these words, that taking along Peter and John and James, He went up on the mountain to pray. 29 And it happened that while He was praying, the appearance of His face became different, and His clothing became white and gleaming. 30 And behold, two men were talking with Him, and they were Moses and Elijah, 31 who, appearing in glory, were speaking of His departure which He was about to fulfill at Jerusalem.
Here we have one of 3 accounts that give us the events that happened on this day concerning Jesus being transfigured. As I mentioned Peter makes mention of this as well in 2 Peter which gives to us 4 times that this event is mentioned. None of the Gospel writers that wrote of this were eye witnesses to this event. Matthew was one of the 12 but was not there, Mark was not one of the 12 but was a close travel companion with Peter who was there, and Luke was not one of the 12 and was a travel companion with Paul who was not there and not one of the 12. Now none of that means anything really because we believe that the Holy Spirit inspired each writer to give to us the events that we find here in these 3 Gospels.
We will get to what Peter says in our 3rd point but for now I want to look at what happens here. Let’s look at what some people see as a contradiction in these 3 accounts. I like to point these out so that we can clear these up and not get stuck on what seems to be a contradiction. If you look at Matthew 17:1 and Mark 9:2 you will see that they start the telling of this event by saying And six days later.
Looking back at Luke 9:28 we see Luke says at the beginning Now it happened some eight days after these words. To some people this seems to bring a definite contradiction between the synoptic Gospels concerning this event. But we must first notice that Luke places the word some or about depending on what version of the Bible you are reading from here in his account. Either way Luke uses the Greek word hósei (ho-si’) which means basically how we see it as either some or about. There is no hidden meaning here but shows to us that Luke does not give to us the days in between these events only but includes the partial days as well. What I mean is that Luke counts the day that Jesus spoke the words of Luke 9:27 as one day, then six days in between, then counts the actual day of the transfiguration which would give to us eight days. Matthew and Mark do not include the word hósei (ho-si’) which shows us that they did not include those other days but only the days in between which of course gives us six days.
There is never a contradiction of these events so I do not want to spend our time doubting but only wanted to show how the counting system works at times in the Bible and really even in our own time. So we see that Jesus takes with Him Peter, John and James to a high mountain as both Matthew and Mark explain it. This was not just a little small mountain but was out of sight from the others. The exact location is not known here but some suggest either Mount Tabor in the southwestern region of Galilee or Mount Hermon near Caesarea Philippi. I lean towards Caesarea Philippi only because this is the location in which they were last but they could have easily traveled away from there in those six days and we know by what we see shortly in Luke that Jesus is moving that direction towards Jerusalem. Once again not important but worth mentioning only.
What we see here is that Jesus takes these 3 to this mountain to pray. What we need to notice is that Jesus was praying but the 3 He took with Him seemed to not be in prayer with Him. It clearly says here that while He was praying. We do not see the other 3 praying but actually when we get to verse 32 the Bible says they had been overcome with sleep. We will learn at the end of Jesus’ life when taking them to the Garden of Gethsemane that they fell asleep then as well. So they fall asleep during this time of prayer and then Luke says of Jesus that the appearance of His face became different, and His clothing became white and gleaming.
Look with me at what both Matthew and Mark’s accounts says of this. Matthew 17:2b says His face shone like the sun, and His garments became as white as light.
Mark 9:3 says His garments were shining intensely white, as no launderer on earth can whiten them.
There are key words that stick out in how they explain this amazing transfiguration of our Lord. First we must note that this was not some dream but what actually happened. The words that all three Gospel writers use shows that Jesus’ actual form changed so this was not some vision or dream. Jesus went from looking like a normal man to something completely different. This difference was seen in His face both Luke and Matthew say. The appearance of His face was bright like the sun Matthew says. Paul says in Acts 26:13 that when Jesus met him on the road to Damascus that I saw on the way a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining all around me.
This relates us back to when Moses was with God on the mountain and his face was shining from being in the presence of God in Exodus 34. All of this shows to us that the veil of Jesus’ humanity was pulled back for just a moment at this time. His face was bright and His clothing was so white that Mark says no launderer on earth can whiten them.
During this transfiguration we see both Moses and Elijah speaking to Jesus concerning what was going to take place concerning His death, resurrection and ascension. These words would be something that these disciples needed to hear but it seems that they missed the point of any of it by their reaction. It is this that we will look at in our next point.
2.The Disciples turmoil.
Look with me at Luke 9:32-33 Now Peter and his companions had been overcome with sleep, but when they were fully awake, they saw His glory and the two men standing with Him. 33 And it happened that as they were leaving Him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good for us to be here; let us make three booths: one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah”—not realizing what he was saying.
As I already mentioned we find Peter, James and John all asleep during this time of prayer. They wake up and seemed to catch up to the reality of what is happening here. The fact is that they see the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. This is something that should have sent them into utter fear and awe but instead Peter shows his fear in a different way here. He speaks up as he often does as the group leader and says to Jesus in Luke 9:33 “Master, it is good for us to be here; let us make three booths: one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”
This seemed to be the moment that any good Jew would have been waiting for. They have seen the great Elijah, the amazing prophet Moses and the glory of God incarnate all at once. Peter I’m sure in fear and joy all at once spoke up to say that this is all he needs really. He basically says let’s stay right here and this will bring to us contentment. Even though they heard the conversation of what Elijah, Moses and Jesus was talking about concerning the death and resurrection of Jesus, they all failed to understand. They would have been happy with what they were experiencing because of the way it made them feel. Many people today seek for this same feeling in church services to only find out that you are missing the point of what being a Christian actually is. The last part of verse 33 says of Peter’s statement that he said that not realizing what he was saying.
The fear they had was not fully seen yet but only a confused state of mind. Peter and the others may have been confused but this would not be the state they stay in for much longer. This leads us to look at what happens next in our next point.
3.The Father’s testimony.
Look with me at Luke 9:34-36 While he was saying this, a cloud formed and began to overshadow them; and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. 35 Then a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My Son, My Chosen One; listen to Him!” 36 And when the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent, and reported to no one in those days any of the things which they had seen.
Peter spoke out of confusion and fear. Mark 9:6 says For he did not know what to answer; for they became terrified.
We may give Peter a lot of grief with the things he says often but clearly both John and James were as terrified as Peter. This fear would intensify here in what we see. Cleary as Peter is speaking something immediately happens as verse 34 says While he was saying this, a cloud formed and began to overshadow them; and they were afraid as they entered the cloud.
Peter may have thought that he had just done something he shouldn’t have in speaking. They may have been wondering that just as Moses and Elijah who they had just seen that experienced face to face conversations with God and being taken away in whirlwind to heaven, that something was about to happen to them as well. They did not react with arrogance but only with fear. They did not know what was next. Luke 9:35 says Then a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My Son, My Chosen One; listen to Him!”
It is this point that brings Peter and the other disciples to understand that this was no dream, this was the actual voice of the Father speaking of who Jesus is. They may have seen the miracles and all that Jesus did but it was at this moment that their understanding of what was happening became more obvious. Peter speaks of this moment as he writes 2 Peter. In that text he is explaining to his audience of the fact that what they preach is not just some made up tale. *Look with me at what he says in 2 Peter 2:16-18 For we did not make known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, following cleverly devised myths, but being eyewitnesses of His majesty. 17 For when He received honor and glory from God the Father, such an utterance as this was made to Him by the Majestic Glory, “This is My beloved Son with whom I am well-pleased”— 18 and we ourselves heard this utterance made from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain.
This moment was something that made them realize who it was that they were with. This was not just another prophet used mightily by God but He is God in the flesh. John says in 1 John 1:1-4 What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we beheld and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life— 2 and the life was manifested, and we have seen and bear witness and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us— 3 what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you may also have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ. 4 And these things we are writing, so that our joy may be made complete.*
At the time of this happening this was terrifying. Matthew 17:6 says And when the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were terrified.
They fall on their faces in fear but then we see in Luke 9:36 And when the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent, and reported to no one in those days any of the things which they had seen.
We find out in Matthew 17:9 and Mark 9:9 that Jesus commanded them to not speak of this event or even the things that were spoken of until after He is risen from the dead. The point in all of this shows to us that Jesus continues to give proof of who He is. He did not perform this miracle in front of the big crowd or even all of His disciples but here reveals to these 3 disciples that He is God in the flesh, that He will die and He will resurrect. In reality they still do not fully understand but this would all make more sense after all of what they heard actually comes true right before their eyes.
They needed to have faith in what God’s plan was not because of what they heard but because of the truth of what was spoken of being fulfilled. It would give to them a testimony that would hold secure even until today.
Disciple's Direction 